Helensburgh's ''great, beautiful, strong sense of community'' has been forging solid bonds between residents for 160 years – and now it has inspired a song.
Local country musician Darren Coggan is set to headline the Folk By The Sea Festival in Kiama on September 12-14, when audiences will have the chance to hear original songs from his upcoming album, including 2508 – a track dedicated to Helensburgh.
“The song talks about how we were initially just passing through, but 20 years later, we were still there,” Darren says. ''It’s nice to celebrate Helensburgh with that song coming out next year, and I’ll be performing it at the Kiama Folk By The Sea Festival.''
Darren and his wife both grew up in Wagga Wagga, “six hours from the nearest beach”. When their young family stumbled across the tight-knit community of Helensburgh, they immediately felt at home.
“When we first found Helensburgh, we saw the kids riding their bikes around the streets and climbing trees and the bush walks and that great, beautiful, strong sense of community. Everyone is looking out for each other, it was and is a beautiful place,” Darren says.
Darren has won awards across music, theatre and television. He was awarded his first Golden Guitar at the Country Music Awards in 2001 and his second in 2008. He has toured Australia in productions such as Grease - The Mega Musical 2001-2002, where he understudied John Farnham. In 2017, Darren began performing Peace Train - The Cat Stevens Story, and sold out theatres around the world, including the Sydney Opera House.
He is a role model for his daughter, Olivia, an emerging singer-songwriter, and his son, Gabriel, a professional videographer. Darren’s new album, Another Breaking Wave, is due for release early next year.
“Quite a few of the songs are influenced by the Illawarra and South Coast,'' Darren says. ''Its natural beauty is incredible, the whole coastline is just stunning, and inland a little bit you’ve got all of these beautiful national parks and walks up on the escarpment.
''It caters for every demographic – my kids are now young adults and there’s a healthy mix of things to do and opportunities for young people,”
“For people like myself, it’s got a very strong arts and music scene, which I’ve gravitated towards and embraced and I’ve loved being a part of that. That really great sense of community that we’ve come to enjoy in the Illawarra makes it a great place to live.”
Darren’s headline show at the Kiama Pavilion at 9pm on September 13 will feature a selection of his original music and songs from his critically acclaimed celebratory shows such as Cat Stevens’ Father and Son.
“I am so thrilled to be part of Folk By The Sea. By all accounts, it’s a really great festival with lots of wonderful artists and musicians. I am humbled to be in their company and sharing the stage with them,” Darren says.
This year, Kiama’s Folk By The Sea Festival will host 40 acts, including local bands The Water Runners, The Con Artists, Kiama Pipe Band, Kiama Sea Shanty Club and Kiama Blowhole Buskers. Performers from all around Australia will celebrate world music across genres of country, folk, reggae and blues.
The festival will kick off with a charity concert at Kiama Leagues Club on Thursday, September 11, proceeds supporting Lifeline South Coast.
“It’s going to be a lot of joy, and a lot of fun, a lot of great music and I think people that come along are going to have a really great time immersed in lots of new music as well as music that’s familiar to them,'' Darren says. ''It’ll be a really terrific experience. I’m really excited about it.”
See the full program and ticket information on folkbythesea.com.au