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Otago Daily Times

Halton Hart release debut single

Four of the Halton Hart eight are (from left) Taegan Evans, 10, Erica Byars, 10, Jaelyn Scully, 10, and Hazel Evans, 7. Photo: supplied The eight cousins and band members of Halton Hart, with ages ranging from 7 to 17, debuted their first single Grandad Mait last Friday. The girls' great-granddad loved traditional country such as Tex Morton, Slim Dusty, and Johnny Cash. He passed that love on to his granddaughter, Gore-based recording artist Kayla Mahon, a statement said yesterday. The band got its name from Halton St, in East Gore, home of Granddad Mait and Nana Horrell, Ms Mahon said. Halton Hart is comprised of Caitlyn, Marissa, and Erica Byars, Jaelyn and Meila Scully, Taegan and Hazel Evans, and Georgia Martin Ms Mahon, mother of Georgia Martin and an aunt to the rest, said she was carrying on the family tradition by teaching the young girls music. She said every week, she, her three sisters and their eight offspring got together for a three-hour session where the children continued to learn the guitar, mandolin, bass and banjo. The sessions can get pretty "crazy" she said, as only family can, but it was a great way for the girls to really hone their skills. "Since they could talk, I've got them into music," she said. "That's probably all they've really known is that you sing and you play and you have fun learning music together." The Gold Guitar Awards are massive on the group's calendar, she said and all of the girls, in different combinations, were entered in the competition. "It's always like a Christmas for us, mid-year Christmas," Ms Mahon said. She said the awards were a place where songwriters thrive and two of the girls will be performing their own original songs this year. Ms Mahon really encouraged the girls have their own lyrical content she said, as it was really important, particularly for the country genre, that they understand what they are singing. "That's a really huge thing when you're performing is being believable, and singing with emotion ... That's the secret to making an impact to the audience," she said. Halton Hart and the music video for Grandad Mait can be found on their Facebook page.