RELEASED OCTOBER 30 – PRE-ORDER HERE
NEW SINGLE MOTHER’S EYES OUT NOW WAV/MP3
Traditions – the handing down of information, beliefs and customs by word of mouth from one generation to another.
Revered Australian singer-songwriter Fanny Lumsden is set to release her highly-anticipated fifth studio album Traditions on October 30. The heartfelt collection of 11 tracks marks a deeply resonant shift in songwriting, resulting in her boldest album yet.
On the intensely personal theme of the album, Fanny explains, “As I’ve got older, I’ve begun to realise the value and meaning that can come from traditions, however what I’m still learning is how to balance the ideas of who I am, with those traditions and that they are all allowed to change as we go.
“I loved that Traditions brings up so much discussion for people. Traditions and families are messy. I can value the traditions of my family whilst also understanding that they were borne of a flawed system. There is more to traditions than being steadfast, I think I’m discovering the movement and change they need to survive.
“I am here now, trying to marry my autonomy and ambitions with my farming family’s traditions. Perhaps belonging is be found when traditions are alive, in traditions that grow – and maybe some need to be just left behind to move forward.”
The long-player features her previous single “Difficult Woman” (WAV/MP3)and the stunning new track “Mother’s Eyes”, a pensive gaze at the matriarchal bloodline whilst remembering that itself is ultimately enough when you compare it to the pressure of aging and aesthetics. “This song is a love letter to myself ultimately, that you’re going to question everything and your age but in the end when you look in the mirror it’s your mother’s eyes looking back and that can be enough”. Featuring pedal steel weaving in and out with the banjo, the song gently lulls the listener into a comforting embrace.
The album also includes striking single “By The River”, featuring Paul Kelly with whom Fanny has toured extensively in recent times, both in the UK/Europe and across his last Australian arena tour. Kelly largely served as the song’s inspiration. After singing harmonies on a deep-cut track named “The Pretty Place” whilst on tour with Kelly in Europe last year, Fanny says the song just kind of fell out whilst she was staying next to a river in the Peak District. “In the song “The Pretty Place”, Paul somehow described the place that I always go in my mind when I imagine a safe place. Going to the river is also a big tradition in my family. We are river rats through and through and we always seek a river out, so a river song was always going to come at some point. I am unbelievably grateful and awed by the fact Paul said yes and is singing my lyrics”.
Produced by Steven Schram (Crowded House, The Cat Empire, Paul Kelly), Traditions was recorded live in the studio over 9 days by Fanny and her band, The Daddies (AKA the Prawn Stars). It was a feat Fanny had never before attempted and each track was captured in a single take. “Tracking everything live was initially a daunting concept for me, however, Stephen was really great and helped me to trust the process and stop underestimating what we were doing.”
Fanny will be touring in Australia around her new album release, with UK/EU dates planned for 2027. FANNY LUMSDEN for more information.
TRADITIONS TRACK-LISTING:
Prelude
Traditions
Mothers Eyes
Chest First
Salt of the Earth
God or the Stars
By the River Ft Paul Kelly
Car Crash
Summer Mountain Moon
Sweet Hurt
Monsters and Magpies
Difficult Woman
ABOUT FANNY LUMSDEN:
From a sheep farm in regional Australia where she was raised to Glastonbury Festival, Fanny Lumsden has taken the long road to the world stage.
A 2x ARIA, 10x CMAA and 3x AIR Award-winning artist, Fanny built her career the grassroots way: playing hundreds of Country Halls across rural Australia and independently releasing critically acclaimed, award-winning albums that have helped redefine modern Australian country. That relentless touring spirit paired with songwriting that balances heart, humour and razor-sharp observation has shaped one of the most electrifying and uplifting live performers in the genre today.
After her Glastonbury debut in 2023, Fanny and her band have returned to the UK and Ireland 5 times in two and a half years, playing headline shows and a string of festivals including The Long Road, Beautiful Days and C2C, where she earned a Top Ten highlight spot from Entertainment Focus, who praised her undeniable connection with British audiences. Country In The UK called her performance “the most uplifting set you will see all weekend.” She was also selected by the BBC for its live coverage at Belladrum Festival.
Back home, she’s just as unstoppable. Fresh from an extensive European tour, Fanny flew straight into opening arena dates on Paul Kelly’s Antipodean Tour alongside Lucinda Williams, cementing her reputation as “the hardest working woman in showbiz”. She was also handpicked by Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty) to support three sold-out shows at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre.
In 2025 alone, she headlined major Australian festivals including Bluesfest, Savannah in the Round, Tamworth Country Music Festival and Big Red Bash.
In addition to her music career, Fanny is a volunteer firefighter, a farmer working on her family property in the Snowy Mountains in between tours, and a documentary filmmaker. Fanny was named the Australian of the Year locally for her work in arts and culture. She serves on the Sound NSW Board, runs her own Record Label and Production Company, Red Dirt Road, with her husband Dan Stanley Freeman with whom she shares two small children, and has featured across television programmes from Spicks and Specs, Rockwiz, Play School Showtime, and Backroads on ABC.
“..harnessed the greatest attributes of Gillian Welch and Dolly Parton”
– The Music
“…Lumsden trusts in the song, not the rules”
– Bernard Zuel
“Leaves absolutely no doubt what a breath-taking voice Lumsden has”
– Rolling Stone
“She’s quite the force of nature on stage, gathering fans – even seen-it-all folk programmers – wherever she goes. If she doesn’t break through to major stardom outside her homeland, it’s unlikely to be for lack of trying.”
-Songlines
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