Country Music Capital News - June 2018 Volume 43 No 5

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JUNE 2018 VOL. 43 NO.5

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KEITH URBAN GRAFFITI U JOSHUA HEDLEY

UNLOCKING THE CREATIVE years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

TOM DEVIN CURTAIN DAWSON ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

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FROM THE EDITOR

INSIDE THE JUNE ISSUE O

STOP PRESS: PHIL EMMANUEL HAS DIED

KEITH URBAN HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE STARS.

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e at Capital News have watched his rise from a nine-year-old boy singing at talent quests, to winning Star Maker, (the talent search that we promote and organise) and receiving his first Golden Guitar with his Star Maker single.

We can boast that we were the first major publication that highlighted and documented Keith’s music career, in particular the years from 1990 through to 2000. The years that followed of course he became a headline in the US, and now he’s one of the biggest country music stars in the world. I was fortunate to attend an industry event last month in which journalist Nick Bennett interviewed Keith as he previewed all the songs from his new album Graffiti U. Just when we thought we’d “seen him once” he takes your breath away with his charm, skill, generosity, knowledge of music (history, old and new artists), collaborative nature, and reminds us just why he is a superstar. Whilst we’ve had some terrific moments with Keith through the years, we haven’t had an opportunity to sit with him and talk about his career and life but he’s done plenty of that of course with many people around the world. Maybe our patience will pay off one day and we’ll get the chance again. In the meantime, we really trust you enjoy the cover story and his album.

In addition to Keith this month, we’ve got more great stories of Tom Curtain, John Carter Cash, Devin Dawson, Davisson Brothers, Joshua Hedley, Charlie Worsham, and William Crighton. In the One To Watch series, meet Star Maker grand finalist Hayley Marsten and view images of

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the wedding of Hayley Jensen and keep up-to-date with 2018 Toyota Star Maker Brad Cox. After the Tamworth festival and then CMC Rocks you’d think it all might be quiet on the country music front, but it’s far from it. There are anticipated new releases due from John Williamson, Beccy Cole, Melinda Schneider, Travis Collins, Adam Harvey and many others. The country music scene is alive and well and we are so lucky that in this genre we have artists who can deliver time and time again.

With the NZ Gold Guitars Awards, Hats Off To Country – Tamworth, Groundwater – Broadbeach and the Gympie Muster all coming up, so many artists will shine and after that they’ll need to put in the hard yards touring the country which is what the good ones do. Get out there and buy a ticket as this is what keeps live music alive!

Enjoy the pages Cheryl Byrnes cheryl@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au

n the day of going to print, Capital News received the news that one of the world’s greatest guitarists had died. Phil Emmanuel, aged 65, died of an asthma attack in his hometown of Parkes, NSW on Thursday, May 24.

He was staying with his brother Darcy Emmanuel having planned shows at the Cootamundra Hotel, a private birthday and a two-hour concert at the Star Hotel over the weekend.

In 2011 Phil together with his brother Tommy celebrated their 50th Anniversary with a nineconcert Australian tour including the Tamworth Country Music Festival where the brothers received the highest honour in Australian country music, the Roll Of Renown.

Phil was surrounded by music from the start with The Emmanuel Quartet, which comprised elder brother Chris on drums and elder sister Virginia on slide guitar, and began with a performance for Maton Guitars at the Palings music store, Tamworth, in 1960.

He played at the first Tamworth Country Music Festival in 1968 and attended more than 25 of the festivals.

Brother Tommy was visiting his daughters in London at the time and Phil’s family were seeking privacy.

Phil was loving life with his wife Amanda. He is survived by his children Jesse Maree, Jamie-Lee, Georgie Dee, Jackson and Marshall Travis.

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FEATURES KEITH URBAN

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TOM CURTAIN

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JOHN CARTER CASH

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DEVIN DAWSON

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DAVISSON BROTHERS

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JOSHUA HEDLEY

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CHARLIE WORSHAM

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WILLIAM CRICHTON

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EDITOR Cheryl Byrnes P: 0407 106 966 E: cheryl@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au ADVERTISING Joanne Maiden P: 0429 784 860 E: joanne@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS Linda Bridges P: 02 6767 5555 CONTRIBUTORS Allan Caswell, Anna Rose, Bec Belt, David Dawson, Jon Wolfe, Lachlan Bryan, Lorraine Pfitzner, Peter Coad, Susan Jarvis, Tom Inglis, and our great mates in publicity and record companies nationally and internationally.

REGULARS NEWS NASHVILLE NEWS TOYOTA STAR MAKER UPDATE LIVE CM SCENE

PHOTOGRAPHERS Thanks to our friends who supply the many photos we are able to use.

HEAR & THERE

TRC TEAM Jess Fitzsimmons, Karlee Cole, Eleanor Turnbull.

FESTIVALS

ART AND DESIGN Sam Woods

SOUND ADVICE

NEXT DEADLINE: July: June 10, 2018

COUNTRY CHARTS BUSH BALLADS DOWN MEMORY LANE

PUBLISHER Tamworth Regional Council 437 Peel Street, Tamworth NSW 2340 P: 02 6767 5555

WRITING GREAT SONGS COMING EVENTS

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Country Music Capital News is compiled and published monthly by Tamworth Regional Council, 437 Peel Street, Tamworth NSW 2340. The views and opinions expressed in Capital News are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright 2017 Tamworth Regional Council, ABN 52631074450. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part by any manner or method whatsoever without the written permission is prohibited. All statements made in advertising are the sole responsibility of the advertiser in respect of legal and industrial relations. Printed by Fairfax Printing, 159 Bells Line of Road, North Richmond. 2754. ISSN 1440-995X years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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NEWS

NEW TEAM LEADER AT APRA

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PRA AMCOS has revealed Jana Gibson as the new Head of Member Services from June 1, 2018, to work alongside and advocate for 95,000 members.

Dean Ormston, the new CEO from July 1, 2018, formerly held the position.

In her new role, Jana will lead the Writer Services, Member Relations, Publisher Relations and Repertoire, SOUNDS AUSTRALIA, Live Music Office teams and will oversee other member initiatives such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office, SongHubs, SongMakers, Awards and outreach programs.

It has been three years since a female has held a role at this leadership level. Jana follows Sally Howland who remains an Advisor to APRA AMCOS and an important catalyst in Jana’s career. Jana has formerly worked in events with Peter Rix Management and (what is now) the International Convention and Exhibition Centre Sydney. Born in Queensland, Jana gained a Bachelor of Business Tourism (1992) from Lismore’s Southern Cross University and moved to Sydney to work in hotel management where her love of the live music scene began.

QLD MUSIC AWARDS

A MUSIC-LOVING PUBLIC JOINED FORCES WITH THE QUEENSLAND MUSIC INDUSTRY LAST MONTH TO CELEBRATE THE STATE’S FINEST SONGWRITERS, FESTIVALS AND VENUES AT THE 2018 QUEENSLAND MUSIC AWARDS.

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eith Urban was awarded Highest Selling Album for Ripcord and Brad Butcher won the country category for Well Dressed Man against fellow finalists Pete Cullen & The Biffs, The Long Johns and Dana Gehrman and Tim Rogers.

Chad Morgan was awarded The Grant McLennan Lifetime Achievement at the 2018 Queensland Music Awards.

The country music veteran was acknowledged for his platinum and gold album sales over a career spanning six decades a testament to an extensive touring career.

The 85-year-old was unable to accept the award in person due to touring commitments however his daughter Janelle did on his behalf.

The awards were held at the Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane Showgrounds and fans, industry and media were treated to performances by The Kite Sting Tangle, WAAX, Brad Butcher, May Lyn, Greta Stanley, Carmouflage Rose and Jeremy Neale.

There were 23 winners including the prestigious Billy Thorpe Scholarship.

The full list of winners is listed at queenslandmusicawards.com

AUSSIE LINDSAY RIMES CO-WRITES #1 HIT

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ulti-Platinum artist Kane Brown’s single, Heaven, became the breakthrough star’s second consecutive #1 smash from his Platinum-certified (USA) self-titled debut album on the Billboard Country Chart the second week in May and Country Aircheck/ Mediabase’s country airplay charts.

Heaven was co-written by Australian 8

writer/producer Lindsay Rimes, Matthew McGinn, and Shy Carter and produced by multiple award-winning Dann Huff.

Lindsay has written for and produced artists including The McClymonts, Kaylee Bell, Mel Dyer, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, Locash, Chase Bryant,

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Dylan Scott, Thomas Rhett and others.

Heaven follows Brown’s ACM nominated, multiPlatinum chart-topping single and 2018’s moststreamed song of the year, What Ifs. Kane Brown has topped the Billboard Country Albums Chart for 11-weeks-and-counting and remains the best new artist country debut of the past four years.

He also now features on a new recording of Camila Cabello’s massive pop hit Never Be The Same. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

NASHVILLE NEWS

CMA FEST THIS MONTH’S CMA FEST OFFERS THE ULTIMATE COUNTRY MUSIC FAN EXPERIENCE WHERE FANS GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THEIR FAVOURITE ARTIST EACH DAY FROM THURSDAY, JUNE 7 TO SUNDAY JUNE 10 IN MUSIC CITY CENTRE.

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he Artist of the Day session will shine the spotlight on an artist at the CMA Close Up Stage. Dierks Bentley will appear on Thursday, Luke Bryan on Friday, Dustin Lynch on Saturday and Kelsea Ballerini on Sunday.Country Music superstar Jason Aldean closes out the first night of CMA Fest on Thursday, June 7 with a performance at Nissan Stadium.

He’ll join hundreds of previously announced acts performing on 11 stages throughout downtown Nashville during CMA Fest.

Several acts have been confirmed to sing the National Anthem at select stages. Runaway June will kick off Chevy

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Luke Bryan

Riverfront Stage Thursday morning, while each of the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium will open with National Anthem performances by The Oak Ridge Boys with the Marine Corps Band New Orleans on Thursday, “Lil Hank Williams” Mason Ramsey on Friday, Jillian Jacqueline on Saturday, and Ray Stevens on Sunday. For all information go to CMAFest.com

he Americana Honours & Awards Show returns to the Ryman Auditorium on September 12, 2018.

Each year the Americana Music Association® honours distinguished members of the music community.

Six member-voted awards and several Lifetime Achievement Awards are handed out while over 2000 artists, music-loving fans and entertainment industry executives look on. The Honours & Awards have featured many amazing moments over the years. Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s last live performance together was during the award show. Artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Robert Plant & His Band of Joy, Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Rosanne Cash, Stephen Stills and Joan Baez have brought audiences to their feet.

The awards are held during Americanafest from September 11-16, 2018.

COUNTRY PRIDE

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PHOTO BY RACHAEL BLACK, COURTESY OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY.

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ountry Music Hall of Fame member and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Charley Pride celebrated his 25th Anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member last month.

Pride, who made his Opry debut in 1967, performed extended Opry sets in celebration of his milestone anniversary. Opry flagship station 650 AM WSM (wsmonline.com) saluted the award-winning artist with a “Country Pride Weekend.”

Upon his Opry induction 25 years ago, Pride recalled his initial dream of baseball stardom. “It’s as if I had made it in baseball and they came up to me and took me to Cooperstown and said, ‘This is where your plaque is going to be – beside Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and Hank Aaron.”

Charley Pride also recently announced he’ll be performing at the 2018 CMA Fest, on Friday, June 8 at 8pm at Nissan Stadium. He will be sharing the stage with a host of other modern country staples including Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, and Old Dominion.

L-R: Dan Rogers – Director Marketing, Communication and Artist Initiatives, Grand Ole Opry, Charley Pride, Gina Keltner – Sr. Talent Manager, Grand Ole Opry and Opry member Crystal Gayle.

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KEITH URBAN HAS NEVER BEEN A CONFORMIST AND NOTHING CHANGES WITH NEW STUDIO RECORD, GRAFFITI U.

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is first album in nearly two years is polished with electronic dance music vibes and is a natural musical progression that began with Fuse, but it also marks where Urban currently resides creatively. It’s this sense of presence during his writing and recording process that gives each of Urban’s albums an unabashed honesty and authenticity.

“The previous two albums I did – Fuse and Ripcord – denoted a kind of energy, and so those titles were chosen for that,” he said. “And I had some energydriven titles in mind for this album too, but as the record started to reveal itself to me, the word ‘graffiti’ kept coming to me out of the blue.

“I’ve always loved that word, loved the sound of the word, and then I loved the fact that it’s art-driven. When I think of graffiti, I think of selfexpression, personal expression, absolutely personal expression … whether you’re painting something on the side of a building in a city or whether you’re painting ‘Billy Bob Loves Charlene’ on the side of an overpass [laughs], it’s all graffiti and it’s all free and pure and very personal, and I thought this record feels like that to me.”

With the recording of Graffiti U, Urban said there were no parameters or preconceived ideas, and he

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started the project with a completely blank canvas.

“Every initial spark is organic and then expanded upon, like the art of graffiti, so the name really fits the music. I also liked the idea of ‘you’, the listener (or the audience), because this is an inclusive experience. And because of my last name we had a little grammatical fun and shortened it to U.” Urban told Billboard magazine his wife, Nicole Kidman was the muse behind the new disc – and in fact, she stars on it.

The television and movie star added backing vocals to Urban’s first single, Female, a song inspired by the #MeToo movement, and Urban says she was the inspiration for at least two other songs on the new record.

“Female was labelled an anthem. It’s a big, broad, beautiful song that was sent to me as a father of young girls and, as a husband, I wanted to record it for our girls, my mum, for Nic; it’s a beautiful song.” Keith told the Seven Network’s Sunrise Breakfast program.

On the closer, Steal My Thunder, Urban

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sings of his glamorous wife: In every single room/it’s all eyes on you. But baby I don’t mind/ You can steal my thunder anytime.

“She’s definitely the girl in the song, but it’s also very relatable I think. Many, many guys will get this song,” he said.

Gemini is the first song Keith wrote with Julia Michaels and a couple of other writers. He said it is super sexy and laughed saying; “I don’t think this song will ever be a single”.

Adding to his wife’s contribution to the new album, other female artists feature including country newcomer Kassi Ashton, standout singer and

“It’s like putting on a jacket and walking around and see if it fits,” Urban said.

Urban’s fascination with drum machines and loops led him to create many layers of detail into each track in his home studio.

He took a demo of a song co-written by Ed Sheeran called Parallel Line, and mixed his own electric guitar with Sheeran’s acoustic guitar on the track.

On Coming Home he uses a sample of Merle Haggard’s iconic Mama Tried featuring a rolling Dobro with the signature Telecaster guitar lick, but changes the pitch to make a new variation of a classic.

On Texas Time, Urban even borrowed a talk box from Peter Frampton to create the effect of talking through a guitar.

“My guitar tech Chris Miller… we’ve been together 10 years.

“Texas Time has a talk box solo outro which he wanted to use on the song. Talk boxes have been used on songs like Livin’ On A Prayer.

“SHE’S DEFINITELY THE GIRL IN THE SONG, BUT IT’S ALSO VERY RELATABLE I THINK. MANY, MANY GUYS WILL GET THIS SONG,” HE SAID.

guitarist Lindsay Ell and pop singer-songwriter Julia Michaels.

Urban said that wasn’t a conscious decision, necessarily, but just where his creative experimentation led him.

“There’s a strong female presence in a lot of it, and again, all organically,” Urban said.

Urban grew up listening to other crossover artists like Glen Campbell, Ronnie Milsap and Alabama and has always followed his muse wherever it led him.

His ninth studio album is an extension of his last couple of records that have seen him trying a lot of new styles.

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“We had an old talk box in the studio and we blew it up. Chris had worked as Peter Frampton’s guitar tech and he said “I’ll just call Pete”, and he literally went to his house and picked up his talk box and that’s the talk box that made it on the album in Texas Time.”

When Keith titles his albums, he usually does it with a lot of care, time and consideration. The last two — Ripcord and Fuse — had energy-driven titles, while his new record has a very free, no-boundaries feel to it.

A soaring spirit spray-painted right from the heart, Urban’s curiosity powers each moment on Graffiti U and the very title speaks to that personal and passionate vibrancy, vitality, and vision.

This album is full of gleaming radio hits and Drop Top is an absolute banger on this exceptional record.

Of his continued drive to collaborate and explore his musical curiosity, Urban says: “I’ve always been creatively curious and I follow that passionately.

That’s why I work with different people, and on this

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album predominantly new people, giving me an opportunity to discover new musical sides of myself.”

It’s nothing new for Urban to experiment with new collaborations or lend a helping hand to younger, fledgling artists. It’s just part of the way the superstar gives back to the genre while still pushing himself to expand his musical horizons in the ways we’ve come to expect from him.

Whilst in Australia on a promotional tour Keith told the exclusive audience, “I love collaborating, writing, producing, singing – it brings out something that wouldn’t have been there any other way.”

Locally, artists such as Kaylee Bell, Christie Lamb, Chelsea Basham, Brooke Schubert and new artist Jessica Emily Odgers have all had remarkable experiences sharing the stage with Urban on recent tours.

“I’ve been full-on writing, recording, collaborating and creating with some incredibly talented people for Graffiti U, a lot of whom I’ve never worked with before, Urban said.

“I can hear how some of the songs will translate live already, which really makes putting on a new show so exhilarating.”

During his recent Australian tour, Keith was forced to ask the big questions - about how good he smells!

In April, during a speech at the US Time 100 Gala by openly gay American figure-skater Adam Rippon toasting his mother he said; “I met Nicole Kidman earlier tonight and she even let me smell her husband. If it wasn’t for the words my mum told me ‘never give up on your dreams’, I never would have had that experience.”

Keith told Australian reporters; “I try and smell good – it’s better than the alternative right?”.

Urban hits the road in 2018 delivering Graffiti U to fans across the globe.

He’s taking Kelsea Ballerini with him for the North American leg of the tour that commences on June 15 taking in Canada. At press time, the Australian tour dates had yet been announced however indications is that he will tour during our summer.

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ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

BY SUSAN JARVIS

TOM CURTAIN DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD – BUT IT’S CLEAR FROM TALKING TO HIM THAT HIS LUCK HAS ALL BEEN EARNED.

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he laconic horse-breaker and songwriter from the Northern Territory got the biggest cheers of the night when his song Never Never Land, co-written and performed with Luke O’Shea, took out both the Video and Heritage categories at this year’s Golden Guitar Awards.

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Both wins came out of left field for Tom, who says he had no expectations of winning when he and fiancée Annabel McClarty made the long trek from the Territory to attend the awards.

“I thought we’d have no chance at all!,” he said.

But the sweeping vistas of the Territory and Tom and Luke’s heartfelt song clearly hit the mark with country fans.

Tom Curtain’s story could easily have come out of a novel – from his early struggles to make ends meet to his latest chapter, battling to beat bullying in the memory of fellow Territorian, teenager Dolly Everett.

But let’s go back to the beginning, almost two decades ago, when Tom Curtain was a young stockman and horse-breaker living just outside Katherine in the Northern Territory.

“I came up to the Territory in 2001. I was

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working around all the stations, breaking in horses, and I learnt guitar,” Tom said.

“I bought a place about five kilometres from Katherine and got the stations to send the horses to me to break.”

But things screeched to a halt in 2011 when the live cattle export ban effectively halted Tom’s livelihood. As always, sometimes it takes a setback to send you on the right path.

“I had a family to support, and things were tough, so I started gigging at all the caravan parks– anything to stay afloat,” Tom said.

“I was talking to an old couple one night, and they suggested I should start a tourist venture. I figured I’d give it a go.”

So the Katherine Outback Experience was born. Tom

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initially put on shows three afternoons a week, featuring horsebreaking, dog-handling, trick horses and of course his music.

“It was pretty tough going to start with – sometimes we’d get a good crowd, sometimes four people, sometimes none,” Tom said.

During that time, Tom released two albums: Smack Bang in 2004 and Heatwave in 2007. His songs painted vivid and authentic pictures of life in the Northern Territory.

But the pivotal moment in

Tom’s life came in early 2015. Now divorced, and definitely down on his luck, he was hitchhiking in Western Australia – attempting to get to a campdraft south of Perth.

“I’d never hitchhiked before, but a man picked me up and took me back to his place. He was going to the campdraft the next day and I helped him out with the horses,” Tom said.

“That night, the door opened and this amazing woman walked in – it was the bloke’s daughter, Annabel. She was all dressed up because she’d just finished work, and I thought ‘Holy hat box!’”

That moment changed everything – although not straight away.

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“We kept in touch for the next 12 months, then I went down to Perth to see the kids and we had this amazing picnic in Queens Park. I’d discovered she knew all about cattle and horses, and she loved getting her hands dirty.”

“Still, I held out no hope – her dad no doubt wanted her to marry a doctor, and here I was a divorced horse trainer in the Territory.

“But one day at the end of 2015 she rang and said she’d quit her job and was moving to Katherine.

“We lived in a shed for the first six months, and she stuck it out with the green frogs, mozzies, lizards and heat.

I really am the luckiest man alive.”

The combination of Tom’s passion and skills and Annabel’s business acumen – not to mention the hard work they’ve both put in – has been a winner. The Katherine Outback Experience has become one of the leading tourism attractions in the Northern Territory.

The Ghan – the iconic train that travels weekly from Adelaide to Darwin – now stops at the Outback Experience on both legs of its journey, disgorging hundreds of enthusiastic tourists to experience Territory life through Tom’s music and bush skills.

“We’ve received the best feedback on the whole Ghan trip – 98 per cent!” Tom said.

Tourism Northern Territory has also jumped on board, and was a huge help to Tom when he and Luke

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were gathering footage for the amazing Never Never Land video clip.

And with Tourism NT support, the Katherine Outback Experience now attracts many thousands of tourists a year, making Katherine one of the must-see stops in the Territory, for grey nomads and overseas tourists alike.

“A lot of people were just flying to Uluru – now they’re stopping at Katherine as well. In the next month we’re getting our first two plane-loads of Chinese tourists,” Tom said.

Tom’s finally put his Golden Guitars on show at the Outback Experience, after tourists clamoured to see them.

A lot of other support came in when Tom asked for video footage for Never Never Land.

“We had no budget, and I spent a lot of time knocking on doors,” Tom said.

Eventually I put out a call on Facebook.

I had mates with drones and helicopters, and everyone got on board. We got some absolutely amazing stuff.”

Tom’s latest project comes straight from the heart. He dedicated one of his Golden Guitars this year to young Dolly Everett, who took her own life after experiencing bullying.

Her parents have set up Dolly’s Dream Foundation, and Tom has just written a song for Dolly, Speak Up, which he’s recorded as a duet with Sara Storer, produced by Garth Porter. The entire cost of producing the song has been donated by those involved.

A powerful film clip is being launched at a sold-out fundraiser in Katherine this month.

The CD is available via Tom’s website, and all proceeds go to Dolly’s Dream Foundation.

Tom’s now writing for his next album, which he hopes to record early next year.

Meanwhile, he and Annabel are planning a massive east coast tour with their dogs and horses, which he hopes will take the show to the Tamworth Festival in 2019.

“I had a goal, and I worked hard at it, but suddenly Annabel came along and it all took off. I feel like anything’s possible now,” Tom said.

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CASH AND CARTER

TREASURE UNCOVERED

BY JON WOLFE

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hen Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash passed away in 2003, they left behind what their son, John Carter Cash, describes as a “monstrous amassment” of things, including a treasure-trove of undiscovered material that includes Johnny Cash’s handwritten letters, poems and documents, penned across the entirety of his life.

In 2016 many of those poems were published in a book called Forever Words: The Unknown Poems and since then many of those works inspired John Carter and co-producer Steve Berkowitz to create new music to accompany these newly discovered Cash writings.

“My father was a prolific writer and after he passed away it become my responsibility to go through those writings,” John Carter said. “Out of some 2000 pieces of paper and folders that were in his office there was a clear statement in his words.

“That statement was a rainbow – the range and subject

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IT’S BEEN 17 YEARS SINCE WE LOST JOHNNY CASH, BUT HIS MUSICAL LEGACY LIVES ON AND NOW THE AMERICAN COUNTRY MUSIC FRATERNITY HAS RECORDED A NEW BATCH OF MATERIAL, BASED ON THE WRITING HE LEFT BEHIND. matter was diverse. The sounds of his faith were there, the songs of his interior darknesses, his struggles, his love for my mother – it was all there. Only the words, no melodies.”

John Carter said of the 2000 pieces there were 60 or 70 works that really stood out and they put out the Unknown Poems book and that established the project. From there came the melodies and the music.

“We reached out to different artists,” John Carter said. “To his best friends, to his blood relations, his contemporaries, and others who loved my father.”

Those included Roseanne Cash and Carlene Carter, T-Bone Burnett, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, John Mellencamp, Elvis Costello, The Jayhawks and others.

The tone of the album is established with the opening track Forever/I Still Miss Someone featuring Kris Kristofferson reciting the last poem Cash ever wrote alongside guitar accompaniment from Willie Nelson, both lifelong friends of Johnny.

Continuing the close-to-home theme, the music then transitions to the deeply personal To June This Morning, a letter Johnny wrote to his wife, June Carter Cash, now interpreted by real-life couple Ruston Kelly and Kacey Musgraves.

“The thing about my father’s music was that it touched so many people around

the world, so determining the artist for each song was truly a matter of the heart, John Carter said. “I picked the artists who are most connected with my father, who had a personal story that was connected with dad. It became an exciting endeavour to go through these works, to put them together and present them to different people who could finish them in a way that I believed that dad would have wanted.”

Listening to the album one wondered why John Carter himself is not featured on a song.

“I didn’t think that was the right call at the time,” he said. “I did do something for it, but it will be on something of my own. This wasn’t about my voice, I was the caretaker, putting it together was my role and steering the project.”

When making the Johnny Cash: Forever Words album, the producers, John and Steve, tapped into a spirit of musical collaboration between the musicians and the words of Johnny Cash. The goal was not to create a “lost” Johnny Cash album, but rather for musicians to connect with these poems and allow them to flourish in a new musical world.

And what would Johnny and June have thought of this project?

“He would appreciate that it took chances and he would appreciate each individual for their artistry,” John Carter said. “As an artist he never ceased to amaze me how open minded he was and he was always willing to see outside the box and another point of view.

“He would take chances, so it’s within the spirit of his heart that this album exists.”

Johnny Cash: Forever Words is available on CD, 2LP Vinyl and Digital formats.

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COUNTRY WITH A

METAL

EDGE 20

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

BY REBECCA BELT

C

oming from years of performing in heavy metal bands gives his brand of country music an edge.

“It’s interesting to see the outside perspective of me being in a heavy metal band and making the transition to writing love songs,” he said.

“Rather than being a transition, it’s more of a renaissance because it’s about me going back to my roots. I grew up listening to a lot of country music. My mum listened to country on the record player and she also listened to a lot of rock, soul and r ‘n’ b, so all of those are influences in my sound.”

Devin names ‘three Johns’ as his major influences in life and music.

“I grew up right outside of Folsom Prison and am a huge Johnny Cash fan, more for his artistry and his ability to be vulnerable and be himself, John Fogerty of CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival) who have that Northern Californian soul, and John Mayer is always my go-to as a songwriter, performer, singer, everything he does is genius to me and it’s incredible he does it all on his own,” he said.

Devin said country music taught him how to write a song from when he picked up a guitar at age 12 and started a band with his brother. He wrote songs for himself in his room, which he used as therapy to get his emotions out.

“Eventually those songs took over more of my time and they fulfilled me more than the heavy metal did,” he said.

“Four or five years on the road

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

NASHVILLE SINGER-SONGWRITER DEVIN DAWSON SPEAKS ABOUT EXPRESSING HIS TRUTH THROUGH COUNTRY MUSIC AND THE LYRICS OF THE TRACKS ON HIS ALBUM, DARK HORSE. playing heavy metal every night takes a toll. I grew out of it and I wasn’t creatively fulfilled as much as with the songs I was writing on the side.”

The singer-songwriter readily admits the rock will never leave his blood and there are times in his live shows where they ‘just go for it’ and it’s a rock show, but his country roots underpin every song.

“It’s my word, my truth and I think there’s something different about the songs when the perspective is from the eye of the songwriter and the artist who’s singing it,” he said.

“When I sing those songs live, I take myself back to where I was when I wrote it. I’m not trying to be anything, I’m just trying to be myself. I’m not trying to stay in between the lines, I’m just going with my gut, as scary as that is, it’s the only option for me. I just want to be myself and find the sounds and words that feel right even if someone else has not done that before.”

The Californian native said he loved the family nature of country music.

“There is no other genre that has a home town and country music has Nashville which is a great insight into the genre,” he said.

“It’s a family, everyone raises each other up. We all compete, but we ride together and I love the community surrounding all of the different artists and songwriters in country music. It’s a really beautiful, unique genre distinction that we have.”

The family theme continues in his songwriting, with his hit, All On Me, co-written with his twin Jacob Durrett (Devin’s grandfather’s surname is Dawson, hence the use of the stage name), and his guitar player Austin Smith.

“I write music every single day and whoever is here who can talk through and offer their perspectives writes with me,” he said.

“We wrote All On Me almost three years ago during one of our Sunday songwriting appointments. There is something about Sundays that is laidback and chilled and when you write a song without agendas, there

is something special about that and All On Me kind of wrote itself.”

The title track from his album, though, is his personal favourite track.

“Dark Horse is always a personal favourite because it’s my belief, my story and my truth,” he said. “It introduces the world to who I am and that one is really close to my heart.”

Words are king when it comes to Devin’s music, but married with his melodies and heartfelt delivery, every song comes to life.

“I consider myself more of a lyricist than a melody writer and usually start with a concept or title and think how I would sing that conversationally so I sing a melody that comes to mind and that gives you a place to end,” he said.

“It makes the songwriting easier because I can work out what groove and tempo I’m singing in and it all kind of falls out once I start singing the concept. It’s really word vomit and a couple of days which is when I do a lot of massaging of the song, when the melodies come in. There is definitely a settling in period where I jam the songs over and over again and find where the melodies sink in and do the editing and make sure the melodies are serving the song.”

The country artist is hitting the road with some of the biggest acts Nashville has to offer and he said it was an honour for his peers to give him the seal of approval.

“I’ve been touring since I was 14 or 15 full-time and if you don’t love it, you will go crazy,” he said.

“I just love to see how far a song can take me, all over the world I hope. There is something special about your peers giving you a seal of approval. It is amazing to have your idols affirm you and it’s also about learning from them. When you’re opening for somebody, I watch the show every single night and take notes for my performance and things that I could try in my set and I’m learning from the best.”

As much as he loves touring the US, Australia is firmly in Devin’s sights.

“I’m dying to get to Australia and the first couple of things I would do is festivals,” he said.

“I would like to think that my music can speak to the entire world. We’ve been planning a lot of tours in the UK and Europe and Australia is not too far behind. Some artists have a break after tours, but my break is going to another place on tour. It’s more about seeing where songs and my music can take me and meeting new friends.

“I love imposing my truth on new people and letting them know who I am. I’m living my dream.”

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SHOOTING FOR THE HEART

BY JON WOLFE

W

ith one hit to their name Down Under, these brothers – two related and two friends – brought their brand of redneck country to CMC Rocks in March and captured the fans with their full-tilt performance.

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THEY CAME, THEY PLAYED AND THEY CONQUERED – FOUR PO BOYZ COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS THE DAVISSON BROTHERS.

Chris Davisson said it was awesome, and brother Donny said they had a good time.

“It was a blast, as good as it gets,” said Chris.

“Yeah we were really impressed by the people over there and we can’t wait to get back,” Donny said.

The trip to Australia was the band’ s first international foray and they said it was awesome to see so many folks so far from home and in a place they have never been before.

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“And so many people singing our songs and into the music,” Chris said. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world, I mean, when you got that many people sending back and clapping their hands, dancing, it makes you feel as good as you can feel. We miss it already and can’t wait to get back there.”

Even Lee Kernaghan has become one of the band’s biggest fans, proclaiming “I LOVE that Po’ Boyz song!” at the CMC Music Awards earlier this year.

Fans may have to wait until next year to catch the band

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

“IT’S THE GREATEST FEELING IN THE WORLD, I MEAN, WHEN YOU GOT THAT MANY PEOPLE SENDING BACK AND CLAPPING THEIR HANDS, DANCING, IT MAKES YOU FEEL AS GOOD AS YOU CAN FEEL. WE MISS IT ALREADY AND CAN’T WAIT TO GET BACK THERE.”

live again, but negotiations are underway for a lengthier tour.

“Yeah, we’ve got some stuff going on,” Chris said. “We are dyin’ to get back and maybe hit a few more cities.”

“I had so much fun I’m trying to talk the guys into just movin’ over there,” Donny said.

Fans don’t have to wait that long to hear some new material from the band, as Sony has just released an album here called Fighter and it is bound to gather even more fans.

“The entire record is all new,” Donny said. “We spent a lot of time writing and writing and writing. You want the best songs so you have to select the songs you feel are the best for the Davisson Brothers, so it was a long process.

The boys said they would write and record a couple of songs and the next week they would write something better.

“It was really hard for us to narrow down the songs for the record,” Chris said. “That was the hardest part – just pickin’ the songs to put on the record.”

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

The album features eight songs, but they are strong examples of who the Davisson Brothers are and hit you both in the solar plexus and the heart.

“I think that’s what we were shootin’ for,” Chris said. “Songs mean different things to people. The ballads are really strong and everyone can relate to them.

We want to write and record songs that are about real life and what’s goin’ on around us, but songs that everyone can relate to.”

Along with producer Keith Steagall, the boys decided to release the album with just eight songs that were strong and that meant something to them and not have any ‘fillers’.

“We felt we had worked really hard on those songs,’ Chris said, “and we got to the spot with those eight songs, and Keith and our management and us, thought those songs were strong enough, so let’s just put it out.”

The new album features a mixture of uptempo songs with ballads and last month a second single, Get Down South, was released to radio before the album hit the shelves and internet here in Australia on May 25.

It appears that there is some conjecture as to what to call the music that the Davisson Brothers perform, but maybe the title of the last track on the Fighter album, Appalachian American, is as close as it gets.

“There’s so many people who try to put their fingers on what we do,” Donny said. “We’re country people and we make country music, but there’s definitely some other elements in there, so we’re always looking for a new name for our sound.”

“One of the comments from the higher-ups and the CMC festival was that we’re the AC/DC of country music,” Donny said, “But we haven’t heard the Appalachian American tag before and we appreciate that one, that’s a new one!”

When it comes to songwriting, the boys said Chris tends to write the more upbeat songs and Donny the ballads.

“Chris has a bit more of a harder drive,” Donny said, “and I like to write ballads, I like to tell a story with the lyrics.”

“The record represents our life – 100 per cent,” Chris said.

“If you sit and listen to the order the tracks are in, they’re in that order for a reason,” Donny explained. “It kinda tells a story – you’ve got ballads in between and you go out with the Appalachian American, and it leaves you wanting more.”

Australia will have to wait ’til next year to get more of the Davisson Brothers live, but in the meantime get hold of a copy of Fighter and just put it on repeat until another album comes out!

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“I GET ANTSY IF I’M HOME FOR TOO LONG, AND IF I DIDN’T TRAVEL, I’D NEVER CLEAN MY HOUSE. I HAVE TO GO SO I CAN TIDY THE HOUSE FOR THE GIRL WHO COMES IN TO FEED MY CAT.”

BY LACHLAN BRYAN

I

t’s a peculiar opening line from an artist who’s just about as Nashville as it gets – a sideman-turned-frontman who honed his craft for years in the honkytonks and dive bars of Broadway

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“AUSTRALIA IS THE REASON WHY THIS RECORD EXISTS,” SAID JOSHUA HEDLEY, DOWN THE TELEPHONE LINE FROM NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, AS HE PACKS HIS BAGS AHEAD OF A EUROPEAN TOUR. when he wasn’t out on the road with Justin Townes Earle, Johnny Fritz and others.

Hedley, a Florida native, built such a reputation as a young

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fiddle player at Robert’s Western World that he scored the nickname ‘Mayor of Lower Broad’. By his late 20s he was such a part of the furniture that he was featured prominently in Heartworn Highways Revisited – the 2015 documentary that examined the fertile grass roots

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

UNLOCKING THE

CREATIVE

Americana scene that thrives, away from the spotlight, in today’s Music City.

“It was at Robert’s that BT (Australian promoter Brian Taranto) first heard me sing,” said Hedley. “He’d known me for years as a sideman to Justin Earle, etcetera, but he never saw me as an artist before that. I was just singing mostly classic country covers with my band and he said to me right then I should come out and tour Australia and do my songs – be the frontman – which eventually I did. So it was BT who facilitated my jump from stage right to centre stage”.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Without a record to his name, and with nothing at all to sell at the merch desk, Hedley toured Australia as Justin Townes Earle’s 2017 support, delighting our audiences with his perfectly constructed classic country songs.

“I mean, I have played so many of those kind of songs for so many years”, says Hedley, “that writing them was just really easy and natural. I felt like I knew how to do it already. In fact, I don’t

consider myself a songwriter – I just wrote those songs ‘ca there weren’t any new songs of that kind to sing. No-one else is writing the songs I want to sing.”

I quizzed him a little further on ‘not considering himself a songwriter’. He explained: “I’d say someone like Tom T Hall was a real songwriter. Apparently he wouldn’t let himself leave the house in the morning until he’d written two songs. For me, that’s being a real master of your craft. I’m more of a student of the game – I didn’t start writing ‘til I was 28 and even now I just write songs out of necessity.”

At this point it seems pertinent to note that Hedley finally has an album under his belt – King Of The Jukebox, which has just been released through Jack White’s Third Man records. The title track is largely autobiographical, detailing Joshua’s experiences in country covers bands playing for tips.

Hedley describes the production as “countripolitan”, owing plenty to the Chet Atkins-produced sounds of popular country music of the 1960s and early 1970s. NPR describes the record as “music that honours tradition in a personal and heartfelt way.”

With ‘something for the merch desk’ now in his hands, Hedley is very keen to be out on the road, and especially to return to Australia with fellow neo-traditionalist Lillie Mae. “I need to be on the road,” Hedley explains, noting that at times playing on Broadway can feel “a lot like the road – ‘cause you’re always playing to a new audience of tourists.”

“I get antsy if I’m home for too long”, he continues.

“And if I didn’t travel, I’d never clean my house. I have to go so I can tidy the house for the girl who comes in to feed my cat.”

Whilst Hedley appears to have few regrets in his career so far, he does attribute his recent increased passion for the business of writing, recording and touring to getting sober, which he did at the age of 31.

“When you’re drinking all the time it kind of takes over your brain, so getting sober really unlocks a lot of creativity.

I have all of this free time now that I’m not drinking – my brain has started functioning again.”

When Hedley touches down in Australia in July, he’ll be coming off a string of dates in the UK, Europe and the USA. By that time, many local fans will surely be familiar with the debut record, but they can look forward to more of the same to come.

“I subscribe to the ACDC theory,” he laughs. “I’m pretty sure those guys have been writing the same four songs for forty years – but I LOVE those four songs. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it – you’ll be getting more classic country from me.”

Joshua Hedley plays NSW and Victoria dates from the July 19 to 26, starting in Sydney at Newtown’s Leadbelly and finishing up at Melbourne’s famed Caravan Music Club.

If classic country is your bag, he’s worth the road trip!

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BY DAVID DAWSON

You can starve me for affection Till my soul’s just skin and bone And make the words “I’m sorry” Feel the same as throwing stones In a room full of you, I might be standing all alone But love don’t die easy.

LOVE DON’T DIE EASY - C HA R L I E WO R S HA M

I

t was not a case of art imitating life when struggling country singer Colin Haynes, played

by Mississippi singersongwriter Charlie Worsham, was murdered in Fox TV series Bones.

Haynes body was found in a shallow grave before the Bones investigators discovered he was also the victim of deceitful dealings by his record company.

“My acting career got killed off before it began,” Worsham, 33, told Country Music Capital News from Sydney during his debut Australian tour with South Carolina-born star Lee Brice and Georgian Kip Moore.

But, unlike his character Haynes, this singer didn’t suffer deceit from his record company Warner.

“That part had no bearing on real life,” Charlie explained.

“Warner has been great to me.

They could dig up the receipts for me and say ‘where’s the money?’ Warner has been very supportive. I put my first record out Rubberband and I got this random call from the label one day. I was in Los Angeles. They heard my song Love Don’t Die Easy and wanted to use it in the show and wanted me to play the part. I didn’t have a lot going on at the time. I said absolutely, are you kidding? It was a fascinating insight into the world of television production.”

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Although Worsham didn’t end up in an early grave he shared struggles with many peers.

“We have a lot of folks in Nashville who are sort of like that character where they’re super talented world class voices and instrumentalists. Outside of Nashville nobody knows them but they’re always valued in the Nashville community and lifted up,” Worsham added.

“Brandy Clark (one of Worsham’s touring partners) is criminally under-rated. It’s not just the singer-songwriters, sometimes it’s the musicians, people like Paul Franklin who is one of the world’s greatest steel guitarists that ever walked the face of the earth. Jedd Hughes – an Australian here – is a fine musician and artist in his own right. There are a lot of Dierks Bentley fans out there who have heard the guitar solos and don’t know it is Jedd.”

Love Don’t Die Easy featured on the Bones soundtrack after being on his 2013 debut album Rubberband.

Worsham – son of a banker and drummer in small town Grenada, population 13,092 – may not have yet reached the fame of fellow Grenada graduate Ace Cannon, now 83, but is here for the long haul.

Charlie emerged as a mandolinist-singer in embryonic band King Billy who cut an EP in 2010.

Like late mentor Texan Guy Clark, he accepts his role as a slow burning artist with help from Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Miranda Lambert and touring partners diverse as fellow Mississippi-born belle Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

Worsham is also indebted to two important females – his Golden Retriever-Beagle, Peggy Sue, who has her own Instagram account, and fiancée Kristen Anne Korzenowski.

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“Peggy Sue is with my parents as it’s as close as they get to being grandparents right now,” Charlie joked.

“I just got engaged and my fiance is allergic to dogs.

She loves Peggy Sue and still wants Peggy Sue to live with us.”

Charlie met Kristen through her work with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

“That’s how we met, I went in to set up the scholarship and she was there,” Worsham revealed of the woman who inspired many of his new songs.

“It only took another 11 months for me to catch the hint that she wanted to hang out just beyond work.”

She helped Worsham set up his Follow Your Heart Scholarship, dedicated to supporting talented young artists in hometown Grenada, in pursuit of their dreams.

The scholarship name stems from an autograph Marty Stuart gave him.

It’s tattooed on his arm that he photographed as he jogged around Sydney near the Opera House on his arrival.

Charlie donates proceeds from his photographic story book Follow Your Heart, with a forward by Stuart, to the Foundation.

“Marty and I grew up in Mississippi that is a pretty crazy place to be from,” Charlie confessed, “it gave the world Elvis Presley, the father of country music, Jimmie Rodgers, B.B. King, Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers and many others.”

Worsham is renowned for memorable songs Mississippi In July, 1-55 and Southern By The Grace Of God that are a salient signpost to his roots.

It ignited a career-changing revelation at famed indie record store Waterloo Records in Austin, Texas.

“I wanted to disappear for a few days and Austin was where the dart landed,” Worsham recalled, “I was between tours and pretty burned out. It wasn’t the music I was burned out on but what surrounded the music. I bought four note books, wrote Truth on the cover and wrote lyrics on a page every day. Those daily writings became the songs on Beginning Of Things.”

It reunited him with close friend – Eric Masse – from his pre-recording era at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

NO BONES ABOUT TV MURDER Masse and Texan born coproducer Frank Liddell – husband of Lee Ann Womack – persuaded Worsham to expand on his Mississippi roots on Beginning of Things, released on April 21, 2017.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

It was preceded by aptly titled inspiration single Cut Your Groove – a soulful confessional.

It’s a far cry from his trips to Nashville with his family as a child when he guested on the famed Ryman at 10 and Grand Ole Opr y at 12.

That musical embryo inspired his scholarship for home town peers.

“It gives young folks a sense of belonging and your best friend,” Charlie proudly proffered, “your guitar becomes your best friend for life.”

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INTO THE DEEP END

BY LACHLAN BRYAN

“IN ALL HONESTY THE AUDIENCE IS THE LAST THING I THINK ABOUT,” SAYS WILLIAM CRIGHTON EXPLAINING HIS SONGWRITING PROCESS, “I JUST TRY AND BE AS HONEST AS I CAN WITH MYSELF AND LET THE SONG GROW FROM THERE.”

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N

ew album Empire represents a directional shift for Crighton.

Whilst 2016’s self-titled debut only hinted at the psychedelic intensity of which he was capable, the hirsute New South Welshman has used his early success as a springboard to dive into the deep end, resisting any temptation to repeat himself.

“I was thrown on top of the Americana world without pursuing it,” explains Crighton over the phone, whilst trying to feed the parking meter in Ultimo outside the ABC building.

“It wasn’t a word or a scene that I necessarily felt fitted, but I got lumped in there and that’s ok. But it definitely had nothing to do with what I was trying to do.”

Of course, the beauty of the ‘Americana’ tag is that it can (and in this case probably will) continually be applied to an artist’s catalogue, no-matter how far he or she strays from the broad genre’s country and roots foundations.

Crighton, for instance, will be showcasing at this year’s Americana Music Association Festival in Nashville, alongside the likes of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Caitlin Carey, Jerry Douglas and Catherine Britt. It’s one of many showcase spots that Crighton has snagged over the past couple of years, at home, in the USA and in Canada.

Empire does have a significant Nashville connection. It was mixed and partly recorded in music city by Crowded House drummer Matt Sherrod, who also travelled to the Hunter Valley for the early tracking of the record. Crighton and Sherrod originally met in Nashville, where the former found himself at the end of a year-long period of drifting around the USA. “Matt just naturally has a cool groove,” says Crighton, “and his style is just to play the song together a bunch of times and whatever happens we further investigate. Of course, you tend to find that the instinctual gut reaction when you first hear a song is generally the one that resonates – so we often ended up going

with almost the first idea we had.”

Aside from the great feel of Sherrod’s playing, one of the most striking aspects of Crighton’s work is his broad Australian accent. It reminds me, to some extent, of Gareth Liddiard and even John Williamson. When I suggest this to Crighton he confesses to only discovering The Drones “fairly recently”, but confirms that Williamson has always been a strong influence.

“Growing up in the country I was exposed to Willo a lot,” said Crighton “and I was definitely a fan. As I’ve gotten older I’ve been more conscious of singing with my Australian accent – but I understand the desire a lot of us have to sing with an American accent – I actually kind of went down that road myself a little bit when I was spending a lot of time there, but I guess I sort of eventually got out of the trap.”

Now settled back at home with a young family, Crighton’s accent – and his outlook – is distinctly that of the progressive Australian (there’s even a touching re-interpretation of The Band Played Waltzing Matilda on the new album). But that doesn’t mean he’ll be staying home.

2018 sees Crighton on tour in the UK (for the Cambridge folk festival) and Denmark, as well as the aforementioned Nashville showcase.

The atmospheric, psychedelic and intense Empire is out now through ABC Music/Universal Music Australia. The East Coast Australian album tour dates begin in July.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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TOYOTA STAR MAKER UPDATE

Celebrating after a festival with Adam & Brooke Eckersley

With Canberra journalist Aggie Bradshaw

With Sue Mulholland from Jands

THE ALBUM IS OUT! G’DAY. IT’S BEEN A PRETTY BUSY COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR MYSELF AND THE STAR MAKER TEAM. WE HAVE BEEN BUSY WITH THE RELEASE OF MY DEBUT ALBUM. ITS FINALLY OUT AND READY FOR YOUR EARS.

R

eleasing the video clip for Lake House was an awesome achievement through this period. It’s a clip that myself, my management team and the Lewis Bros. worked really hard on and a clip we are all really proud of. I wanted it to take you on a journey that was true to the song and the location it was written and showcase my home of the NSW Snowy Mountains. I think we achieved this and the reception has been fantastic.

The album is out!

It’s been such a long process writing, recording and producing this album and I’m really proud of

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the way this record is presented. Working with Matt Fell in the studio was a bloody good time. I learnt so much from him and look forward to working together again in the future.

Being a little quiet on the gig front doesn’t mean the hustle has settled down. Once the end of May comes around I will be pretty much on the road for the rest of the year….

YES !!! I’m super excited to finally play all these songs live to as many people as I can, around the country. An extensive list of shows for the rest of the year is about to be announced so keep an eye out on BradCoxOfficial.com to find out if we are playing near you.

I caught up with a lovely lady named Sue Mulholland from

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Jands Australia, a sponsor of Star Maker, and she hooked me up with some new microphones and kit to test out on the road this year. Big thanks to Shure and Jands for the gifts.

I’m home in Jindabyne writing this, and it’s nice to be here for more than 24 hours, which is usually the case. It’s bloody cold down here at the moment with the first snow falls of the season. I took the Toyota RAV4 up for a run in the snow with my nan and got some great photos.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at one of my shows real soon and playing the songs from my debut album. It’s been a busy year so far and there are plenty of kilometres on the horizon.

Keep your expressions low, and your shades minimal.

Catch ya Brad

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

LIVE MUSIC SCENE

LIFT OUT

Please note all show venues & times are correct at time of printing. Capital News recommends you check with the venue prior to attending.

22 Lizottes, Newcastle NSW** 29 Rooty Hill RSL NSW#

ANGELA EASSON

JUNE 17 Taps Mooloolaba Qld JULY 13 Taps Mooloolaba Qld AUGUST 9-12 Gemfest, Emerald Qld NOVEMBER 04 Adelaide CMC, Dudley Park, SA

BEN RANSOM ADAM ECKERSLEY AND BROOKE MCCLYMONT

JUNE 1 Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide SA* 3 Boston Bay Wines, Port Lincoln SA* 6 Ceduna Memorial Hall SA* 10 Mumballup Tavern, Donnybrook WA* 14 Settler’s Tavern, Margaret River WA* 15 Prince Of Wales Hotel, Bunbury WA* 16 Odd Fellow, Fremantle WA* 19 Kalgoorlie Hotel WA* 22 Musicians Club, Broken Hill NSW* 23 Cobar Bowling & Golf Club NSW* 29 Woodburn Evans Head RSL, Evans Head NSW 30 Bush To Bay Music Festival, Hervey Bay Qld JULY 7 Dubbo RSL NSW

AUGUST 25&26 Gympie Muster, Amamoor Qld

BILLY BRIDGE

JUNE 8 Porters Plainlands Hotel Qld JULY 13 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld 27 & 28 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld AUGUST 5 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld OCTOBER 7-15 Cruising Country 8

ALEYCE SIMMONDS

JULY 14 The Welder’s Dog, Tamworth NSW 21 Muswellbrook RSL, Muswellbrook NSW 22 Lizottes, New Lambton NSW

ALICE BENFER

JUNE 3 The Palace Hotel, Nanango Qld 8-10 Kenmore Park Music Muster, Lower Wonga Qld 24 The Palace Hotel, Nanango Qld JULY 01 Salisbury Community SC Qld

AMBER LAWRENCE

*w Travis Collins #w Christie Lamb & Mickey Pye **w Mickey Pye JUNE 1 Charles Hotel, Perth WA* 2 Mullewa Muster, Perth WA* 3 Ravenswood Tavern, Mandurah WA* 14 TheSkylark Room, Upwey Vic # 15 The Cabaret Club, Ballarat Vic# 16 Noojee Hotel Vic # 17 MEMO Music Hall, St Kilda RSL Vic# years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

BRAD COX

*Adam Eckersley & Brooke McClymont Tour **Guest of Adam Harvey JUNE 1 Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide SA* 3 Boston Bay Wines, Port Lincoln SA* 6 Ceduna Memorial Hall SA* 10 Mumballup Tavern, Donnybrook WA* 14 Settler’s Tavern, Margaret River WA* 15 Prince Of Wales Hotel, Bunbury WA* 16 Odd Fellow, Fremantle WA* 19 Kalgoorlie Hotel WA* 22 Musicians Club, Broken Hill NSW* 23 Cobar Bowling & Golf Club NSW* 28 Jindabyne Cinema, NSW – Album Launch 6:30pm

JULY 14 Toyota Hats Off To Country, West Tamworth LC NSW**8pm 14&15 Toyota Hats Off To Country, The Albert, Tamworth NSW 20 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle NSW 27 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld AUGUST 2018 2 Spotted Mallard, Melbourne Vic 4 Country Rocks Under The Stars, Braidwood Showgrounds NSW 9 Heritage Hotel, Bulli NSW 10 Transit Bar, Canberra ACT 12 Central Coast CMF NSW 17 Concert For Dolly, Katherine NT** 23 No 5 Church St, Bellingen NSW 24 Gympie Music Muster Qld 25 Lefty’s Oldtime Music Hall, Brisbane Qld 31 Leadbelly, Newtown, Sydney NSW NOVEMBER 2018 10 Dunedoo Tunes On The Turf, Dunedoo Sports Club NSW

BRIAN LETTON

JUNE 2 Senior Citizens Hall, Yass NSW 3 Tigers Football Club, Queanbeyan NSW 4 Belconnen Labor Club ACT 5 Senior Citizens Centre, Narrogin WA 6 Katanning Country Club WA 7 Hyden Hotel WA 8 Bunbury Sanctuary Golf Club Resort WA 9 Morley Recreation Centre WA 10 South Coast CM Club, Albany WA 11 Betty Terry Community Theatre, Wagin WA 15-17 Corowa CM Roundup NSW 21&22 Horsham RSL Club Vic 23 Koo Wee Rup Community Hall Vic 24 The Morwell Club Vic JULY 6-8 Yellow Belly Festival, St George Qld AUGUST 12 Nobby Town Hall Qld 17-19 Boondooma Celtic Festival Qld 26 Ilford Town Hall NSW

CARTER & CARTER

JULY 20 Burrinja Theatre, Upwey Vic 21 Colac Otway PAC Vic AUGUST 3 Bunjil Place, Narre Warren Vic 4 Club Mulwala NSW 5 Alexandra Town Hall Vic 10 The Sphinx Hotel, North Geelong Vic 11 Wonthaggi Union CAC Vic 12 Barn Concert at Carter & Carter’s Farm, Kinglake Vic 17 The Wedge - PAC, Sale Vic 18 Moe RSL Vic 19 Frankston RSL Vic 30 Capital Theatre, Bendigo, Vic 31 Swan Hill Town Hall Vic SEPTEMBER 1 Albury EC Vic

CHARLIE LANDSBOROUGH (UK)

JUNE 1 Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club Vic 3 Morwell Club Vic 7 Batemans Bay Soldiers Club NSW 8 Goulburn Workers’ Club NSW 9 Weston Workers’ Club NSW 10 Blacktown RSL Club NSW

CHRISTIE LAMB

#Guest of Amber Lawrence w Mickey Pye JUNE 1 Goulburn Workers Club NSW 2 Huskisson Hotel NSW 3 Hawkesbury Hotel NSW 9 Kiama Leagues Club NSW 10 George Harcourt Inn ACT 14 Skylark Room Upwey Vic# 15 Cabaret Club, Ballarat Vic# 16 Noojee Hotel, Noojee, Vic# 17 Memo Music Hall St Kilda Vic# 22 Boorowa Ex SC NSW 23 Captains Flat RSL & Citizens BC NSW 29 Rooty Hill RSL NSW# JULY 6 Musicman Megastore, Bendigo Vic 7 Newport BC Vic 8 Kinross Woolshed Albury NSW 14 Rooty Hill RSL NSW w Adam Brand 15 The Catho Pub, Catherine Hill Bay NSW 21 The Colonial Hotel, Werrington NSW AUGUST 17 Sawtell Hotel NSW 18 Casino RSM Club NSW 19 Caloundra RSL Club Qld 25 Ourimbah RSL Club NSW OCTOBER 12 K Ranch Arena, Mount Hunter NSW 13 The Colonial Hotel, Werrington NSW NOVEMBER 03 Ourimbah RSL Club NSW 10 Kick Up The Dust Festival, Canberra ACT 17 The Loaded Dog Tarago NSW 23 Young SC NSW 24 The Rock BNS, The Rock NSW DECEMBER 15 The Colonial Hotel, Werrington NSW

CRAIG GILES

JUNE 8 Beenleigh BC Qld 10 Wynnum Municipal Hall Qld 11 Blue Fin Fishing Club, Inala Qld 13&14 Across The Waves Sports Club, Bundaberg Qld 15 Ipswich Showgrounds Hall Qld 19&20 Redlands Sports Club, Ipswich Qld 22 Twin Towns Services Club, Tweed Heads NSW 24 Sawtell RSL NSW 27 Halekulani BC, Budgewoi NSW

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LIVE MUSIC SCENE DALE HOOPER

JULY 13 Dubbo RSL Club Resort NSW 14 Bathurst RSL Club NSW OCTOBER 28 Bathurst RSL Club NSW

AUGUST 23 Gympie RSL Qld SEPTEMBER 1 Bundaberg Muster Qld 14 Bony Mountain Festival Qld OCTOBER 9 Cruising Country 8

EMMA JENE

JUNE 17 Corowa RSL NSW

GRETTA ZILLER

DAN SULTAN

JUNE 21 Capitol Theatre, Tamworth NSW

DANI YOUNG

JUNE 15 Centro CBD, Wollongong NSW 16 Harmonie German Club, Canberra ACT JULY 6 Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW 7 Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul NSW AUGUST 18 Lizotte’s, Newcastle NSW

JUNE 1 The Royal Hotel, Gympie Qld 2 The Triffid, Brisbane Qld 2 Tamborine Mountain Soiree, Mt Tamborine Qld 3 Cinder & Smoke House Concert, Brisbane Qld 7 The Pig & Tinderbox, Tamworth NSW 8 The Fox Den, Gloucester NSW 9 Grafton District SC NSW 10 Laurieton United SC NSW JULY 14 Orange Ex Services NSW AUGUST 10 Temora Ex SC NSW 11 Dubbo RSL NSW

DEAN PERRETT

JUNE 8-10 44 Hayes Road, Lower Wonga Qld SEPTEMBER 7-9 Nanango Showgrounds Qld OCTOBER 9 Radiance Of The Sea 26-28 Maryborough Equestrian Park Qld

DIANNE LINDSAY JUNE 24 Mona Vale RSL NSW JULY 7 St George Qld

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HAYLEY MARSTEN

JUNE 3 Steampunk, Surfers Paradise Qld 10 Canvas, Woollongabba Qld 13 The Brightside, Fortitude Valley Qld JULY 7 Granite Belt Christmas Tree Farm, Applethorpe Qld

HILLBILLY GOATS

JUNE 3 Fisherman’s Wharf, Gold Coast Qld 15 Yungaburra Hotel Qld 16&17 Yorkeys Knob Boat Club, Cairns Qld 19 Holloways Beach Sports Club, Cairns Qld 29 Sound Fest, Noosa Qld 30 Bush to Bay Festival, Hervey Bay Qld JULY 27 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld AUGUST 4 Cairns Casino Qld 10 Black Mountain Unplugged, Cooktown Qld 15 Rollingstone Big4 Qld 17 Anchor Bar, Airlie Beach Qld 19 Rosslyn Bay Resort, Yeppoon Qld 31 Maleny Folk Festival Qld SEPTEMBER 7 Gympie RSL Qld 14 Bony Mountain Festival, Warwick Qld 28 Bulimba Golf Club, Brisbane Qld OCTOBER 7 Royal Hotel, Meredith Vic 9 Cruisin Country 8 NSW 26 Wollongong Diggers NSW

HURRICANE FALL HAYLEY JENSEN

JUNE 24 Buckle & Boots Festival, Manchester, UK OCTOBER 27 Rock Edge CMF, VDMFest, Biloela Showground, Qld

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

JUNE 1&2 Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns Qld 9 Wests Nelson Bay Diggers NSW 10 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney NSW 30 Hotel Cessnock NSW JULY 13&14 Hats Off To Country, Longyard Hotel, Tamworth NSW 27&28 Broadbeach Qld

JASON OWEN *Sings John Denver JUNE 8 Macksville Ex Services NSW 9 Grafton Ex Services NSW 10 Laurieton United Services NSW 15 Centro CBD, Wollongong NSW 16 Harmonie German Club ACT 30 Art House, Wyong NSW JULY 14 Orange Ex Services NSW 21 CEx, Coffs Harbour NSW

JASMINE RAE JUNE 10 Alexandra Truck Show Vic JULY 25 Rooty Hill RSL, Sydney NSW 26 Village Green Hotel, Melbourne Vic 27 Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville Qld 28 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld

JOHN FLANAGAN TRIO JUNE 28 Django @ Camelot, Marrickville, Sydney NSW JULY 5 Junk Bar, Ashgrove, Brisbane Qld

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

LIFT OUT

Please note all show venues & times are correct at time of printing.

Capital News recommends you check with the venue prior to attending.

28 Everglades Country Club, Woy Woy NSW JULY 8 Smithfield RSL Club NSW 13 Mounties, Mount Pritchard NSW 28 Campbelltown RSL Club NSW AUGUST 21 Riverstone Schofields MC NSW

1 Music On The Hill, Red Hill Vic 7 The Sly Fox, Sydney, NSW** 8 The Tamworth Hotel NSW 10 Quarterdeck, Narooma NSW AUGUST 23-26 Gympie Muster Qld

KIARA RODRIGUES

KASEY CHAMBERS

JOSHUA HEDLEY (USA) W Band & Guest LILLIE MAE JULY 19 Leadbelly, Sydney, NSW 20 Marrickville BC NSW 21 Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine NSW 22 Northcote Social Club Vic 26 Caravan Music Club, Melbourne, Vic 27-29 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld

Campfire Tour JUNE 1 Civic Theatre, Wagga Wagga NSW 2 Swan PACC, Swan Hill NSW 3 Mildura MAC, Vic 14 Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi NSW 15 The Cube, Campbelltown NSW 16 Rooty Hill RSL NSW 17 Ulladulla Services Club NSW 21 Seymour Centre, Sydney NSW 22 Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul NSW 23 Panthers, Bathurst NSW 24 Canberra Playhouse Theatre ACT 28 The Event Centre, Caloundra Qld 29 Twin Towns, Tweed Heads NSW

JULY 8 Clovelly Park Memorial CC, Adelaide SA 13 Twin Towns Resort NSW SEPTEMBER 26&27 Camperdown Football Netball Club Vic 28 Mildura CMF Vic

KYLIE ADAMSCOLLIER

JULY 22 Country Heritage Association of Qld Inc, Grandchester Qld SEPTEMBER 14-24 10-day tour Emerald, Alpha, Longreach, Winton, Charters Towers, Greenvale, Ayr, Mackay, Rockhampton, Qld OCTOBER 22 Clarence Valley CM, Ulmurra NSW

LEE KERNAGHAN JUNE 7 Costa Hall, Geelong Vic 8 Shoppingtown Hotel, Doncaster Vic 9 Macs Hotel, Melton Vic

KALESTI BUTLER

10 Chelsea Heights Hotel Vic

JUNE 2 Jambin Hotel Qld

LILLIE MAE

3 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld

Guest of JOSHUA HEDLEY (USA)

5 Emerald Show Qld

JULY

JULY

19 Leadbelly, Sydney, NSW

1 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld

20 Marrickville BC NSW

12 Hats Off To Country, Tamworth

21 Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine NSW

NSW

22 Northcote Social Club Vic

29 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld

KEL-ANNE BRANDT

OCTOBER 1 Grandchester Community Hall Qld 12 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld 26-28 Maryborough Showgrounds Qld

JUNE 6 Belmont 16ft Sailing Club NSW 21 Wallarah Bay Recreation Club, Gorokan NSW

LACHLAN BRYAN AND THE WILDES **w Not Good With Horses JUNE

26 Caravan Music Club, Melbourne, Vic 27-29 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld

S O N GW R I T E R S J O I N T SA MEMBERS BENEFITS

• Informative quarterly newsletters • Reduced fees for TSA National Songwriting Contest Re • Reduced fees for TSA Sponsored So Songwriting Workhops • $69 Annual Single Membership includes 12mths Country Music Capital News Co • $35 Annual Single Membership excludes Country Music Capital News Co • Options Op for Junior and Household memberships • Pe Performances opportunities

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

JOIN online or complete d e t a i l s b e l ow

and send to Tamworth Songwriters'Association Inc PO Box 618 Tamworth NSW 2340 Please send me a TSA Membership Application form Name: ..........................................................................

Address: ....................................................................... ....................................................................................... www.tsaonline.com.au

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

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LIVE MUSIC SCENE

LINDSAY BUTLER & SHAZA LEIGH WITH THE BUTLER SHOWBAND JUNE 29 West Tamworth LC NSW

MERILYN STEELE

*w band JUNE 16 Guildford BC NSW AUGUST 29 St Mary’s Band Club NSW*

MICKEY PYE

#Guest of Amber Lawrence w Christie Lamb **w Mickey Pye JUNE 14 TheSkylark Room, Upwey Vic # 15 The Cabaret Club, Ballarat Vic# 16 Noojee Hotel Vic # 17 MEMO Music Hall, St Kilda RSL Vic# 22 Lizottes, Newcastle NSW** 29 Rooty Hill RSL NSW#

9 Rendalsham South Vic 17 St Arnaud CMC Vic 22 Albury BC NSW 23 Yass Seniors Citizen Hall NSW JULY 14 Gympie Seniors Citizen Hall Qld 15 Maryborough Seniors Citizen Hall Qld 22 Coalston Lakes Hall Qld 27 Mulgiled Hotel, Monto Qld 28 Railway Hotel, Bunderberg Qld AUGUST 5 St Mary’s Hall, Rockhampton Qld 12 Mackay Senior Citizen Hall Qld 19 Bororon Hall Qld 21 Gatton Senior Citizen Hall Qld 23 Laidley Culture Centre, Gatton Qld

PETER CAMPBELL

JUNE 10 Royal Hotel, Toowoomba Qld

REBECCA LEE NYE

JUNE 15 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld JULY 1 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld 6 The Events Centre, Caloundra Qld 7 Star Casino, Gold Coast Qld SEPTEMBER 14 Brolga Theatre, Marborough Qld 15 Moncrieff EC, Bundaberg Qld

ROSS MCGREGOR

JULY 27 Diggers Club, The Entrance NSW

SHELLEY MINSON

JUNE 1 Toowoomba South BC Qld 8 Kenmore Park Festival, near Gympie Qld 15 Playford Hall, Adelaide SA SEPTEMBER 14&15 Bony Mountain Folk Festival Qld

JUNE 2 Gunnedah BC NSW 8 Cooly Rocks On, The Greenmount Stage, Coolangatta NSW 8 Cooly Rocks On, The Jack Evans Stage, Coolangatta NSW 10 Twin Towns, Tweed Heads NSW 15 West Tamworth LC NSW 22 The Pub, Tamworth NSW 24 Oasis Hotel, Tamworth NSW JULY 13 Oasis Hotel, Tamworth NSW 15 West Tamworth LC NSW SEPTEMBER 19 Twin Towns, Tweed Heads NSW

PETE SMITH

TAYLOR PFEIFFER

NORMA O’HARA MURPHY

*Variety Show JUNE 3 Maryborough CMC BC Vic

JUNE 8 Barmera FC SA 9 Casterton Town Hall Vic

4 Gateway Hotel, Geelong Vic 5 Warnambool Greyhound Race Club Vic 6 Sheepvention, Hamilton Showground Vic 10 Highfields Tavern, Toowoomba Qld 11 The Morrison Hotel, Brisbane Qld 12 Mt Isa Rodeo Qld 16 Mt Pleasant Hotel, Mackay Qld

THE MCCLYMONTS

JULY 27 Shoalhaven Heads BC NSW 28 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld AUGUST 11 Mt Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo Qld 24 Gateway Hotel, Geelong Vic 25 The Palms At Crown, Melbourne Vic 31 Inverell RSM NSW SEPTEMBER 1 Casino RSM NSW 7 Canberra Southern Cross Club ACT 8 Forbes Services MC NSW 21 Wests New Lambton NSW 22 Evan Theatre, Panthers, Penrith NSW OCTOBER 5 Club Old Bar NSW 6 The Cube, Campbelltown NSW 19 Norths LC, Kallangur Qld 20 Mackay EC Qld NOVEMBER 2 Alexandra Hills Hotel Qld 3 Aussie World, The Shed, Sunshine Coast Qld 9 Old Mill Hotel, Hahndorf SA 23 Wee Waa BC NSW 24 Lightning Ridge BC NSW DECEMBER 7 York On Lilydale, Mt Evelyn Vic 8 West Gippsland AC, Warragul Vic

THE WOLFE BROTHERS

JULY 11 Big Red Bash, Birdsville Qld 14 Illfracombe Races Qld AUGUST 2 Memo Music Hall, St Kilda Vic 3 York On Lilydale, Mount Evelyn Vic

17 Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone Qld 18 Golden Octopus Rodeo, Ayr Qld

TRAVIS COLLINS *w Amber Lawrence JUNE 01 Charles Hotel, Perth WA* 02 Mullewa Muster, Perth WA* 03 Ravenswood Tavern, Mandurah WA*

WAYNE HORSBURGH JUNE 5 Maitland City BC NSW 20 Cowra SC NSW 24 Yamba BC NSW

Visiting Tamworth?

See Star Maker’s amazing journey at the Star Maker Café at Diggers, Kable Ave, Tamworth

1979 34

THE LEGEND CONTINUES

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

2018 years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

SPECIAL OFFER FREE

2018 TOYOTA STAR MAKER

BRAD COX

REF SF8370

EXPIRES: 31 DECEMBER 2018

DEBUT CD WITH MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION

SUBSCRIBE FOR 2 YEARS AND SAVE! STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS, LIVE MUSIC SCENE, NEW TALENT, COMING EVENTS, BUSH BALLADEERS, WRITING GREAT SONGS, DOWN MEMORY LANE SUBSCRIBE ONLINE www.capitalnews.com.au OR PHONE: 02 6767 5555 or E: info@capitalnews.com.au years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

35

HEAR+THERE MULTI-AWARD WINNER AND INTERNATIONAL TOURING ARTIST KIRSTY LEE AKERS HAS SIGNED A TWO-ALBUM LICENSING DEAL FOR HER FIFTH AND SIX ALBUM RELEASES WITH INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL, SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS.

K

irsty joins the growing roster that includes Americana and country artists Gretta Ziller, Andrew Swift, Jetty Road, Hayley Jensen, Jason Owen, Matt Scullion, Kristy James and others.

Kirsty graduated from the CMAA Academy of Country Music (2004 and 2005) and the 2006 Talent Development Project.

She won the song writing category in the 2006 Telstra Road To Discovery; became the 2007 Toyota Star Maker; and received a Golden Guitar for New Talent in 2008 and followed up with three Golden Guitar finalist spots in 2012 and one in 2017 for Best Female.

Kirsty’s latest single, Take Me Back, came in at #5 on the official country airplay chart, leading in to a soon-to-bereleased single and much-anticipated album scheduled for late July.

36

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

KIRSTY SIGNS WITH SOCIAL Social Family Records label manager and head of PR and publicity, Nardia Drayton said; “Kirsty Lee Akers is a welcome addition to SFR. A super talented, motivated and hard-working artist, we’re extremely excited to be working with on her forthcoming releases and helping

her expand on the success of her previous albums.”

SFR is an independent record label, distributed physically in Australia/NZ by Universal Music and worldwide digital via The Orchard.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

PHOTO: SCOTT CARLE PHOTOGRAPHY

H+T

HAYLEY & KRIS

HAYLEY & KRIS

THE MARRIAGE OF HAYLEY THOMAS, THE COUNTRY ARTIST KNOWN AS HAYLEY JENSEN, TO KRIS SEVERIJNS, TOOK PLACE AT AANUKA BEACH RESORT IN COFFS HARBOUR NSW ON APRIL 7, 2018.

W

earing a gown by Sydney designer Idora Bridal, Hayley walked down the aisle with her two mums by her side.

The custom-made gown was ivory in colour and featured unique removable “arm veils” with an extended train and featured crystal and pearl embellishments.

One of Hayley’s bridesmaids gave her a handmade pendant carrying a photo of her years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

late father, and another gave her a fine anklet with his initials engraved on it.

The groom’s mother and brother flew in from Belgium to attend the wedding.

The colour theme of navy – the groom’s and groomsmen’s suits; dusty pink tones – the bridesmaids wore rose gold sequin dresses; and gold – carried

through to the hand-painted jars used as vessels for the table flowers, was on trend.

The wedding cake was designed by international awardwinning cake designer Sweet Love Cake Couture. It was a three-tiered decadent white chocolate mud cake with the bottom tier covered in gold fondant and the top two seminaked with caramel drizzle, topped with figs and flowers.

Lotus Floral Studios designed the bouquets and arbor.

The couple’s first dance was choreographed to Forever Won’t Be Long Enough, a song written by Hayley and recorded in Nashville.

Kirsty-Lee Akers together with husband, Jesse Anderson of Klik Productions, captured the special moments from the wedding day which will be featured on a soon-to-be released music video.

Guests made a weekend of the event staying in bungalows and enjoying all the resort had to offer.

The couple are flying to Belgium this month for a second wedding with Kris’ family. They will be joined by their bridal party and Hayley’s mums.

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

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C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

PHOTO: JILL TRUNNELL

H+T

CHESNEY SELLS OUT MINNEAPOLIS STADIUM WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT, EIGHT-TIME ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR KENNY CHESNEY BLAZED THROUGH EIGHT SONGS BEFORE EVER TRULY TALKING TO THE 48,255 FANS IN THE SOLD OUT US BANK STADIUM.

J

ust days before the Minneapolis show, he draw 43,526 to Miller Park stadium in Milwaukee sparking a personal record for the venue.

As with all his shows, the emphasis was on good feelings and making a night to remember when the East Tennessee superstar

songwriter hit the stage with a case of hits including the celebratory Beer In Mexico, Out Last Night, Big Star and When the Sun Goes Down. “Minneapolis always comes to have the best time, and they never fail,� Chesney enthused. “And this year, it was a whole other level. Whether it was how loud they sang Anything But Mine back to us, or just the volume of the cheering for David Lee Murphy when he came out to sing Everything’s Gonna Be Alright with us, it was an incredible amount of energy, joy, intensity coming at the stage.�

Chesney’s bassist Harmoni Kelly plugged into the

local vibe by wearing a Prince t-shirt to honour the legend. But drawing even greater approval from the No Shoes Nation was the appearance of Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer during She Thinks My Tractor ’s Sexy to lead the capacity crowd in the team’s signature SKOL Chant.

As Get Along, the first music from Chesney’s new Blue Chair/Warner Nashville alliance, swoops up the chart (it had two million unique on-demand streams, as well as topping Billboard’s Top Country Digital Chart in the first week) the response to the first three weekends of the Trip Around The Sun Tour 2018 has broken records in all three stadiums the tour has played. At a time when it might seem a little early for his kind of summer revelry, the No Shoes Nation shows – once again – they’re strong, proud and ready to get out there and live inside the songs.

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C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

39

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32

MIL UR A D nd ANNUAL

SEPTEMBER 28th to OCTOBER 7th

Michaela Jenke

Angus Gill

Johanna Hemara

Jeff Brown

The Southern Stars - The Australian Independent Country Music Awards to be held on Saturday October 6th at 6.00pm Go to our Website: www.milduracountrymusic.com.au For program purchase, accommodation enquiries and general details Phone 1800 039 043

w w w.milduracountrymusic.com.au 40

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

years of bringing you the music 1975â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018

H+T

LURE TO TOUR TOO STRONG FOR BOGLE ERIC BOGLE IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR HIS SONG THE BAND PLAYED WALTZING MATILDA, WHICH CONFIRMED ITS ICONIC STATUS BY APPEARING AS A QUESTION IN THE AUSTRALIAN VERSION OF TRIVIAL PURSUIT!

B

ut he is far from being a one-hit wonder.

Some of his other songs: No Man’s Land (The Green Fields of France), Leaving Nancy, Now I’m Easy, Shelter, My Youngest Son Came Home Toady and If Wishes Were Fishes are now beginning to rival ‘Matilda’ in the icon stakes.

After taking a break from touring, Eric has decided that the lure of getting out into theatres and clubs has been too strong so he hit the road in May for a run-of-shows commencing in Tamworth through to and winding up in Warrnambool on June 16.

Joining Eric and the band is the wonderful Ami Williamson, described by the Sydney Morning Herald

Ami Williamson

Eric Bogle

as; “Forceful, funny, powerful and poetic, Ami Williamson is an alt-folk singer-songwriter like no other! I cried, I laughedthen both at the same time one woman show at its best.”

With 17 studio albums and eight live collections to his credit and appearances at almost all of the major folk and

Craig’s much anticipated 16-track duets album,

country music festivals across Australia and overseas, Eric is rightly regarded as one of the folk music world’s greatest living singer-songwriters. A recipient of the Order of Australia medal for services to the entertainment industry Eric was also awarded a United Nations Peace Medal for his efforts, through music, to promote peace and racial harmony.

MADCDS

featuring 11 fabulous guest artists.

Available on Craig’s website www.craigiles.com or phone 0408 597 307 [$25 plus $3p/h] years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

41

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2 Zinger Burgers (OR Twisters), 2 Reg. Chips & 2 Reg. Pepsi Max

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42

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

years of bringing you the music 1975â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018

H+T

LOVE & LAND TOUR SHARING A LOVE OF AUSTRALIA, CELEBRATED AUSSIE ARTISTS SARA STORER AND SUNNY COWGIRLS, WILL TOUR TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN JUNE AND JULY APPEARING IN QLD, NSW AND VIC.

Sunny Cowgirls

Sara Storer

A

ll three are country girls who live in the country. Sophie calls the fertile plains of Gunnedah home, younger sister Celeste has recently made the trek back west to childhood stomping ground WA and Sara with her husband and four boys, recently moved from Darwin to the NSW border city of Albury.

Sara has earned high praise from media and audiences alike for her ability to capture the essence of Australian life - its characters and distinctive landscape.

John Williamson summed it up best when he said; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sara has a unique way of seeing and expressing her observations of love and life in the bush. She is a songwriter that will be remembered beyond her lifetime.â&#x20AC;?

Audiences can expect to hear the hits and favourite album tracks along with some special collaborations and a few surprises from three great singer-songwriters and story-tellers.

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HEAR+THERE SPRING BABY FOR AMBER LAWRENCE

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ne of country music’s most loved artists Amber Lawrence and her partner Marty Newman are preparing for the arrival of their first child, a son, in early September.

The couple is making most of the winter with some 24 shows booked in up until the Spring arrival. The winter tour dates began on May 17 and will take Amber right through to the Big Red Bash and Groundwater in July with Cruisin’ Country to look forward to in October after the baby is born.

Amber and Travis Collins recorded the Our Backyard EP featuring five duets and a solo song from each of them.

The spent last August, October and November touring the record and it paid off – the pair triumphed at the 2018 Golden Guitars winning the Regional Australia Bank Vocal Collaboration, APRA AMCOS Song of the Year and Single of the Year for Our Backyard.

Amber’s successful career has seen her present on Channel 9’s Getaway, co-host the 2017 CMC Music Awards and host of iHeartRadio Australia Country.

Amber was the 2015 Female Artist Golden Guitar winner, and was also named the 2015 and 2016 CMC Female Artist of the Year.

Her latest releases were 2016’s Happy Ever After, and the highly successful children’s album, The Kid’s Gone Country.

On top of that, she was invited to perform in New York earlier this year for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, where she performed in front of the American president.

For all tour dates go to Live Music Scene and keep up-todate with Amber on social networks or go to her website amberlawrence.com.au

Amber Lawrence and partner Marty Newman

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ove Police and singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle have added six new shows to his jam-packed Australian solo acoustic tour in July.

This, his 9th tour of Australia, will now see him play at The Street Theatre, Canberra on Wednesday, July 11, Leftys Music Hall in Brisbane on Wednesday, July 18, Soundlounge on the Gold Coast Thursday, July 19, The Curtin in Melbourne on Friday, July 20 andSaturday, July 21 and The Franklin in Hobart on Sunday, July 22.

Justin will play a bunch of select venues in Sydney, Melbourne plus Queenscliff, Hardys Bay and also the Bello Winter Festival.

Supports in are Victoria James Ellis & The Jealous Guys opening at The Spotted Mallard and Caravan Music Club, Hannah Blackburn will open at Melbourne’s Skylark Room, Fraser A. Gorman at Queenscliff Town Hall and at The Curtain it will be Leah Senior on July 20 and Jess Ribiero on July 21.

Diamond Duck will kick the night off at The Lansdowne in Sydney and The Street Theatre in Canberra and Fibro at Hardy’s Bay RSL. In Queensland Paddy McHugh will open at both Lefty’s Music Hall in Brisbane and The Sound Lounge on the Gold Coast.

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TOWNES EARLE RETURNS Born in Nashville, he grew up as the son of country-rock iconoclast Steve Earle, who gave him his middle name in honour of his mentor, the brilliant songwriter Townes Van Zandt.

Justin displays a natural talent

for deeply revealing lyrics that reflected his often-harsh life experiences, and a musical approach that effortlessly integrated elements of blues, folk, and country.

Tickets for the above and the previously announced shows are on sale now at lovepolice.com.au years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

H+T

MEET MAGS MAGS MCCARTHY IS AN EYE-CATCHING AND CAPTIVATING VOCALIST, DANCER AND MULTIINSTRUMENTALIST HAILING FROM COUNTY CORK, IRELAND.

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newcomer to Music City, Nashville and a fresh new face in the American country music scene, is set to make her official US debut with the release her new single, Strong Enough.

The track, slated to impact country radio on June 11, 2018 comes as an early preview to Mags’ forthcoming CD All Ways Mags anticipated in early Aug. 2018.

The musical composition and production is quick to reveal Mags’ spunky Irish character while the nononsense storyline portrays her vivacious, independent spirit and tenacity. Popping with electricity adrenalised by drums, and spotlighting Mags’ violin performance, the admission to a no-win situation quickly translates the straight-forward perspective that a hopeful future has quickly become the past.

“While I’m a romantic at heart, there is so much that I love about this song,” said the fiery redhead, “It conveys a sense of honesty that love comes and goes, and parallels love to a poker game. My favourite line is ‘you took my time but not my heart’ which sums up the sentiment that if it’s not meant to be, let’s not waste any more time; let’s move on and, oh, there’s the EXIT sign.”

Mags began her musical arts pursuit as a four-year-

Fill

old studying Irish dancing and became a global performer nearly overnight when she became a student at the worldrenowned Irish dance troupe, Rhythm Of The Dance.

The 29-year-old singersongwriter and composer has since canvassed 40-plus countries, performing before millions as the principal lead of the dance troupe and a solotouring artist.

Embracing the talents of the extraordinary artists who influenced her, Mags infuses energy and sounds from Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Shania Twain, Bruce Springsteen, Charlie Daniels, Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks into her live performances. She has received warm welcome to perform before notable

dignitaries (President and First Lady Michelle Obama (at the White House), the President of Ireland, the Mayor of Shanghai, Members of the British Royal family, the young Prince of Luxembourg in Chelsea, London, England and European Parliament in Brussels) as well as numerous majestic locations (Dublin Castle, Lismore Castle, Waterford Castle, Blarney Castle, Ashford Castle and Blackwater Castle).

Since laying stake in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2018, the former high school music teacher has taken centre stage at Dollywood, Wildhorse Saloon, Hard Rock Café, 12th & Porter and many other historical Music City venues. In the past two years, her show schedule has tallied more than 600 shows.

Mags has a number of appearances scheduled during “Country Music’s Biggest Party” (CMA Fest Week-June 5-10, 2018); visit magsmccarthy.com for more info.

This CD single commemorates the epic Trans Pacific Crossing of 1928

by Charles Kingsford Smith & features his actual voice.

15 (inc Postage) to

$

JCR Productions PO Box 4048, East St Marys 2760 Ph: (02) 9625 0289 Email: jonnierussell1@gmail.com years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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HEAR+THERE THE McCLYMONTS ON TOUR THE McCLYMONTS ARE AUSTRALIA’S FAVOURITE AND MOST SUCCESSFUL COUNTRY GROUP.

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hey are returning to the road after a year off and they’re ready to kick it up in style on the ‘Like We Used To’ national tour, taking in NSW, Vic, Qld and SA to showcase songs from their best-selling new album Endless and all the favourites from their previous four albums.

Despite the break, Brooke, Sam and Mollie have been anything but quiet!

Endless debuted at #1 on the ARIA Country Chart and #3 on the ARIA Albums Chart upon release and generated three smash hit singles – House, Don’t Wish It All Away and Like We Used To after which the tour is named. On top of that, the girls took home three awards at the 2018 Golden Guitar Awards including the coveted Album of the Year, and Group of the

Year at the recent CMC Awards.

Alongside this professional success, The McClymonts, have also enjoyed some major personal milestones including the birth of Sam’s first baby, Wilder, the birth of Mollie’s second child, daughter Elky, and the release of Brooke’s album with her husband, Adam Eckersley.

The Like We Used To national tour will see The McClymonts draw from their growing catalogue of hit singles and fan favourites from their five muchloved albums. Songs like Forever Begins Tonight, Here’s To You & I, Wrapped Up Good and Kick

It Up are destined to shine, all sung with their stunning harmonies and backed by their incredible band.

“We’re so excited to head off around Australia to play the Like We Used To tour together!” Mollie said.

Tickets are on sale now with dates listed in the Live Music Scene here and links to ticket sales on the website themcclymonts.net.au/tours

Do you think you’ve got what it takes to be the 40th Toyota Star Maker?

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

H+T A COUNTRY ATTITUDE

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LAST MONTH 19-YEAR-OLD SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SINGER - SONGWRITER JULIET OLIVER RELEASED HER SECOND SINGLE AUTUMN’S ENDING.

ENQUIRE NOW

t follows her debut single I Don’t Want To Get Over You from her self titled EP which was released in March and launched at McLaren Vale’s Singing Gallery in front of a full house.

After finishing high school, Juliet went to the University of Adelaide to study a teaching degree.

Mid-way through her first semester Juliet says, “I discovered that I wasn’t so interested in University, but instead had a bit of a crush on a boy that was in one of my classes.

“One night after I got home, I sat down in my bedroom with my guitar and wrote this song. The first verse, chorus, and bridge seemed to come together fairly easily however the second verse needed some tweaking. I also wanted to make sure that I encapsulated the wistful season of autumn and the imagery that comes with it.

“So, I took the song to Matt Scullion and he helped me polish the lyrics while keeping the authenticity of the story.”

Two years on, Juliet has given up on the teaching degree, the boy crush and has commenced a law degree.

Taylor Swift was a major inspiration and then she discovered great women of country including Patsy Cline, Linda Ronstadt, and Dolly Parton.

With a country attitude, there is definitely a little edge to Juliet Oliver with a touch of classic. She is true to herself, her age and where she comes from. She writes what she lives and not pop songs decorated in country feels.

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2 0 1 9

email us now starmaker.com.au

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LOOKING FORWARD,

LOOKING BACK

COUNTRY MUSIC ON THE HIGH SEAS; WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT? THIS UNIQUE FESTIVAL, NOW IN ITS EIGHTH YEAR, CORRALS EVERYONE INTO THE ONE-STOP VENUE FOR A SEVEN-NIGHT LUXURY CRUISE.

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ruisin’ Country is a fun-filled country music festival on the high seas and is set to depart from Sydney in October 2018.

This year more than 40 country artists and musicians will join fellow-travellers and board the luxury liner ‘Radiance Of The Seas’ for a seven-night cruise to idyllic holiday ports Noumea and the Isle of Pines in New Caledonia.

This year’s the theme Looking Forward, Looking Back will take clients on a journey, of a different kind, through songs of Australian country music’s past, present and future.

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The 2018 line-up includes John Williamson, Troy Cassar-Daley, Graeme Connors, Gina Jeffreys, Sara Storer, Tania Kernaghan, Anne Kirkpatrick, James Blundell and Amber Lawrence to name a few. Other familiar faces include Buddy Goode, Bill Chambers, Simply Bushed, The Wheel featuring Kim Cheshire and Rod McCormack, and many more.

There’s so much to do on board the luxury liner with passenger activities that include dance lessons, workshops, bush poetry and open mic sessions, and a host of other fun opportunities for cruise-goers to get involved with.

There are eight new dining options, from casual eats to premium dining, a host of live music venues with performances occurring day and night, along with other relaxing holiday opportunities such as the VIP guest lounge, poolside cinema screen and a Royal Babies & Tots Nursey.

Part of the revered Choose Your Cruise brand, renowned for bringing a host of music festivals at sea to

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the Australian public, the inclusive vacationmusic experiences have seen more than 38,000 passengers embark on the holiday of a lifetime since its inception in 2009.

Choose Your Cruise’s Caitlin Manov says Cruisin’ Country sees many return guests year-after-year, and believes it is all due to the fun and family culture. “The minute you get on board – even if you are travelling alone – you are part of 2000-plus country fans that are on board for the very same reason as you, a shared passion for music,” she says.

Looking Forward, Looking Back is themed after Slim Dusty’s historic 100th album and is about celebrating all country music artists.

For Caitlin and the team behind Choose Your Cruise, putting together a complementary line-up that will appeal to all country music fans is paramount.

Tickets for the festival at sea from October 9 to 16, 2018 are on sale now with prices starting from $2599 per person twin share (interior stateroom).

For more information, contact your local Cruiseco agent or visit chooseyourcruise.com. au or call 1300 247 371. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

FESTIVALS

CRUISIN’ COUNTRY

Troy Cassar-Daley

CEO Mick Manov and his wife, director, Elaine Manov, family and artists on Cruisin’ Country 7

Round Mountain Girls making smiles years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Radiance of the Seas in Sydney Harbour C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

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FESTIVALS

HATS OFF

Adam Harvey

Ashleigh Dallas

HARVEY HEADLINES

HATS OFF

ADAM HARVEY WILL DEBUT SONGS FROM HIS NEW ALBUM, WHICH IS SET FOR AN AUGUST RELEASE, WHEN HE PLAYS IN BLAZES AT WEST TAMWORTH LEAGUE CLUB, ON SATURDAY, JULY 14.

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he show will feature Adam’s full band and he’ll give the audience a sneak peak of the new album as well as play music from his previous albums. Fans always leave his shows fulfilled from his wit, charm and talent. Adam is a great supporter of new talent and has invited the 2018 Toyota Star Maker Brad Cox to join him as the opening guest artist on this show.

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Tickets are on sale now from Wests Entertainment Group www.wtlc.com.au or by phoning Wests ticket office on 02 6765 7588.

The popular annual mid-year Toyota Hats Off To Country – Tamworth has the “welcome”

sign out for the festival to be held from July 12 to 15.

The event features more than 100 individual country artists and dozens of events and activities over four days and nights, with live music, shows and attractions on offer at 16 venues across the city – with most FREE. Last year’s inaugural ‘Cowboy Crawl’ was a great success with two busloads of festival-goers enjoying the country spirit on Friday night. Bookings can be made now for the Cowboy Crawl’s Friday, July 13 fun-filled tour of the city’s nightspots taking in six venues starting

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

FESTIVALS

HATS OFF

Brad Cox

Missy Lancaster

at the South Tamworth Bowling Club for Alby Pool, Anthony Taylor and Sandra Humphries, the The Post Office Hotel the Beau Hatch Country Band from 9pm,, West Tamworth League Club for Missy Lancaster, Tamworth Services Club for Simply Bushed, The Longyard for Hurricane Fall and end the night at The Albert from 11:30pm to 12:45am for this year’s Star Maker winner Brad Cox. Book your seat now for just $25 through destinationtamworth.com.au/Events/ Music/Hats-Off-To-Country/cowboy-crawl In addition to Adam Harvey and Missy Lancaster, Wests will also present Tamworth Live & Local Acoustic Show in Legends from 2pm-5pm on Saturday and across the river at Wests’ Diggers all the way from WA you’ll see Jonny Taylor.

The South Tamworth Bowling Club’s music feast includes, not only Alby, Anthony and Sandra, but also local artist Jared Scott, the CCMA’s Hats Off Tribute To The Dallas Dynasty featuring the legendary Rex Dallas, and his family of Golden Guitar winners including sons Colin Dallas, Brett Dallas, and granddaughter Ashleigh Dallas and the monthly Capital Country Music Association Jam will precede the festival on Wednesday, years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Shane Nicholson

Luke O’Shea

July 11 from 6pm and all shows are free.

The Tamworth Services Club, it set to be a crowdpleaser, with Simply Bushed performing over two big nights, while at North Tamworth Bowling Club Golden Guitar winner Luke O’Shea’s popular intimate dinner show is a definite highpoint and Michael Bryers will perform at both venues over the weekend.

Tamworth’s pub scene is well represented across Hats Off at The Pub Group venues with highlights including Hurricane Fall on both Friday and Saturday nights at The Longyard, Tamworth’s Ryan Morris on Sunday from 2pm and the popular Tamworth Songwriter Association’s sessions over lunch. Howdy’s Hoedown at The Pub on Friday night, and Kora Naughton will launch her album Ride Or Die at the ‘Moonshiners’ Honky

Tonk Bar at the Family Hotel. The Australian Bush Balladeers Association will continue fundraising for the Frank Ifield Bronze Bust. The concert will be held at Southgate Inn on Saturday, July 14 from 10am for a $10 donation at the door.

The Albert Hotel will host the 2018 Toyota Star Maker winner Brad Cox and Rachael Fahim the 2017 Toyota Star Maker winner on both Friday and Saturday nights.

The DAG Sheep Station at Nundle, hosted by Golden Guitar winner John Krsulja and his wife Belinda, will see Shane Nicholson, Luke O’Shea, Felicity Urquhart, Kevin Bennett, Aleyce Simmonds & Jeremy Edwards return for the Songwriter’s Retreat offering tuition to upcoming country artists. During Hats Off, The DAG will also showcase the students and their star mentors with a number of performances scheduled. Tickets are on sale for Christmas In July and showcases at thedag.com.au The CMAA Junior Academy of Country Music will be in full swing throughout the preceding week with a free graduation concert from 7pm to 10pm on Friday, July 13 in the Calrossy School Hall.

There’s a number of other venues involved, and remember to visit the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Gallery of Stars Wax Museum, and the iconic Big Golden Guitar for a selfie.

For a full program and further information about Toyota Hats Off to Country, Cowboy Crawl and more, visit hatsofftocountry.com C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

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FESTIVALS

GULF COUNTRY

A NEW FRONTIER FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE GULF COUNTRY FRONTIER DAYS FESTIVAL ALEC DOOMADGEE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM CANADA AND THE US SCOUTING FOR TALENT FOR THE 2018 EVENT.

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he drive took Alec from Edmonton to Toronto and South Dakota where he met with First Nation artists and performance groups, a trip made possible by the Canadian Government through Canada Down Under together with the assistance of the Consulate General of Canada in Sydney.

“The Gulf Country Frontier years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Days Festival is a celebration of First Nation’s Cultures, our shared history, and, of course, our music. That’s why this journey through Canada and the United States is so important. It’s about developing international connections and expanding the reach of our Festival, to include more international musicians and cultural performers.” said Alec.

Last year’s inaugural event, presented by Alec and his wife Amy, was created as a landmark Indigenous festival in the Lower Gulf of Carpentaria and included dance, rodeo and music.

The Kabarrijbi Wangkijbi Spectacular was the centrepiece of the cultural entertainment and the

coming together of nations saw Indigenous Australians and First Nation people from around the world join in a celebration of culture, dance and mutual respect.

A new era for Indigenous Rodeo in Australia kicked-off at last year’s event with the crowning of the first National Indigenous Rodeo Championships. Riders from around the gulf and interstate joined some of Australia’s best during the historic moment and it’s sure to be a hit again this year.

The young Indigenous women of the gulf came together in another first with the staging of the Rodeo Queen Ball in an initiative to celebrate and empower.

This year’s festival will be held from Wednesday, August 15 to Sunday 19 in the frontier town of Gregory Downs, Qld. Tickets are on sale now at thegulfcountryfrontierdaysfestival.com.au

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FESTIVALS

GROUNDWATER

Granger Smith

MUSIC FOR THE

COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL TOURING ARTISTS GRANGER SMITH FEATURING EARL DIBBLES JNR, SUZANNE VEGA, JOSHUA HEDLEY, AND LILLIE MAE WILL JOIN A HUGE LINE-UP OF AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY ARTISTS AT THIS YEAR’S GROUNDWATER COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL FROM JULY 27 TO 29.

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roadbeach Alliance is set to deliver yet another great country music event in Queensland.

Suzanne Vega is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation. She was first heard on the radio in 1985 and her career spans two decades. Her album Solitude Standing was nominated for 54

three Grammys, and included the song that would enter the cultural vernacular as her trademark hit Luka. She is an icon who paved the way for female folk singer-songwriters such as Tracey Chapman, Shawn Colvin and Indigo Girls.

Granger Smith has amassed a massive audience

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now known as ‘Yee Yee Nation’ built through heavy touring and grassroots fan engagement. He has a social media following of over 6.8 million. He broke onto the national scene with Remington, an album that garnered him the #1 single Backroad Song. He released his current full-length album When The Good Guys Win on October 27, 2017.

Florida-native, Joshua Hedley is a frequent visitor to Australia with audiences embracing him since 2014. He offers old-time, traditional country. Words, melodies and musicianship that sounds timeless and fresh at the same time and he’ll be promoting his debut album Mr. Jukebox.

Lillie Mae has been singing and playing on stages across the country since she could stang on her own two feet. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist weaves her own extraordinary experiences with a myriad strains of Americana.

The extensive list of Aussie is simply the best with The McClymonts, Adam Harvey, O’Shea, Catherine Britt & The Cold Cold Hearts, the iconic Chad Morgan, Bill Chambers, Troy Kemp, Kirsty Lee Akers, Casey Barnes, Travellin’ Still: The Songs Of Slim Dusty with Pete Denahy & The Travelling Country Band, The Hillbilly Goats, Hurricane Fall, Doug Bruce, The Morrisons, 2018 Toyota Star Maker Brad Cox, and Melody Moko.

‘Groundwater’ is held in the centre of the emerging hub of entertainment, the sunny Gold Coast. It’s completely free, making it the perfect holiday escape with friends and family.

Organisers have committed to bringing together a diverse range of music genres, grounded in country and folk, to Broadbeach.

Each year the festival remains a highlight on Queensland’s calendar of events, featuring over 10 performance areas. As well as a huge program of live music, the festival boasts a location offering amazing food, bars, and family-friendly attractions that all ages can enjoy.

In addition to the afore-mentioned, there will be a tribute to James Blundell - ‘30 Years Of Pride’ featuring the star’s songs, performed by his peers.

There’s an abundance of Golden Guitar winners including Amber Lawrence, Bennett Bowtell Urquhart, Ashleigh Dallas, and the Davidson Brothers plus Jasmine Rae, Matt Cornell, The Weeping Willows, Col Finley, Billy Bridge, Rebecca Lee Nye, A Band Called Twang, Canada’s Amy Nelson, The Whiskey Mountain Boys, Brook Chivell, The Cherry Pickers, Tyson Coleman, Pine Mountain Cartel, Paradise Road, Bud Rokesky, Ruby Gilbert and Country Music Cocktails.

“In programming this festival, it’s important for us to cover all the bases in Australian country music and give a spotlight to both the veterans and the artists of the future,” said festival director, Mark Duckworth. “There’s such a cool variety coming to Groundwater in 2018, all with a different style of story to share.” years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

FESTIVALS

MILDURA

MILDURA

IN SPRINGTIME

Amber Joy Poulton

Aleyce Simmonds

Anthony Taylor

THOUSANDS OF FANS WILL HEAD TO THE VICTORIAN TOWN OF MILDURA THIS SEPTEMBER FOR THE ANNUAL COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL AND INDEPENDENT AWARDS.

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he festival, now in its 32nd year will be held from Friday, September 28 to Sunday, October 7 and will feature some of Australia’s best independent country music artists over 10 days at 26 venues, both indoor and outdoor.

Artists will play at venues in Mildura and also in outlying towns of Wentworth, Merbein, Red Cliffs, Coomealla, Irymple, Buronga and Gol Gol. The region’s population is upwards to 60,000.

As well as enjoying the best country music in springtime you can sample the hospitality of Mildura with fine dining, paddleboats on the Murray River, historic nature trails, high quality golf courses and a spot of fishing.

This year there will be shows every day at the Mildura Airport and Mildura Holden Motor Museum, which were years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

well supported last year. A new venue will be the Garden of Hope at Cabarita on the final Sunday of the festival.

A large proportion of the 90 artists and musicians performing at Mildura have highly successful recording careers.

This year there will be 17 new artists who were not at last year’s festival – Anthony Taylor, Amber Joy Poulton, Rob Breese, Jeff Brown, Steve Sparrow, Dale Duncan, Samantha Bellamy, Ray Pratley, Terry Gordon, Kate Hindle, Michaela Jenke, Reid Sampson, Glenn Jones, Dianne Lindsay,

Peter Simpson, Michelle Russell and Evan Platschinda.

The festival lineup also popular artists 2018 Golden Guitar Female Artist of the Year Aleyce Simmonds, Taylor Pfeiffer, Rodney Vincent, The Gunbarrel Highwaymen, Kiara Rodrigues, Stephen R Cheney, Gina Timms and a host of others.

Festival co-ordinator John Arnold said “The festival outdoor entertainment will feature 10 days of entertainment in the Mildura City Mall and nine days at “Country On The Darling” on the picturesque Darling River, at Wentworth.”

The jewel in the crown of the festival is the live concert and radio presentation on Saturday, October 8, of the ‘Southern Stars – The Australian Independent Country Music Awards’ which recognises the achievements of Australian Independent recording artists. Applications for entry in the awards are now open and available online on the festival website.

For more information visit milduracountrymusic.com.au or phone 1800 039 043.

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SOUNDADVICE CAMPFIRE KASEY CHAMBERS & THE FIRESIDE DISCIPLES WARNER MUSIC This album blew me away the first time I heard it, and nothing has changed since. I think the reason for the album’s power is that it goes straight to the heart of the real Kasey – in much the same way The Captain did all those years ago. Everything Kasey has done over the years has come from a place of truth and raw emotion, but this album strips back all pretenses and focuses in on what’s true and what matters. It’s an album that earths you. The title track, Campfire, is glorious, but for me the real highlights were the gorgeous Orphan Heart, the a-capella Go On Your Way, Abraham and the moving Goliath Is Dead. And of course Kasey’s duet with Emmylou Harris on The Harvest & The Seed is a sublime moment. Other memorable tracks include Early Grave, Now That You’ve Gone and the quirky Fox & The Bird. Australian music and its fans are far richer for the experience of listening to this remarkable album – a real milestone in Kasey’s career.

WMA 5419700636 SUSAN JARVIS

HONEST MAN

FRONT AND CENTER

MEXICO

TEXOMA SHORE

INDEPENDENT

MOUNTAIN HOME

INDEPENDENT

WARNER

Melbourne country folkie John Flanagan, double bassist Liz Frencham and mandolinist Daniel Watkins flesh out his third album.

Flanagan nails social comment with Free John Zarb - the conscientious objector whose two years in gaol replaced daily mail during the Vietnam War and destroyed his family. He chose Beauty On The Bottom - a troubadour’s tale of rejection by a belle of the ball who never rang for him but led him to Ayers Rock - as his entrée that segues into wanderlust Nomad and Something To Complain About where world woes trump pithy problems. Ironically, an embryonic Uber role for Paul Kelly prompted The Last Of The Cassette Men. Flanagan’s suburbia surrealism of Honey, I’d Buy You A Home is a vast contrast to developers’ destruction of idyllic retreats in A Place Untouched By Man. Romantic rejection claims a heretic in Ripples before materialist masochism fuels You Can Love Yourself and the telephonic trauma title track. There’s sweet solace in rebellious Young Minds and fatalistic finale Leave Me To My Blues. Poignant pathos.

First a bit about Sideline: a Carolina-based sextet that have built up a powerful reputation over the last few decades, originally founded by three pickers - Steve Dilling (banjo), Skip Cherryholmes (guitar) and Jason Moore (bass) – who were joined by Bailey Coe (guitar) and Troy Boone (mandolin) and Nathan Aldridge (fiddle). Aldridge is featured on this recording but has since been replaced by Daniel Greeson. So if you love bluegrass music you will easily fall for Front And Center, as it buzzes with authenticity and some great songs, including the opener Thunder Dan, the charming groove of Lysander Hayes, Gordon Lightfoot’s Song For A Winter ’s Night and the fast-paced classic Cotton Eyed Joe. All the players contribute to the vocals but no individual credits are listed but overall if you liked the sound of O, Brother Where Art Thou you should like this. One US reviewer called this album ‘the perfect bluegrass album of all time’ – a big call, so have a listen and make up your own mind.

He’s held in high esteem as one of the finest songwriters in the country, but Allan Caswell saves his greatest songwriting passion and craftsmanship for his own albums.

And this one is sensational. Its songs span the country music spectrum, but every one of them is authentic, heartwarming and moving. I adored the title track, Mexico which captures the true essence of Australian country music: its close and supportive community. I also loved – for very different reasons – the quirky When Life Gives You Lemons. There are two duets. Jen Mize joins Allan for That’s Why Lonely People Drink, The Weeping Willows collaborate on the folkinfused When the Roses Fall. Allan’s never afraid of a political statement, and he makes a powerful one on Sucking My Darling Dry, which has something of a Bushwackers vibe.

Other standouts include Drunks Like Charlie, the gentle No Longer My Best Friend, Knowing That You’re There and the bluegrassflavoured Taken By The Wind. This album is real, beautifully crafted and performed, and full of amazing songs. It’s awesome country music.

Oklahoma singing actor Blake Shelton has long honoured his home state in his music so it’s fitting he named his 13th album after a lake near his home.

Nomenclature is Shelton’s strong suit - disc entrée I’ll Name The Dogs exudes extra-marital canine humour for the twice wed singer.

Blake, 41, wrote the sensual Turning Me On - his only co-write here - about fellow singer Gwen Stefani who filled the gap left

by Texan former singing spouse Miranda Lambert. Shelton also injects humour into At The House where Vin Diesel is name checked and the mirthful Money.

The Voice coach-mentor revives romance in Beside You Babe, selfeffacing Why Me And The Wave.

His character’s heart hits a hurdle in Got The T-Shirt but the heart is pumping again in hedonistic Hangover Due and When The Wine Wears Off. It seems fitting the album finale and latest single I Live It is a spoof of a dysfunctional rural family and sure hit for the highly accessible artist. Joyous radio fodder

JOHN FLANAGAN TRIO

Johnflanagan.net./store DAVID DAWSON 56

SIDELINE

Mountainhomemusiccompany.com Sideline.com JON WOLFE

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

ALLAN CASWELL

CHECKED LABEL SERVICES SUSAN JARVIS

BLAKE SHELTON

WARNER 9362490959 DAVID DAWSON

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

SOUND ADVICE - album reviews are the reviewers’ own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the view of Capital News or the publisher. Sound Advice will accept unsolicited albums for consideration, but cannot guarantee published reviews. Sound Advice does not review singles. Send 2 CDs together with biography or media release to Capital News, PO Box 555, Tamworth NSW 2340 and email a jpg of the cover to c.byrnes@tamworth.nsw.gov.au SELF TITLED BRAD COX TAMWORTH MUSIC WORKS Jindabyne-raised Brad Cox’s emergence from a high country swimming family to two years mustering cattle in the Northern Territory drives his dynamic debut disc. Cox’s passion for mining rural roots of a genre often diluted by pop posturing won him the 39th Star Maker in January. His salient sequencing from alcohol of fame entrée Drinking Pioneer, Red Light and pit-stop in Too Drunk To Drive to biographical finale This Is Who I Am, is a sonic spotlight to his raison d’etre. Cox nails messages by referencing liquor brands from his entrée to Take Me Higher, Towels and Kentucky bluegrass in Found My Way Home. Brad soaks Water On The Ground, Somewhere Like Cheyenne and Lake House with staples - old men, drought, God and Wild West escapism. He exploits ruptured romances by expanding troubadour tributaries - Garth Brooks and the late Chris Ledoux in My Showcase.

Like many reformed romantics hooked on narcotic and nicotine nihilism, his character’s soul is resurrected in Reflections - one of his dozen originals ignited by producer Matt Fell. Bucolic bliss.

TMW002 DAVID DAWSON

COLLIDE

GREATEST MISSES

COUNTRY HEARTED

PORT SAINT JOE

LOST HIGHWAY

INDEPENDENT

LBS RECORDS

EMI

There is plenty of fairy dust currently surrounding 23-yearold Imogen Clark. And I have no hesitation in saying that all the accolades she’s received for her stunning second album are warranted. This is an album of its time, reflecting life as a twentysomething woman in a challenging world. Personal yet universal, the album’s songs capture myriad emotions – there is a strong positive core, but there are also plenty of nuances and dark undertones. The album’s highlight is the mesmerising stream-of-consciousness High Tide, inspired by a poem written by her mother. I also loved Oblivion, which explores aspects of mental illness, the powerful Collide, and the feisty Your Anything At All. Left Behind is about knowing when to let go of people who make you feel inferior. Other highlights include the powerful You Got The World Fooled, Strike A Pose and Tear It Down. Produced by Mark Lizotte, this album oozes class, sensitivity and style, and marks Imogen as a talented and distinctive performer with a unique way of seeing and conveying the subtleties of life.

Veteran Victorian outlaws The Dead Livers celebrated their 40th anniversary in May at Thornbury Theatre with a re-mastered Greatest Misses CD with extra tracks. The 14 song entrée, Duncan parody I’d Love To Have A Joint With Willie, was adopted by Willie Nelson as his 1981 Aussie tour theme. This Slim spoof segues into lead singer-school teacher Marty Atchison’s seaside spiritual Holy Mary, also recorded

by John Schumann. Ballad Of A Dead Liver, penned by pedal steel guitarist Brendan Mitchell - first of two band members who survived liver transplants - debuted at 1989 Tamworth Star Maker finals with Atchison tune Grandpa Take Me To The Cricket. Atchison anthems Hard Doin’ Ken, A Stud Like Me, Up And Down The Line, previously unreleased Loretta and Riding On A Bus are riveting reflections of life on the edge, tempered by fellow teacher John Berto’s tunes Prairie Dog and Mediterranean Moonlight.

Librarian bassist-liver transplantee Michael Schack’s Telegraphs And Data Man depicted his day job while Star Of The West celebrated 5am sessions at Collingwood footy star Ronnie Wearmouth’s Port Fairy pub.

Rachel hails from the New England region of NSW and is a long-time member of the LBS Records stable and this, her fourth release, showcases a young woman who is clearly in charge of a traditional definition of country music. The 12 songs range from covers like Crazy Arms, When The One In Your Arms (Is The One In Your Heart), He’s Not You and Love Bug, to her own original Every Girl Wants A Cowboy and Shaza Leigh’s The Land Of The Beardies, as well Tom T. Hall’s When The Jacaranda Blooms and a Flatt and Scruggs’s gospel song He Took Your Place. Producer Lindsay Butler has always had a great ear for real country music and he and his team of musicians nail the genre perfectly here … with well-balanced mixes that compliment Rachel’s vocals.

Overall this release consolidates Rachel’s love of the traditional music and is sure to please her fans and find a few new ones joining in voicing their praises.

This is for those who love their country rocky and with a bit of sass, and yes, for those who like to hear real instruments being played. It’s also one for those who like songs about drinking for whatever reason – check Weed, Whiskey and Willie, Shoot Me Straight and Drank Like Hank. The brothers – John and TJ - get a little wistful on I Don’t Remember Me (Before You) and heavens above, there’s a mandolin on Tequila Again! The songs all fit so well together (a smooth, no space transition between tracks helping) with some great guitar licks and other instruments that all sit perfectly in the mix and give a relaxed but bouncing feeling like this was recorded on a relaxed afternoon with friends over a few drinks and other substances. All 10 songs are cowritten by John and TJ with a third songwriter and there’s a coherent vibe that is sure to prick up ears and pick up fans. Critics haven’t always been nice to the Osbornes but this album might make fans of the unbelievers.

LBS175CD lbsmusic.com.au JON WOLFE

EMI 5673737 JON WOLFE

IMOGEN CLARK

UMA 6735427 SUSAN JARVIS years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

DEAD LIVERS

RACHEL JILLETT

BROTHERS OSBORNE

DL2018 http://deadlivers.6te.net/ DAVID DAWSON C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

57

COUNTRYCHARTS ARIA TOP 20 AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY ALBUMS Week Commencing 21 May 2018 TW

LW

TI

HP

TITLE

ARTIST

1 1 3 1 Graffiti U

KEITH URBAN

2 2 3 2 Campfire

KASEY CHAMBERS & THE FIRESIDE DISCIPLES

3 NEW 1

3

4 3 106 1 5 4

545 1

6

1005 1

5

7 7 314 1 8 6 8 1 9 14 154 1 10 R/E 42 4 11 8 91 1 12 10 204 1 13 NEW 1

13

14 13 60 1 15 17 240 1 16 15 240 2 17 18 55 1 18 12 14 1 19 11 346 1 20 16 463 1

Turning Up The Dial Ripcord Greatest Hits: 18 Kids The Very Best Of Slim Dusty The Story So Far Country Heart Spirit Of The Anzacs Hit Country Australia His Favourite Collection Fuse Brad Cox The 25th Anniversary Album The Great Country Songbook A Hell Of A Career!

The Great Country Songbook Vol. II Adam & Brooke Ultimate Hits Big Ones Greatest Hits

CAP/EMI

HAYLEY JENSEN

WAR SFR/UMA

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

SLIM DUSTY

EMI

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

THE WOLFE BROTHERS

ABC/UMA

LEE KERNAGHAN

ABC/UMA

VARIOUS

ABC/UMA

JOHN WILLIAMSON

WAR

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

BRAD COX

DIT

LEE KERNAGHAN

ABC/UMA

TROY CASSAR-DALEY & ADAM HARVEY

SME

JOHN WILLIAMSON

WAR

ADAM HARVEY & BECCY COLE

SME

ADAM ECKERSLEY & BROOKE MCCLYMONT

LHAU/UMA

LEE KERNAGHAN

ABC/UMA

LEE KERNAGHAN

ABC/UMA

OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN AIRPLAY COUNTRY TOP 20 Week commencing 26 May, 2018.

TW

LW

TI

HP

TITLE

ARTIST

LABEL

1 1 17 1 Parallel Line

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

2 2 5 2 Babe

SUGARLAND FT. TAYLOR SWIFT

BIG/UMA

3 5 13 3 Most People Are Good

LUKE BRYAN

CAP/EMI

4 4 15 2 Crawl Beg & Cry

BRAD BUTCHER

IND

5 3 12 2 Brake Lights

RACHAEL FAHIM

IND

6 6 21 2 Po’ Boyz

DAVISSON BROTHERS BAND

SME

7 7 16 2 Heatwave

MISSY LANCASTER

SME

8 8 14 6 Loaded

CHRISTIE LAMB

ABC/UMA

9 10 8 9 Runaway Train

ANDREW SWIFT

SFR/UMA

10 12 10 10 Elastic Waistband

FANNY LUMSDEN

11 11 14 8 Ain’t Seen It Yet

THE WOLFE BROTHERS

12 18 16 12 Written In The Sand

OLD DOMINION

RCA/SME

13 21 23 6 Livin’ On Summertime

GORD BAMFORD

ABC/UMA WMA

IND ABC/UMA

14 25 38 1 Kiss Somebody

MORGAN EVANS

15 20 24 15 I Could Use A Love Song

MAREN MORRIS

16 14 19 8 Love Is The Word

JOHN WILLIAMSON

17 13 6 13 Like We Used To

THE MCCLYMONTS

UMA

18 16 40 16 You Should Be Here

COLE SWINDELL

WMA

19 15 20 14 Mr Wrong

NATALIE PEARSON

20 9 28 3 Take Your Time

SAM HUNT

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SME WMA

IND MCA/UMA years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

COUNTRY TRACKS Week commencing 26 May 2018. This chart is published by Country Music Services and updated weekly at countrytrackschart.com.au POS LW

TI

HP

TRACK TITLE

ARTIST

1 13 2 1(1) Beautiful Life

BECCI NETHERY

2 5 5 2(1) So Smooth

ADAM ECKERSLEY & BROOKE MCCLYMONT

3 17 2 3(1) Old School

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

4 1 13 1(2) Rollercoaster Ride

PHOEBE JAY

5 6 7 2(1) Like We Used To

THE MCCLYMONTS

6 7 14 1(2) Ain’t Seen It Yet

THE WOLFE BROTHERS

7 10 2 7(1) A Girl Needs Her Daddy’s Love

EMMA JENE

8 23 9 8(1) Better Day

CARTER & CARTER

9 2 13 1(1) Station Minderoo

DALE DUNCAN

10 9 3 9(1) Red Dirt

CATHERINE BRITT & THE COLD COLD HEARTS

11 3 13 1(2) Love Is A Fool Time Job

ALY COOK

12 4 6 4(1) Lay Me Down

DESTINY

13 33 2 13(1) Milestones

ADAM BRAND

14 30 4 14(1) My Voice

MELINDA SCHNEIDER

15 0 1 15(1) Feelin’s

DON ALLEN (FEAT. DEIDRE BENTLEY)

16 12 3 12(1) Coming Home

KEITH URBAN (FEAT. JULIA MICHAELS)

17 40 2 17(1) Everytime

KYLIE RYAN

18 11 8 5(1) Not Foolin’ Around

AMBER JOY POULTON

19 39 7 19(1) I Lived It

BLAKE SHELTON

20 25 8 1(1) Lake House

BRAD COX

CMC CHART W/c 26 May 2018. This chart is updated weekly at countrymusicchannel.com.au or tune into CMC. # TITLE

ARTIST

1 Elastic Waistband

FANNY LUMSDEN

2 Shoot Me Straight

BROTHERS OSBORNE

3 One Number Away

LUKE COMBS

4 Heaven

KANE BROWN

5 You Make It Easy

JASON ALDEAN

# TITLE

ARTIST

26 Neon Smoke

GORD BAMFORD

ABC

27 High Horse

TRAVIS COLLINS

ABC

SONY

28 Spitfire

JODY DIREEN

SONY

29 Alright With Me

GRETTA ZILLER

BROKEN BOW/SONY

30 Heart Break

LADY ANTEBELLUM

EMI

31 Hangin’ On

CHRIS YOUNG

32 Karaoke & Corona

O’SHEA

33 Saturday Night

HAYLEY JENSEN

LABEL RED DIRT RECORDS EMI

6 Most People Are Good LUKE BRYAN 7 Like We Used To

THE MCCLYMONTS

8 I Lived It

BLAKE SHELTON

9 Brake Lights

RACHAEL FAHIM

10 The Campfire Song

KASEY CHAMBERS

11 Runaway Train

ANDREW SWIFT

12 Milestones

ADAM BRAND

UMA WARNER INDIE WARNER

SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS ABC

13 So Smooth

ADAM ECKERSLEY &

BROOKE MCCLYMONT UMA

14 Crawl, Beg & Cry

BRAD BUTCHER

15 Red Dirt

CATHERINE BRITT &

THE COLD COLD HEARTS LOST HIGHWAY

16 Tequila

DAN+SHAY

INDIE

WARNER

LABEL

ABC SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS EMI SONY SONY SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS

34 Me Without You

CAITLYN SHADBOLT

FTG REECE MASTIN ABC

35 She Ain’t In It

JON PARDI

36 My Voice

MELINDA SCHNEIDER

37 Lake House

BRAD COX

38 Loaded

CHRISTIE LAMB

39 Hands On You

ASHLEY MONROE

40 Criminal

LINDSAY ELL

41 Get To You

MICHAEL RAY

42 Hide The Wine

CARLY PEARCE

EMI BE MUSIC INDIE ABC WARNER STONEY CREEK/BMG WARNER BIG MACHINE

17 Mr Wrong

NATALIE PEARSON

18 Beautiful Freakshow

DEAN BRODY

43 Guilty

THE SHIRES

UMA

FTG SHEVY PRICE

44 Butterflies

KACEY MUSGRAVES

UMA

45 Dark Sunglasses

KRISTY JAMES

46 Beach Mode

TROY KEMP

47 Up Down

MORGAN WALLEN

FTG FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

19 Even If You Were The One SHANE NICHOLSON 20 A Little Pain

MARGO PRICE

21 Cry Pretty

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

22 Rich

MAREN MORRIS

23 Woman, Amen

DIERKS BENTLEY

24 Wildflower Bruises

HOMEGROWN

25 Mr Jukebox

JOSHUA HEDLEY

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

CHECKED OPEN ROAD/ABC LOST HIGHWAY THIRD MAN EMI SONY EMI INDIE THIRD MAN

48 Drive ‘Til The Wheels Fall Off KIRSTY LEE AKERS 49 Calamity

JAYNE DENHAM

50 Broke & Single

ARNA GEORGIA C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

INDIE CHECKED

CHECKED CHECKED INDIE 59

BUSH BALLADS

WALTZING IN WINTON

BY PETER COAD OAM WWW.BUSHBALLADEERS.COM.AU

MORE THAN 7000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE INAUGURAL WINTON WAY OUT WEST FESTIVAL IN WESTERN QUEENSLAND AND THE SCENE WAS SET FOR A TOP WEEKEND.

W

inton’s attractions include the Dinosaur footsteps at Larks Quarry and being the inspiration for Banjo Paterson’s composition Waltzing Matilda. The heart and soul of this festival weekend was staged around the opening of the newly rebuilt Waltzing Matilda Centre and unveiling the statue of Australia’s iconic Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson.

Entertainment showcased a star-clad line-up delivering many musical genres, but Banjo’s unique style of character writing was well represented with hardcore bush ballad performances from a selection of Australia’s finest ballad story tellers which included John Williamson, Dean Perrett, Jeff Brown and Peter Pratt along with the ever popular writer of topical Australian verse Gary Fogarty.

THE A.B.B.A FRANK IFIELD FUNDRAISING CONCERT The fundraising target for the Frank Ifield Bronze Bust is close with a concert to be held during this year’s Hats Off To Country at Southgate Inn, Tamworth on Saturday, July 14 at 10am. The fundraising concert will feature Lyn & Phil Manning, Greg Bain, Patti Morgan, Graeme Doubleday, Tom Manning, Tom Chesterfield, Big Al with Lorraine Pfitzner as host. There is a donation of $10 at the door. All artists appearing are giving their time free-of-charge so all funds raised on the day goes to the Bronze Bust.

Dean Perrett, Jeff Brown and Peter Pratt

YELLOWBELLY COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL Held over the weekend of July 2 to 8 is the Yellowbelly festival at the St George Showgrounds in Qld. Artists appearing at this popular weekend this year are Jeff Brown, Keith Jamieson, Alisha Smith, Bec Hance, Pete Wilson, Gary Fogarty, Matt Manning, Bruce Lavender, Brian Letton, Dianne Lindsay, Peter Simpson, Kylie Castle, Caitlyn Jamieson, Ray Essery, and Johnny Greenwood. Camping is available at the showground.

ALBUM REVIEWS GRAHAM RODGER

RINGERS IN THE SKY AM0015 Once again Graham has recorded an album of bush ballads from the early days to what is happening today with this 13-track album which was produced by Michael Fix. It seems as though some of these songs take us into the 21st century such as Ringers In The Sky and Sons Of The Territory. I Am An Old Black Man is a duet with Col Hardy and is a very good track as well as Sunrise On The Katherine with the words of this song written by Ben Jacobs. Riding In The Bar is Joe Daley’s lyrics put to music by Graham. This is album #17 and s the best one he has released so far, I believe.

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BRUCE LAVENDER

COWBOY HEAVEN This is a very enjoyable CD by Bruce which has eight songs that he has penned plus covers which includes Norma O’Hara Murphy’s Lady And The Rose. Bruce’s songs Cowboy Heaven and My Sunny, Sunny Queensland are stand out tracks. The selection of songs seems to tell stories about places and people he knows including his dad. There is one interesting tune on this album I’ve Never Seen The Sea which made me think you can write a song about almost anything if you are a gifted song writer and what I have heard on this album I think he is. Produced, recorded and mixed by Bruce.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

D O W N M E M O RY L A N E

JOHANNA HEMARA

A NATURAL

YODELLER FROM THE START

BY LORRAINE PFITZNER OAM

THIS LADY’S STORY COMMENCES WAY BACK WHEN JOHANNA IRMA VALERIE SCHWARTZ WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 4, 1979 IN AUBURN, NSW.

S

he had a yodelling mum, Maria, who hailed from Austria, and a German dad, Hartwig.

They worked in variety shows around Sydney for several years; Maria performing in a band called the Austrian Trio, presenting traditional yodelling and German music. She was a great yodeller and released a yodelling album.

Johanna’s musical journey began long before she had reached double figures, having never learnt to sing or yodel … it just came naturally. As a little girl she would listen to her mother yodel and copied what she heard.

Sadly, her parents parted when Johanna was only 12 months old. At the age of two, Johanna’s life changed when her mother met and later married a young Maori singer – Christopher Hemara.

They married in 1986 and he became a huge influence on Johanna’s life.

Christopher’s stage name was Cookie and as he was a well-established entertainer, he would take his little girl along to shows, where she began learning all about the entertainment business.

When Johanna was only five, Christopher and Maria recognised she could not only sing, but much to their surprise, yodel, extremely well.

As a six-year-old Johanna started performing on Cookie’s shows as his special guest, and crowd were amazed of how well this tiny tot could sing and yodel.

At the age of eight, Johanna recorded her first album, Johanna’s Music Box. Most of the songs were written by Cookie, with a little help from Johanna.

Johanna, her mother, Cookie and her little brother gained their first regular spot on the Bill Kelly Show with years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

the Johanna Hemara Family Show.

Johanna was selected to perform on TV talent show, Star Search, in 1990, where she won eight weeks consecutively and broke new ground by being the first yodeller to gain a spot in the grand final.

In 1990 Johanna returned to the recording studio to put down an EP, Nobody’s Child. She also recorded two songs with Kiwi singer Eddie Low – Don’t Cry Joni and Daddy Won’t You Pick Me Up. Johanna and Eddie went on to present many shows together.

They became so popular a fan club was formed, with members proudly sporting ‘Johanna Hemara and Eddie Low Fan Club’ shirts.

Having fitted so much into her first 13 years, and with the support of her parents, Johanna decided to take a break from performing to concentrate on her schooling.

As time progressed, Johanna met her builder husband Luke Vitalone, the love of her life, and they began their family with the birth of Bianca in 1997 and son Cody in 2000.

Johanna returned to the stage

in her early 20s, performing in cabaret club talent quests.

She was signed by a booking agency and started doing her own cabaret show on the Sydney club circuit.

Sadly, Cookie passed away in 2003 and never got to see Johanna perform her cabaret shows, but he did get to see her win a major talent grand final two weeks before he died.

In 2007, Johanna was booked to perform her first corporate show for P&O Australia.

It was here she came to the attention of Grayboy Entertainment, the major booking agency for all cruise lines.

Johanna is now one of the top female headliners for P&O Australia, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Cunard Cruise Lines, spending much of her time travelling the world performing on the ocean waves.

Success continued for Johanna in 2008 when she was awarded the title of Australian Yodelling Champion.

Having relocated with her family to Tamworth in 2015, Johanna now spends time touring the world and thrilling audiences, both on and off dry land.

Her CD, Starting Over, earned Johanna the 2010 Frank Ifield International Spur Award as well as a finalist berth in the 2010 Golden Saddle Awards.

Johanna is a versatile singer and can wrap her vocal cords around a ballad, rock, country classic or a Swiss yodel with equal skill and vivacity.

Johanna’s recently released CD, What A Wonderful World, has three great yodelling songs – Cry Baby Blues, Arizona Yodeller and He Taught Me To Yodel and her version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and What A Wonderful World.

The very popular New Zealand song, Pokarekare Ana is another standout track along with Jolene and Help Me Make It Through The Night.

C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

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W RITING GRE AT SONGS

WRITING FROM

THE HEART

BY A L L A N CA S W E L L

WHAT FOLLOWS MAY BE SEEN AS “A BIT NEW AGE” OR THAT I HAVE REGRESSED TO THE HIPPIE VALUES OF MY YOUTH BUT THIS MONTH’S COLUMN IS ABOUT FEELING THE SONGS, RATHER THAN THINKING THEM WHEN YOU WRITE.

I

have been lulled into a possibly false sense of security by a recent songwriting workshop I ran, where everyone “got”, if not accepted, the concept.

A lot of the songs that you hear that don’t grab you are the solid, stodgy, paint by numbers things that are written to a formula, a mechanised groove or an industry template. The ones that you love are often songs that break with the current fashion and stand out from the pack. They are the songs that touch your heart. Breaking news … that’s where they came from in the first place.

LET THE SONG TELL YOU WHERE IT WANTS TO GO Discipline and form are important in the structure of a song but they are not a straightjacket you still have heaps of room to move. I almost never plan a song. I start with an idea or concept and play with it until I get my hook (usually, but not always the title) then try to build a few lines around it. This is sometimes a chorus and sometimes a verse … it doesn’t matter.

The trick is to start singing it over and over again until the song tells you where it wants to go next. Lyrics are meant to be sung not read …. When you sing them the heart kicks in. I have a habit of “tearing up” when

a line gets to me. This can be embarrassing but my regular cowriters understand that it is just coming from a different place.

Singing your lyrics right from the start creates that lovely seamless connection between words and music that makes the listener feel comfortable … if your song construction is edgy and ugly; it is difficult to get the listener involved in your song.

I can always pick when a song has been written line one, then line two then line three etcetera. It sounds that way. As an experiment, try starting the song somewhere in the middle and let the song lead you. Don’t worry if it is not “what the industry is looking for” or “no way, we already have a ballad for the album”. If the song doesn’t “fit your image” you don’t have to

record it … although I usually do. No song is wasted. Neither is the effort it took to write it.

A song written from the heart instead of your head will teach you so much about yourself as a writer.

TOUCHING PEOPLE If you don’t move the listener … to laugh, cry, dance, think or get angry … I’m afraid you have failed the song. Stage one in touching people is being moved yourself. Some great Australian songwriters like Graeme Connors and Pat Drummond often write as the observer and describe the action beautifully from the sidelines. When I am writing songs, I take on a more “method acting” approach … I try to become the character and write the song from his or her perspective. The greatest thrill a songwriter can have … outside a Grammy or maybe a Golden Guitar … is to have someone say, “you could have written that about me”. That’s when you know the song works.

WRITING HITS The one thing all great songs have in common is a great hook and an ability to touch people.

Letting “the business” dictate where you go as a writer is both foolish and ineffective. If your originality holds you back in this “me too” little industry, think of Dylan, Hank Williams, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Loretta Lynn or Woody Guthrie. Each, in their own way changed music forever by ploughing their own furrow, not playing the game and writing from the heart.

See you next month … maybe.

If you have a question regarding any aspects of song writing or are interested in my “one on one” private song writing coaching service (based in the Blue Mountains) contact me at allan@allancaswell.com

ALLAN CASWELL SONGWRITING SCHOOL For information about future workshops: 0419 218 988, allan@allancaswell.com

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

COMINGEVENTS JUNE 2018 1 Pioneer Valley CMF Fundraiser | Kuttabul Hotel | Qld | Time: 6pm | Facebook.com/pioneervalleycmf 1-3 NZ Gold Guitar Awards | Gore | NZ 1-11 40th SA CMF & Awards | Barmera | SA | T: 08 8588 2289 | E: vic@barmeratourism.com.au | riverlandcountrymusic.com 4-10 Kenmore Park CM Muster | Wide Bay Highway via Gympie | Qld 8-10 The Barunga Festival | Katherine | NT | barungafestival.com.au 7-10 CMA Music Festival | Nashville | USA | cmaworld.com/cma-music-festival 7-11 Henry Lawson Festival | Grenfell | NSW | henrylawsonfestival.com.au 8-11 10th Perisher Peak Festival | Perisher Valley | NSW | T: 1300 811 324 | W: peakfestival.com.au 14-17 Corowa RSL Club Annual CM Round Up | corowarsl.com.au JULY 2018 2-8 Yellowbelly CMF | St George Showground | Qld | Featuring Jeff Brown, Johnny Greenwood, Bec Hance, Pete Wilson, Matt Manning, Ray Essery, Kylie Castle, Jammo, Alisha Smith, Gary Fogarty, Tony McKenna, Michael Clare, Dianne Lindsay and Peter Simpson | Thursday night dance | Facilities include showers, toilets, power first in best dressed, walk-ups, food, hospital close by, motels, shops, van parks | Contact Keith Jamieson M: 0427 731 088 10-12 Big Red Bash | Birdsville | Simpson Desert | Qld | Featuring Adam Brand, Busby Marou, Russell Morris, Travis Collins, The Wolfe Brothers, Amber Lawrence | W: bigredbash.com 12-15 Toyota Hats Off To Country | Tamworth | NSW | T: 0407 10 69 66 | E: info@hatsofftocountry.com | W: hatsofftocountry.com | CMAA Junior Academy, DAG Retreat, ABBA Fundraiser, TSA All Day concerts, CCMA Tribute Concert and many venues 12-15 Bello Winter Music Festival | Bellingen | NSW | W: bellowintermusic.com 10-15 Cunnamulla Poets and CM Muster | Featuring Chad Morgan, Gunbarrel Highwaymen, Gary Fogarty, Reg Poole OAM, Terry Gordon OAM, Owen Blundell, Brian Letton, Matt Manning, Alisha Smith, Caitlyn Jamieson, Ray Essery, Jammo and more | Facilities include all weather venue, food | Contact Keith Jamieson | M: 0427 731 088 or M: 0439 130 617 or Walk-ups M: 0419 577 650 13&14 21st Annual SCCMA CM Festival & Awards | Dapto LC | Dapto | NSW | Talent Quest Awards & Showcase | Entry closes June 29 | T: 02 4272 1029 | sccma.com.au | Club: T: 02 4261 1333 | Club: W: daptoleagues.com.au 27-29 Hughenden CMF | Diggers Entertainment Centre | Hughenden | Qld | Contact Cecily Paul | M: 0428 411 258 | E: cecilypaul@bigpond. com | hughendencountrymusic.com 27-29 Groundwater CMF | Broadbeach Alliance Ltd | Gold Coast | T: 07 5656 0100 | W: goundwatercmf.com AUGUST 2018 3-5 Lockington CMF | Lockington Community Hall | Vic | Big River Entertainment | T: 0408 597 307 | E: rozandcraig@bigpond.com | w: lockingtoncmf.com | Tickets: W: ticketebo.com.au/lockingtoncmf | Plenty of seating. Great dance floor. Snacks and meals available. A first class line up of entertainers all weekend including Craig Giles, Callum Gleeson, Annette & Kim, Kinta, Grant Luhrs, Johnny Shilo, Justuss Duo, Rikki, Country Horizon, Rupe Adams, Kerran Keats and others.

9-12 60th Mt Isa Rodeo | E: isarodeo@gmail.com | W: isarodeo.com.au 9-19 Sydney Guitar Festival | Various venues various artists | W: sydneyguitarfestival.com.au 11&12 Central Coast CMF | Contact Events Officer: Amelia Taylor | T: 02 4350 5130 | W: theentrance.org.au/whats-on/events 15-19 Gulf Country Frontier Days Festival | Gregory Downs | Qld | Alec & Amy Doomadgee | W: thegulfcountryfrontierdaysfestival.com.au 23-26 Gympie Music Muster | T: 07 5482 2099 | Ticket Inquiries/Sales 1300 438 849 | E: info@muster.com.au | W: muster.com.au 24-26 The Drover’s Camp | Camooweal | T: 07 4748 2022 | W: droverscamp.com.au 28-Sept 2 Phil & Chris Coad’s Traditional Aussie Muster | Wyper Park | Bundaberg | Qld | T: 0458 728 464 or 0419 603 371 | Facebook: philandchriscoadscountrymuster 31-Sept 2 7th Maleny Music Festival | Maleny Showgrounds | Qld | W: malenymusicfestival.com

DEBUT SELF-TITLED ALBUM BRAD COX OUT NOW LAKE HOUSE THE BEAUTIFUL NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO OUT N OW e: starmaker.com.au | w: starmaker.com.au | bradcoxofficial.com | years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

bradcoxofficial

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C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U N E 2 0 1 8

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018