Emma Donovan on Soul, Storytelling and the 5 Songs That Shaped Her Life

As Wanderer Festival 2025 gets ready to light up the Sapphire Coast this weekend with a stellar lineup including Missy Higgins, The Living End, Boy & Bear and more, one voice that promises to leave a lasting mark is Emma Donovan. Known for her powerhouse presence with The Putbacks, Black Arm Band and Stiff Gins, Donovan’s music carries the weight of memory, culture, and soul.

Now stepping into her own with solo project Til My Song Is Done, she’s returning to her country roots and stories that have shaped her life. Ahead of her Wanderer Festival performance, Emma sat down with us to share five soul songs that have been her soundtrack — from family anthems to songs of resilience, love, and connection.

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Do I Love You

This is a kind of song I felt like I wrote and just came out of my own mouth. A lot of my experiences in relationships are close to lyrics from a song like this. 

Change is gonna come 

Always brings me back to the life. I know my grandparents had my grandmother being born on a river and also my grandparents not being able to go to certain parts of the town like the local Theatre and having street curfews. 

Take Me to the river

I grew up with my family, always going to the freshwater

 rivers in Kempsey, we would fish together as family the older I get the more I find myself always going back to the river, especially after Big break ups and in between big relationships when I need to reconnect this is my song and place.

Grandma’s hands 

Such a huge iconic on for me I grew up with two big matriarchs, my grandmother and my mother and a song like this is Wood be my family anthem.

Eyes on the Prize

I love the lyrics to this song. It’s all about the strength I need to have and hope in the hardest of times.  It brings me closer to the national Aboriginal community when we hear about the Cyn custody or injustices in our communities the power and the strength we need to have as a nation keeping our eyes on the prize is a huge song for me and these sorry times.

With her rich voice and heartfelt storytelling, Emma Donovan is set to be one of the standout moments of Wanderer Festival 2025. As the festival brings together world-class acts, food, art, and community spirit, Donovan’s soul-driven set will be a powerful reminder of music’s ability to connect us all.