Benalla’s Ruby Jane will perform at the 2026 Tamworth Country Music Festival.
When Ruby Jane was dealing with COVID-19 lockdowns, she picked up a guitar and decided there was no better time to learn to play it.
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Fast-forward five years, and she has been named a finalist in the Toyota Star Maker Top 10 — Australia’s biggest country music talent search.
“I’ve entered for the past five years,” she said.
“But it’s really hard to get into, as they only take 10 people.”
But Ruby persevered and on her fifth attempt she got a call that could change her life.
“First, I made the top 14,” she said.
“Then I had to do a phone interview. I was told to expect a call 10 days later letting me know how I’d done.
“It got to the 10th day, and I was thinking ‘Oh well.’
“Then I got a call telling me I was in the top 10.”
Ruby said it took until last week for the news to actually sink in.
“I actually had a chance to go to Tamworth last week,” she said.
“When I was walking into the sale yards, I was like, ‘Oh, it's actually happening now.’
Ruby Jane picked up a guitar for the first time only five years ago, now she’s on her way to Australia’s premier country music event. Photo: Gavin Bain.
“I was so nervous when I got there, but I soon saw some familiar faces, which was nice.”
As part of the Star Maker Top 10, Ruby will perform in Tamworth on January 18.
“That’s the first Sunday of the festival,” she said.
“It’s down in the park and a free event where all the top 10 artists will perform two songs.
“And the judges pick the winner at the end of the night.”
Ruby said she had picked two original songs to perform.
“You can do one original and one cover, or two originals, which is what I wanted to do,” she said.
Ruby, 23, only moved to Benalla early in 2025.
But she said the loved the town and the people, and couldn’t wait to represent the Rose City at Australia’s biggest annual country music festival.
“I've always loved singing, but it wasn't until lockdown that I started playing the guitar,” she said.
“There was this boy that I was seeing, I wanted to tell him how I felt, but I didn't want to tell him.
“So I wrote a song called Concrete Cowboy, and I posted it online just as a laugh.
“But people kept commenting, saying ‘Oh, you should record this.’”
So Ruby did some research and came across a studio in Wagga Wagga.
“So I went there to record a song, and I’ve now done a whole CD,” she said.
Ruby said her favourite part of being a singer/songwriter was performing.
“I love performing songs that I've written and hearing people say things like ‘I can relate to that.’” she said.
Ruby’s recent trip to Tamworth was far from her first time at the festival.
“I’ve been busking there for the last three years,” she said.
“But this year is the first time I’ll be singing under the air-conditioning.
“It gets very hot busking in the street, I’ve never sweated so much.
“But it was a great way to get my name out there. Tamworth is the place you want to be if you want to be part of the country music scene in Australia.
“There are so many buskers too. I think there was 500 last year, but I’ve got into the top 10 of the busking competitions twice.”
Ruby said her musical inspirations were everything from Dolly Parton to Aussie country music stars such as Mackenzie May and Jarrad Wrigley.
Ruby said the Toyota Star Maker Top 10 final would be available to watch by heading to Facebook @Star Maker.
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