In between Folk and Country — think open spaces, big skies and small communities — you'll find singer-songwriter Nerida. For decades, she's been living and telling the stories of this landscape and these people, celebrating resilience, authenticity, hope and the everyday beauties.
Videos
Reviews
It takes a uniquely gifted songwriter to create songs that you don’t simply listen to, but that enfold you. Nerida is just such a writer, …with a lyrical and musical authenticity that shines like golden sunlight after a summer storm. [Her] songs awaken and help us make sense of our feelings and experiences.
Colin Buchanan, Australian Songwriter & Entertainer, April 2025
Nerida is a well-established performer in the Central West of NSW. Nerida writes well-crafted songs that explore a range of topics, spanning across subjects from the deep metaphysical to the humourous. As a seasoned performer, Nerida constantly strives for excellence in her work.
Dr Tracey Callinan, CEO, Regional Arts NSW
Nerida is a superb singer. Though the landscapes, the popular heroes and even the magpies are so different, the stories she sings, and the optimism she conveys are universal. We loved seeing and hearing you in Cornwall, Nerida, and hope this first UK tour will be followed by many others .
Nigel Morson, Dreamers Folk Club, Cornwall
Nerida Cuddy is a highly talented musician, singer-songwriter and entertainer who approaches her craft in a professional and ethical manner. Her music is original and has a strong focus on Australian themes while highlighting the important contribution of women to events in our history…
Paul Kelly, Jam Orange music club
“...a composer & musician with not only an ear for music, but a social conscience and a sense of humour”.
ABC Central West
"Nerida’s concert had us laughing, singing, choking up a bit; she’s a gifted storyteller who “owns” live... "
Peter, poet & author, Dubbo NSW
She's down to earth, and she's like us, but she gave us something else to think about.
Ross, Electrician, Bourke, NSW
That was some evening Nerida. Songs written from the heart and sung with such emotion and passion. Up there with the best. Thank you.
John, Cornwall, UK
You could just rest into the music…Perfect! A healing presence...
Alice, farmer, Moree, NSW
It was jam packed, as Nerida, from Canowindra in Central Western NSW, kicked it off with a few of the really beautiful songs she has crafted over the years. The audience sang like they knew them all, great songs with choruses, about old river gums, about fencing wire, about personal ties and about belonging, A gorgeous inspiring voice, with guitar to match, she showed us why she is so highly regarded. More than just the voice of the bush, she channels the often poignant experience of living rural traditions with her unique suite of modern folk songs.
Michael Fine, Troubadour Folk Club, 2024
Bio
(300 Words)
In between Folk and Country — think open spaces, big skies and small towns — you'll find singer-songwriter Nerida. For decades, she's been living and telling the stories of this landscape and these people, celebrating resilience, authenticity, hope and the everyday beauties. Her performances move seamlessly between intimate storytelling and uplifting communal moments, inviting audiences to sing, laugh and reflect together.
With six albums to her name, Nerida’s latest, In the Midst of the Dark, was produced with Nashville-based Paul Colman, alongside a beautifully crafted book, Companion, exploring the album’s emotional and spiritual landscape. Her catalogue includes more than 140 originals registered with APRA AMCOS, reflecting a life of storytelling through music and a deep commitment to the craft of songwriting. Nerida enjoys enhancing her songs with photography and videography.
Nerida has performed widely at festivals including St Albans, Yass, Kiama, Galari River, Sydney, Bundanoon, Cresfest, and UK’s Whitehorse Folk Festival, as well as the Hornsby-Kuringai, Bathurst, Melbourne, Illawarra, Troubadour folk clubs (and several in the UK). For the 2026 TCMF, she joined a regional collaboration celebrating connection to Country, in the Tamworth Town Hall. Nerida has regularly performed in several international zooms (UK and NZ) since 2020, with a UK tour in 2023 and outback NSW in 2024. She has shared shows with respected songwriters including Enda Kenny and Bruce Watson, and has opened for acclaimed Australian songwriters including Frank Yamma, Fred Smith, Ami Williamson, Matt Scullion and Jon English.
Alongside performing, Nerida nurtures music via pop up choirs, open mics, songwriting workshops and primary school music and guitar teaching.
As Outback Arts noted after one of her concerts:
“What truly set Nerida's concert apart was the genuine connection she forged with her audience. Through her songs, she shared personal stories and reflections that resonated deeply with all who were present… and left an unforgettable mark on our community.”
Short Bio
(85 Words)
Nerida is an Australian regional singer-songwriter known for heartfelt storytelling with a deep sense of place. With six album releases and decades of musical experience – including numerous gigs, folk festivals and clubs, international zooming and UK & outback NSW tours – Nerida’s songs explore resilience, connection and the everyday beauties. Her deeply authentic performances include uplifting communal moments, inviting audiences to laugh, sing and reflect together.
Nerida has shared stages with respected songwriters including Frank Yamma, Enda Kenny, Fred Smith, Matt Scullion and Jon English.
Photos
Web Sized Images
Releases
In the Midst of the Dark
(2025)
Woven
(2021)
Prayers for a Broken Journey
(2015)
Crazy Beautiful World
(2008)
Journal
(2023)
Living Desert
(2000)
Current Workshops
A SONGWRITER'S ECOSYSTEM
How can I create a life 'ecosystem' within which songwriting can thrive?
A creative life is a joy worth fighting for - 30 years of performing and teaching has refined Nerida’s songwriting and communication. She is known for her nuanced, evocative and relatable songs drawing on stories, metaphor and deep reflection.
SINGAROUND WORKSHOP: a UK-style sharing of group songs
Nerida has enjoyed being part of zoom-based singarounds since 2020. In this 1-2 hour format, all participants bring songs that invite the whole group to sing together, either through a well-known song, a catchy chorus, or repetition. This is not a performance, it’s a collaboration - joining in with harmonies or other instruments is required! Anyone who loves to sing is welcome.
(NB: It has not worked well at all in a public bar (the ‘local’ on a Friday night), but a side room or a festival venue that is mainly filled with folkies works very well)
Themed Concerts
SONGWRITERS CHALLENGE
In this concert, prolific songwriters take turns in a spontaneous song-for-song trade - each song MUST segue from the one before it. Not even the performers know what will come next, and those segues can get pretty tenuous! Come and enjoy a group of performers sharing songs on the fly!
“Nerida's curated songwriters showcase was a brilliant festival addition. There's nothing like putting talented artists on the spot, for live improvised magic”
(Sophie Moore, St Albans Committee)
(NB: I've enjoyed hosting shared Songwriters’ Challenge concerts with other prolific songwriters (Enda Kenny, Bruce Watson and Paul Colman). The audience loves the fact that not even we know what is coming next, and the stretchy segues can be quite funny. I've usually done it with 2 songwriters, but at St Albans had 5 acts and it was brilliant and very entertaining.)
ECHOES OF JONI
This concert is Nerida’s tip of the hat to one of her greatest songwriting influences, Joni Mitchell. Woven around some of Joni’s best-loved songs, this concert explores her rich lyricism, emotional depth and distinct musicality – along with samples of Nerida’s own songs, where these influences have come to rest. For those who love Joni, it’s a chance to listen, sing along, and enjoy the echoes between these songs and stories across generations.
THIS WHOLE PLACE IS HOME
When you live in a small country town, the whole place becomes home as you get woven into the lives of the people and the landscape. Nerida has drawn on over three decades of raising a family, community work and making music in small towns to bring these stories into song. From outback touring to working with the people of flood-stricken Eugowra, this is a concert full of real stories, big laughs and a few tears.
General Concerts
I've written a whole lot of songs that would fit into many different themed concerts - environmental, women's experience, community building, holding hope through trauma & loss, humour, storytelling, Australian history or regional Australia, Henry/Louisa Lawson, etc. I love collaborative concerts, and would happily be part of one.
Links
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Contact
Wiradjuri Country, Canowindra, NSW 2804
0429 048 603
music@nerida.info
www.nerida.info