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Win is worth the wait for Ipswich country music star

A song which took Ipswich singer-songwriter Kim Wright 17 years to write has won Best Song in the Fretfest regional song contest at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” Mr Wright said.

“You go into these competitions with no idea what’s going to happen, and when they called my name as the winner, I was in shock.”

As part of his prize, the singer took home a new guitar and gets studio time to record his winning song, Hand in Hand.

“If you ask my wife Susie, she’ll say I don’t need another guitar. This one is number six,” he laughs.

“But I can’t wait to get into the studio.

“I’m really champing at the bit to get in and record some great music.”

When Wright started writing Hand in Hand at the age of 15, he didn’t dream it would take more than a decade to finish it.

“I tried to finish it over the years, but it just didn’t work,” he said of the song, which tells the story of a farmer and his wife supporting each other through drought.

“Then we were out at Moogerah dam on New Year’s Eve, there was not one blade of green grass, and the poor dam was at 30 per cent, and I just got the inkling to finish it.”

Wright says he’s looking forward to his upcoming performances at the Fernvale Tavern on 7 February and his next Ipswich gig on 14 March for Live at the Baptist at Studio 188.

“I love playing local, I used to be a bit of a regular at Dusty’s at the Top of Town before it closed, and I’ve played at Walloon a few times as well,” he said.

In addition to performing, Wright’s other main focus this year will be on writing new music.

“Hopefully these songs won’t take quite as long to finish.”

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