Sunbeams and great surprises: The Grand Magoozi on her latest album Tropic of Capricorn

Susie Scurry emerged a decade ago as The Grand Magoozi, releasing a folk-country debut album that arrived fully formed and spread quietly through the world the old fashioned way — hand to hand, word of mouth, discovered in friends’ record collections. Those lucky enough to find it were struck by its timelessness, its breathy lounge singer tones carrying the broad vowel sounds of an Australian bush balladeer beneath.

Her new album titled Tropic of Capricorn was recorded live over three days in a studio on an ex-raspberry farm outside Melbourne, with engineer and producer Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones, Winter McQuinn), and takes inspiration from Jimmy Little, Sachiko Kanenobu and Marlon Williams.

RTRFM Music Director Annika Moses caught up with Susie to chat about a chance encounter with Boorloo folkster Jack Davies, her relationship to creative practice and its absence, and a curious creature called Sunbeam who has leapt from the confines of the album cover and taken material form.