Music award adds another string to bassist's bow

Some musicians spend years dreaming of an ARIA, but jazz bassist Lucy Clifford actually won in her sleep.

In the early hours of a morning in Boston, the Thirroul local woke to a buzzing phone and the news that she was one of Australia’s most acclaimed jazz musicians.

“When the ARIAs were on, it was the middle of the night in the US. I just woke up to all these messages from my family and my friends going 'What the hell? You actually won!'. Even to be nominated was huge for me,” she says.

“The other nominees in that category are incredible inspirations of mine musically, so it was just absolutely insane. I would never in a million years think that would happen to me. Like, no way!"

Lucy’s eclectic debut album, Between Spaces of Knowing, was named best jazz album at the ARIA Awards in November. Writing began in New York before the pandemic, and came into fruition after Lucy came back to Australia and received the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award in 2022, a prestigious grant designed to help emerging women in jazz bring their projects to life. 

“When I was living in New York and had connected with and played with some musicians that were from different parts of the world and had knowledge of musical traditions that were very new to me,” she says.

“It was because of that award [Jann Rutherford Memorial Award] that the opportunity to finish the album came about. I was like, ‘oh, maybe this is possible, you know?’,

“I just started writing more of the music and connected with my old musician friends from the area and we just got together and we were able to record the album, which was amazing.”

Recorded at ABC Jazz in Sydney, the album features talent including pianist Freyja Garbett, percussionist Christ Fields and saxophonist David Reglar.

"In terms of genre, I guess you'd say it's jazz, improvised music, with a kaleidoscope of other musical influences and traditions from the rest of the band members... there’s a lot going on in there,” Lucy says.

“It doesn’t sit in one lane. When you hear it, you hear that it’s jazz, but there’s a lot of different stuff in there.”

Success didn’t happen overnight. It began in Lucy’s “noisy, chaotic” childhood home in Thirroul. One of five children, Lucy and her siblings were encouraged to experiment with music and creativity, inspired by her parent’s collection of '70s rock. 

“My parents aren't actually musicians, but they have a love for music. I’ve got lots of memories of driving up to Byron Bay with my dad and my siblings and him just playing '70s rock – the Stones, The Eagles – all that sort of stuff. Those were my first very strong memories of listening to music,” she says.

Lucy picked up the electric bass in high school, when her sister’s band needed a player. “I was like, oh yeah, I’ll give it a try,” she laughs. From then, she was hooked, and found her stride attending the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music and playing the local pub circuit.

“I was a bass player for some local cover bands playing at the Ryans, the Beaches, the old Headlands Hotel in Austinmer, Coledale RSL ... these are all the places that I would play of a weekend when I was in Year 10 in high school. I’d play with a bunch of dad musicians, who became like second dads and great mentors to me,” she says.

 "That’s really how I started learning about what it was like to be a musician."

As a young adult, Lucy earned her BA in jazz performance and moved to Boston to attend the renowned Berklee College of Music. She studied under legendary bassists such as Lincoln Goines, Ron Mahdi and Anthoni Vitti. When she graduated, she moved to New York City, where she continued to learn in the competitive and diverse music culture. 

"Moving to Boston and New York was where I really sunk my teeth in... experiencing a deep inquiry into my music and my life," Lucy says.

“Those musicians I met there became great friends and we started playing lots of music and then of course, COVID happened and I just dropped the idea of completely finishing the album.”

Those years abroad connected Lucy with musicians who had musical experience all over the world, and whose various traditions eventually bled into her award-winning record.

Nowadays, she regularly returns to the Illawarra as a casual teacher, passing on her passions to the next generation, both through teaching and founding the Sisters Of Sound education collective for young women.

"I’m very passionate about getting young women on instruments and connecting with other young people through music," Lucy said.

“I still love jazz like I did as a kid. It's also become work now, so maybe my connection to it has changed slightly. But the love of listening and playing is still there, and I hope it will be forever and a day."

With live shows expected to start around March 2026, Lucy is keen to reconnect with the scene at home. Despite her international accolades, she remains a local at heart who misses "swimming in the rock pools" when she is away.

"When I’m back and it’s sunny, the beach is just a beautiful place to live and we’re so fortunate to call it home. I love to spend time with my family when I'm here. And also play some music when I can, with musicians from the area that have been great friends of mine over the years,” she says.

"We're pretty lucky. Lots of big artists pass through Wollongong. It’s an inspiring place where lots of artists and musicians want to live."

Keep up to date about upcoming shows as they’re announced on Lucy’s website and listen to Between Spaces of Knowing. 

"The best way to support musicians is to always go to the live show... wherever you can. Support artists through buying directly – buying the music, vinyl, CDs, merch. Head into their website or their Bandcamp.”