Amy stops by to say hi

Our breath and hearts.

Got taken by Amy Shark in a magical performance at Shepparton’s Riverlinks Eastbank on the weekend.

Those are lyrics borrowed from the song she wrote with Ed Sheeran, featuring Keith Urban, Love Songs Ain’t For Us.

But with the intimate format of shows on her solo acoustic ‘Songs & Stories’, everyone in that room on Saturday night probably felt like Shark’s love songs were just for them.

The eight-time ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter and Australian Idol Logie-winning host played purposely picked tracks from her entire catalogue, ranging from the intoxicating tune that shot her to notoriety in 2018, Adore, to songs off her third and latest studio album, Sunday Sadness, that was released last year.

She even chucked in a Shark-ified cover of American country singer Morgan Wallen’s hit Last Night.

Between each, she stopped to tell stories about how certain lyrics and guitar riffs came to her, where she drew inspiration from, talked of tales from the road and how she likes to throw her husband (and manager), Shane Billings, under metaphorical buses when she finds herself in amusingly awkward situations.

Shark has a girl-next-door vibe in interviews, on her social media and pretty much wherever she is when the spotlight falls on her.

Sitting comfortably centre-stage at Eastbank beneath a canopy of festoon lights and surrounded by a bunch of flickering faux candles wearing a plain T-shirt, a pair of faded black jeans and some flat Nike walk shoes without a single costume change, her hair half up and half down in her trademark style, you can tell none of it’s an act.

Despite the bright lights of fame and fortune, Shark appears to have mastered staying humble and humorous.

If she never made it as a musician, she could have had a back-up career as a stand-up comedian waiting for her.

It was Shark’s second performance in Shepparton after visiting on a bigger scale tour with a full band, but still regional, in 2022.

“I had so much fun last time,” Shark said ahead of her Saturday night show.

“It’s not that the big cities don’t appreciate you, but they’re really spoilt, so I think that the last time I went on the regional tour was just... rewarding.

“It really felt special. I feel like there were people there that had never heard of me before. So I kind of make it my job to win those people over.”

As someone who witnessed her draw the crowd into her personable aura during her Songs & Stories show, I’m almost certain she left the Goulburn Valley with more fans than she arrived.

The warmth of this particular performance won the already die-hard fan in me over all again.