She’s been writing and recording music for years, but this is the first year Wendy Joy Ford has made the songwriting finals at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Her song ‘Clean House’ has been named a finalist in the Tamworth Songwriters Association - New Songwriter Award category. It's a feat the Goonellabah-based songwriter said is a “big deal” for her.

“Just to be a finalist is cool,” Wendy said. “I got shortlisted last year for my songs ‘Good Medicine’ and ‘Hippy Cowgirl’, but didn’t make it to finals.

“Last year I attended the Golden Guitar Awards and the Tamworth Songwriter Awards and I had no idea the awards were so big - there were thousands of people there and it was a great place to be seen.”

This year, the awards stage will be a bit different because of Covid and will be streamed live on January 19 - which Wendy intends to be watching – even if she gets second place.

Prizes include cash, studio recording time and an opportunity to collaborate with top musicians.

After a tough year of Covid restrictions last year, Wendy, along with other local musicians, was hard hit by the inability to gig and promote her music. Even her gigs playing music in nursing homes came to an end. 

For Wendy, it was especially frustrating as she had finally finished recording her album ‘Good Medicine’ and had just launched it when Covid struck.

“The album took money and years of my time to record,” Wendy said. “My song Clean House was one of the last songs I wrote for the album. After performing my songs at the Dolphin Awards and the Lismore Show, I had bookings in venues across the region, but those all got cancelled and I got a bit down about it.”

Since Covid restrictions relaxed, Wendy has again been playing solo and duo gigs with Gary Pinkerton, who plays on her album, with intentions to build up to having a full band again. 

“I’d like to pretend the past crap year never happened,” she said. 

“While Covid restrictions were on, I was teaching music online through Zoom, but it was difficult, because of delays in real time interactions.

“Covid tried to herd us into digital reality, but performing online concerts is not the same. It doesn’t have the same energy.”

Wendy wants to do another big release of her album as venues open up to live music again.

“But it depends on what happens week to week,” she said. “With the lockdown in force in different places, it’s hard to make long term plans.”

Read more about Wendy and her music:

Good medicine could bring rain this Sunday

Wendy Ford's 'Good Medicine' brings rain song to the Lismore Show