While social distancing restrictions have stopped the live music performance industry in its tracks, a local musician believes the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic could later see a creative boom.
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Wagga musician Joel William Harrison is set to spend the winter drip releasing the rest of a four track EP after the first song Lucky Man dropped on Tuesday across streaming services.
The EP is a collaboration between a number of Wagga musicians including Mr Harrison's long-time mentor Dale Allison.
Mr Harrison said he enjoyed collaborating within the Wagga music scene because the community was full of like-minded individuals.
"Normally they're just similar people, it's good to create music with people that you like and you get on with."
Lucky Man was inspired by Mr Harrison's first major musical influence, actor Michael J Fox.
"Basically Michael J Fox in Back To the Future playing guitar was the first real memory I have of wanting to pick up the guitar," he said.
The song is named after the actor's 2002 memoir, and is set to be the most upbeat song in an EP which has "a little bit of everything."
Mr Harrison said he hoped the song, which speaks about the little positives in life, would help lift spirits in the midst of social isolation.
"Hopefully people can get that from the track and spot things in their life that they're grateful for," he said.
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For Mr Harrison, social isolation has been a relatively simple adjustment despite the major impact of social distancing on the wider industry.
"I work from home normally so that aspect of life hasn't been too different .. I know it has impacted a lot of mates that gig full time or do music just as their sole income which is really tough," he said.
He said as a musician he almost felt busier, with more time to focus on creating.
"For me it's really about playing music and creating music, whether that's at an actual performance or at home just sitting in a room, I'd want to do it either way."
"While it's a tough period I think it'll have a lot of positives for all creatives, whether they're painters or musicians or poets ... it's kind of that opportunity for some people to just really focus on their craft."
Mr Harrison said while the community could not financially support local musicians by attending concerts, it was important to reach out to them through their online presence and keep buying and streaming their work, with many musicians organising on Facebook to do live performances and drum up support for those who have been financially impacted.
