One of Australia’s most celebrated voices, proud Gumbaynggirr and Yamatji artist Emma Donovan, has entered a new creative era with a deeply soulful cover of Al Green’s 1974 classic ‘Take Me To The River’, released today through Civilians. The new single is accompanied by a moving video that celebrates her family, her Country and her lifelong connection to the water.
Emma’s version of the Al Green favourite feels both reverent and personal, as she steps into a space that shaped much of her own musical identity. “I’m quite nervous releasing a song like Take Me To The River because the Al Green version is such an iconic version, and it’s a big song,” Emma says. “But it’s exciting and good to share my perspective on it. To me, this song is about cleansing and reconnecting. It’s that feeling you get when you go back to Country, when you go back to the river to refill your cup.”
That connection is at the heart of both the song and its companion video. “My take on this song is really about family and community,” she explains. “We always talk about going up the river. It’s our outlet – we go fishing, we swim, we hang out, and we bring the kids. We’ve been following my nannas and my grandfathers there for years. Hopefully, with that bit of language we translated, people will feel that connection too.”
The music video, directed with a strong sense of place and memory, revisits those family gatherings through a modern lens. Emma’s daughters appear as younger versions of herself, re-enacting moments from old family photos. “A lot of the concept comes from childhood memories of the river near Kempsey,” she says. “My grandparents were musical people, and they would fish and sing and take us out to the river. In the clip, my daughters play the younger me, and there are characters inspired by my aunties and uncles. It’s really about passing that history on.”
Working with Ben Edgar and David Symes (Boy & Bear), Emma built a rich and organic sound around her warm vocals. “Ben’s been playing guitar with me for a while and recorded most of this at his Belgrave home studio. David plays bass on the track. The three of us brought our heads together for this version,” she says.
For Emma Donovan, this single marks the start of what she calls her “new soul era” – one that ties together gospel, country and the deep storytelling that has defined her artistry. “All of those things make up soul,” she says. “There’s a lot of soul in country, and I think country and gospel need to be included in soul too. My new era is about family and connection as much as it is about the music.”
Emma’s story in Australian music stretches back more than two decades. As a teenager, she emerged with Stiff Gins, one of the first all-First Nations female vocal groups to break through nationally. Her powerful vocals later fronted Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, whose albums Dawn (2014), Crossover (2020) and Under These Streets (2021) fused soul and funk with stories drawn from her culture. Their work earned her ARIA nominations, AIR Awards and a dedicated following.
Beyond the studio, Emma’s live presence has graced stages at WOMADelaide, Bluesfest Byron Bay, Port Fairy Folk Festival and the Sydney Opera House. In 2021, she was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame alongside her family band The Donovans, honouring a lineage of music that stretches generations deep.
Emma’s 2023 album Til My Song Is Done was nominated for an ARIA Award and later won the AIR Award for Best Independent Soul/R&B Album. But Take Me To The River signals a new personal chapter – one steeped in reflection, renewal and a deeper exploration of soul.
EMMA DONOVAN – UPCOMING TOUR DATES
SAT 18 OCT | Eat Drink Play Gippsland, Leongatha VIC | All Ages
SAT 25 OCT | Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Melbourne VIC | All Ages
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