When not sitting in her office at the Legislative Assembly on London Circuit, Leanne Castley is gigging around Canberra and New South Wales.
She began her political career following the October 2020 ACT election, becoming the Leader of the Canberra Liberals four years later.
“I lived between our house and Auntie Lou’s house, and they were just country music crazy – Slim Dusty, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Kenny (Rogers),” she said.
“That was actually the first concert I ever went to – Dolly and Kenny in 1987.
“I had to go to Sydney for it and I just loved it. It was the day before my year 7 school photos and there was no way I wasn’t going to school the next day. I was very tired.”
Castley said she had been playing music since she was a child, having started out as a group member of a church band.
“They didn’t have a bass player, and my brother played guitar,” she said.
“He said ‘This is the song you’re going to play, and this is how you play these too.’
“It was just hilarious because I’ve got this big bass guitar.”
Castley said from there, she played keyboard and guitar.
“I always wanted to sing,” she said.
Before her brother, Barton, moved to Toowoomba, the siblings performed around Canberra as a duo.
Castley has mainly performed around Canberra, as well as in Cooma and Cootamundra.
“Honestly, wherever they’ll have us,” she said.
During the time she and her now ex-husband ran three car yards, he encouraged her to record a country music album featuring songs she had written.
Castley recorded Perfect Day on the central coast, with the album released in 2007. She has also recorded four film clips, one of which was filmed at a CSIRO paddock of canola between Fraser and Dickson, Lanyon Homestead and a pub at Gold Creek.
“They all charted on Foxtel channel Country Music Television back in the day, then we got some radio coverage. But as I say, we just ran out of money and time, and life took a different direction, so we just stuck it out with the covers gigs and haven’t stopped,” Castley said.
Following the release of Perfect Day, she had a support slot for Shannon Noll.
Castley said some of the highlights of her music career include performing at GIO Stadium Canberra at an ACT Brumbies match in front of a crowd of about 20,000 people, and at Commonwealth Park’s Stage 88 when the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics Torch Relay passed through Canberra.
The first Australian country band she supported was The McClymonts.
Castley has also worked in breakfast radio for a country music station.
To this day, she still performs, most recently at the Queanbeyan Rodeo on 8 March.
Her next gig, a country music show, will take place at Siren Bar and Restaurant in Gungahlin, which will include some originals. It may also feature an appearance by her daughter, Bethany, who is also a singer.
“As far as politics, it is busy, but it’s (music) my hobby. I love it,” Castley said.
“I just feel like it’s been the one staple thing all my life.”
Castley said she hoped to record some new music in the next few years.
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