Leah Flanagan

Flanagan has collaborated with Sinead O'Connor, Meshell Ndegeocello, poet Sam Wagan Watson,[6] The Black Arm Band,[7] Paul Kelly and Ursula Yovich and recently recording a duet of Archie Roach’s “I’ve Lied” with Marlon Williams.[3] She has featured on the ABC's Spicks and Specksand Rockwizand1967: Music In The Key of Yes production alongside Dan Sultan, Adalita and Ursula Yovich.[8]

Leah Flanagan Promotional image by Tajette O'Halloran

Leah Flanagan is a singer/songwriter from Darwin in the far north of Australia. Leah identifies as Bi-racial due to her Aboriginal (Alyawarre), Italian (Venetian)and Irish heritage. Leah graduated from the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide with a degree in Classical Music. From 2009 – 2011 Leah performed in the productions Murundak, Hidden Republic and Dirtsong with the touring company the Black Arm Band[7] for many major festivals across Australia. This included a performance at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

In 2010 she appeared at the Melbourne International Arts Festival's production Seven Songs To Leave Behind with John Cale, Rickie Lee Jones, Sinead O'Connor, Meshell Ndegeocello and Gurrumul with Black Arm Band members Ursula Yovich, Dan Sultan and Shellie Morris.[9]

Deborah Conway invited Leah to be part of her Songtrails project for the 2009 and 2011 QLD Music Festivals where she collaborated with Australian artists Peter Farnan (Boom Crash Opera), Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens), Rebecca Barnard (Rebecca's Empire) to deliver a series of workshops and perform concerts across regional QLD.[10]

Leah composed a show based on the poetry of award-winning Brisbane poet Sam Wagan-Watson entitled Midnight Muses for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.[11] It premiered in 2011 and has since appeared at the 2013 Sydney Festival.[12]

She was invited to perform as a featured soloist in the Australian first production of Leonard Bernstein's MASS for the 2012 Adelaide Festival.[13]

In late 2015 Leah was invited by Archie Roach to record a duet of his song "I've Lied" with Marlon Williams for the 25th Anniversary release of Charcoal Lane. Rolling Stone praised the collaboration and gave the anniversary album 4 1/2 stars.[3]

Leah is an Ambassador for Australasian Performing Right Association.[14]

• Mission Songs Project[15]
• Buried Country[4]
• Black Arm Band[7]
• 1967: Songs in the Key of Yes[8]
• Exiles[6]
• Seven Songs To Leave Behind[9]
• Midnight Muses[11]
• MASS[13]
• Liberty Songs[16]
• Songtrails[10]

Leah has appeared on the Australian TV music quiz shows Spicks and Specks and Rockwiz where she performed Elvis Costello's "Shipbuilding" as a duet with multiple ARIA Award winning composer David Bridie.[1] She performed on the light comedy sports program, Marngrook Footy Show, performing a version of Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life".

• Nirvana Nights (2010)
• Everything (single 2014)
• Chills (single 2016)
• Saudades (2016)

• Black Arm Band Bio
• Leah Flanagan website