Jedda Costa

Jedda is a proud Wemba Wemba, Yorta Yorta and Mutti Mutti woman who grew up on Wurundjeri land in Naarm.

She comes from a musical family and credits her sister Illana Atkinson and her Uncle Kutcha Edwards for encouraging her to pursue her musical journey. A bit rusty on the guitar, Jedda recently started writing her own songs again after taking a break during her time at Uni. Early last year, Jedda collaborated with renowned musician’s Glen Skuthorpe, Alice Skye and artist Louis Mokak on a track called ‘Something on my mind’, which highlights the isolation of Indigenous young people when walking between two worlds. The group performed the song at the Balit Narrun Festival on Invasion Day 2018 where she felt inspired to continue performing. From here, Jedda has stepped on stage with cousin and established artist DRMNGNOW to sing his powerful song ‘Australia does not exist’. She is also part of the Sunburnt SoulChoir which is a group of POC singers who work with founder and music teacher Syrene Favero on artist development and creative performance projects. When explaining her sporadic music endeavours, Jedda describes her music as a personal form of healing rather than a career choice. Some of her favourite artists include Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, and Tracey Chapman.

Maya Hodge

Maya Hodge is a Lardil woman from Mildura, Victoria. Maya is a published poet, artist and violinist. She has had poems published in Overland Literary Magazine and Cordite Poetry Review. Maya’s art practice focuses on the various ways Blak women heal through creative streams - experimenting with installation, musical performance and text work. Maya is currently studying a Bachelor of Art History and Curating at Monash University and has recently formed a string quartet.

Savanna Kruger

Savanna Kruger is a proud Wotjobaluk and South Sea Islander woman born and raised in the Indigenous arts community in Narrm. Influenced by her (strong, deadly, loud, complicated) Arty Aunties™, Savanna is passionate about black women’s expression through visual and performing arts, writing and music – For Us, By Us.

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After six decades on the road, an album can almost write itself. It might arrive in the space of a few months, fully formed in vision and texture in the mind of the vigilant creator. But it takes a rare combination of talent and circumstances to realise that vision as vividly as Black and Blue Heart.

"I'd met Bernard [Fanning] years ago," Russell Morris remembers. The Powderfinger frontman came backstage at one of the Australian rock legend's countless gigs to pay his respects with a mutual friend. "But It wasn't til I moved up to Queensland last year that we sat down and started talking."

The two producers speed-dialled their dream studio team: guitarist Dan Kelly, drummer Declan Kelly and, from Fanning's touring band, bassist Matt Englebrecht and keys player Ian Peres. Perched between the tropical bush and panoramic ocean views of La Cueva Studios near Byron Bay, Black and Blue Heart found its rhythm fast.