ANGE BOXHALL

Interview: Stephanie Williams

Pic: Puddlehub

Not one to shy away from hard work, and fun along the way, ECHO Festival founder and singer Ange Boxhall shares that the festival’s back for another year.

Where in Hobart do you live? I actually live in Swansea, East Coast!

Why Hobart? I grew up in Hobart and left to explore the world in the late 1990s, not too long after I graduated from Art School. 15 years of living away, between London and Nashville, with a couple of bookended stints in Melbourne, little ol’ Hobart is now the big smoke, ha! I love Hobart and its bars, restaurants, arts and culture.

Tell us a little about your work? I’m a singer songwriter, I founded and produce ECHO Festival and I co-founded and own The Splendid Gin company. Basically music, the arts and booze are my life - and I love it that way!

You’re a business person with your interests in a few areas. How do you decide where to put your attention? I described it to my sisters yesterday - my brain is like a constant meteorite flying through the galaxy exploding with ideas and things to do. Everyday I’m doing 50 things and I focus on whatever is immediate that day. This year, everyday I make time for a swim or a beach walk or something in nature - I’m committing to a life/work balance.

The ECHO Festival returns this year. What are you looking forward to most?

I’m so excited for it all!!! My favourite musician/performer and a mate of mine, Steve Poltz from the US, is our headline music act. I also can’t wait for our key project layna, tapilti muka/River Song with Nita Education, and the swan sculpture and blacksmithing workshops with Pete Mattila. Oh, and Letters to Mother in the Womb Room. And of course the annual wonderful Native Bounty Feast with gorgeous Chef Megan Quill. Gosh, I can’t wait for ALL OF IT!!!

The festival hasn’t been without issues over the past few years with covid and unfortunate flooding. How does adversity play into the future planning? Indeed, we’ve had our hurdles! But they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… and with the support from our patrons (old AND new!!), we can continue to support the thriving arts and cultural scenes of Tasmania - on one of the prettiest coasts in the world. We’re lucky, I feel lucky and hopefully the reader right now is lucky enough to join us at ECHO.

What do you love doing outside work? My work is outside of my work, haha. But I also love spending time with my husband and my 11 yo girl and our sausage dog, as well as the rest of my family and friends. I love camping and the beach and I love to travel.

Who do you admire? I’ve just played my Joni Mitchell show. I absolutely love her. Honest, personal, real, poetic and immensely talented. She loves painting and nature, too.

Favourite podcast or tv show? Ooh, I really don’t watch much TV and I usually listen to ABC radio local and national. Otherwise I like silence.

Secret vice? Wine!! And kindness, always be kind.

What are you reading now? Truganini. And I just finished Heather Rose’s Memoir.

What gets your goat? People who drive 60 in a 100 zone and people who speed. Just stick to the limit folks! And bullying, that sucks. Otherwise I’m fairly easy going.

What was your first job? So many! Babysitting was perhaps the very first. But I’ve done so many things from a department store to a photo lab, to being a high school teacher and travelling the world doing market research. But the one consistent job has been as a performer.

What are your daily news/social media habits? I mostly use Instagram and Facebook where I spend too much time. I’m one of those people who sits up in bed cracking up to funny reels!

Your favourite place for… Breakfast: Ooh, in Hobart it would be either Ginger Brown, Born in Brunswick or Berta

Lunch: Kosaten

Dinner: Bar Wa Izakaya or Dana Eating House

Favourite team? The JackJumpers!

Favourite Hobart secret? I’m not giving that away…

Parting words? Come to ECHO Festival, you’ll love it.

The ECHO Festival is on from 31 March - 2 April, 2023. Tickets are on sale 5pm, Sunday 5 February. Head to www. echofestival.com.au

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

2023 Season Highlights

75TH-ANNIVERSARY GALA

Saturday 25 March, 7.30pm

Federation Concert Hall, nipaluna/Hobart with Chief Conductor Eivind Aadland