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Liz Hobday

Dad brings the country, daughter the indie-pop

Jem Cassar-Daley, daughter of Troy, is starting to find success in the indie-pop scene. (HANDOUT/ZILLA AND BROOK)

The musician who has won more Golden Guitars than anyone else predicts it won't be long before he's merely the support act for his talented daughter.

With a record 45 Golden Guitars, not to mention six ARIA Awards including 2024's country album of the year, Troy Cassar-Daley is a big name in the Australian country music scene.

But up-and-coming indie-pop star Jem Cassar-Daley, 24, is amassing her own collection of gongs, with her single King of Disappointment winning the best pop award and song of the year at the 2024 Queensland Music Awards.

They are each playing sets at Melbourne's St Kilda Festival on Saturday, with Jem taking to the main stage first - for now.

"It won't be long before she's going on after me," her father joked to AAP. 

Melbourne's St Kilda Festival is Australia’s longest-running free music festival, bringing more than 350,000 people to the foreshore, with the 2025 slate also featuring Cub Sport and Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos.

It was during Troy's 2019 national tour, with more than 70 shows across every state and territory, that Jem realised a life of making music and playing gigs was for her, just like her father.

She has also been writing her own music, releasing her debut single Letting Go in 2021 and an EP I Don't Know Who to Call in 2022.

On the St Kilda main stage she will play a full set of original material including her latest single, Big Container.

For her father, a 12th studio album Between The Fires has received rave reviews.

It's his most heartfelt release yet, recorded at his late mother's property following her death in 2022.

Troy Cassar-Daley
Prolific award winner, Troy Cassar-Daley has enjoyed more success with his 12th studio album. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

Troy acknowledges he wasn't much of a father at the time, and his marriage was in trouble too - but writing music, and the support of his family, helped him slowly heal.

"Some of the songs are pretty confronting, but I think they were written purely out of grief," he said.

"Every time I played them I felt like there was a little bit more weight lifted off my shoulders."

And maybe one day, the Cassar-Daleys might even write some songs together.

"I can't wait to see what's coming in the next 10 years," said Troy.

St Kilda Festival runs Saturday and Sunday.

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