Mid West musician Darcy Hay’s shock award opens door to recording studio

When a Mid West songsmith heard his name called at a big music festival down south, he thought he was in trouble — he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Darcy Hay took home the Nannup Music Festival Director Award earlier this month, an honour which apparently brought the heartfelt lyricist to tears.

“I wish I had words ... I was totally spun out,” he said.

Hay says after two years of “lazy touring” he is finally starting to get the hang of people clapping while he is on the stage.

It’s good timing, as the award entitles him to free time at Hopping Mouse Studios in Fremantle, meaning more big shows are likely around the corner. He said fans could expect new studio tunes towards the end of the year.

“It’s like the best gift I could ever be given,” he said, adding that he hoped to have some recordings together by August.

Despite being a day’s drive away, he is still finding Mid West connections on his travels.

After playing a song that mentioned Moonyoonooka, an old friend of his mum, who lives in his grandma’s old house, approached him for a chat.

“He came up to me saying: ‘you must be a Gero boy,” he said.

Hay performed at the festival as part of his first-ever tour of the South West, which he said, “couldn’t be going any better”.