QUT Music and Sound lecturer John Willsteed and his band Halfway have won Australia's top independent album award for country music.
Halfway won Best Independent Country Album for Any Old Love at the 2014 AIR Music Awards in Melbourne.
The album was recorded at QUT's Gasworks Studios, co-produced by the award-winning Australian musician and sound designer, and engineered and mixed by QUT Head of Music Professor Phil Graham, assisted by QUT graduate Tom Hunt.
Halfway has released four albums in 10 years to national critical acclaim.
Mr Willsteed said the national award has given the band a boost.
"The award has raised the profile of our band, and created a broader awareness of the work that we do," he said.
As a musician, John Willsteed is best known as a past member of the iconic Brisbane band The Go-Betweens, in which he played bass from 1987-1989, most notably on the album 16 Lovers Lane.
The AIR awards and their rising relevance reflected significant changes in the industry. The Australian independent music scene has grown in the past 20 years, Mr Willsteed said.
"The way we buy and listen to music has changed - independents are strong and niche markets have flourished," he said.
The changes have been good news for bands such as Halfway, whose records are released by local independent label Plus One Records.
"The independent record labels have more heart and take more creative risks," Mr Willsteed said.
AIR is a non-profit, non-government association dedicated to supporting the growth and development of Australia's independent recording sector.
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Media contact:
Kate Haggman, QUT Media, 07 3138 0358, kate.haggman@qut.edu.au
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