Loren Ryan is making her mark on the country music scene, one song at a time

When she claimed the title, she was the first Tamworthian in almost five decades to do so.

Ever since, the Gamilaraay woman has skyrocketed into the country music stratosphere.

It's been a dream come true, she told the Leader.

"Being able to build my profile, play festivals I have always wanted to play, and travel overseas, along with making some really good music, talented producers," she said.

"This is what I have always wanted to do as a career. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to make a career off of the songs I wrote. So, it is just all happening."

Now, all the hard work and endless hours of practice are paying off.

Loren has been nominated for the first Golden Guitar of her career in 2024, in the New Talent category.

The dream of a career in country music is one Loren has held close to her heart since an early age. The seed of inspiration planted when she first walked down Peel Street and saw for herself the vibrant atmosphere of the festival.

"My earliest memories of going to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, seeing the buskers in the street, and going to some live music shows around town," she said.

"It really sparked it then."

Her musical journey was also influenced by her grandfather.

"My grandfather also used to play guitar, I was always very taken by that. They lived out of Walgett and every time we'd visit, he would get the guitar out," she said.

"It was such a beautiful and captivating thing. I was always so drawn to and inspired by music, and from there I would work on my own to teach myself how to sing, how to play, and just how to be what I have seen on the street of Tamworth."

Her life changed forever when she was 14 years old. It was then that Loren took to the stage for her first live gig, which she shared with Indigenous country music legend Roger Knox.

"I was very green and I had a lot of work to do. But, after the performance, I was sitting backstage with the band and both Uncle Roger and Buddy Knox really helped me," she said.

"Buddy offered his long-term help and he would come over to my family house every weekend and we would rehearse for hours with me. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay him for his time or patience.

"He is a big reason for what I am able to do today."

Accolades and awards aside, Loren said her proudest achievement is her little girl, Charlie.

"She loves music; she is very outgoing and extroverted. No fear at all and she has all the things I wish I had, and I don't know where she gets them from but it's beautiful," Loren said.

"She is also inquisitive, argumentative, and a top negotiator. She wants to do music and she is always practicing with her ukulele."

Her recently released song, Suddenly, was dedicated to Charlie.

"I have been raising her as a single mum for a long time, and she has given me strength when I thought I had none," she said.

"I'm such a sentimental person and watching her achieve every milestone makes any parent emotional, but it is also such a beautiful thing to watch. So, from those feelings, I wanted to dedicate a song to her and how each of those moments is so precious."

Loren has mastered the balancing act of being a full-time musician and parent.

She said that she has found ways to bend the rules, to make the country music lifestyle work for her, and her daughter.

"There are instances where people say, 'You can't bring your kids along.' But I'm just like, 'Then you can't get me along.' So, figuring out what works for you, but shaping the industries to be more inclusive for families," she said.

"There are women who have been doing it for decades, like in the Beccy Cole era, when she had her child. And now we have Fanny Lumsden, Melody Moko, and Ashleigh Dallas. We are all raising families together and it's beautiful."