She may be on the youthful side of the spectrum but Dana Hassall is far from new to the music scene. Growing up on an alpaca farm in country Queensland gave Dana the perfect level of isolation to lock herself away and create. From the very early age of eight, she was already gracing audiences with her songs and, albeit shy, performances. Her first songs certainly reflected life as she knew it back then, including compositions about horse riding, alpaca shearing and a heart warming ditty about looking out for her younger sister. Suffice it to say she won’t be winning any ARIAs with those tunes, but they gave her the taste of storytelling and a thirst for more.Fast forward fifteen years and Dana is still sharing stories with audiences, although she’s not so shy on stage these days. She readily admits that she’s no extrovert either. “I used to hide behind my mum’s legs every time someone started talking to me. I’m a little past that stage but I’ll still take singing over speaking any day. I secretly think that’s why I’m attracted to music – I can tell my story, but it’s pre-written so I don’t need to worry about saying something silly in the spur of the moment!”Dana’s passion for music is obvious in her debut EP, See It Now, produced by multiple Golden Guitar Award winner Matt Fell. And it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the 22 year old, which she hints at in the title track of the EP. The song originated from a conversation with her sister about a mutual friend. “He wanted to go to an arts school, but his father refused to accept dance as a suitable career,” Dana explains. “I didn’t realize until some time afterwards that the song was about my own experiences as well. The pressure didn’t come from parents in my case - it was an ex-boyfriend who tore down my confidence and took away my will to play music. In retrospect, the bridge of the song is really a message to him.”There’s no stopping her now though, having already attempted study for two other career paths and landing back on the stage both times. “I give up on having a backup plan. There’s obviously nothing I love as much as music, so I’m just going to have to work super hard for my bread and butter.”Dana says she’s spent a lot of this year writing as much as possible and immersing herself in all kinds of music, listing the sounds of Ryan Adams, The Civil Wars, John Mayer and Harry Hookey as some of her favourites. “I’ve got a pretty big arsenal of songs behind me now. I’m honing in on what I like and really connect with, so when the next album comes I know I’ll be really proud of it.”Dana is 2015 Toyota Star Maker Grand Finalist and a graduate of the CMAA Academy of Country Music 2012. With her rich, earthy vocals, guitar prowess and fierce determination, she’s a force to be reckoned with. If alt-country or folk is your cup of tea, it’s safe to say you’ll be hearing about Dana Hassall in days to come.