She and fellow country musician Tracy Killeen, will make the permanent move south of the border.  Good mates, the pair will be sharing accommodation. McMonagle said the move was musically motivated.

''There seem to be more country gigs down in New South Wales rather than up here in Queensland,'' she said.
''They have great festivals up here [in Queensland] but the pubs and the clubs don't want to know about country music.
''Hopefully, I'll get a bit more exposure to a new fan base. I'll also be a bit closer to Victoria as well as Queensland, so it will be a bit easier to pop over the border and do a bit of touring. Tracy and I are talking about doing a  NSW/Victoria tour, so that will be great.''
While appearing with her family at country music clubs and festivals from a tender age, McMonagle came to the attention of the broader country scene in 2007 with the launch of her debut self-titled EP.
The release earned her much in the way of praise, but it was last year's Tea On Tuesday that really put the performer on the map. A collection of honest, story-based songs, the album was truly a labour of love. ''I guess I did the album for myself first and foremost,'' McMonagle said. ''But to know that other people appreciate it and like it means a lot as well. Some of the support that I'm getting from industry has been great.''  With the exception of one co-write [Come For Me, penned with Gina Horswood] each of the album's tracks were written by McMonagle.
''I'm a solo writer,'' she said. ''I haven't mastered the co-writing thing too much. When I do write I sort of go into my own little world and sometimes I don't even realise that I've written something.
''It's like you're in a bit of a daydream. I find it hard to get into that when I'm with other people. Everything I write tends to come from within. I know it works [co-writing] very well for other people. My good friend Rose Carleo is a fantastic co-writer - I find I can't get to that emotional point when someone else is around me.
''Hopefully one day I might master that. There's no right or wrong way of writing, but for me I like to get into that world I get into and really write from the heart.''
While developing her craft, McMonagle studied at the CMAA College of Country Music.
She cities the experience as invaluable.
''You do learn a lot about songwriting skills and instrumentation but I think the main thing I took away from it was more the business aspects,'' she said.
''You go to the college not realising how much having a career in the music industry is really like a business. It's not just getting up and singing a few songs. There's so much more involved and it's really hard work - trying to network all of the time and being really organised and really good with your finances.
''I think that scares a lot of people when they go to the college. I look through my class and I think some of the people were so talented but they just haven't taken it anywhere and it's probably because they've gone, `it just seems too hard'.
''Being independent, you need to put a lot of money into it. I was lucky because I have worked as a financial planner for years and had a lot of money saved, but if you're 18-19 and starting out, unless your parents are going to help you, I don't know how you're going to afford to put out an album. It's sad, but if you really want it I guess you'll do it.''
McMonagle has recently released her second single from the album, the title track Tea On Tuesday. It follows the successful track Myrtle Avenue.
Another first, she has also shot her debut film clip, produced by Duncan Toombs.
''I'm really happy with it,'' she said. ''Duncan was so easy to work with and he's just really creative.
''It was shot on the Central Coast. Duncan has a friend who has a nice old house with a verandah around it, so we did a few shots on this beautiful swing chair on the verandah. He [Toombs] intertwined lots of glued together teacups and saucers through this low-branch twiggy tree. I was then under the tree walking through the teacup branches. He's really arty ... it's great.''
McMonagle said she enjoyed performing within the country genre.
''I like when a song really touches you - makes you cry or makes you laugh,'' she said. ''And I think you get that more in country music than other genres because it's just so much more raw and it's really honest.
''Pop music is starting to get there with acoustic and folky sorts of stuff, but for me, I like to be a story teller - and people in the pop world aren't gonna want to hear a song called Tea On Tuesday. In country that fits perfectly.''

By Matt Lawrence