Headway participant and seasoned musician, Ned Branchi, has just dropped his latest EP ‘Femur’, and we had the privilege of sitting down with him to talk about his music, his journey through the industry, and how he’s navigated it all with his disability.
After a traumatic fall recently, Ned found himself in the hospital with a fractured femur. The early days were tense, with doctors worried that if the fracture had been even a little higher or shifted in a different direction, it could have led to more severe consequences—perhaps even further amputation. It was a long recovery, but during that time, Ned’s creative spirit remained unbroken. “The intensity of that time combined with the powerful drugs they had me on,” resulted in a compelling new EP. Ned could be seen flying around the hospital around in his wheelchair, as soon as he was able, and Ned found inspiration in simple things like the cracking sound the lino floors made in the rehab that was being renovated.
‘Along the long long corridors
The Lightning cracks
The marks of Thor
It’s a long long way to here from the floor
But I’ll recover like before
Yet somehow I’ll have changed forever more
But you will always know me
Just like I always was’
(Excerpt from ‘The Hospital’s Edge’)
“During this process I’m thinking about hospitals, and the intensity of the atmosphere in hospitals…which sort of disengages you and disempowers you to some extent…in this state of change when you’re in the hospital…and our experience of them is from birth to death and every interruption of our physical being in between.”
Ned’s journey goes back a decade to the original injury, a time that’s given him endless opportunities to reflect—and those reflections have fueled his creativity. The physical pain, the chronic PTSD, the seemingly endless hospital visits—each one uncomfortable and frustrating—have all served to deepen Ned’s passion and commitment to his craft. “Even through the most ridiculous experiences and trauma, the artist in me has been relentlessly unambiguous about what’s happening…and that’s the stuff of art for me, and music in general. It’s provided me with an artistic set of tools, that allows me to empower myself and speak through all of this, and even laugh through it…I don’t know what else there is in my life that is as powerful and able to do that”.
“The creative journey is empowering and is the one that allows us to speak our truth…it allows us to be who we are, and tell our story, and that’s ultimately a human thing…Through that process I don’t see myself as a disabled person, I never have. I see myself as differently abled. I’ve found tools and strength and inspiration and motivation, that never would have existed prior to, you know, having the accident and being fundamentally changed…changed physically, mentally and emotionally.”
Ned’s career has had its share of setbacks—contracts falling through, shifting record companies—but each time he’s rebuilt, reinvented himself, and kept moving forward. His current music is no different. Getting to gigs in Melbourne, attending meetings, and networking—all of these things are hurdles for Ned. But he’s found that many people are kind enough to help where they can, making sure he has what he needs to continue his work.
Now, largely limited to playing guitar due to Osteomyelitis in his shoulder, Ned’s performances are shorter, typically only 3 or 4 songs at a time. But he’s pushing forward, with plans to finalize the last track for his new EP and begin live gigs in March or April to promote the album. Working with talented engineers and producers, James ‘Oysters’ Kilpatrick in Melbourne, and David Pendragon in Canberra, the final track will feature contributions from pianist and songwriter Robin Casinader, along with trumpet sections from Jack Howard of Hunters and Collectors.
In addition, Ned’s got another EP slated for May, titled ‘Sailing the Seas of Separation’. This one also draws from his personal experiences, particularly the two years he spent apart from his wife, Dyaz, when Dyaz was stuck in Indonesia at the start of the COVID pandemic.
The music industry is more challenging than ever for young musicians. The threats of exploitation, AI generated music, and the dominance of platforms like Spotify—who take large cuts of earnings— have become real concerns. As Ned puts it, musicians are losing their rights to their labor, their ability to make a living, and their ownership of their own music. Ned offers a piece of advice to those trying to make their mark in the music industry and it was a fitting end to our time together:
“What’s my advice? Resist man, resist in any way shape or form….bring it bush and bring it to festivals, find another way of getting support of your music…do it now and give up on those platforms…go old school, bums on seats, produce your stuff, get out there and sell it yourself…it has to come back to grassroots, it’s the only way to resist”.
To learn more about Ned and listen to his music head here: nedbranchi.com