Sharna Burcher

WANTING to be Suzi Quattro when she was a child, singer-songwriter Sharna Burcher is an artist who draws her inspiration from life experiences and ideas that filter through from her subconscious. Having grown up on country music, her influences have ranged from Slim Dusty to Loretta Lynn to Tammy Wynette and, more recently, from Kasey Chambers to US folk singer Lori McKenna.

It was her musician father who gave her the inspiration to take the stage for the first time, though, at his wedding where she sang the Slim Dusty classic, Duncan, at just five years of age. Her father played in bands while she was growing up and when Burcher was 10, he joined a country band, so she would spend weekends learning the craft.

Burcher was drawn to country by the honesty of the lyrics and she was captivated by Kasey Chambers’ songwriting, which enticed her to put pen to paper and craft original songs.

Graduating from the CMAA Academy of Country Music senior course in 2016, Burcher was already sure of her path in the music business, after recording an album, Livin’ On Closing Time, with award-winning artist Bill Chambers in 2013. She has opened for Chambers, along with Aleyce Simmonds, Catherine Britt and Fanny Lumsden and, in February this year, played the Silverton Sunset Festival.

The Broken Hill artist is now working towards another album and songwriting as much as she can before returning to the recording studio.

Burcher has plenty of life experience to draw inspiration from, working at her local hospital in administration and being an avid traveller, having already visited the US, most of Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, Fiji, and currently planning a trip to Hong Kong.

Her ultimate goal is to be a full-time musician and tour her songs to as many people as she can and bring them the same feelings she gets from music.

“When I go to a show, music just makes me feel hopeful and not so alone, even if I made one person feel like that, it would all be worthwhile,” Burcher said.