Georgia Delves

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Georgia Delves: Some Kind of Country, On Her Own Terms

21 October, 2022

Words by:

Justin Jackie

Between ARIA nods, festival favourites, and a debut with a string quartet, Georgia Delves is carving a quieter, more meaningful path through Australia’s alt-country scene — one song at a time.

When Georgia Delves moved to Melbourne in 2014, it wasn’t with dreams of becoming the next big country star. Like many musicians, she spent those early years quietly working behind the scenes, lending her voice and songwriting to other people’s projects. But after finishing her studies, something shifted. “I realised I was ready to venture into something where my own songwriting was completely front and centre,” she says.

That something became Georgia State Line, a project now anchored by longtime collaborators Patrick Wilson, Tom Brooks, and Laura Baxter. Together, the four-piece has carved out a distinct space within Australia’s country and alt-folk landscape — one that doesn’t try to replicate Nashville or lean too hard on commercial polish. Instead, it favours sincerity, emotional depth, and a little bit of genre defiance.

“Hard to pin down at times,” Georgia laughs, when asked to describe the band’s sound. “But it’s some sort of country-inspired concoction with a lot of heart.” It’s a fitting summary. At their best, Georgia State Line songs feel like postcards — full of yearning and detail, but never overwrought. There’s something grounded in Delves’ writing, whether she’s singing about small towns or relationships, grief or growth.

Her songwriting process is intuitive and open-ended. “I’m always thinking of new ideas,” she says. “But I love listening to interesting melodies that resonate with me, so I find that’s the perspective I often lead from when writing.” That melodic instinct is what sets her apart in a crowded scene — the songs feel lived-in, but always carefully composed.

That quiet confidence didn’t go unnoticed. The band’s debut album In Colour earned a 2022 ARIA nomination, a rare feat for a country-adjacent act without a major label machine behind it. “Very grateful for the nod from ARIA,” Georgia says. “Street cred has probably just gone up by about 30%.”

Still, commercial recognition has never been the driving force behind the project. In fact, it’s something Georgia has had to tune out. Australian country music — especially the radio-friendly kind — can be a tricky space for artists who don’t quite fit the mould. “Not sure why that’s the way it is,” she says diplomatically. “But I tend to not concern myself too much with such a paradigm.”

Instead, she and the band have built a community the slow way: by playing live. One of the highlights on the calendar is the Tamworth Country Music Festival, which the band recently returned to for the fifth time. “Really wonderful,” she says. “It’s become a special thing to play over the years — a little home we go to each January.”

For 2024, the focus is on taking the next creative step. Georgia is currently deep into writing the band’s second full-length record, carving out space for the kind of focused reflection that new work demands. But there’s also something much bigger brewing — a collaboration with a string quartet, backed by Creative Victoria and set to debut at the Melbourne Recital Centre later this year.

“We’ll be showcasing new songs with reimagined arrangements,” she says. “Naturally, very excited for that.” It’s a project that feels like a logical evolution for Georgia State Line: intimate, carefully considered, and rooted in a desire to push beyond expectation.

Beyond her own work, Georgia keeps a close ear on Australia’s independent scene. She names Gena Rose Bruce, Laura Jean, and Liz Stringer among her favourites — artists who, like her, have developed a following through honest songwriting and distinct voices, rather than chasing trends or streaming algorithms.

That refusal to conform has become something of a signature. Georgia State Line might not be mainstream — not in the traditional sense — but that’s never been the point. What they offer is something far rarer: music that invites you in without asking you to decode it. Stories sung with clarity, conviction, and care.

And maybe that’s why it resonates. In a world of noise, Georgia Delves isn’t trying to be louder. She’s just trying to be heard — on her own terms.

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