Bec Hance knows who she is and where she belongs. And that’s what she captures in her music. Her second album is crammed with songs about the Australian bush, a love of the country, its people and the emotions it evokes. The beautifully crated and heartfelt songs on The Tranquillity include the exquisite first single, I’ll Cry and the title track, which expresses how Bec feels about the outback. Another highlight is He Don’t Go To Church On Sundays, inspired by her beloved father. Other highlists are the The Bushfire, the delightful Lou and Ray and the very cute and quirky Jack The Dog, all of which bring out different aspects of Bec’s music. Her songs about love in the bush – the new radio sing You’ll Find A Bloke and I Fall – are also real gems, as is My Mother’s Words. Bec’s songs come from a very real, authentic place. Combined with her strong vocals and heartfelt delivery, this album adds up to a fresh, exciting and significant country talent.

By Sue Jarvis

Source: Country Music Capital News
Written by: Susan Jarvis

For me, it comes down to that sense of peace and freedom you have when you’re out in the bush,” she said.

And when you talk to Bec, and listen to her music, it really does seem that simple.

Bec is one of the new generation of Australian singer/songwriters - along with the likes of SARA STORER and AMOS MORRIS - who feel a real affinity with the land, and aren’t afraid to express it.

Her new album, The Tranquillity, captures those feelings perfectly through some beautifully crafted and heartfelt songs that mark Bec as a major new talent in Australian country music.

The Tranquillity is Bec’s second album. Like her first - a self-titled release - it was produced with obvious care and respect by CHRIS WILSON .
The album is a mixture of gentle yet powerful ballads and quirky story songs. Every song is flavoured by Bec’s life, her experiences and her thoughtful take on the world.

“My songs could probably best be described as somewhere left of bush ballads. They’re very much about the bush and what it means to me, but partly because of the way I write and partly because of the album’s production, they don’t quite fall into that traditional category,” Bec said.
Maybe not, but it could be argued that Bec has taken the essence of the bush ballad form and made it her own - much as Sara Storer has done - to present a new generation’s perspective.

One track that is very definitely a traditional song is The Bullocky, which was inspired by Bec’s great-grandfather. Another is the absolutely delightful Lou And Ray, which tells the tale of two elderly brothers who meant a great deal to Bec as a child.
And the cheeky Jack The Dog, with lyrics by Libby Barker, will connect with anyone who’s every owned a mischievous Jack Russell terrier.
You’ll Find A Bloke is another wonderful song, penned for a friend who despaired of ever finding Mr Right and, in Bec’s words, always seemed to get Mr Loser.

But it really is the ballads that demonstrate Bec’s songwriting talent, as well as her pure, soaring vocals.

The title track, The Tranquillity, captures Bec’s philosophy on life.

“Occasionally, we go out to our mining claim at the Gemfields in Central Queensland, and stay at our shack in the middle of nowhere. There’s no electricity, just a wood stove, a kero fridge and a swag to sleep in. But it’s all I need,” Bec said.

Another aspect of country life is captured in I Fall - a song about young love in the bush.

“I’m sure every girl who grows up on a farm falls in love with the farm boy next door as a teenager,” Bec said.

No album about life on the land is complete without songs about drought and fire. Bec’s first single from the album, the poignant I’ll Cry, is about the effects of the recent long drought on many farmers - some of whom could go on no longer.

“I’ve spent a lot of time working as a paramedic, and have seen a lot of farmers with depression. One symptom is that they couldn’t stop crying. This is a very personal song for me, as I grew up on a fourth generation farm and know exactly how they were feeling,” Bec said.

Bec also felt some very strong emotions during February’s bushfires in Victoria, which occurred close to where she grew up in Gippsland. She penned the heartfelt The Bushfire while the fires were still blazing.

And while she is now based in Central Queensland, Bec says part of her heart is still in Victoria, where her parents live. That’s why close friend Libby Barker’s lyrics to My Mother’s Words “Don’t become a stranger to the ones you leave behind” rang so true for her.

Her father is also very much present on the album, on the wonderful He Don’t Go To Church On Sundays and A Fishing Song.

Bec has paid her country music dues over the last few years, graduating from the College of Country Music and reaching this year’s Toyota Star Maker grand final. She was also Queensland Champion of Champions in 2008.

But what makes her so special is that her music comes from a very real, very authentic place - which means it instantly resonates with listeners everywhere.