“As soon as I heard my first Cyndi Lauper tape, which was really bad, all my Barbies just collected dust,” she said.

Not only did the Orange 16-year-old win the right to open the Flix in the Stix film festival in town earlier this year, but she’s just taken out first prize in the Boost-a-Band competition, run in conjunction with Flix in the Stix.

At the festival, she played as a support act for well-known groups like Eskimo Joe.

“It was so nerve-racking,” she said.

Samantha was able to accumulate enough votes for the YouTube clip of her performance at the show that she beat other central west contenders for the $5000 Boost-a-Band prize, which was open to young musicians in regional areas.

“I’m in the process of recording my first EP, so that will help get my EP out, and I’m also buying more music equipment,” she said.

Samantha describes her music as “kind of folk music,” adding, “I like singing and writing about stuff that matters, not just partying.

“Raising awareness but not in a really hard-hitting, invasive way,” she said.

She hopes that with new equipment, she’ll be able take her music to the next level.

“I’m getting a few more pedals for my guitar so I can loop sounds and make my music sound fuller and more complex,” Samantha said.

Eight other artists in different parts of regional NSW also won the Boost-a-Band prize, with prizemoney provided by the Commonwealth Bank.