Shannol Noll opens up on losing his dad, the farm and making a difference

The Advertiser

5 days ago

In the space of two years, Australian singer Shannon Noll suffered a double blow - losing his dad in an accident and then the family farm to drought.
But through the tragedy, the Australian Idol runner-up now seeks to make a difference for those currently facing similar situations.
Noll, whose hits include What About Me, Lift and Shine, grew up on a 4500-acre farm near Condobolin in New South Wales that had 4000 breeding merino ewes and cereal crops as well.
"I left school and worked at the farm right up until we lost it right after we lost Dad in a farming accident," Noll said.
"We tried to trade our way out of it. We planted the crop and it was the first two years of a 10-year drought.
"So we failed two years in a row, and we sort of ended up getting pushed out by the bank."
He said it was "a really difficult time".
Noll will open up about and share with drought-affected farmers at a Sheepvention concert in Hamilton, Victoria, on August 3. He will also be part of a Let's Talk Foundation panel discussion at the event.
He said he was no stranger to south-west Victoria, where farmers are suffering one of their worst droughts on record, having toured across much of the country.
"I don't think there's too many spots I haven't toured over the last 20 years," he said.
After losing the farm that had been in the family for 98 years, Noll picked up work on friends' farms shearing and crutching - something he did right up until he auditioned for the first ever Australian Idol.
"Thankfully [I was employed] through their generosity - I don't know if there was a lot of work there but they gave us some anyway just because they knew my situation," he said.
"I stayed working on the farm right up until I auditioned for the show."
Noll said he distinctly remembered during the drought when his mate's five-year-old son saw rain for the first time.
"I definitely know what it's like to be praying for rain," he said.
"Rain means life, rain means future and rain means you can live to fight another day."
Noll said he was looking forward to being part of Sheepvention and making a difference.
"I'll definitely be sharing my experience in the hopes that we can help a few farmers that are on the brink or really struggling," he said.
"I just think the biggest thing is getting rid of the mystique of thinking it's weak to talk about how you feel.
"I think farmers are really prone to just carrying on and not wanting to burden anybody else.
He said farmers "don't have to carry all the weight on themselves."
Noll's top 10 hit Lift has helped many through a dark patch in their life, and its message is one that still resonates with audiences.
"We all know our friends, and we all know when they're a little bit down," he said.
He said if you see that happening with a friend or family member, just sit down with a coffee or a tea and let them talk.
"Encourage them to get a bit of stuff off their chests because it does wonders when you can actually talk about things," Noll said.
"It's a much lighter weight to carry when you share it around a little bit."
Noll hit a rough patch after a back operation in 2012.
"For the first time in my life I wasn't whole," he said.
"I really struggled with that, realising I was never going to be the same again.
"You slip into a place where everything is negative and you don't know how to get out of it. It's a really troubling thing. It just snowballs."
To lift him out of the negativity, he booked 50 shows and hit the road.
"At the time I wasn't making a lot of money out of touring but I just think the self-gratification of getting out and doing something and meeting people who enjoyed the show brightened up everything," he said.
"Communication is my biggest thing. I'm a really open person.
As for his music career, Noll will be performing 50 shows between now and the end of the year and has plans to soon drop his new single.
"It's called What You're Made Of. It's a similar vein to Shine, Lift and What About Me. It's a positive message," he said.
"That's exciting."
Funds raised from the Sheepvention drought-relief concert will support the Let's Talk Foundation and go towards supporting local farmers and rural communities.
In the space of two years, Australian singer Shannon Noll suffered a double blow - losing his dad in an accident and then the family farm to drought.
But through the tragedy, the Australian Idol runner-up now seeks to make a difference for those currently facing similar situations.
Noll, whose hits include What About Me, Lift and Shine, grew up on a 4500-acre farm near Condobolin in New South Wales that had 4000 breeding merino ewes and cereal crops as well.
"I left school and worked at the farm right up until we lost it right after we lost Dad in a farming accident," Noll said.
"We tried to trade our way out of it. We planted the crop and it was the first two years of a 10-year drought.
"So we failed two years in a row, and we sort of ended up getting pushed out by the bank."
He said it was "a really difficult time".
Noll will open up about and share with drought-affected farmers at a Sheepvention concert in Hamilton, Victoria, on August 3. He will also be part of a Let's Talk Foundation panel discussion at the event.
He said he was no stranger to south-west Victoria, where farmers are suffering one of their worst droughts on record, having toured across much of the country.
"I don't think there's too many spots I haven't toured over the last 20 years," he said.
After losing the farm that had been in the family for 98 years, Noll picked up work on friends' farms shearing and crutching - something he did right up until he auditioned for the first ever Australian Idol.
"Thankfully [I was employed] through their generosity - I don't know if there was a lot of work there but they gave us some anyway just because they knew my situation," he said.
"I stayed working on the farm right up until I auditioned for the show."
Noll said he distinctly remembered during the drought when his mate's five-year-old son saw rain for the first time.
"I definitely know what it's like to be praying for rain," he said.
"Rain means life, rain means future and rain means you can live to fight another day."
Noll said he was looking forward to being part of Sheepvention and making a difference.
"I'll definitely be sharing my experience in the hopes that we can help a few farmers that are on the brink or really struggling," he said.
"I just think the biggest thing is getting rid of the mystique of thinking it's weak to talk about how you feel.
"I think farmers are really prone to just carrying on and not wanting to burden anybody else.
He said farmers "don't have to carry all the weight on themselves."
Noll's top 10 hit Lift has helped many through a dark patch in their life, and its message is one that still resonates with audiences.
"We all know our friends, and we all know when they're a little bit down," he said.
He said if you see that happening with a friend or family member, just sit down with a coffee or a tea and let them talk.
"Encourage them to get a bit of stuff off their chests because it does wonders when you can actually talk about things," Noll said.
"It's a much lighter weight to carry when you share it around a little bit."
Noll hit a rough patch after a back operation in 2012.
"For the first time in my life I wasn't whole," he said.
"I really struggled with that, realising I was never going to be the same again.
"You slip into a place where everything is negative and you don't know how to get out of it. It's a really troubling thing. It just snowballs."
To lift him out of the negativity, he booked 50 shows and hit the road.
"At the time I wasn't making a lot of money out of touring but I just think the self-gratification of getting out and doing something and meeting people who enjoyed the show brightened up everything," he said.
"Communication is my biggest thing. I'm a really open person.
As for his music career, Noll will be performing 50 shows between now and the end of the year and has plans to soon drop his new single.
"It's called What You're Made Of. It's a similar vein to Shine, Lift and What About Me. It's a positive message," he said.
"That's exciting."
Funds raised from the Sheepvention drought-relief concert will support the Let's Talk Foundation and go towards supporting local farmers and rural communities.
In the space of two years, Australian singer Shannon Noll suffered a double blow - losing his dad in an accident and then the family farm to drought.
But through the tragedy, the Australian Idol runner-up now seeks to make a difference for those currently facing similar situations.
Noll, whose hits include What About Me, Lift and Shine, grew up on a 4500-acre farm near Condobolin in New South Wales that had 4000 breeding merino ewes and cereal crops as well.
"I left school and worked at the farm right up until we lost it right after we lost Dad in a farming accident," Noll said.
"We tried to trade our way out of it. We planted the crop and it was the first two years of a 10-year drought.
"So we failed two years in a row, and we sort of ended up getting pushed out by the bank."
He said it was "a really difficult time".
Noll will open up about and share with drought-affected farmers at a Sheepvention concert in Hamilton, Victoria, on August 3. He will also be part of a Let's Talk Foundation panel discussion at the event.
He said he was no stranger to south-west Victoria, where farmers are suffering one of their worst droughts on record, having toured across much of the country.
"I don't think there's too many spots I haven't toured over the last 20 years," he said.
After losing the farm that had been in the family for 98 years, Noll picked up work on friends' farms shearing and crutching - something he did right up until he auditioned for the first ever Australian Idol.
"Thankfully [I was employed] through their generosity - I don't know if there was a lot of work there but they gave us some anyway just because they knew my situation," he said.
"I stayed working on the farm right up until I auditioned for the show."
Noll said he distinctly remembered during the drought when his mate's five-year-old son saw rain for the first time.
"I definitely know what it's like to be praying for rain," he said.
"Rain means life, rain means future and rain means you can live to fight another day."
Noll said he was looking forward to being part of Sheepvention and making a difference.
"I'll definitely be sharing my experience in the hopes that we can help a few farmers that are on the brink or really struggling," he said.
"I just think the biggest thing is getting rid of the mystique of thinking it's weak to talk about how you feel.
"I think farmers are really prone to just carrying on and not wanting to burden anybody else.
He said farmers "don't have to carry all the weight on themselves."
Noll's top 10 hit Lift has helped many through a dark patch in their life, and its message is one that still resonates with audiences.
"We all know our friends, and we all know when they're a little bit down," he said.
He said if you see that happening with a friend or family member, just sit down with a coffee or a tea and let them talk.
"Encourage them to get a bit of stuff off their chests because it does wonders when you can actually talk about things," Noll said.
"It's a much lighter weight to carry when you share it around a little bit."
Noll hit a rough patch after a back operation in 2012.
"For the first time in my life I wasn't whole," he said.
"I really struggled with that, realising I was never going to be the same again.
"You slip into a place where everything is negative and you don't know how to get out of it. It's a really troubling thing. It just snowballs."
To lift him out of the negativity, he booked 50 shows and hit the road.
"At the time I wasn't making a lot of money out of touring but I just think the self-gratification of getting out and doing something and meeting people who enjoyed the show brightened up everything," he said.
"Communication is my biggest thing. I'm a really open person.
As for his music career, Noll will be performing 50 shows between now and the end of the year and has plans to soon drop his new single.
"It's called What You're Made Of. It's a similar vein to Shine, Lift and What About Me. It's a positive message," he said.
"That's exciting."
Funds raised from the Sheepvention drought-relief concert will support the Let's Talk Foundation and go towards supporting local farmers and rural communities.
In the space of two years, Australian singer Shannon Noll suffered a double blow - losing his dad in an accident and then the family farm to drought.
But through the tragedy, the Australian Idol runner-up now seeks to make a difference for those currently facing similar situations.
Noll, whose hits include What About Me, Lift and Shine, grew up on a 4500-acre farm near Condobolin in New South Wales that had 4000 breeding merino ewes and cereal crops as well.
"I left school and worked at the farm right up until we lost it right after we lost Dad in a farming accident," Noll said.
"We tried to trade our way out of it. We planted the crop and it was the first two years of a 10-year drought.
"So we failed two years in a row, and we sort of ended up getting pushed out by the bank."
He said it was "a really difficult time".
Noll will open up about and share with drought-affected farmers at a Sheepvention concert in Hamilton, Victoria, on August 3. He will also be part of a Let's Talk Foundation panel discussion at the event.
He said he was no stranger to south-west Victoria, where farmers are suffering one of their worst droughts on record, having toured across much of the country.
"I don't think there's too many spots I haven't toured over the last 20 years," he said.
After losing the farm that had been in the family for 98 years, Noll picked up work on friends' farms shearing and crutching - something he did right up until he auditioned for the first ever Australian Idol.
"Thankfully [I was employed] through their generosity - I don't know if there was a lot of work there but they gave us some anyway just because they knew my situation," he said.
"I stayed working on the farm right up until I auditioned for the show."
Noll said he distinctly remembered during the drought when his mate's five-year-old son saw rain for the first time.
"I definitely know what it's like to be praying for rain," he said.
"Rain means life, rain means future and rain means you can live to fight another day."
Noll said he was looking forward to being part of Sheepvention and making a difference.
"I'll definitely be sharing my experience in the hopes that we can help a few farmers that are on the brink or really struggling," he said.
"I just think the biggest thing is getting rid of the mystique of thinking it's weak to talk about how you feel.
"I think farmers are really prone to just carrying on and not wanting to burden anybody else.
He said farmers "don't have to carry all the weight on themselves."
Noll's top 10 hit Lift has helped many through a dark patch in their life, and its message is one that still resonates with audiences.
"We all know our friends, and we all know when they're a little bit down," he said.
He said if you see that happening with a friend or family member, just sit down with a coffee or a tea and let them talk.
"Encourage them to get a bit of stuff off their chests because it does wonders when you can actually talk about things," Noll said.
"It's a much lighter weight to carry when you share it around a little bit."
Noll hit a rough patch after a back operation in 2012.
"For the first time in my life I wasn't whole," he said.
"I really struggled with that, realising I was never going to be the same again.
"You slip into a place where everything is negative and you don't know how to get out of it. It's a really troubling thing. It just snowballs."
To lift him out of the negativity, he booked 50 shows and hit the road.
"At the time I wasn't making a lot of money out of touring but I just think the self-gratification of getting out and doing something and meeting people who enjoyed the show brightened up everything," he said.
"Communication is my biggest thing. I'm a really open person.
As for his music career, Noll will be performing 50 shows between now and the end of the year and has plans to soon drop his new single.
"It's called What You're Made Of. It's a similar vein to Shine, Lift and What About Me. It's a positive message," he said.
"That's exciting."
Funds raised from the Sheepvention drought-relief concert will support the Let's Talk Foundation and go towards supporting local farmers and rural communities.