Gumbaynggirr and Noongar artist Emma Donovan joined Vanessa Morris on Banksia to talk about new album Take Me To The River ahead of an upcoming performance with the MSO during NAIDOC Week.

A collection of soul classics that first inspired Emma to sing, it draws on the work of icons including Al Green, Ann Peebles, Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples and Uncle Archie Roach.

Through these songs, Emma finds new meaning in songs that have long lived inside her, grounding them firmly in her own voice, culture, and lived experience. A deeply personal and culturally resonant body of work, the album sees her reconnect with memory, and place - guided by the enduring presence of water as a source of healing, community, and spirit.

To help visualise stories connected to the album, Emma worked with filmmaker and photograher Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore home on Gumbaynggirr Country.

Emma also spoke about an upcoming performance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra during NAIDOC Week, where she will bring her powerful voice and catalogue into a bold new orchestral setting.

Emma Donovan's album Take Me To The River

Emma Donova x Melbourne Symphany Orchestra on 10 July at Hamer Hall