We know what you're thinking - you're at home in isolation and missing your usual Sunday Night fix at Aunty Ed's (wouldn't you just love a 'Cheese Louise' & chips right now!). Well, you're in luck as Aunty Ed's, Music in the Mountains and some of our favourite musicians are proud to present Slack-Off Sundays in Isolation. Enjoy free live music every Sunday from 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm live-streamed to your own lounge room. Our artists are generously donating their time to entertain you from the living rooms, and we will be posting a link each week where you can make a donation, give a tip or a contribution directly to the musician.

This week, Sarah Jane Spillane will be live-streaming from his home and bringing you some of his originals.

Sarah Jane Spillane:
Every now and then something special comes along that deserves a celebration. Local singer-songwriter, Sarah Jane Spillane, has poured 20 years of love, life, loss, journeys and experiences into her first album, 'Sweet St'.

She’s a singer-songwriter
She’s a dancer
She’s a Blue Mountains-dwelling sun lover
She’s a mother
She’s got brothers
She’s an independent recording artist | Yeah!

Ever since she can remember, Sarah Jane Spillane has been fascinated by sound. Immersing herself in the study of music, dance, percussion and voice, she’s led a life coloured by soulful syncopation, which she believes must have something to do with her distant Caribbean heritage, five generations removed. Hungry for knowledge, Sarah Jane stepped off the well-trodden musical theatre path and travelled to Ghana, West Africa to dance, to drum, to uncover more, to answer a call. With newfound rhythms in her belly, once back home in Australia, she was desperate to share her passion for musical exploration with others. She busked on the street, she worked with individuals living with disabilities, she taught young people who had limited access to musical education.
Wanting to go further still, Sarah Jane enrolled to study musical composition and
performance at the University of Western Sydney with the goal of learning how to ‘write
down what she hears in her head’ so that she could share the wonderful soulful sound that has always been there, fine-tuning her composition skills whilst researching her musical family tree. With first-hand experience and a tertiary education under her belt, Sarah Jane’s apprenticeship as a student of Jazz began – she sang with Terry Rae West and his eighteen piece Big Swing Band, sharpened her performance techniques studying New Orleans swing, immersed herself in Duke Ellington’s arrangements and even circled back to her love of the Broadway musical, all the while honing her skills as a performing artist. Now Sarah Jane is releasing an album.

SWEET ST is an archive of Sarah’s musical ride over the last twenty years alongside a wealth of talented Blue Mountains musicians – Skye Evans, Colin Day, Frank Corby and John Stuart. This album is a delight, a treasure. It’s soothing to listen to, it nourishes the heart, it’s self-funded, it’s folky, it’s jazzy and there’s some hip-hop chucked in there too, all topped off with a dash of 1970’s San Francisco analogue warmth. It’s a display of Sarah Jane’s craft as a songwriter. It’s full of sunshine.


What happens at Aunty Ed's when isolation is over?

Slack-Off Sundays:
The ever-dreaded Monday may be looming and you can't sleep in tomorrow morning but that doesn't mean you can't have a sneaky night out right? The vibe is casual, there's cold beer on tap (and the biggest range of beer in the Mountains in the fridge), and the kitchen will be pumpin'. Head along to Aunty Ed's every Sunday between 6:00 & 8:00 pm for Slack-Off Sundays and squeeze every last drop out of the weekend.

What's the go:
If you're planning on dining, call ahead and book a table, or if you're just after a drink, there are some couches available first-come, first-served . . . so get in early (Happy Hour is 4:00-6:00 pm). Call (02) 4760 8837 or book online.