A year out from the bushfires that devastated parts of the Blue Mountains, Katoomba indie-folk singer-songwriter Jonathan Bone is releasing a fundraiser single and donating proceeds to Indigenous-led organisation, FireSticks Alliance.
The folk-rock song, Happy New Year (Fires Near Me), was written as Bone drove his family home from Sydney to the Blue Mountains on New Year's Eve during this year's horrific bushfires.
"It was strange seeing fireworks in the sky that night as we travelled home towards the fires in the Mountains. Knowing the danger people were facing and seeing all the controversy, the song came from that. Later after I'd written it I saw what FireSticks Alliance were doing and I wanted to help."
FireSticks Alliance work to restore the cultural use of burning and help people learn how to look after Country.
The single will be released on Friday, December 11 for streaming and sale on digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes.
To launch the single Bone will play a livestream gig on Sunday, December 20 broadcasting live from home, an event he's named, "A Very Cicada Christmas".
"Like lots of local friends I've hardly been able to record or stream from my home studio with all the noise from the cicadas, so I guess they'll be singing with me," he said.
Bone is recording his debut album for release in 2021 through his independent label SongPunk.
For details about upcoming releases, live streams and gigs go to JonathanBone.com
