Country Music Capital News - October 2018 Volume 43 No 10

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OCTOBER 2018 VOL. 43 NO.10

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MORGAN EVANS

THINGS THAT WE DRINK TO

DREW McALISTER PROJECT DRIVEN years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

CHRIS LANE IN THE FAST LANE

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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DROVER MUSIC PRESENTS

THE

Melissa

BAJRIC

SHOW TAMWORTH EDITION

WITH THE

LINDSAY WADDINGTON SHOW BAND

Capitol Theatre Tamworth 10am, Tuesday 22nd January 2019 Special Guests: Lindsay Waddington, Lloyd Back, Bob Easter, Donnie Soper, and Reg Poole Tickets $25 | Phone 02 6766 2028 Online: www.capitoltheatretamworth.com.au In Person Capitol Theatre Tamworth, The Big Golden Guitar or Ray Walsh House www.melissabajric.com

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

ORGAN ISED BY

HAIR DESIGN & MAKE UP

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F RO M T H E E D I T O R

ON THE RISE I CAN’T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I WAS THIS EXCITED ABOUT AN ARTIST THAN WITH MORGAN EVANS, OUR COVER STORY.

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ver the past 10 years or so, the Australianbased management team have created a path for Morgan to take the global challenge, and take it he has.

His debut US single, Kiss Somebody, achieved more than 43 million global streams, is ARIA certified Platinum and was Top 10 on the US Billboard Country Airplay Chart in August.

The Australian country music industry has long been calling out for “a new star” and whilst we have many truly great artists it’s that one artist we want to go forth and

make a mark on the world of music just as Olivia Newton-John and Keith Urban have.

It’s an honour to be the first Australian magazine to place Morgan on the cover with a story written

by Jeremy Dylan, son of Morgan’s manager the late Rob Potts.

Last month, The Industry Observer posted that according to Spotify, Australia ranks #3 among

most popular country music markets behind the US and Canada.

Keith Urban is Spotify’s most-streamed country artist born outside the US, followed

by Morgan, and then The Wolfe Brothers, Tori Forsyth, Casey Barnes, Missy Lancaster, and four other former Star Maker winners Kaylee Bell, Travis Collins, Sam McClymont with The McClymonts and Rachael Fahim are all breaking through.

We will all benefit from such positive messaging and it’s good to see the people catching on to what we already know.

I trust you enjoy the rest of the great stories we have for you this month and from November through to January we look forward to bringing you all the news from the Country Music Capital as we prepare for the 47th Toyota Country Music Festival – Tamworth.

Take care out there Cheryl

JUDAH KELLY

THE NEW ALBUM

REAL GOOD TIME

FEATURING THE RADIO SINGLE & TITLE TRACK REAL GOOD TIME OUT OCTOBER 5

TOUR DATES: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5TH - Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane with special guests Homegrown SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6TH - Racehorse Hotel, Ipswich with special guests Homegrown THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18TH - The Brass Monkey, Cronulla FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19TH - The Bridge Hotel, Rozelle with special guests Homegrown SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH - The Boom Room, Rooty Hill RSL with special guests Homegrown THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH - Memo Music Hall, St Kilda with special guests Homegrown FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH - Workers Club, Geelong with special guests Homegrown SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH - Townsville Rock Fest Gone Country, Townsville TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: www.judahkellymusic.com/shows 6

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OCTO BE R 2018 FEATURES 10 JUDAH KELLY 16 DREW McALISTER 18 CATHERINE McGRATH 20 CHRIS LANE 22 MICHELLE WALKER 24 BEN RANSOM 26 VALE KEVIN KNAPP 37 TAMWORTH STRIKES A CHORD 40 MORGAN EVANS

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, Brad Cox, CMA, CMAA, Dan Biddle, David Dawson, Dobe Newton, Garry Coxhead, Jon Wolfe, Lorraine Pfitzner, Peter Coad, Susan Jarvis, Tom Inglis, and our great mates in publicity and record companies nationally and internationally.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrew Pearson, Robin Reidy, Terry Wyatt and to our many suppliers.

REGULARS NEWS NASHVILLE NEWS TOYOTA STAR MAKER UPDATE LIVE CM SCENE CMAA UPDATE HEAR & THERE ONE TO WATCH EMILY JOY

TRC TEAM Jess Fitzsimmons, Karlee Cole, Eleanor Turnbull.

CMAA UPDATE

ART AND DESIGN Sam Woods

FESTIVALS

NEXT DEADLINE: November: October 10, 2018

SOUND ADVICE 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

RANDY HOUSER

ADDS TOUR DATES

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S country music star Randy Houser’s East Coast tour completely sold out within an hour of tickets going on sale.

He has since announced a Sydney venue upgrade from the Oxford Art Factory to the Enmore Theatre on Thursday, December 13 and added a second Melbourne show on Sunday, December 16 at the Forum, on what is his debut Australian headline tour this December.

Earlier this year, Randy performed at CMC Rocks Qld. The star has four studio albums, and will release Magnolia on November 2 through BMG.

KAYLEE BELL WINS UNSIGNED ONLY INTERNATIONAL

GETTING CLOSER WRITTEN BY KAYLEE BELL, TOGETHER WITH MORGAN EVANS, HAS WON THE INTERNATIONAL UNSIGNED ONLY BEST COUNTRY SONG.

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he song has over 1.5 million Spotify plays and continues to be recognised on an international level.

Kaylee previously won the Unsigned Only Grand Prize in 2015 for Pieces written with Jared Porter and is set to release new music shortly, after working with producer Lindsay Rimes in Nashville.

NEW INDUSTRY CODE

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he leading organisations representing the Australian entertainment industry have released industry codes to prevent workplace discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and bullying.

Live Performance Australia (LPA) and Screen Producers Australia (SPA) released mirror codes that took effect from September 3.

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) worked closely with Live Performance Australia and Screen Producers Australia in developing the industry codes. They will be accompanied by education campaigns and industry training.

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MEAA chief executive Paul Murphy said; “These changes are necessary to ensure that everyone in the industry gets the message about making our workplaces safe and inclusive for all.”

The Code will cover commercial and independent producers, promoters, performing arts companies, all venues from stadiums to regional music clubs, festivals,

ticketing firms, exhibition companies and technical suppliers, of all sizes.

The Code is not and does not seek to be a binding legal document. It is not incorporated as a term of any contract and creates no rights enforceable by a worker against an employer. It is not intended to be legal advice, so it is encouraged that organisations confirm the legal requirements that apply to their own organisation before putting the code in practice.

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PHOTO: BEV MOSER

52ND ANNUAL CMA NOMINEES THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION HAS ANNOUNCED THE FINAL NOMINEES FOR THE 52ND ANNUAL CMA AWARDS.

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of the Year, bringing her total career nominations to 47.

Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay and Sugarland appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, live from Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, Bryan’s new restaurant and bar in downtown Nashville, to reveal six of the 12 categories. Dan + Shay and Sugarland announced the remaining six categories in addition to the CMA Broadcast Awards nominees. Go to www.cmaworld. com for a full list of nominees.

The 2018 CMA Awards will be hosted for the 11th time by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, November 14.

DUSTIN LYNCH NEWEST OPRY MEMBER

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ountry star Dustin Lynch has been invited to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry following a surprise invitation on August 21 by Opry member Trace Adkins during Lynch’s performance.

“Cowboys And Angels was the very first song I got to play on the Grand Ole Opry – March 2, 2012 – I’ll never forget that day. I wanna say mum and dad, thank you so much. I’m glad you came tonight. We have so much to celebrate. I’m gonna attempt to sing a song with a frog in my throat and tears in my eyes.” years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

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Luke Bryan, Sugarland’s Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles, and Dan + Shay’s Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney at Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink in Downtown Nashville

hris Stapleton topping the list of finalists with five nominations from his album From A Room: Volume 2, adding to his previous 11 nominations and seven wins.

Producer and musician Dann Huff received four nominations including for Musician of the Year and for his behind-the-scenes work with multiple artists (Midland, Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett), the second most nominations this year, while nine artists garner three each— Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Janson, Miranda Lambert, Midland, Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban.

Miranda Lambert is not only the most-awarded female in CMA Awards history with 13 total wins, but she’s also the reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, earning her 12th consecutive nomination in the category this year. Miranda collects two nominations with her Jason Aldean collaboration Drowns The Whiskey for Single of the Year, along with producer Michael Knox and mix engineer Jeff Braun, as well as for Musical Event

NASHVILLE NEWS

A friend to the Opry over the years, Lynch has stepped into the six-foot circle on the Opry’s centre stage numerous times as he’s released three Top 5 albums and five consecutive #1 singles, earning Platinum level certifications. He is set to be formally inducted as an Opry member on Sept. 18.

he 2019 International Country Music Conference will be held from Thursday May 30 through to June 1.

The conference will be held at Belmont University overlooking Music Row and Downtown Nashville. Proposals for ICMC 2019 should include a title, abstract, and your institutional affiliation can be sent to James Akenson’s email jakenson@tntech.edu and should reach him prior to the official Friday, October 26 deadline.

Registration is $200US with plentiful food at breakfasts and luncheons.

Accommodation is recommended at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt and reservations should be made by April 29, 2019.

An example proposal is from friend of the ICMC Tim Dodge with I’ll Be Locked Here In This Cell ‘Til My Body’s Just A Shell: Hank Williams On Crime And Punishment. Dodge states that “crime and punishment” has been a frequent theme in country music throughout its recorded history with examples ranging from Darby and Tarlton’s Birmingham Jail and Columbus Stockade Blues in 1927 to Blake Shelton’s Ol ’ Red. Hank Williams approached the topic from several angles and, as always, managed to convey the very human pathos of the experience.

Dodge will analyse Hank Williams’ ruminations on the prison experience itself and the high price to be paid for crime or sin in songs like My Son Calls Another Man Daddy and the aforementioned I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow or less severely, perhaps, in Lost Highway.

Dodge, of Auburn University, is engaging, interesting, energetic, and insightful and is one of some 45 presenters attending. Go to www.internationalcountrymusic. org for more information.

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THINGS THAT WE DRINK TO

BY JEREMY DYLAN

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n stage, he radiates open and friendly charisma. He’s full of passion but makes it seem effortless. His songs celebrate the moments worth raising a glass to, in celebration or consolation, but for each ‘thing that he drinks to’, there’s a lifetime of pursuit and dedication leading his path there.

“I don’t think I really fully committed to music until I was about 25,” Morgan recalls. Now in his early 30s, the commitment is total. He’s just made history by becoming the first Australian to take a self-penned debut single to #1 on the US country charts (Kiss Somebody), he calls Nashville home and he’s spent almost every day of the last three years rehearsing, performing, co-writing or recording the songs that have become his album Things That We Drink To. Twenty years ago Morgan played music on stage for the

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MORGAN EVANS WORKS FOR IT. FROM A RELENTLESS TOURING AND PROMO SCHEDULE THAT WOULD EXHAUST THE MOST DEDICATED ROAD WARRIOR, TO THE COMPLEX ONE-MAN-BAND LOOP SETUP HE PLAYS LIVE WITH, TO HIS CONSTANT PERFECTING OF HIS SONGWRITING CRAFT. first time, at Warners Bay High School in his home town of Newcastle, backed by his brother and best mate. “We played my first ever song that I’d written all the way through… a horrendous song…. and a Grinspoon cover.”

Newcastle still has its stamp on Morgan. ‘I grew up in a working town’ he once sang, and his indelible work ethic can be traced back to his upbringing, as can his initial reticence to claim making music as his sole vocation.

“I always had backup plans. I think that was a result of growing up in a working class family in the quintessential working class town. And honestly I think that’s why I was never great, because I never gave my whole self to it.”

Morgan’s early career came in fits and starts, with some promising successes but also many unrewarding detours. A few trips to Nashville had struck a spark in Morgan’s soul, and eventually the time came when he forced himself to go all in.

“That moment came after a lot of living and a lot of failing and a lot of doing well and tripping and kind of doing well and then tripping… I took my first real job in Sydney and it was three months working at a company that programmed background music for McDonalds. When I quit that I knew I quit that to do music for real, no backup plan and that was a turning point for sure.”

Morgan began making frequent trips to Nashville, building friendships and mutual respect amongst other songwriters and musicians, forcing himself to rise to their level. These trips yielded some impressive songs, and

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strong recordings that were well received back in Australia.

Yet Morgan still felt just short of being a true part of the Music City community.

“I was going back and forth for three years, to the point where I was like 40/50% of my time was spent there, but people don’t take you seriously. I’d be there for three months and people would be expecting me to leave tomorrow and I would say ‘no, no, I’m here, I’m here, I’m committed’, but unless you’re living there, you’re not, you can’t be.”

Eventually the choice was clear – if he wanted to realise the dream he’d staked his life on, he would have to uproot

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himself, leave the only home he’d ever known and move to Nashville. It was a make or break moment, and it wasn’t clear straight away that he’d made the right decision.

“It was way harder and way scarier than I thought it was going to be before I did it. When you’re on a writing trip, there’s always a feeling of “oh yeah, this is hard, no one wants to work with me, no

one’s calling me back; I’m sitting here in this AirBnB by myself… but it’s cool, I’ll be home in a couple of weeks and I get to go play music at home and hang out with my family.” And then when you move, you don’t have that anymore so it’s kind of even scarier.

“You wonder ‘is this my entire life, this empty AirBnB with no one calling me back?’ and there was two years of that. I feel like that’s the time that you work out ‘who am I?’, ‘how am I going to do this, do I really want to do this?’.”

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“IT WAS LIKE A WHOLE NEW LEASE ON LIFE AFTER THAT, DURING THAT PERIOD, THAT LED TO ALL THE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS THAT STARTED UP AFTER THAT. LIKE WHEN I MET CHRIS AND ASHLEY AND KELSEA AND ALL THAT, IT ALL HAPPENED IN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.”

The isolation of those first two years pushed Morgan into new levels of self-reliance, honing his chops as a guitarist and buying an Australian-made Maton guitar. He also purchased what he thought would be a handy songwriting tool – a loop station.

Imagine a band. The drummer lays down the beat, the rhythm guitarist slashes out the chords, the lead guitarist fills in the colour and the bass player holds the groove together.

Now imagine all these parts played by one person, recording short snippets of each on

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an acoustic guitar with the aid of some effects, and playing them all back at once. This is how Morgan Evans plays a show.

Realising he wasn’t going to be able to recreate the chemistry of playing with his brother and long term friends with hired guns in Nashville, Morgan used the loop station to create his own band.

Buying the guitar and loop station were the downbeat on a whole new chapter in Morgan’s life and career. After years of struggle and paying his dues, the way forward began to seem clearer, and the barriers began to fall.

“It was like a whole new lease on life after that, during that period, that led to all the great relationships that started up after that. Like when I met Chris and Ashley and Kelsea and all that, it all happened in the next four months.”

Kelsea of course being his wife Kelsea Ballerini – subject of songs like American, I Do and the full-throated ballad Dance With Me on which she also sings a beautiful harmony.

Their romance has been welldocumented elsewhere, so we will leave it unremarked upon for the rest of this piece.

Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley were already seasoned hit makers when they met Morgan.

Their names populate the credits of albums by artists like Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean. This made them exactly the kind of in-demand star songwriters a fly-in from Australia would struggle to connect with.

So it is fitting that they were visiting Australia for an APRA songwriting camp when Morgan happened to be back in the country around Christmas 2015.

Put together for a session, there was instant artistic chemistry.

“I remember calling Rob and Kerry after that session and

saying “This is the start of something, this is easily the most fun I’ve ever had making music.”

It’s worth pausing at this point to mention that Rob Potts and Kerry Roberts were Morgan’s managers since 2007, tireless believers and advocates for Morgan’s talent.

Rob was also my father, and during many trips to Nashville I saw him bring countless industry figures to the threshold of belief with Morgan, people who knew that he didn’t speak of talent and potential the way he did of Morgan’s frivolously. Of course, once they turned their eyes in Morgan’s direction, they would invariably become believers themselves.

Soon after their first meeting in Australia, Chris DeStefano become another fierce advocate for Morgan, connecting him with other hit songwriters and as a deft producer, helping him build the tracks that would become Morgan’s US debut album. After a productive session with co-writer Josh Osborne, Chris remarked over a casual drink ‘I think we got one today’. The song they had just written was called Kiss Somebody.

Having a hit country single in America is a whole thing.

You have to have the perfect song, released at the right time, burn plenty of shoe leather visiting radio stations all around the country and touring like mad to win those fans who will call up to request the song from their local DJ. It takes a while too. All this, to say the first place he really felt Kiss Somebody impacting was back in Australia. In a situation that put him in a category with Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt and basically no one else, Aussie pop radio had been spinning the track and it was racing up the charts.

“People were sending me screenshots of hearing it on the radio and then we played a New Year’s Eve show in Rockhampton – that was crazy. I stopped playing and everyone started singing instantly, it was awesome!” said Morgan.

It was a special moment, notable for the fact that Morgan stopped to take it in, something he admits to not always being great at doing.

“I feel like I spend so much energy thinking about a show, thinking about how awesome I can make it and then when I’m up there I’m thinking about how awesome I can make that moment and then when I get off, I’m wondering how I can make the next show better than that show. So I’ve been trying lately to stop and actually take a moment to take those moments in.”

Morgan’s songs are often attempts to capture moments, to draw a picture that speaks to something far beyond the surface metaphors. Day Drunk is really about the moment in a growing romance where the pleasures of the mundane become as precious as a night on the town, American how love can transform distant iconography into passionate reality, Kiss Somebody how the only way to move on from a broken, closed down heart is to risk opening it up again.

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“GONNA RAISE UP A TALL GLASS TONIGHT AS WE LOOK BACK BACK ON ALL THE LIFE THAT WE LIVED THROUGH THE THINGS THAT WE DRINK TO”

On the morning of October 27 last year, I made the hardest phone call of my life.

Morgan was in Memphis, about to head to a radio interview, when I called to tell him that my father, his manager Rob Potts, had been killed in a motorcycle accident.

He was the first person I called, less than an hour after I was told.

Almost a month later, on November 21, I gathered people together in Nashville at one of dad’s favourite bars to remember him, for some speeches and a few toasts. Earlier that day, Morgan was sitting in a room with Chris DeStefano and Josh Osborne, trying to write a song. They emerged with Things That We Drink To. “That was a tough day. There was obviously nothing else we were going to be writing about… Chris started playing a beat and I started singing that chorus melody straight away…and the title came. It’s like a toast to everything good, everything bad, and everything woulda-shoulda-coulda. Those guys, more than any other combination of writers, they bring the best out of me as a communicator and a writer. Things That We Drink To is the perfect example of that.

“I literally couldn’t speak that night, at the memorial. I wanted to, I had a speech written and I couldn’t, I couldn’t even do it, I just stood there.”

There was nothing Morgan could’ve said in a speech that isn’t captured elegantly in the song, as just a tribute as my father could have wished for.

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A little over a month ago, I touched down at Nashville airport and returned a missed phone call. It was an invitation to head to a Mexican restaurant and bar where celebrations were underway. Morgan Evans had the #1 country song in the United States of America.

For Morgan, the preceding week had been hell.

“I just had no control over it.

I’ve always thought “okay, what’s the outcome that I want, how hard do I have to work or how smart do I have to be, what do I

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have to do to make it happen?” It’s just totally out of your hands, you have to rely on people playing the song more than any other song and people buying the song and all that.”

That didn’t stop the payoff of topping the charts being a truly magical moment.

“I feel like that was a big pay off for everyone who believed in me. It was the first time in my life, and career life, that I’ve been able to actually stop and it wasn’t just the start of the next thing. When you move to Nashville, huge moment, but it’s the start of the next thing. When you sign a record deal, huge moment, but it’s the start of the next thing. “When you finish the record, huge moment, when you put a single out, huge moment, but it’s the start of the next thing. But when you have a #1 song, that song is a #1 song forever.”

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BY SUSAN JARVIS

FOR AN EXHILARATING FEW WEEKS IN 2017, JUDAH KELLY WAS A NATIONAL HERO – HIS NAME WAS ON EVERYONE’S LIPS AS THE WINNER OF THE VOICE, WHO EPITOMISED WHAT THE SHOW WAS ALL ABOUT. KING JUDAH REIGNED SUPREME.

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debut album was quickly rushed out, Judah hit the charts, and even more glory and publicity ensued.

But Judah has been in the music business for long enough to realise that that bright flash of fame was never going to be sustainable, and that it needed to be seen for what it was – an opportunity.

“I always knew the attention surrounding The Voice would dissipate pretty quickly, but I didn’t enter for the fame and glory. I saw it as a chance to gain a foothold, from which I could build a career,” Judah said.

“It’s really what I expected – much quieter, because I’m not currently on TV. I always knew it would go that way.

“But the result of winning is that I’ve been given huge opportunities that I never had before. People have heard my name, and so they’re willing to come and listen to my music, and buy my albums.

Judah released his self-titled debut album within weeks of winning the TV show, but he says he had very little control over the songs or the sound.

“I was pretty happy with it – largely because it was produced by Matt Fell – but I didn’t have much say in what happened,” he said.

So when it came time for Judah to think about his second album, he decided things should be very different.

“I really wanted to put the time into working out what sound I was after, and choosing the right songs – songs that would really connect with who I am, and that I could do justice to,” he said.

The album, Real Good Time, has just been released, and Judah says he’s delighted with the result.

“I listened to hundreds of songs – and ran quite a few of them by Matt as well. I wasn’t looking for any particular sound, but they had to have that moment when I really felt a connection,” he said.

The album’s catchy title track has been chosen as the first single, mainly because it captures what Judah and his band does live on stage.

“I really wanted a song that was positive, up and that made people feel good,” he said.

But that song captures just one end of the emotional spectrum traversed by Real Good Time, which features 13 tracks ranging from funky to rocky to sensual.

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Don’t Kick Me When I’m Down is a drinking song with a difference, while Ain’t No Thing is a rocky, honky tonk gem.

Judah’s take on the Ian Moss classic Tucker ’s Daughter is absolutely stunning. He says he wanted to include an Australian rock classic, but didn’t just want to recreate the original.

“It was important to me to put my own stamp on it. I’ve slowed it down a bit, so that the lyric – which is just amazing – really comes to the fore. This is one of the great story songs,” Judah said.

Lyrics mean a lot to Judah, who describes his strength as being an interpreter of songs.

“It’s as if the songs are saying what I feel, and I really aim to bring out their depth and meaning. It’s something that’s getting better, and that I constantly work on doing,” he said.

However, Judah has also included a co-write on the album – and it is one of the standout tracks. He wrote Nothing Makes Sense with PJ Wolf (aka Thief), who had a big hand in Judah’s first album.

“I’m really proud of this song, and I’m hoping it will be the first of many,” he said.

The album features a couple of Chris Stapleton songs, including the title track and the rocky, uptempo Ain’t No Thing.

Two of the album’s finest tracks were penned by Kevin Bennett: the wonderful House On The Hill and the funky 2 Million Miles.

“I’ve always admired KB’s work, so it’s a real privilege to have included these songs,” he said.

Judah’s cover of Brian Eno’s I’ll Come Running is another example of taking a wellknown classic and giving it a new sound and style for today’s audiences.

Other great tracks on this album include the romantic Strangers Like Us and I Can’t Think, and another standout, Call It A Night, a slow, sensual ballad that reflects a different side of Judah.

“Making this album was such a pleasure.

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THE INTEPRETER

REIGNS

SUPREME

Working with Matt, and having a huge input into everything – from choosing the songs to selecting and working with the musicians, and even the editing,” Judah said.

“It was great to be able to put so much time into crafting an album I could be proud of.”

Now, with the album out, Judah’s mind is turning to touring.

He’s working with Adam Harvey, doing the support act for Adam’s shows and playing in his band.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

This month he’ll also set out on the first leg of his own tour, which he’s extremely excited about. It will give many of his fans, who’ve only seen their idol on television, performing on The Voice, a chance to experience him live, and to hear his new songs.

“I’m really keen to get out into the regional and rural areas where people my age don’t get a lot of entertainment. I’m willing to go where other artists don’t, where people get very little music and will really appreciate it,” he said.

Now signed to Universal Music, Judah says he’s really starting all over again – but with the benefit of the massive exposure The Voice gave him.

“For me, that was a priceless opportunity to really get in there, work hard and build a lasting career. I had no illusions that I’d move to LA, and be rich and famous overnight,” Judah said.

“I knew I’d need to seize the chances I’d been given and really run with them, and that’s what I’m doing.

“But it has changed everything for me, because now I have those opportunities to get out there, make music, sing my songs and perform on stage, and that’s a dream come true for me.”

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BY SUSAN JARVIS

W

ritten with Matt Scullion and Allan Caswell, the song really captures the spirit of Australia, celebrating the willingness of its people to pull together in the tough times.

So when Matt Scullion was looking for artists to help out on the song he’d written to help raise funds for the crippling drought currently affecting Australia, his mind immediately turned to Drew.

“For me, it was a no-brainer,” he said. “My family has a long history of working the land, and although I live in the city, I totally get the huge impact this drought is having – not just on the farmers, although they’re bearing the brunt of it, but also the flowon effects for us all. Everything gets harder.”

Matt’s powerful song, Shout The Land A Drink is a labour of love, featuring the talents of Matt as songwriter and performer, as well as Drew, Tania Kernaghan, Simply Bushed and some moving words from James Blundell – himself a farmer these days.

They’ve called themselves The Hay Balers.

“We’ve all done it for this really important cause, and so far it’s having quite an impact,” Drew said.

“The single went to #1 on the iTunes chart, then dropped off slightly and went back to the top.

And there are 250,000 singles going into every Caltex service station in the country.

A video was shot for the song

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DREW MCALISTER’S RECENT SINGLE AUSTRALIAN HEARTBEAT MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT HE REALLY GETS WHAT THIS COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE ARE ABOUT. “MY FAMILY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING THE LAND, AND ALTHOUGH I LIVE IN THE CITY, I TOTALLY GET THE HUGE IMPACT THIS DROUGHT IS HAVING – NOT JUST ON THE FARMERS...

BUT ALSO THE FLOWON EFFECTS FOR US ALL.”

at a property near Scone that’s severely drought affected, and CMC viewers are responding to it in droves.

The Hay Balers project is just one of many that Drew currently has on the boil, after releasing his stunning album Coming Your Way almost a year ago.

The first single from the album, the anthemic title track, hit #1 on the CMC chart, and received an overwhelming response from everyone who heard it. That was followed by the wonderful Australian Heartbeat, which proved just as popular.

Drew’s latest single, released to coincide with Father’s Day this year, is called Kissing A Girl Goodnight. Although he didn’t actually write the song, he says it expresses everything he feels about his family.

“When I heard the song I thought, ‘This is about my life – it’s me!’ I knew I had to record it,” he said.

Drew’s made the song even more his own on the video clip which features adorable daughters Jessica, 8, and Tilly, 6.

“They loved doing the clip, and now they’re hassling me to star in more videos. I’ve pointed out that it was a one-off,” he said.

Drew’s also been kept busy with the Mt Hunter Country Music Stampede, a new festival that he’s been organising which is now in its second year.

Held at the K-Ranch at Wollondilly near Camden, last year’s festival was organised in just 12 weeks, but this year Drew and his team have had the chance to develop it into a very appealing package.

The festival will take place from October 12 to 14, and camping’s available in the many horse stalls on the property, which houses a huge equestrian centre. Caravans and campervans are also welcome.

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It will feature the talents of Drew, Adam Brand, Adam Harvey, Christie Lamb and Jasmine Rae, as well as young newcomer Talisha Eade, who won the talent search at last year’s event.

This year’s talent search has a rich pool of prizes worth $10,000, including a trip to Nashville and a Maton guitar for the senior winner, and a place at the Junior Academy of Country Music for the junior winner.

“Organising this festival has given me a new appreciation for what goes into these events. I’ve performed at plenty, but this is very different – stuff comes up every day. Luckily I have Seleen McAlister (who’s no relation) working with me on it, and she’s amazing.”

Drew has a new concept planned for his Tamworth show in January 2019. He’ll be doing an acoustic show at West Tamworth League Club, featuring a bunch of the songwriters with whom he’s worked with over the years, and some video footage. It will be presented on the Tuesday of festival week.

He has recently been featured in CMC’s Songs & Stories series, talking about some of his new and more recent songs, and playing them live.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now, and it was a real thrill to do the show”, he said.

And after taking a 10-month break from songwriting to promote his album, perform and manage his raft of projects, Drew is also turning his mind to writing some songs again, with a view to recording a new album in 2017.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

PROJECT

DRIVEN years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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A KNIGHT TRUMPS

A PAIR OF CATHERINES “Don’t let me forget your hand in mine, the firefly drives the time I fell asleep and you carried me inside kissed my head and said goodnight when we were sparks, just the start our naive hearts had never felt that kinda fire that you and I were playing with.”

DON’T LET ME FORGET – CATHERINE MCGRATH/ FOREST GLEN WHITEHEAD/ADAM HAMBRICK

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

BY DAVID DAWSON

N

ovocastrian Catherine Britt was just 20 when she recorded a duet with Sir Elton on Where We Both Say Goodbye – a top 40 single.

But McGrath’s duet on her debut album Talk Of This Town was with another former child prodigy – Louisiana singing actor Hunter Hayes.

Catherine, just 21, promoted that duet Don’t Let Me Forget and her album on her September Australian tour with another Novocastrian Morgan Evans.

McGrath, raised on traditional music in the tiny Northern Ireland fishing village Rostrevor, was ideal duet partner for Hayes, now 27, whom she met at a Country 2 Country festival in England.

Octogenarian singing actor and movie director Robert Duvall, now 87, gave Hayes his first guitar at the age of six when he cast him in 1997 film The Apostle with Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Joe Shaver, Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson and the late June Carter Cash.

A year later he performed for former U.S. President Bill Clinton at a White House lawn party so he was a natural duet partner and actor in the video for the McGrath-Hayes single.

“So we actually shot it over in Nashville which was really cool,” revealed McGrath whose hometown inspired C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, and was a backdrop for several episodes of Game of Thrones.

“We filmed it in an old abandoned house which had

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

IT WAS A CASE OF DÉJÀ VU FOR IRISH SINGER-SONGWRITER CATHERINE McGRATH – SHE WAS DISCOVERED AS A TEENAGER BY SIR ELTON JOHN WHO ALSO NURTURED ANOTHER CATHERINE AS A TEEN. no electricity, no heating, half falling down and no sunshine so all the lights in the video were set up through a generator. It was crazy. It was so much fun. I sent him the song that I had written as a solo thing but we decided to do it as a duet. He was the first person I thought of as a duet partner so he sang and played guitar on it. I was so excited about that. The whole process was fun, we got to hang out on set and perform the song for the first time together.

I hadn’t seen him in person since before we recorded it because we recorded it separately so it was nice to be able to do it together then. I loved that.”

Catherine was just 18 when she wrote with expatriate Australian Phil Barton – frequent collaborator with Kirsty Lee Akers – and Liz Rose on her song Cinderella on the first of her eight trips to Nashville.

“It was a special moment for me as I went there on holidays and didn’t expect to

Catherine used a collage of hometown images of family and friends in her Talk Of This Town video.

“A lot of it was filmed in Ireland, me hanging out with my friends and family and some at shows in London,” she explained.

“It was my story so far.”

A complete contrast to Wild.

“I wrote that the day after the Coldplay concert,” revealed McGrath who filmed her video around iconic Nashville landmarks like Printers Alley.

“I remember I was feeling ruptured about the whole thing. The song worked out cool telling the story exactly how it was. I remember finishing the song and loving it but wishing I didn’t love it so much as I was going to hear it at every concert. It was the favourite for every one off the album so I’m glad we wrote it. I was so much fun filming in Nashville.”

McGrath is a huge fan of Evans and his singing spouse Kelsea Ballerini whom he met at CMC Rocks Queensland.

“I would love to write with Morgan over in Nashville,” McGrath revealed.

“IT WAS A SPECIAL MOMENT FOR ME AS I WENT THERE ON HOLIDAYS AND DIDN’T EXPECT TO GET A SONG OUT OF IT,” get a song out of it,” Catherine recalled.

“Phil is so nice; he was one of the first people to message me when he heard I was coming to Australia.”

Catherine wrote Dodged A Bullet – a love song replete with military metaphor – in Belfast with Irish musician Iain Archer.

“That was the last song we wrote for the album,” McGrath revealed.

“It was going to be a 12-track album and then I wrote that song. It described perfectly what I was going through at the time – this vulnerable moment. So we ended up making a 13-track album.”

Catherine wrote most of her album in Nashville with musicians diverse as producer Steve Robson, Lindy Robbins and Jeffrey Steele – co-founder of Boy Howdy.

They included autobiographical title track Talk Of This Town and Wild that was inspired by a chilly partner at a Coldplay concert.

“I opened for Kelsea at her first ever headline show in London. I hadn’t met Morgan at the time but she was so nice. She came offstage and put her arms around me. I’m really excited that Morgan asked me out on this tour. I love watching him live. He’s amazing, he’s so much fun.”

McGrath wants to return to Australia on a longer tour that would enable her to film videos with some of our wildlife and locales.

“I would love to do a video in Australia,” Catherine revealed.

“That would be a good reason to come back. There’s so many talented people here. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to go and probably the furthest I can get from home. I’m glad I can witness all this. I’m hoping to see some koalas and kangaroos at some point.”

Well, there’s Tamworth, CMC Rocks Queensland and Rostrevor’s sibling fishing village Port Fairy on Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast.

And, of course, she has Sir Elton as her co-manager.

Talk Of This Town was released by Warner Music on July 27.

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BY REBECCA BELT

IN THE

FAST LANE FATE HAD OTHER THINGS IN MIND FOR CHRIS LANE AS HE CHASED A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL CAREER, BUT EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, THEY SAY, AND THE SINGER-SONGWRITER IS NOW ONE OF THE HOTTEST PROPERTIES IN NASHVILLE.

I

t’s not an unusual story with numerous artists starting professional music careers after injury ended their chances of a sporting career. Although disappointed when his twin brother was drafted for a baseball career after college, Chris is hitting runs of his own, with his chart-topping album, Laps Around The Sun. His twin, Cory, didn’t chase the professional sporting career after all, and now joins Chris on stage every night as his drummer.

Australia can also claim a hand of fate in Chris Lane’s country music career with one of our biggest musical exports being his musical idol.

“I wanted to be just like Keith Urban,” Chris said. “He essentially inspired me to play guitar and it turned into all this, which I never would have dreamed in a million years.”

His other musical influences include Kenny Chesney who he said always puts relatable songs on his releases.

“His songs seem to be timeless and last forever and you can hear them 15 years later and still love them,” Chris said.

“I’m wanting my songs to be relatable and I want to achieve that same thing with this album.”

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Laps Around The Sun is the second solo album from Chris who is enjoying a new lease of energy in his live set with the songs having a fun, summery feel.

“Some songs are more progressive than others, but I want people to be able to listen to it at the beach,” he said.

The North Carolina native said he was still trying to figure out who he was on his debut album, Girl Problems, but two years on, he said Laps Around The Sun was the album he felt best represented him.

“It was a fun discovery for me to find out who I was as an artist and to know what sort of songs I wanted,” he said.

“Some people have a unique writing style that makes it easier to write the songs you want, so I stick with a small group including Josh Thompson, Rodney Clawson, Hillary Lindsey.”

Chris co-wrote the title track with Bobby Huff and Keith Ernest Smith.

“When I was in North Carolina and first starting out, I was writing by myself, but learned a lot when I moved to Nashville,” he said.

“And working with writers who have had 20 or 30 number ones is amazing. It is never easy, though; it’s a hard process.”

Although he didn’t pen Drunk People himself, he feels it is the most relatable song on the album.

“I feel like, generally, on the weekends when I play shows, I tend to drink a dangerous amount and I always wonder why I texted certain people, I think a lot of people share that same emotion,” he said.

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It’s the live shows he loves the most of being a professional artist.

“It’s amazing playing in front of a lot of people and helps spread your name,” he said.

Chris has learned from some of the best in the US, opening for acts of the ilk of Rascal Flatts, Florida Georgia Line, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw.

“I learned a lot from watching them on stage,” he said.

“I enjoyed it and they all have a common thing - they show personality and have fun and don’t think about it too much while on stage. That grounding has helped me grow as an artist and show personality on stage and relax on stage more than I used to.”

Although seeing himself primarily as an artist, he has often been described as a country heart-throb, a title that doesn’t sit comfortably with him.

“It makes me feel… well, I’m certainly very flattered, but I don’t know how to answer that question,” he laughed.

Australian fans can judge for themselves when he makes an appearance on our shores with Chris hinting at an early 2019 visit to Australia.

“I can’t wait to come there,” he said.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

“I’M WANTING MY SONGS TO BE RELATABLE AND I WANT TO ACHIEVE THAT SAME THING WITH THIS ALBUM.”

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PILLAR OF 24

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

STRENGTH

BY REBECCA BELT

MICHELLE WALKER’S NEW ALBUM, BACKBONE, IS A MIX OF SERIOUS SONGS, UPBEAT TRACKS AND EVEN A CHEEKY TUNE, GARNERING RADIO AIRPLAY CHART ACTION.

T

he North Queensland singer-songwriter said the lead song and title track represented who she was as a person, and had a girl

power theme.

“I’m just a hardworker, I get on with it and I’m a real person,” she said.

The associated film clip has hit a nerve with fans and is getting Michelle plenty of notice.

“The clip has had so much positive reaction,” she said.

“I can’t believe the number of people who’ve pulled me up on the street and said they loved the clip.”

Released on August 31, Backbone was recorded at Kross Kut Records with Lindsay Waddington in the producer’s chair and Michelle writing or co-writing all the songs.

She said working with musicians Lindsay Waddington, Lawrie Minson, Hugh Curtis, Russell Stork, Rob O’Sullivan, Gus Fenwick, Glenn Thomas, Michel Rose, and Tyson Colman was magic.

“They are first-class musicians and most of those have been on my previous albums,” Michelle said.

“It’s great to work with fabulous musicians because you know your songs are in good hands.”

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Prior to the album’s release, Michelle released Jack And Jillaroo, a co-write with Lindsay Waddington, and the moving duet with Tyson Colman, Couldn’t Live Without You, as an introduction to Backbone.

Like all artists, Michelle said it was difficult to choose her favourite tracks from the album, but there were a few that held a special place in her heart.

“The title track is definitely one of my favourites because it represents what we’re all about; the Australian way, hard workers, and real people with a bit of girl power in amongst it as well,” she said.

“I also love Phoenix because it represents a bit of a metamorphosis of me in the industry; I’ve developed from when I started to where I am now with performing and my confidence has grown.

“When I Take The Stage is another song like that because there is a lot of me in that song. It puts out that I may not be the best talker, but when I get on the stage I can live in the moment and put on a performance.

“And, the track, What I Love, is for everybody and just says that you should do what you love and do it well because you’re here for a good time, not a long time, so you might as well do what you love.”

A song that’s raising a few eyebrows and bringing smiles to audience members is the cheeky tune, She’s Got Class.

“I’ve always wanted to try my hand at a cheeky one and this is it,” Michelle said with a laugh.

“It’s a song about some of the girls who go out there thinking they’ve got to go out and have everything on display to get attention. It’s a cheeky dig at gold diggers, but it’s all really harmless and a fun track.”

The Tully artist said she’d been writing for about 13 years, resulting in four albums. Her musical styles and songwriting are influenced by the artists she grew up listening to and those she listens to now including John Williamson, Gina Jeffreys, Tania Kernaghan, Shania Twain, Troy Cassar-Daley, George Strait, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown Band, Angus Gill, and Chris Stapleton.

“Songwriting was something I’d always wanted to try when I was younger, but didn’t really start getting into the music scene seriously until my late teens,” Michelle said.

“I started singing then wanted to do more and more, so started writing. I love every aspect of country music: I’m as happy to sit at home writing for myself or other artists as being on stage performing or watching the process in the recording studio.”

Michelle said she loved the people involved in the country music industry from the other artists to the musicians to the fans.

“Everybody looks after each other,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter what capacity you are in, in the industry, everyone just gets along and festivals like Tamworth are like a big catch up. I played the Gympie Muster last year and it’s the same – there is an awesome crowd and everyone is there for good, clean fun.”

Michelle will now plan a few mini-tours in the year ahead to promote Backbone, performing music to work around her children.

Fans can also catch her performing at her 10th Tamworth Country Music Festival in January where she is part of the Kross Kut Records Showcase at the Capitol Theatre on Monday night.

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BY JON WOLFE

SYDNEY-BORN COUNTRY ROCKER BEN RANSOM STARTED PLAYING GUITAR AT AGE 15 AND SINCE THEN HE HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO A GREAT VARIETY OF MUSIC THAT HAS COLOURED HIS SINGING AND SONGWRITING.

H

e spent 1999 in the UK and Europe honing his skills and touring extensively before returning to Australia and in 2010 he released his first album, The Long Way, which allowed him to explore and display his passion for music. The single, Bourbon & Sunsets was a hit – peaking at #2 on the Hot Country Top 50 chart and featured strongly on CMC Top 50.

In 2012 Ben was a finalist in the Toyota Star Maker competition and released a second album, Slow Burn continuing to rate highly on the country music charts with singles like Big Country Sky, You’re On Top Of My To-Do List and Rob E.G Porter OAM (Daddy Cool, Rick Springfield, Hush, Marcia Hines) produced Somebody’s Baby.

Ben was presented with Male Rising Star at the 2016 Southern Star Awards in Mildura and more hits followed and then 2017 proved to be a watershed year for the country rocker who was the first artist signed to the new Country Rocks label.

“I’m absolutely stoked to be part of the Country Rocks family,” he said. “It’s knowing that I’m associated with a team that actually walks the walk! These guys are out there putting in the hard slog, which is why their passion for music and ethos of respect for the artists is so refreshing.”

Early in the year he performed daily in the main arena at the 2017 Sydney Royal Easter Show, supporting iconic artists such as James Blundell, Jon Stevens and 1927.

“I worked out it was 40 shows over two weeks in front of 20,000 people each night and it was just solo,” Ben said. “A daunting experience but I also learned a lot about performing.”

Ben finished the year with another top 10 hit, Let’s Go Driving, and January this year saw the release of his latest album 101.

“It was 18 months in the planning,” Ben

26

said, “and at that point it was all self-funded, so to have the product out after all that hard work, it really meant a lot.

“So if you want to know about myself and my music this is the place to start, it’s like a basic introduction. Everything I’ve taken in from music to this point has been channelled into this album. It’s like the basic introduction course to my music.”

There are 10 tracks on the album – eight of Ben’s own, a co-write with Allan Caswell (Heartland) and a cover of the 1980s Dragon hit Young Years.

A huge hit for Dragon, the song was co-written by Dragon member Alan Mansfield and Kiwi star Sharon O’Neill and when Sharon heard Ben’s version she was moved to offer to add vocals to the track.

“I have a huge respect for her as a songwriter and the song itself has a lot of personal meaning for me,” Ben said. “A mutual friend, Aly Cook, flicked Sharon the track and she loved it so much and got in contact.

“It was a surreal and amazing experience, to have the actual songwriters perform this with me and to do so on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Dragon recording. It was a truly special moment where the planets aligned, and allowed me to share my take on this classic song with some of the legends in the business.”

The song isn’t included on the album but available as a digital download at www.

BenRansomSharonONeill.lnk.to/YoungYears Another hallmark of the 101 album is the track Rock This Town & Roll as it features what is probably the last recording by the late, great guitarist Phil Emmanuel.

“About four weeks before he passed away we were talking about releasing the song and filming a video together – it’s a tragic loss to the music world.”

Ben is already thinking about songs for his next album which he says will have more of a collaborative songwriting focus.

“I want to try writing with other people,” he said.

Ben is currently touring on the back of 101 until the end of the year and plans to return for the 47th Tamworth Country Music Festival in January.

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

MAKING MOST OF

THE YOUNG YEARS

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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ENTER

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE STAR MAKER JOURNEY? DO YOU THINK YOU’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE 40TH TOYOTA STAR MAKER?

Entries open ENTRIES CLOSING 17 OCTOBER 2018 Details and entry form online at starmaker.com.au Conditions of entry online

AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY MUSIC’S 40TH ANNUAL SEARCH FOR A NEW STAR SUNDAY, 20 JANUARY 2019 • TOYOTA PARK • TAMWORTH NSW ENQUIRIES: T: 02 6767 5555 E: info@starmaker.com.au W: starmaker.com.au

40 YEARS OF WINNERS 1979-2018: Grand Junction • Tommy Miller • Leanne Douglas • Lee Kernaghan • The Vic Lanyon Band • Warren Derwent • Beccy Cole • Clint Beattie • Tanya Self • Darren Coggan • Lyn Bowtell • Kate Ballantyne • Brendon Walmsley • Kirsty Lee Akers • Talia Wittmann • Liam Brew • Luke Austen • Luke Dickens • Bob Corbett • Kaylee Bell • Jared Porter

ORG AN I SED BY

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CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF STAR MAKER PRESENTED BY TOYOTA

Wednesday, 23 January 2019 12noon – 3:30pm Doors open at 11:15am Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre Hosted by Nick Erby

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TOYOTA STAR MAKER UPDATE

FROM THE

TOP END

I’M WRITING FROM DARWIN IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY WHERE I’M SPENDING A FEW DAYS TO RESET.

B

ack in March, I blocked out this weekend to spend some time in one of my favourite parts of Australia and I’m glad I did.

It’s been such a hectic six months of touring and I’m so grateful for the shows we have been playing and the people turning up to them.

It’s a really exhausting way to live so spending a couple of days with my friends fishing and living

30

the top end life is a great escape.

I had fun playing at my first Gympie and it was cool to see what all the fuss was about.

Although we were only there for one night we had a great time and it was cool to catch up with all our friends in the industry as well as play the gig. Thanks to everyone involved.

From there we played in Brisbane which was also a pile of fun and a heap of people turned up to see us play.

Our Sydney launch was bigger than expected as well and it was a wicked night with lots of people who came to see some country music in the middle of the big smoke.

It was cool to have some people from the Star

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Maker crew make the effort to be there and I think we put on a good show.

The McClymonts, Brooke, Sam and Mollie (pictured), invited me to be a guest on a few dates of their tour and it was a blast. Great girls – thanks for letting me get in front of your crowds.

The next couple of weeks should be a little bit slower on the touring front, with some time in the studio and a trip to Nashville later in October, thanks to Chris Watson Travel and Star Maker.

I’ve been doing a little bit of work with TAB and Racing NSW for the Kozi Race held on Everest Day at Randwick Racecourse and re-worked one my songs which they are using to promote the race. It’s been fun working with the team.

I have a new set of wheels!!!

I picked up the new whip in Sydney last week and it’s beautiful. They sorted me out with a brand new Toyota Prado Kakadu and it’s as flash as Michael Jackson.

Huge thanks to Toyota for letting me travel in style after clocking up just over 52,000 kms in the Toyota Rav until now.

That’s about it for now, I’m off to catch some fish and get ready for a show in Katherine with the boys.

Hooroo 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.

ADAM TOMS NOVEMBER 10 Benalla Festival Vic

ALICE BENFER OCTOBER 12 Rush Festival, Gympie Qld

ANDREW SWIFT

ADAM BRAND

OCTOBER 5 Falcon Hotel, Kanyapella Vic (SOLD OUT) 6 5 Rivers Outback Festival, Balranald NSW 7 Creekside Hotel, Warracknabeal NSW 12 Raymond Terrace BC NSW 13 Mount Hunter Stampede NSW 14 Royal Hotel, Bungendore NSW 16 Churchill Hotel Vic 17 Mac’s Hotel, Melton Vic 18 Railway Hotel, Murchison Vic

OCTOBER 5 The Skylark Room, Upwey, Vic 8-10 Floriade Festival, Canberra ACT 14 Wenty Leagues Club, Wentworthville NSW 18 Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield NSW 20 Jayco Newcastle Camping Expo, Heatherbrae NSW 26 Noojee Hotel Vic 27 House Concert, Healseville Vic 28 Bunjil Place, Narre Warren Vic 31 The Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Vic NOVEMBER 2-4 Ballina CMF NSW 9 Mingara Recreation Club, Central Coast NSW 10 Shoal Bay Country Club, Shoal Bay NSW 17 The King Island Club Tas 23 Wests New Lambton, Newcastle NSW 24 Wenty Leagues Club, Wentworthville NSW DECEMBER 7 Commercial Hotel, South Morang Vic 14 Granada Tavern, Hobart Tas 15 Saloon Bar, Launceston Tas 16 Bridge Hotel, Forth Tas

ANGELA EASSON ADAM HARVEY

OCTOBER 12 Rooty Hill RSL Club, Sydney NSW 13 Mount Hunter Stampede NSW NOVEMBER 3 Murgon Music Muster Qld 9 Toowoomba City GC Qld 10 Kedron Wavell SC, Brisbane Qld 11 Dag Pub & Motel, D’Aguilar Qld 16 Halekulani BC, Budgewoi NSW 17 Lizottes, Newcastle NSW

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

OCTOBER 1-7 Mildura CMF Vic DECEMBER 1&2 The Royal Hotel, Gympie Qld

BEN RANSOM OCTOBER 13 Royal Mail Hotel, Braidwood NSW 14 Royal Hotel, Bungendore NSW NOVEMBER 17 Tullamore BC NSW 24&25 Tathra Hotel NSW

BECCY COLE

With Sara Storer, Libby O’Donovan and Kelly Brouhaha OCTOBER 4 West Augusta Football Club, Port August SA 6 Prairie Hotel, Parachilna SA* 12 Cotton Capital CM Muster, Wee Waa NSW 27 Clare Valley Country Muster, Ulmarra NSW NOVEMBER 9 Village Green, Mulgrave Vic 10 Mac’s Hotel, Melton Vic 16 Norwood Hotel SA 23 Club Sapphire, Merimbula NSW 24 The Oaks Hotel, Albion Park Rail NSW 25 Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW 30 Highfields Tavern, Toowoomba Qld DECEMBER 1 Southport RSL Qld 2 Hamilton Hotel, Brisbane Qld 6 Lizottes Newcastle, Lambton NSW 7 Coffs Harbour Ex SC NSW 8 Casino RSM NSW 9 Maclean BC NSW JANUARY 219 25 West Tamworth LC NSW

BEN RANSOM

OCTOBER 13 Royal Mail Hotel, Braidwood NSW 14 Royal Hotel, Bungendore NSW NOVEMBER 17 Tullamore BC NSW 24&25 Tathra Hotel NSW

BENNETT, BOWTELL & URQUHART

NOVEMBER 17 The Spotted Mallard, Melbourne Vic

BILLY BRIDGE OCTOBER 7-15 Cruisin Country 8 NOVEMBER 2-4 Ballina CMF NSW

BRAD COX

***Guest of The McClymonts OCTOBER 13 Everest Day, Randwick Race Course NSW NOVEMBER 218 10 Dunedoo Tunes On The Turf NSW 23 Wee Waa BC NSW*** 24 Lightning Ridge BC NSW*** DECEMBER 218 7 York On Lilydale, Mt Evelyn Vic *** 8 West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul Vic *** JANUARY 2019 25 Albert Hotel,Tamworth NSW

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LIVE MUSIC SCENE BRAD MARKS

OCTOBER 26 Panthers Port Macquarie NSW NOVEMBER 2 Dubbo RSL NSW 3 Tamworth Services Club NSW 16 Grafton District SC NSW DECEMBER 8 Crescent Head Country Club NSW 21 Port City BC, Port Macquarie NSW

CATHERINE BRITT & THE COLD COLD HEARTS

Guest Melody Moko NOVEMBER 3 Harmonie-German Club, Canberra ACT 16 Commercial Club, Albury NSW 17 Club Mulwala, Mulwala NSW 22 Coomealla Club, Dareton Vic 23 Pretoria Hotel, Mannum SA 24 Trinity Sessions, Adelaide SA 30 Noojee Pub Vic DECEMBER 1 Bundy Hall, Bundalaguah Vic JANUARY 23 The Longyard Hotel, Tamworth NSW

CHRISTIE LAMB

OCTOBER 12 K Ranch Arena, Mount Hunter NSW 13 The Colonial Hotel, Werrington NSW NOVEMBER 3 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

CLARE BOWEN

OCTOBER 2 Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW 3 The Tivoli, Brisbane Qld 5 Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne Vic

CONNIE KIS ANDERSEN

OCTOBER 25 Nambung Station Stay and B&B, Cervantes WA

DALE HOOPER

OCTOBER 14 South West Rocks Country Club NSW 28 Bathurst RSL Club NSW NOVEMBER 3 Johnny Cash CMF, Stanthorpe Showground Qld

HAYLEY JENSEN

OCTOBER 27 Rock Edge CMF, Biloela Qld NOVEMBER 10 Kick The Dust Up Festival, Goolabri, near Canberra NSW

DANA HASSALL

JAMES VAN COOPER

COMING HOME TOUR Guest Axle Whitehead OCTOBER 4 The Fyrefly, St Kilda Vic 5 Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Vic 19 The Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW

NOVEMBER 18 Wenty Leagues Club, Sydney NSW

DEAN PERRETT

OCTOBER 9 Radiance Of The Sea 26-28 Maryborough Equestrian Park Qld

DELLA HARRIS

NOVEMBER 3 Glenmaggie CMF Vic 4 Young & Jacksons, Melbourne Vic

DIANNE LINDSAY

OCTOBER 9 Cruisin Country 8 20 Kempsey Showground NSW NOVEMBER 25 Mona Vale RSL NSW

GARETH LEACH

*With Gretta Ziller OCTOBER 6 Kyabram House Concert* 14 Fat Goat, Upwey Vic

GRAEME CONNORS

OCTOBER 5 Lismore Workers Club NSW 6 CEX, Woolgoolga NSW 7 Lizottes, Newcastle NSW 8 17 Cruisin Country 8 18 Dubbo RSL Club, NSW 20 White Cliffs Community Hall NSW 21 Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club, Dareton NSW NOVEMBER 9 Giant Dwarf Theatre, Redfern NSW

GRETTA ZILLER

Guest of Adam Brand* With Andrew Swift** OCTOBER: 4 Floriade, Canberra ACT 5 Flacon Hotel, Kanyapella Vic* 6 The Creekside Hotel, Warracknabeal Vic* 13 Wirra Creek Music, Willunga SA 20-21 Patchewollock Music Festival Vic 26 The Noojee Pub Vic**

HAYLEY MARSTEN

OCTOBER 21 The Agrestic Grocer, Orange NSW 26 Willy Eds Music, Gladstone Qld 27 Saleyards Distillery, Rockhampton Qld 28 Captain Cook Holiday Village, 1770 Qld NOVEMBER 1 The Green Owl, Brisbane Qld

JASMINE RAE OCTOBER 12 Mount Hunter CM Stampede, Wollondilly NSW NOVEMBER 10 Kick The Dust Up Festival, Canberra ACT 17 Burra CMF SA

HEATH MILNER

OCTOBER 30 Murgon Music Muster Qld

HILLBILLY GOATS

OCTOBER 6 Central Hotel, Port Douglas Qld 9 Cruisin Country 8 20 Cootamundra Ex SC NSW 26 Wollongong Diggers NSW NOVEMBER 2 Stones Corner Hotel, Brisbane Qld 3 Cherry St Sports Club, Ballina NSW 4 Bearded Dragon, Mt Tamborine Qld 9 Airlie Beach Festival of Music Qld 15 The Leap Hotel, Mackay Qld 18 Beaches Resort, Rosslyn Bay, Yeppoon Qld 23 Toowoomba City GC Qld

JAMES STEWART KEENE

NOVEMBER 3 Sheba Dams, Nundle NSW

JOHN WILLIAMSON OCTOBER 2 Albany EC WA 4 Bunbury EC WA 5 Mandura PAC WA 6 Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley, Perth WA 19 Dee Why RSL Club NSW 20 The Cube, Campbelltown NSW 25 Chaffey Theatre, Renmark SA

Visiting Tamworth?

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

1979 32

THE LEGEND CONTINUES

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

2018 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.

26 Thebarton Theatre, Torrensville, Adelaide SA 27 Barossa Arts & Convention Centre, Tanunda SA NOVEMBER 9 Hornsby RSL Club NSW 10 Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul NSW 15 Townsville Civic Theatre Qld 16 Brothers LC, Manunda, Cairns Qld 17 Darwin EC NT 24 Twin Towns, Tweed Heads NSW

JOSH SETTERFIELD NOVEMBER 24 Brisbane River Cruises Qld

16 Halekulani BC, Budgewoi NSW 17 Lizottes Newcastle NSW

JULIET OLIVER OCTOBER 5 Woodstock Wines, McLaren Flat SA DECEMBER 14&16 Woodstock Wines, McLaren Flat SA 28 Royal Family Hotel, Port Elliot SA

KALESTI BUTLER OCTOBER 1 Grandchester Community Hall Qld 12 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld 26-28 Maryborough Showgrounds Qld NOVEMBER 4 Geebung BC Qld 25 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld DECEMBER 2 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld

KEL-ANNE BRANDT OCTOBER 17 Belmont 16ft Sailing Club NSW NOVEMBER 17 Liverpool Catholic Club, Prestons NSW DECEMBER 7 Lake Munmorah BC NSW

KIARA RODRIGUES OCTOBER 27 Clarence Valley Festival, Ulmarra

JUDAH KELLY

OCTOBER 5 Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall Brisbane Qld 6 Racehorse Hotel Ipswich Qld 12 Rooty Hill NSW 13 Mount Hunter Stampede Mount Hunter 18 The Brass Monkey Cronulla NSW 19 The Bridge Hotel Rozelle NSW 20 The Boom Room at Rooty Hill RSL NSW 25 Memo Music Hall St Kilda NSW 26 Workers Club Geelong Vic 27 Rock Fest Gone Country Townsville Qld NOVEMBER 2 Alexandra Hills Hotel Qld 3 The Shed Sunshine Coast Qld 9 City Golf Club Toowoomba Qld 10 Kedron Wavell Chermside Qld 11 Dag Pub Hotel D’aguilar Qld

NSW

KORA NAUGHTON OCTOBER 20 Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan NSW NOVEMBER 10 Kick the Dust UP, Sutton NSW

KEITH URBAN W Julia Michaels JANUARY 219 23 Newcastle EC NSW 25&26 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney NSW 27 GIO Stadium, Canberra ACT 31 Brisbane EC Qld FEBRUARY 2 Brisbane EC Qld 5 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Vic

10 Tunes On The Turf Dunedoo SC NSW DECEMBER 8 Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan NSW

KYLIE ADAMSCOLLIER OCTOBER 28 Clarence Valley CM, Ulmurra NSW

LINDSAY BUTLER & SHAZA LEIGH WITH THE BUTLER SHOWBAND

OCTOBER 13 Batemans Bay Soldiers Club NSW 14 Queanbeyan Tigers Club ACT 26 West Tamworth League Club NSW NOVEMBER 9 Maryborough Sportsman’s Club Qld 10 St Marys Hall, Rockhampton Qld 11 Bororen Community Hall Qld DECEMBER 1 Oakey Community Centre Qld 2 Stanthorpe Anglican Church Hall Qld 21 West Tamworth League Club NSW

MERILYN STEELE

*w band OCTOBER 13 Denistone Sports Club NSW DECEMBER 7 Bargo Sports Club NSW 21 Smithfield RSL Club NSW

MELODY MOKO

Guest of Catherine Britt NOVEMBER 3 Harmonie-German Club, Canberra ACT 16 Commercial Club, Albury NSW 17 Club Mulwala NSW 22 Coomealla Club, Dareton Vic 23 Pretoria Hotel, Mannum SA 24 Trinity Sessions, Adelaide SA 30 Noojee Pub Vic

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• 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: ..........................................................................

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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 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

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LIVE MUSIC SCENE MELODY MOKO cont

DECEMBER 1 Bundy Hall, Bundalaguah Vic JANUARY 23 The Longyard Hotel, Tamworth NSW

RANDY HOUSER (USA) DECEMBER 11 The Tivoli, Brisbane Qld 13 Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Qld 14 Corner Hotel, Melbourne Vic

MICHAELA JENKE

OCTOBER 19 Emily’s Bistro, Quorn SA 20 Blinman Gymkhana SA NOVEMBER 11 Eudunda Show SA 25 Gilbert Valley Hotel, Saddleworth SA

NOVEMBER 1 Taree Club Old Bar NSW 9 Moruya BC NSW 10 Tomakin S&BC NSW 16 Central Hotel, Lakes Entrance NSW 17 BIG4 Whiters Holiday Village, Lakes Entrance NSW 23 Greenwood Bar, Launceston Tas 25 Latrobe Markets Tas 30 Launceston House Party Tas

15 Limestone Coast Pantry, Mt Gambier SA 16-18 Bluegrass & Roots MF, Wirrina Cove SA

MURPHY’S PIGS

OCTOBER 20 Woodford Memorial Hall Qld NOVEMBER 18 Colmslie Hotel, Morningside, Brisbane Qld

PETER CAMPBELL

OCTOBER 7 City Golf Club Toowoomba Qld 28 Walloon Saloon Qld DECEMBER 23 City Golf Club Toowoomba Qld

OCTOBER 7-14 Cruising Country 8 NOVEMBER 2-4 Ballina CMF NSW DECEMBER 2 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld

RORY PHILLIPS

OCTOBER 12 Under Our Hills Hoist at the Phillips Household, Tumut NSW 20 Brungle Memorial Hall NSW NOVEMBER 30 Cork and Fork Fest, Wagga Wagga NSW

SHOW PONY EXPRESS-SAMANTHA BELLAMY & RAY PRATLEY RACHAEL FAHIM

*with Taylor Henderson **with The McClymonts OCTOBER 5 Club Old Bar NSW** 6 The Cube, Campbelltown NSW** JANUARY 219 22 The Albert, Tamworth NSW 23 Tamworth Regional EC NSW

THE MCCLYMONTS

REBECCA LEE NYE

OCTOBER 1-7 Mildura CMF Vic 12 Werris Creek BC NSW 13 Barraba RSL NSW 14 Gunnedah SC NSW 20 Inverell East BC NSW 21 Solitary Islands Resort, Wolli NSW 23-28 Clarence Valley Muster, Ulmarra NSW

SPECIAL OFFER

TAYLOR PFEIFFER *Guest of The McClymonts OCTOBER 3-7 Mildura CMF Vic 31 Highway Inn, Adelaide, SA NOVEMBER 9 Hahndorf Old Mill SA*

THE APOSTLE STRING BAND TOUR

OCTOBER 19 The Old Church on the Hill, Quarry Hill, Bendigo Vic 20 The Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Vic 23 The Mudbrick Theatre, Mallacoota Vic 24 Cobargo Hall NSW 25 Nethercote Hall, Cobargo NSW 31 The Royal Exchange, Newcastle NSW NOVEMBER 1 Enrec Studio, Tamworth NSW 2 Chicken in the Window, Murrurrundi NSW 5 Witches Garden Mitta Mitta Vic 8 George Kerferd Hotel, Beechworth Vic

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 WEEPING WILLOWS

OCTOBER 6 Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong Vic 6 The Curtin, Carlton Vic 11 The Thornbury Theatre Vic 13 Seaworks, Williamstown Vic 13 Kinglake Vic NOVEMBER 2 The Wesley Anne, Northcote Vic 3 Major Tom’s, Kyneton Vic 10 The Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Vic DECEMBER 9 The Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Vic

MADCDS

Subscribe for 2 years and save $22 and receive the brand new CD from TSM winner BRAD COX 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.

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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 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

35

UPDATE

COUNTING THE BEATS

BY DOBE NEWTON

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE – THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME, SO THE OLD SAYING GOES. IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

I

n 1997, the last time that the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) conducted major research to inform itself and the broader community about the scope and importance of the genre in the Australian cultural and economic landscape – our latest Billboard #1 Morgan Evans was a 13-year-old schoolboy; Adam Brand, celebrating 20 years of hits, hadn’t had his first; Kasey Chambers was a precocious young talent fronting a promising family band; Lee Kernaghan had only recently established himself as the new ‘king of country’ with Three Chain Road and Keith Urban was starting to dream of Nashville success. And, as many of us drove to work or set off on holidays, we still cranked up our favourite country on the trusty cassette player.

Yes, things have changed. Especially the way we consume our music.

So, the CMAA, together with major partners including APRA AMCOS, Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, ARIA, AMPAL, Choose Your Cruise, Tamworth Regional Council and others, has decided to commission an update - ‘The Economic and Cultural Value of Country Music in Australasia 2018’ to assess the current state of play.

I’m excited and honoured to have the opportunity to update my original research.

The original study set out to record the activities of our creators – the performers, writers and musicians operating on our industry’s ‘front line’. The number and nature of gigs they play and their writing and recording activities.

As was the case in that first study, I will also focus on the operations of the countless businesses that support them – labels, publishers, venues, festivals, publicists, agents, managers, broadcasters and music content providers.

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The most significant difference this time will be the involvement of the fans, without whom, none of us would have a job!

The comprehensive report that the data collection and analysis will produce will provide essential and current information to everyone who works in the industry and loves our music which will help inform their career and business decisions.

And that information is vital.

It’s central to what often looks like overnight success or luck.

Succeeding in any aspect of the music industry obviously takes talent and dedication, but it also relies on making decisions that result in being in the right place at the right time when opportunities arise. People who’ve been ‘lucky’ have usually worked bloody hard!

The information gathered and reported by this project will provide everyone with current and quality information to make better strategic decisions and plans, thus ensuring the continued investment across the sector that generates jobs and income for so many thousands.

Much of the data will be

collected through extensive interviews with our leading practitioners and business operators – including the large and successful ex-pat community centred in Nashville.

Detailed information from our research partners will fill in vital parts of the picture, but nothing will be more important than the feedback and information from those who don’t always appear on our commercial ‘radar’, but who will be our future industry leaders and the next generation of stars.

Operators at all levels will be targeted by a range of specific online surveys.

Having recently completed a very successful ‘Melbourne Live Music Census 2017’, I know what a powerful data gathering instrument these online surveys are in providing everyone in the nation with the ability to have their say.

Two of these online surveys, are central to the project: Artists (performers/writers/musicians) from all regions and every career level will be encouraged to tell their story and provide confidential data. If they choose to provide their emails they’ll enter a draw to win tickets to a range of our major events.

Country music fans will provide a unique snapshot of how, when, where and why they consume their live and recorded country music. We’ll all be better informed for having that information.

AND fans responding to this survey have an opportunity to win an amazing prize!

Choose Your Cruise has donated an Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony valued at $7,000+ on Radiance of the Seas Cruisin’ Country 2019.

One lucky respondent and their guest will win.

In the end, the quality, and thus usefulness of the report, will only be as good as the data that’s collected.

So, can I urge everyone in our industry, especially artists and fans, to give a little time to complete a survey yourself AND share the online links with your contacts and social media networks and encourage them too.

The links can be found on the CMAA website – country.com.au It’s important, and I thank you.

DOBE NEWTON

President, Country Music Association of Australia years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

VALE

KEVIN ROBERT KNAPP A TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC PIONEER 15 APRIL 1932 - 9 SEPTEMBER 2018

BY MAX ELLIS

THE DEATH OCCURRED ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 OF KEVIN KNAPP, ONE OF THE SMALL GROUP AT RADIO 2TM WHO, IN THE LATE ‘60S AND EARLY ‘70S, CREATED TAMWORTH’S NATIONAL REPUTATION AS AUSTRALIA’S COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL.

H

e became a widely recognised figure in Australian country music, when he hosted Radio 2TM’s annual Australasian Country Music Awards from the first presentation of Golden Guitars in 1973 right though

until 1988.

A quiet, self effacing, gentleman in normal life, Kevin shone behind a microphone and his professionalism, appearance and courtesy marked him as a standout stage performer himself.

Kevin Knapp was born in Nowra NSW in 1932. A dairyman’s son, he left the farm and headed for Sydney where he landed a job as an office boy with international music publishers Boosey and Hawkes.

Looking for a career in broadcasting, he first became a panel operator with Radio Station 2CH and later in the early ‘50s he found a place as a radio announcer with Radio 2LM, Lismore. It became an introduction to country music through 2LM’s Radio Ranch Show. Started by Phillip Charley and Dick McLaren, it was a Saturday morning show which gave aspiring singers the chance to perform live on radio. With fellow 2LM announcer, the late Strat Ward, he created a couple of characters called Cactus and Hotfoot (Kevin) for Radio Ranch.

In 1964, Kevin found a new job as station supervisor at Tamworth’s radio station 2TM. It was an important move because it started his lifelong involvement with Tamworth and Australian country music.

At that time the Tamworth country music scene was very active with stars like Geoff Brown and Michael Cook appearing regularly and the Modern Country years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Music Association starting its jamborees. As station supervisor in 1965, Kevin helped introduce a new night-time country music program on 2TM to be run by copywriter colleague, John Minson. It was called ‘Hoedown’ and over the years it became the cornerstone of 2TM’s drive in to country music. In 1969 Kevin was one of the small group that came up with the concept of Tamworth as Australia’s Country Music Capital.

When the Golden Guitar Awards started on January 28, 1973, Kevin was the first host and presenter. Suave and always in control of the sometimes unpredictable presentations, it was a role he continued to fill for the next 16 years as the awards became nationally recognised and broadcast on radio and TV around Australia and New Zealand.

For some 30 years, Kevin was involved in every aspect of the stations’ activities both as a morning session presenter and an executive and also with 2TM’s growing country music presence.

He helped and mentored many young radio announcers over the years and was widely respected in the broadcasting industry A prolific and imaginative writer, he was a regular contributor and sometime editor this very magazine, Country Music Capital News, when it was a newspaper and owned by 2TM. Kevin retired from Radio 2TM in 1991.

Later he worked as a volunteer for Australian Country Music Foundation for many years before retiring again in April 2003.

Kevin was a known, trusted and admired friend by all the artists he worked with, on stage and off, from Slim Dusty, Joy McKean, Smoky Dawson, Johnny Chester and Johnny Ashcroft through to many of the established artists of today, like Lee Kernaghan and James Blundell.

A humble man, Kevin Knapp’s outstanding achievements were recognised by many industry accolades and awards including the Country Music Capital Golden Guitar Award in 1989, a TSA (Tamworth Songwriters’ Association) Tex Morton Award in 2005, a TIARA (Tamworth Independent Artists’ Recognition Association) Industry and Pioneer Award in 2005 and induction into the Hands of Fame in 2008.

His versatility, experience, broadcasting know-how and his invariably good humoured, friendly and welcoming personality at 2TM made a major contribution to the early success of the Tamworth country music scene.

A single Dad, Kevin was also a proud, caring and loving father to his two children, Lisa and Robert.

Kevin Knapp – broadcaster, writer, compere and gentleman - undoubtedly one of Tamworth’s most loved and respected country music pioneers.

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HEAR+THERE CLARE BOWEN RELEASES SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM

AUSTRALIAN-BORN, US-BASED SINGERSONGWRITER CLARE BOWEN HAS RELEASED HER DEBUT SELF-TITLED ALBUM.

M

usic was my connection to the world,” she said. “As a child who spent more time around animals than people, she often “didn’t do social very well … but music is the universal language. I felt no barrier there. I was brought up on my parents’ vinyl collection- everything from Paul Simon to Gilbert & Sullivan, Vivaldi, to Elvis, to Dolly, to Springsteen, Edith Piaf and Etta James.”

Clare has blossomed into a ferocious performer and

storyteller and her debut album, kicking off with lead single Let It Rain, is a delicate tapestry, anchored by exquisite song writing, poignant guitars and that stunning, lilting voice.

Clare is in Australia for her third headline tour.

JANDS NEW NATIONAL SALES MANAGER JANDS, AN AUSTRALIAN OWNED COMPANY FOUNDED IN 1970, HAS APPOINTED PHIL MUFFET AS NATIONAL SALES MANAGER.

T

he company manufactures and distributes the world’s most recognised brands of audio, lighting and staging products primarily for the entertainment and exhibition industry and Phil comes to the company from Fuji Xerox with extensive experience in sales, business development and strategy.

Jands managing director Paul Mulholland said; “The recent changes in Jands’ product portfolio, together with the

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significant growth the company has been experiencing in recent years, necessitated we find a national sales manager who has the experience and know-how to take the company to the next level. We now have a very strong and skilled sales force and Phil will bring the strategy and leadership necessary to complete the team.”

“It is an exciting time to be joining Jands with the passionate team building strong momentum for our market leading professional audio, lighting, and staging brands,” added Phil Muffet. “I look forward to working with the Jands community and helping to continue the strong growth and mutually rewarding results with our partners.” years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

H+T JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY GYPSY GIRL IS THE FIRST SINGLE FROM QUEENSLAND COUNTRY ARTIST ZOEY MILLS SELF-TITLED DEBUT EP.

T

he biographical single, co-written with Amber Lawrence and Kevin Bennett at the CMAA Academy of Country Music, is about travelling Australia with her parents as a young girl. It sets the tone for the EP with themes ranging from life on the road, heartbreak, journeys and self-belief.

The carefree tone of Gypsy Girl, changes to heartbreak in Bittersweet, a co-write with Jeremy Edwards. Only The Devil (writers Zoey and Jeremy) is a song of passage, whilst Easy Road (writers Zoey, Levena Stewart, Liam O’Donoghue), covers themes of self-reliance and standing

on your own two feet. The release wraps up with Wildflower Bruises, a track written with Liam and Kasey O’Donoghue about jealousy bringing the end to young love.

“There is a bit of everything on the EP, and I purposely tried to make it not all happy and not all sad,” Zoey said. “Every song is an experience I went through.”

Produced by Catherine Britt at the Beverley Hillbillies Studio in

Newcastle, the track features musicians Jeff McCormack, Luke Moller, Michael Muchow, Mick McCartin, and Camille French.

LIFE’S A BEECH FOR COUNTRY GIRL THIS MONTH, 25-YEAROLD SINGER-SONGWRITER JEMMA BEECH WILL LAUNCH HER DEBUT ALBUM THAT’S JUST ME.

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emma recently moved from Picton to the Pilbara where she’s driving mine trucks in Paraburdoo and working seven days on, and she dedicates time to her music career on her seven days off.

She pursued music seriously after graduating from the 2015 CMAA Senior Academy of Country Music and attending The DAG Songwriters’ Retreat in the same year.

“I fell in love with and learned the craft of songwriting with the late Karl Broadie as my mentor,” she said.

Jemma wrote four tracks with Golden Guitar winner Luke Austen and also Jake Sinclair in Melbourne, as well as with Heidi Merrill on a trip to Nashville. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Jemma recorded in Tamworth at Fat Track Studios with Rusty Crook in the producer’s seat, recording tracks including Cowboys, Against All Odds, Love You Home (with Jake), and Stuck

In The Mud originally released two years ago inspired by playing at so many B ‘n’ S balls.

Jemma will launch her album on October 21 at 1pm with Jake Sinclair as support act and special guests at the George IV Inn in Picton, NSW.

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39

TAMWORTH TO STRIKE A CHORD

AT MUSIC CONVENTION TAMWORTH REGIONAL COUNCILLORS HAVE AUTHORISED THE DIRECTOR BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY, JOHN SOMMERLAD, TO ATTEND THE MUSIC CITIES CONVENTION IN LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA ON OCTOBER 11 AND 12.

M

r Sommerlad will also visit a number of other locations in Tennessee, South Dakota and Denver to investigate some economic development opportunities.

Mr Sommerlad was invited to speak at the Music Cities Convention which is attended by worldwide leaders of government, cities and regions, academics, organisations and people from within the music industry. “It’s a huge honour for Tamworth to have the opportunity to be front and centre with an international audience at the Music Cities Convention,� he said. “It showcases best practices on the use of music, and all its variants, to grow the economy and improve city life.

“For Tamworth to be invited to add to that agenda is a real positive for our brand as Australia’s Country Music Capital.’’ The Music Cities Convention has been held six times previously in Europe and North America and has attracted attendees from more than 220 cities and 40 countries.

Mr Sommerlad’s economic development research will build on work undertaken during

1HZ $OEXP IURP

previous trips which has helped develop key focus areas for council to grow the regional economy.

Among the meetings Mr Sommerlad will attend is one with the chief executive officer of the Dollywood Foundation in Knoxville, Tennessee. The foundation was formed by Dolly Parton, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is one of its key initiatives.

Council has agreed to establish the Imagination Library – a project which helps improve the literacy of young children – in the Tamworth region. It will provide a free book each month to registered children under the age of five and will start in January next year.

Mr Sommerlad’s investigation of event driven economic opportunities is seen as timely as council looks for ways to support any financial recovery of the region from the current drought.

100+' +5

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O N E T O WAT C H

EMILY

JOY

BY SUSAN JARVIS

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED RADICALLY OVER THE LAST DECADE, MAKING A WHOLE NEW STRATEGY NECESSARY FOR THOSE STARTING OUT

B

ut rising star Emily Joy has embraced the change, using social media, streaming, YouTube and the new models of music release and promotion to her advantage.

“Being an independent artist who does everything – from writing to performing to marketing and booking shows – it’s great that I can get so much exposure, and take my music everywhere in the world online,” she said.

“But that doesn’t just happen overnight. It took me a long time to build a following, and it requires constant attention and monitoring to keep the content fresh and interesting. It’s in your mind all the time.”

With abundant talent – both as a singer and a songwriter, Emily Joy is also aware of the effort that goes on behind the scenes of a successful music career.

Perth-based Emily Joy has an impressive array of qualifications to her credit – she has a degree from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and is also a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and Tamworth’s Academy of Country Music.

“I felt really strongly that it was important for me to learn, and I wanted to build that solid foundation for my career,” she said.

“It has provided me with the confidence to take what I’ve learnt and make the most of my performances. But to be honest, I’ve learnt a lot more from just working every week – from getting up there and singing my songs on stage,” Emily said. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Emily was a Toyota Star Maker grand finalist in January 2018, and says the experience was incredibly powerful for her, exposing her to a large audience, and giving her the chance to make valuable contacts in the industry.

“I loved doing Star Maker, and hope to give it another shot in a year or two,” she said.

Emily Joy released her debut self-titled EP in 2016, featuring five diverse original tracks. The latest single, the fun and catchy Karma’s Gonna Catch Me, with its cheeky video, instantly connected with CMC viewers, and charted well.

“It’s a light-hearted song about those things we all do, and hope we get away with – but we have that sense that karma will catch up with us,” she said.

However, the beautiful Parachute shows a deeper side to Emily Joy’s songwriting.

“I wrote that song during a dark period, when a family

friend had committed suicide and my cousin had passed away in a motorcycle accident.

I was going through my own stuff, and I wanted to reach out and tell people that there was always someone who’d fly with them and be their parachute in the tough time,” she said.

Other tracks on the EP include Barricades, about the wall that goes up after a relationship ends, preventing communication, and Relapsing, a wonderful song about not quite being able to let go of a bad relationship – I loved the line “He’s the wine, I’m an alcoholic”.

The final track is a flight of fancy, Hello Sweet Chicago, which captures that sense of possibility and freedom that exists at the beginning of adult life.

“It was written towards the end of my studies. I was ready to get out there in the world, to break free,” she said.

And that’s exactly what Emily has done.

She heads off to Nashville this month for an extended period of writing and recording a bunch of new songs to be released as singles throughout 2019.

“I feel that my music has evolved since I released my first EP, and I want to reflect that in the new songs. I’ve found my direction, and it’s really all about the lyrics – that’s what matters the most to me,” she said.

“I plan to write for a month, then spend November recording several songs to bring back to Australia with me. I’m so excited about having new music to share with people.”

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FESTIVALS

CLARENCE MUSTER

A MUST ON A ANY FAN’S CALENDAR COUNTRY MUSIC FANS KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE, WHICH IS WHY AT LEAST 400 PEOPLE BOOKED THEIR SPACE FOR THE SIXTH ANNUAL CLARENCE VALLEY COUNTRY MUSTER BEFORE THEY LEFT THE SITE LAST YEAR.

nd why wouldn’t they? With Terry Gordon OAM booking the acts, the line-up is first class all the way for the event that runs from October

22-28, 2018.

How’s this for a first-class line-up: Beccy Cole, Digger Revell, Wayne Horsburgh, Col Finley, Kiara Rodrigues, Charmaine Pout, Samantha Bellamy and Ray Pratley, Owen Blundell, Terry Gordon, Jeff Brown, Justin Standley, Craig Giles, John and Christine Smith, Dale Duncan, Graeme Hugo, Laura Downing, Lindsay Waddington, Anthony Baxter and bush poet Bill Kearns and friends.

Headlining the 2018 Muster on the Saturday night is multi-talented Golden Guitar winner Beccy Cole, armed with her muchanticipated new album, Lioness.

Aussie Road Crew performers Libby O’Donovan, Bec Hance and Pete Wilson, Amber Joy Poulton, Allison Forbes, Kelly Brouhaha and Dan Murphy will add to the already exceptional entertainment roster.

Bring along your dancing shoes on the

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

CLARENCE MUSTER

Beccy Cole

Friday night for the one and only appearance of ’60s rocker Digger Revell and his band.

From his Bandstand days through to the main stage at Ulmarra, Digger never fails to impress.

For those yet to experience this camping and country music spectacular, it’s something you’ll quickly become addicted to.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

FESTIVALS

Digger Revell

The atmosphere, the market stalls, the fabulous locally-brewed coffee, the working blacksmiths, the walk-up opportunities, the country music star street names, the fabulous food on offer and the picturesque garden setting – there’s nothing not to like about the Clarence Valley Country Muster!

With Wendy Gordon at the helm, sharing

her magnificent property near Grafton, NSW with a few thousand “friends”, the whole event runs like clockwork from go to whoa.

Year-round, green-thumbed Wendy lovingly tends her garden to ensure it’s looking picture perfect for Muster patrons.

Early birds can enjoy entertainment on the Tex Morton stage from Monday through to Thursday, starting at 6pm.

If you’re a bit like Coster and short of a quid, why not front up for the fabulous Kross Kut Records prize package valued at $2000 for the best walk-up artist?

The winner also scores a spot on the following year’s Clarence Country Muster.

To secure your place at the 2018 event, visit www.cvcmuster. com.au or phone Wendy on 0432 741 947.

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

43

2019 OFFICIAL GUIDE PRE-ORDER THE 2019 OFFICIAL GUIDE FOR JUST $10*

AND receive A FREE 40-TRACK 2 DISC CD CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF STAR MAKER [VALUED AT $35]

* Plus $7.50 postage and handling per guide, within Australia. Delivery mid to late December 2018

The 2019 Official Guide To The Tamworth Country Music Festival is the biggest festival program guide in Australia. In addition to the program, the Official Guide has the only A to Z Artist Directory. It’s a complete source of information with comprehensive details of all venues, concerts, artists and a program of all performances over the official 10 days and the seven days countdown period.

THE EXCLUSIVE A TO Z ARTIST DIRECTORY VENUE MAP  HISTORICAL FACTS & FIGURES ARTIST PROFILES  DAILY PROGRAM GENERAL INTEREST READING  BUS ROUTES YES! Please send me

How to pre-order

Choose an option 1 Online at tcmf.com.au/officialguide; OR 2 Phone 02 6767 5555 Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm if using your credit card or phone M: 0448 078 102 outside of these hours and leave a message and we’ll return your call; OR 3 Fill in the form below and send your cheque or money order to Tamworth Regional Council’s details below; OR 4 Fill in this form and take cheque, money order or cash to Tamworth Regional Council; OR 5 Wait and purchase from a Tamworth newsagent.

copies of the 2019 Official Guide @ $10* each plus postage and handling.

If ordering by post, and you require multiple copies to be sent to different addresses, simply a‫ּמ‬ach a separate piece of paper to this form with names and addresses as required.

NAME: POSTAL ADDRESS: TOWN/CITY: STATE:

POSTCODE:

COUNTRY (if outside Australia):

TELEPHONE: EMAIL: CASH

TOTAL COST:

MONEY ORDER Please make cheques and money orders payable to Tamworth Regional Council. copies X $17.50 = Total amount $

The Official Guide To The e Tamworth Country Music Festivall is produced and published by y

Mick Bond with Tania Kernaghan Christie Lamb Please return your completed form to Tamworth Regional Council, PO Box 555, Tamworth NSW 2340 T: 02 6767 5555 Aﬞer Hours Mobile: 0448 078 102 E: info@officialguide.com.au W: tcmf.com.au/officialguide 44

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SF8663

CHEQUE

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

SPECIAL OFFER

EXPIRES: 31 DECEMBER 2018

Subscribe for 2 years for $110 (SAVE $22) and receive the brand new CD from TSM winner BRAD COX

REF SF8370

Stay up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, Live Music Scene, New Talent, Coming Events, Bush Balladeers, Writing Great Songs, and Down Memory Lane.

James Blundell andwww.capitalnews.com.au Briar Blundell Rachael Fahim SUBSCRIBE ONLINE or PHONE: 02 6767 5555 or E: info@capitalnews.com.au Jonny Taylor

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

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

45

FESTIVALS

SILVERTON SUNSETS

ICONIC LOCATION FOR

OUTBACK FESTIVAL

Troy Cassar-Daley

Catherine Britt

TROY CASSAR-DALEY, SARA STORER AND CATHERINE BRITT ARE JUST SOME OF THE ARTISTS TO HEADLINE THE SECOND SILVERTON SUNSETS MUSIC FESTIVAL IN MARCH 2019.

T

he acoustic festival will also feature The Bushwackers, Tania Kernaghan, Amber Lawrence, Greg Storer, Fanny Lumsden, Melody Moko, and Rob Imeson and The Family Tree.

Owners of the iconic outback hotel, Patsy and Peter Price along with partners, Catherine Britt and husband James Beverley, are thrilled to bring the

festival back for a second year.

“We are very excited to be continuing on with our second year of our very own music festival in such an iconic location in outback NSW. As an artist I know what I want from a festival backstage and as a punter I also

know what I want out the front.

“We run this festival with all of this in mind and after having our first year under our belt and learning so much, we feel like we will be bigger and better next year,” said Catherine.

Opened in 1884, the Silverton Hotel is situated about as far west in NSW as you can go and is famous for featuring in international films and television shows including Mad Max, Razorback, The Adventures of Priscilla – Queen of the Desert, The Flying Doctors and Dirty Deeds and is a favourite watering hole of many a traveller.

Silverton is located 1187km west of Sydney and 26km west of Broken Hill, and is one for the Bucket List.

Reach thousands of die-hard fans at the 47th Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth simply by advertising in the Official Guide.

Artists and venues enter gigs online at tcmf.com.au/officialguide

OFFICIAL GUIDE 46

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

DEADLINE: Wednesday 7 November 2018 For further information contact TAMWORTH REGIONAL COUNCIL T: 02 6767 5555 | E: trc@tamworth.nsw.gov.au | tcmf.com.au/officialguide years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

FESTIVALS

ON TOUR

PETER, PAUL, JAMES AND ANDREW

IT’S AN APOSTLES THING

BY ANNA ROSE

A TOUR OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS, OR PERHAPS SIMPLY BIBLICAL INSPIRATION, WILL SEE ACCLAIMED SIDEMEN PETER FIDLER, PAUL WOOKEY, JAMES GILLARD AND ANDREW CLERMONT PRESENT THEIR MUSIC IN THREE STATES OF AUSTRALIA IN JUST UNDER A MONTH.

T

he four string kings will commence their aptly-named The Apostles’ String Band Tour on October 19 at The Old Church on the Hill, at Quarry Hill, in Bendigo before winding up 11 gigs later at the Bluegrass and Roots Music Festival, at Wirrina Cove, in SA. The four “Apostles” were drawn together by the tallest member of the quartet through various, perhaps fateful, meetings.

In musical terms, Clermont was merely a tadpole in the early ’80s when his paths crossed with Prince Paul Wookey, who with his sweet guitar at that time was opening for various international artists.

Although multi-instrumentalist Clermont had only just years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

grasped the fiddle, he soon went on to win his first (not last) National Bluegrass Guitar championship title.

A snowy meeting took place in the late ’80s between Clermont and simply brilliant singing bassman James Gillard at Perisher and The Station Inn. Later, jams began when Wookey moved to Tamworth.

When Gillard was in town, the three would always part with a promise to collaborate more in future.

ABOVE: The best part of touring is meeting up with friends.

Andrew Clermont (left), Paul Wookey and Peter Fidler (far right) share a meal with The Seekers’ Keith Potger and his partner Elizabeth Hawkes when on tour last year.

Little did they realise at the time it would take decades to achieve this feat.

Folk festival stages brought esteemed dobro player Pete Fidler and Clermont into the same sphere – at Harrietville, the National and then, Januarys in Tamworth.

Living in four very different but similar worlds, it’s taken a while, but this band has finally got together.

From Richard Clapton through to Mondo Rock, The Fargone Beauties, The Flood, his beloved Shanley Del and magical session moments too numerous to count, James Gillard has left his mark.

Multi-talented Andrew Clermont is a musical Pied Piper who gathers gifted musicians from all genres, mainly through his Supper Club events. Some are well known, others fledgling, but they come together to learn, study, and hold on for all the thrills and spills of a musical feast. Catch them when you can.

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FESTIVALS

AMERICANA

AUSTRALIAN AMERICANA MUSIC HONOURS

Kasey Chambers

THE SECOND ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN AMERICAN MUSIC HONOURS WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 11 AT MELBOURNE’S THORNBURY THEATRE.

K

Joshua Hedley

Margo Price

asey Chambers, Alan Pigram, Joshua Hedley, Margo Price, Diesel, and Little Georgia are among the performers and Brian Wise and Shane Howard will be honoured with Vanguard Awards.

The Australian Americana Honours Night is presented by Michael Chugg, Nash Chambers, and the Americana Music Association celebrating both local and international Americana artists.

Triple R’s Denise Hylands and the Americana Music Association’s Jed Hilly are set to host the event.

“Americana is that sweet spot between folk and country, rock, and blues. More than roots, it pulls in almost all the strands of American music whether it’s made with acoustic or electric instruments, is as modern as Dixie Chicks covering Beyonce, as old as a cotton field work song played

on a crackling shellac 78, and can be made in Memphis, Manchester or Melbourne.

The Americana Music Association will present two honours.

Brian Wise will receive a Vanguard Award for his continued commitment to the genre through his magazine, Rhythms, and Triple R radio program, On The Record. Seminal recording artist Shane Howard will be honoured for his influence on Australian poetic and folk music traditions.

Last year recognised for his decade-long commitment to Americana, Out On The Weekend festival founder, Brian “BT” Taranto, said; “It was a great maiden event to celebrate a style of music I’m very passionate about. There seemed to be a genuine collaborative spirit in the room, which is just the thing needed for this emerging genre in Australia to become widely recognised and accepted.”

“We have rounded up a fantastic group of artists to celebrate Americana and Roots music in Australia in 2018.

It’s an incredibly exciting genre, and based on the buzz after last year’s event, we’ll be doing this for many years to come,” said Michael Chugg.

“It’s a thrill to be a part of the second Annual Australian Americana Honours event”, said Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Association and executive producer of the Critically Acclaimed Americana Honours & Awards program in Nashville. “Last year’s event connected the community not just in Australia but around the globe, with a spirit that was and continues to be contagious.”

DEBUT SELF-TITLED ALBUM BRAD COX OUT NOW WATER ON THE GROUND THE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO OUT NOW e: starmaker.com.au | w: starmaker.com.au | bradcoxofficial.com | 48

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bradcoxofficial

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

FESTIVALS

PHOTOS TERRY WYATT

SONGWRITERS RETREAT

Morgan Evans, Jeremy Dylan and Storme Warren

Jeremy accepts the award from Storme

12TH ANNUAL ™ ACM HONORS THE LATE ROB POTTS WAS HONOURED POSTHUMOUSLY AT THE 53RD ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® DURING THE 12TH ANNUAL ACM HONORS™ THAT WERE HELD ON AUGUST 22.

R

ob received the Jim Reeves International Award, which is presented to an artist or industry leader for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.

He was selected for cultivating a country music connection between Australia and the United States, paving the way for American superstars to perform Down Under for thousands of new fans. He and his business partner Michael Chugg established the brand of CMC Rocks which led to the 2018 CMC Rocks Qld becoming the first Australian country music festival to sell-out 18,000 tickets for its line-up that featured Luke Bryan.

Rob had worked as a booking agent for artists like Keith Urban, Tommy Emmanuel and Lee Kernaghan. He brought country talent like Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks, Florida Georgia Line, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Zac Brown Band to the Australian market.

In 2016, he launched FanGate Music, a joint label with Sony Music Entertainment Australia, in order to seek out and develop international country artists while still paying attention to emerging local talent. A partnership with Nashville-based Dreamlined Entertainment was announced in October 2017, less than two weeks before Rob died years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

following a motorcycle accident in Australia. He was 65.

Rob managed Warner Music Nashville artist, Australian-born Morgan Evans who performed his song Things We Drink To on the night as a tribute. Rob’s son Jeremy Dylan accepted the award which was presented by good friend Storme Warren.

Past recipients of the Jim Reeves International Award include Garth Brooks, Eric Church, Dick Clark, Roy Clark, Merv Griffin, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Roy Rogers, Bob Saporiti, Dinah Shore, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Jeff Walker, and Jo WalkerMeador.

The event featured a star-studded line-up of live performances and award presentations celebrating Special Awards recipients Dierks Bentley

(ACM Merle Haggard Spirit Award), Matraca Berg (ACM Poet’s Award), Sam Hunt (ACM Gene Weed Milestone Award), Alan Jackson (ACM Cliffie Stone Icon Award), Darius Rucker (ACM Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award), Mickey & Chris Christensen and Eddie Miller (ACM Mae Boren Axton Service Award, all awarded posthumously); and Norro Wilson (ACM Poet’s Award, awarded posthumously).

The event also honoured winners of the Industry and Studio Recording Awards, along with Songwriter of the Year Award winner, Rhett Akins.

The evening was hosted by Lauren Alaina and Jon Pardi and opened with a performance of Alan Jackson’s Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.

Other performances included Joe Diffie singing The Grand Tour in tribute to the late Norro Wilson; Kassi Ashton performed Body Like A Backroad in tribute to Sam Hunt; CAM performed Buck Owens’ Cryin’ Time in tribute to Mickey & Chris Christensen and Eddie Miller; Old Crow Medicine Show performed Wagon Wheel in tribute to Darius Rucker; Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip and Dustin Lynch performed a medley of Huntin’ Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday, Small Town Boy, and I Lived It in tribute to Rhett Akins; and Jon Pardi performed I Hold On in tribute to Dierks Bentley, who received his award from Ricky Skaggs; and Lauren Alaina, Deana Carter and Ashley McBryde performed a medley of You & Tequila, Wrong Side of Memphis and Strawberry Wine before presenting Matraca Berg with her award.

Chris Stapleton ended the night with a performance of Here In The Real World in tribute to Alan Jackson who’s eldest daughter, Mattie Jackson Selecman accepted his award as he was recovering from a respiratory infection.

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FESTIVALS

BALLINA

COUNTRY BY

THE SHORE THE 2018 BALLINA COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL WILL BE HELD FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 TO 4.

Billy Bridge

T

Rebecca Lee Nye

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his is the seventh year of the festival that has been building with interest by both locals and visitors for the three-day event.

On Friday, a Festival Benefit Concert will see Dan Thompson and Stuie French present Walk The Line – Johnny Cash Show with guest artists Billy Bridge and Rebecca Lee Nye. Saturday night Adam Brand will deliver his Milestone

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20-Year Anniversary show. Both ticketed shows will be staged in a special marquee to be erected at Cherry Street Sports Club.

In addition to these shows, there are more than 100 artists providing free entertainment on six stages in various venue

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

FESTIVALS

BALLINA locations throughout Ballina including at the Cherry Street Sports Club, Henry Rous Hotel, Westower Tavern, and Shaws Bay Hotel.

Artists include Ashleigh Dallas Band, Viper Creek Band, Gretta Ziller, Billy Bridge & Rebecca Lee Nye, Brothers3, Christian Power & Lonesome Train, Stuie French & Camille Te Nahu, Casey Barnes, Andrew Swift, Jase Lansky, Round Mountain Girls, Thor and Jasmine Phillips, Forth Form Boys, The Mumblers, The Linelockers, Blake O’Connor, Warren H Williams, Hillbilly Goats, Whiskey Mountain Boys, Chris Cook Band, Backwater Bretheren, Brendan Smoother, The Billy Gudgeon Band, Steve Passfield, Kathryn Jones, Renee McAlpin, Massey Brothers, Kevin Sullivan and Thrillbilly Stomp.

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Stuie French and Dan Thompson

Adam Brand

A young emerging artist showcase will feature Sophie Volp, Mitch Lynam, Georgie Taylor and Amity Angels.

On Saturday, a street entertainment stage will be set up adjacent to the club in Cherry Street which will be closed from 10am to 6pm providing a main feature stage with artists, street market stalls, food stalls and a free children’s activity area with a ferris wheel, jumping castles, merry-goround and more.

This years festival is supported by major sponsors Ballina

Shire Council, Cherry Street Sports Club, NSW Government, True Sound Productions and participating venues.

For more information visit the website ballinacountrymusic.com or contact organisers Carol Stacey on mobile 0408 663 325 or email cpstacey@hotmail.com or Garry Lavercombe on email gazlav49@hotmail.com or landline 02 6686 9255.

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FESTIVALS

GYMPIE

Travis Collins

Melinda Schneider

Kevin Borich

THE FESTIVAL WITH HEART THE 37TH ANNUAL GYMPIE MUSIC MUSTER WRAPPED UP HAVING RAISED OVER $150,000 FOR CHARITY AND COMMUNITY GROUPS.

O

ver 1700 volunteers, working around 15,000 hours, built a once in a lifetime Muster experience and its grass-roots passion for giving back to regional Australia continues to grow stronger.

The official charity partner Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia will benefit with approximately $25k following the Biggest Ever Blokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lunch event. A further $128,000 was donated to over 30 local community groups.

The 2018 festival saw increased sales of fourday passes, with an aggregate audience of 22,000 patrons enjoying three days of warmth and sunny skies, with light rain on the Sunday a welcome 52

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break to the dry spell.

A mix of iconic crowd favourites and brand new program elements kept audiences happy, with John Williamson, Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole, Troy CassarDaley, Sara Storer, The Wolfe Brothers, Melinda Schneider, Travis Collins, Drew McAlister, Jayne Denham and more bringing record crowds to the Muster hill and various venues throughout the site.

Matt Cornell

Gretta Ziller & Andrew Swift years of bringing you the music 1975â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018

FESTIVALS

PHOTOS: ROBIN REIDY AND GYMPIE MUSTER

GYMPIE

Lachlan Bryan

Beccy Cole

Brad Cox

Tom Wolfe

Minnie Marks

Tania Kernaghan

Troy Cassar-Daley

Nick Wolfe

Drew McAlister

John Williamson

Lee Kernaghan

Dianne Lindsay

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

Frequent Musterer

Pete Denahy

Jake Sinclair C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

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FESTIVALS

SLIM DUSTY FESTIVAL

Ashleigh Dallas

Rex Dallas

NOT TOO DUSTY LINE-UP FOR MUSEUM FUNDRAISER THE SLIM DUSTY CENTRE ANNUAL MAJOR FUNDRAISER – SLIM DUSTY COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL – WILL BE HELD FROM OCTOBER 15 TO 21 AT THE KEMPSEY SHOWGROUND, NSW.

N

ow in its 15th year, the festival offers seven-days of country music entertainment, camping, busking, workshops, and a day-tour taking in Slim’s Nulla Nulla Creek home.

Entertainment includes The Dallas Family featuring Rex, his son Brett and Brett’s daughter Ashleigh – the first family to have three generations of Golden Guitar winners. The band also includes Ashleigh’s brother Lindsay and family friend, drummer Adam McCann.

In addition, artists include Slim’s and Joy’s son David Kirkpatrick and daughter Anne Kirkpatrick, and The Travelling Country Band, as well as Graham Rodger, Dianne Lindsay and Peter Simpson, Amos Morris, Norma O’Hara Murphy, Ernie Constance, Steve Passfield & Kathryn Jones, Errol Gray, Ron “Callo” Callaghan, Sam Smyth, Phil Williams, Barry Noble, Marie Wallis, Michelle and David Styles, KCMC, Rob Breese Band and compere Barry Williams.

A day bus trip departs the Kempsey Showground from the Thompson Street Gate at 8:30am on Thursday, October 18 travelling to Perry’s Lemon Myrtle Farm for morning tea. After a cuppa it’s back on the bus to head off to the Pub With No Beer at Taylors Arm with entertainment from

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“Smokie” Pete Dawson, “Bushie” Thompson, and then on to Slim’s childhood home at Nulla Nulla Creek.

And there’s much more including a ukulele workshop, poet’s breakfast, walk-up concerts, memorabilia auction, and old time dance night.

A seven-day pass is just $90 per person with various daily entry prices. In addition, festival camping prices start at $350 that includes seven nights powered sites for two people. Additional people will cost $10 per person, per night plus admission costs.

While you’re in Kempsey, visit the magnificent Slim Dusty Centre and experience the first steps that Slim took to get into show business, and the early years with Joy, family and mates, touring towns and

villages of the Australian Outback.

Inside the museum is the “Golden Gallery” where Slim’s Golden Guitars, Gold, Silver and Platinum Records are on display, as well as a timeline of his life.

Sit back and watch both episodes of the Australian television series This Is Your Life in which Slim was featured.

After many thousands of kilometres, Slim’s 1971 Ford Fairlane ‘Old Purple’ is garaged at the museum taking pride of place, alongside the photos, costumes, stories and memories of Slim’s and Joy’s extraordinary life.

The Slim Dusty Movie and Concert For Slim play daily from 9:30am in the Columbia Lane Theatrette, giving visitors an insight into the life and legacy left by Slim.

Dusty’s Cafe is open from 9:30am to 2:30pm, and the gift shop stocks Slim Dusty Merchandise and unique local products.

The museum is located at 490 Macleay Valley Way, South Kempsey NSW and is open daily from 9:30am to 4:00pm. Entry fees include school groups, concessions, children, students, family, tours and adults.

Festival tickets can be purchased at website outix.com.au/tickets or by contacting the Slim Dusty Centre on 02 6562 6533 or 1800 18 SLIM or go to the website slimdustycentre. com.au for more information. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

FESTIVALS

SONGWRITERS RETREAT

Kevin Bennett

Jen Mize

Luke O’Shea

Brad Butcher

WRITER’S PARADISE THE DAG SHEEP STATION IN THE BEAUTIFUL HILLS OF NUNDLE, WILL BE HOSTING IT’S EIGHTH SONGWRITERS’ RETREAT THIS SPRING.

T

he 2018 Spring Songwriters Retreat has been designed to give new and established artists a place to meet and grow creatively.

All genres, independent artists and artists under management have been encouraged to be a part of this retreat, to improve the craft of song writing, performance skills, creative flow and market presence.

Songwriters will get the chance to write with some of Australian country music’s finest songwriters including;

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Luke O’Shea, Kevin Bennett, Brad Butcher and Jen Mize as well as special guest songwriters.

The program offered in this retreat is laid back and allows time for collaboration, one-on-one tuition with a variety of tutors and a chance to find personal growth whilst surrounded by some of Australia’s finest song writers and

supportive peers.

Since the DAG Sheep Station’s Songwriters’ Retreat’s inception in 2013, over 700 new songs have been written by attendees, with songs now recorded and appearing on both artists and tutors new EPs and albums.

The 2018 Singer Songwriters’ Retreat held in July during Tamworth’s Toyota Hats Off To Country Festival, sold out after registrations were open for one month, allowing for a another retreat to be added to the calendar year and welcoming both past attendees and newcomers to four days and four nights of song writing in an intimate and secluded environment.

For more details call John Krsulja on 02 6769 3486 or visit thedag.com.au

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

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SOUNDADVICE LIONESS BECCY COLE UNIVERSAL It’s wonderful when an album perfectly captures the essence of an artist, and Beccy Cole’s warmth, humour and passion are right at the core of this stunning new album.Created completely by women – including producer Julz Parker and the musicians, this is a beautifully crafted collection of songs that are very close to Beccy’s big, generous heart. The title track, Lioness, is unashamedly a love song for Beccy’s wife, Libby O’Donovan, with a dash of humour and honesty. The heartfelt I Believe In You was written for son Ricky, while the exquisite The Milliner was penned by Libby about Beccy’s grandmother. Two of the most powerful tracks on the album, Our Souls and My God express Beccy’s experience of the same-sex marriage referendum, and she pulls no punches.

Other highlights include Wine Time, the wonderfully irreverent My Wife’s Got Balls and They Won’t Call It Cheating.

The autobiographical Coromandel Valley is also a standout. This album is Beccy Cole at her peak: great songs, wonderful vocals and a huge smile on your face when you finish listening.

UMA 6787299 SUSAN JARVIS

JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES

HIGHWAYS

FEELS LIKE HOME

SOUTHERN HALO LLC

INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENT

These girls are southern sisters and proud of it and that’s evident from the first note they sing on this contemporary country album.

Sisters Natalia, Christina and Hannah Morris have made the title track, Just Like In The Movies, their own. Written by Nashville hitmaker Roxie dean, it is among only four songs that Natalia didn’t write or co-write and she planned the album’s tracks as individual scenes in a movie, to fit with the theme of the title track. The songwriting is thought-provoking and appropriate for three young women in the music industry with a lot of love, and love lost, songs.

The current single is I Think Too Much you’ll want to sing along to. The artists are only in their late teens and with Natalia just turning 20, they have a bright future ahead of them. As fans of Australian trio The McClymonts will know, there is little better than sibling harmonies, and these three have it nailed.

The opening song and title track, Highways, makes you want to grab the keys and head outta town.

Musicianship from stellar players including Pete Drummond, Simon Johnson, Glen Hannah, Michel Rose, Mick Albeck, Vaughan Jones and Albert Lipson mix with great song selection and Simon’s faultless production to create an album you’ll want to play over and over. This provides a great bed for Shelly Jones’ and Lester Treuer’s vocals. Highways is a mix of original tracks and country classics including You’re My Best Friend made famous by Don Williams and Tom T. Hall’s I Love, joined by the soft rock song, Nice To Be With You originally performed by Gallery. A track sure to garnish faces with smiles is Merle with the line, “it’s hard to sound like Merle when you’re a girl”. The theme of this song sets the tone for Highways, with the band right in the middle of traditional country. Lovers of traditional and Australian country are sure to find something to love.

Victorian quintet The Mason Boys filmed their video for nostalgiafuelled album title track at historic rural retreat - Uncle Nev’s Trail Rides north of Melbourne at Upper Plenty - with its rustic charm. Feels Like Home - penned by guitarist-vocalist Huc Richards is an accessible entrée to a septet of radio friendly roots country narratives. The title track leads into equally nostalgic love lament Missing You and rollicking Back In The Saddle - a vast contrast to the 1941 Gene Autry song. Playing Country borrows sentiments from David Allan Coe hit Take This Job & Shove It and segues into the self-explanatory Whiskey Time.

Their narrative The Ballad Of Billy M echoes sentiments of outlaw staples where a bandit promises his bride the train heist that followed a Byron Bay bank robbery was his last but previous loot is stashed for her. The quintet chose rocking country love song Hot As Lava as its fiery fitting finale.

Vibrant rural rhythms.

SOUTHERN HALO

Southernhalo.net REBECCA BELT

SHELLY JONES BAND

INDEPENDENT SJB003 REBECCA BELT

THE MASON BOYS

themasonboys.com MASON BOYS001 DAVID DAWSON

MATT JOE GOW

BREAK, RATTLE AND ROLL INDEPENDENT

Expat Kiwi singer-songwriter Matt Joe Gow returned from filming a video clip in Tamworth to produce his third album at the Aviary and Leafy Green studios with his guitarist Andrew Pollock. Fellow Melbourne minstrels Gretta Ziller, Katya Harrop and the Weeping Willows flesh out his 12 originals on a disc that reflects life on the edge. Gow changes his mode of transport from nocturnal pedestrian on entree Bridge Over Concrete to train on the rollicking harmonica fuelled single Ride On, beatific ballad Details and the haunting heartbreak of Ransom. It’s bucolic bliss as Gow pleads for romantic guidance in Light My Way before ruptured romance requiem in the title track. The singer reaches deep into country staples in Gambling Man and pathos primed Old Hotel Room. Equally memorable are the graphic Sun Wild Set, lachrymose Love Sick Child and regret tinged House That Burnt Down. The loping We Get Lost is a fitting finale for a disc that features Dead Livers pedal steel guitarist Brendan Mitchell and other road band members. Down home roots country.

CHECKED LABEL 9343433003165 DAVID DAWSON

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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 EARN YOUR SPURS DEAN PERRETT INDEPENDENT The title track of Dean Perrett’s new album Earn Your Spurs is extremely fitting as he is a bloke who has earned his spurs as one of the finest exponents of traditional country music and master of the bush ballad. As Dean says, “write and sing about what you know”! Born and bred on a cattle property, his is a soul of pure country.

I remember when Dean released his first album and thought this young fella has all the ingredients to make his mark. 25 years on and he has released his 16th album and won more awards than you could poke a stick at. Dean’s new album features songs from the pens of many top writers and the backing and production are first class. I was heading off to Dorrigo for the 100th anniversary celebrations of Buddy Williams’ birth when I received Dean’s album and listened on the way. Wow I thought, Buddy, Gordon Parsons and Slim would certainly be proud to know the music they pioneered is in such good hands today.

DEAN PERRETT ENTERPRISES DPE010 GARRY COXHEAD

WRITING MY BOOK AGAIN

BOBBY VALENTINE INDEPENDENT

After four decades as a top draw entertainer Mr Valentine makes a long overdue move into the country music scene with an album that saw him delving into the bottom drawer to pull out a few songs that he wrote many moons ago – but I’m glad to say they seem as fresh as the head of a just poured glass of beer – and some newly minted ones as well. Ten out of the 12 tracks are Valentine originals that range from straight country like the title track, Living Beyond My Dreams and Too Many Beers, to the foot-tapping, light-hearted Country And Western Songs and the swampy rock of Stranger In A Stranger Land. The covers are Bartender ’s Blues and King Of The Road – so you know where his inspiration comes from. This is mostly an acoustic workout which allows his rich voice to sit in perfect counterpoint to the music and for emotions to shine through.

The result is an album that should please fans of real country … and this is real country. bobbyvalentine.com.au JON WOLFE

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

TAKE ME TO TOWN

AN AUSTRALIAN ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY COMPILATION STANLEY RECORDS

Three CDs, 47 tracks – and plenty of meat to chew on if you are an alt-country fan. There’s nods to the roots of the genre and American but a great amount of home grown feels and stories that really make this set interesting. There’s some names I knew– Lachlan Bryan, Jen Mize, Spurs For Jesus, Michael Carpenter, The Weeping Willows, Sam Newton and Katie Briana but plenty of others I didn’t and therein lies a different story. How does a band come up with a name? Try Mick Daley Versus The Wayshegoes, Not Good With Horses, Crank Williams Y Los Pistolas! But you know what – I was wrapped. Some great songs and singers, with stories to tell and most delivered with a passion lacking in what passes as today’s mainstream country. I found it easier to play a few tracks at a time and come back later for more, allowing me to better savour the experience – and it left me wanting to search for more of most of those I didn’t know, so I’ll be busy ’til Christmas.

SEG 2018-13 stanleyrecords.com.au JON WOLFE

WEEDS

BENNETT BOWTELL AND URQUHART INDEPENDENT

It’s no surprise the trio’s second album is one of the most powerful paeans of the decade to joy, sorrow and praise. Kevin Bennett’s collaboration with septuagenarian Lola Brinton on Just Down The Hall on Carpenteria chanteuse Kalesti Butler’s second album Airborne was a poignant preview to its revival here. Brinton’s memory of the painful birth of an indigenous baby on the outside steps of a country hospital underpins the depth of this dynamic disc. The trio nail passion from gospel entrée Mountain Of Pain to joyous Mystery and embryonic equality anthem Softer Eyes. Album title track Weeds praises powers of belief to overcome false hope and Any Bells personalises homelessness ignition. The vocal and lyrical clout of Lyn Bowtell and Felicity Urquhart propels vinyl metaphors in Fading Out and the Samson and Delilah sacrifice of love for cash in Love Or Money. Felicity equates bird and human family frailty in Lonely Wonga and She’s Sunshine is a survival triumph. The fitting finale is the Karl Broadie tribute Every Hello that began as a demo with the late singer songwriter.

DEATH & TAXES

GARETH LEACH INDEPENDENT

They say two things are certain in life … and if you are an alt/country and/or an Americana fan…I’m certain that you will like this.

Touted as a full-length follow-up to an earlier EP, this eight-tracker has already spawned a radio hit with Turn Back Jimmy Creek and the title track is also set to make a move at radio. Influences as varied as Willie Nelson and modern day Keith Urban can be heard in songs that encompass the struggles of life and his somewhat roughish vocals tell it like it really is. Highlights are Jimmy Creek, Raise Up Our Guns and Hometown Stranger and the retro guitar of Lee Morgan and pedal steel of Shane Reilly help establish country cred, while the harmonies supplied by Gretta Ziller splendidly complement Gareth’s vocals. As a songwriter (seven of the eight songs are Leach compositions) this effort augers well for the future.

Only disappointment is that there isn’t enough …. a few more tracks would really have made a full-on ‘full length’ album. garethleach.com / GLM004 JON WOLFE

CHECKED LABEL SERVICES/BBU-002 DAVID DAWSON

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

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COUNTRYCHARTS ARIA TOP 20 AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY ALBUMS Week commencing 17 September 2018 TW

LW

TI

HP

TITLE

ARTIST

1 1 3 1 Butcherbird

JOHN WILLIAMSON

2 2 20 1 Graffiti U

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

3 5 9 1 Milestones...20 Years

ADAM BRAND

ABC/UMA

The Very Best Of Slim Dusty 5 7 123 1 Ripcord 6 10 562 1 Greatest Hits: 18 Kids 7 3 3 3 Lioness 8 11 331 1 The Story So Far 9 8 6 2 From The Backcountry 10 NEW 1 10 Weeds 11 6 7 1 The Nashville Tapes 12 9 108 1 His Favourite Collection 13 12 4 1 Brave And The Broken 14 13 256 2 A Hell Of A Career!

15 17 25 1 Country Heart 16 15 257 1 The Great Country Songbook 17 14 20 2 Campfire 18 16 248 2 Anthems - A Celebration Of Australia 19 NEW 1 19 That’s Just Me 20 18 221 1 Fuse

SLIM DUSTY

4 4

1022 1

WAR

EMI

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

BECCY COLE

ABC/UMA

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

GRAEME CONNORS

ABC/UMA

BENNETT BOWTELL & URQUHART

CLS

ADAM HARVEY

SME

JOHN WILLIAMSON

WAR

TRAVIS COLLINS

ABC/UMA

JOHN WILLIAMSON

WAR

THE WOLFE BROTHERS

ABC/UMA

TROY CASSAR-DALEY & ADAM HARVEY

SME

KASEY CHAMBERS & THE FIRESIDE DISCIPLES

WAR

JOHN WILLIAMSON

WAR

JEMMA BEECH

CLS

KEITH URBAN

CAP/EMI

THE MUSIC NETWORK OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY AIRPLAY TOP 20 Week commencing 17 September 2018 TW

LW

TI

HP

TITLE

ARTIST

LABEL

1 1 12 1 Day Drunk

MORGAN EVANS

2 2 13 2 Simple

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

3 4 18 3 Cry Pretty

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

CAP/EMI

4 3 21 2 Babe

SUGARLAND FT. TAYLOR SWIFT

BIG/UMA

5 6 21 5 Tequila

DAN + SHAY

WB/WMA

6 5 21 3 Red Dirt

CATHERINE BRITT & THE COLD COLD HEARTS

7 14 9 7 My Wave

KEITH URBAN FT. SHY CARTER

8 8 22 6 Neon Smoke

GORD BAMFORD

9 9 7 9 Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset

LUKE BRYAN

10 10 22 3 Like We Used To

THE MCCLYMONTS

WMA BIG/UMA

UMA CAP/EMI ABC/UMA CAP/EMI UMA

11 11 14 11 Hotel Key

OLD DOMINION

12 7 8 7 I’d Rather Be A Highwayman

ADAM HARVEY

13 15 5 13 Party Down Under

ADAM BRAND

14 17 10 14 Drowns The Whiskey

JASON ALDEAN FT. MIRANDA LAMBERT

15 18 11 15 Life Changes

THOMAS RHETT

BIG/UMA

16 20 11 12 Get Along

KENNY CHESNEY

WB/WMA

17 13 21 9 Me Without You

CAITLYN SHADBOLT FT. REECE MASTIN

ABC/UMA

18 19 17 14 I Hate Love Songs

KELSEA BALLERINI

19 12 16 11 High Horse

TRAVIS COLLINS

20 27 5 20 I Was Jack (You Were Diane)

JAKE OWEN

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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 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

RCA/SME SME ABC/UMA SME

SME ABC/UMA BIG/UMA years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

COUNTRY TRACKS Week Commencing 22 September 2018. This Chart Is Published By Country Music Services And Updated Weekly At Countrytrackschart.com.au.

POS LW

TI

HP

TRACK TITLE

ARTIST

1 1 6 1(2) Honky Tonk Heroes

BRENDAN DUGAN

2 2 7 1(2) Lioness

BECCY COLE

3 3 12 1(2) Diamantina Coming Down

DALE DUNCAN

4 4 7 4(2) Highways

SHELLY JONES BAND

5 5 4 5(2) These Are The Times

JASON OWEN

6 7 6 6(2) Waving At Trains

STEVE CHEERS

7 11 3 7(1) Kissing A Girl Goodnight

DREW MCALISTER

8 12 5 8(1) Love Or Money

BENNETT, BOWTELL & URQUHART

9 6 11 1(2) I’d Rather Be A Highwayman

ADAM HARVEY

10 14 26 1(7) Better Day

CARTER & CARTER

11 26 2 11(1) Young Years

BEN RANSOM (FEAT. SHARON O’NEILL)

12 9 9 5(1) Drunk Every Sunday

JASE LANSKY

13 17 9 11(1) Breathe In

GAYLE O’NEIL

14 8 9 3(1) Girls, Beer, Utes & Rodeo

ALI S

15 10 9 1(1) Put On A Good Show

DESTINY

16 15 5 12(2) Earn Your Spurs

DEAN PERRETT

17 0 1 17(1) Catching Red Lights

KAYLENS RAIN

18 18 8 11(1) Pretty Baby Blues

KIARA RODRIGUES

19 30 16 2(1) High Horse

TRAVIS COLLINS

20 34 6 20(1) I Love You Way Too Much To Say Goodbye

VANESSA BOURNE

CMC TOP 50 Week Commencing 22 September 2018. This chart is updated weekly at countrymusicchannel.com.au or tune into CMC. TW TITLE

ARTIST

1 Hide The Wine

CARLY PEARCE

2 Under My Skin

KIRSTY LEE AKERS SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS

3 Babe

SUGARLAND

LABEL BIG MACHINE

FTG. TAYLOR SWIFT 4 I Hate Love Songs

KELSEA BALLERINI

5 Hotel Key

OLD DOMINION

BIG MACHINE BLACK RIVER/SONY SONY

ARTIST

LABEL

27 Starin’ Out The Back Of A Car ANGUS GILL CHECKED LABEL SERVICES TRAVIS COLLINS

28 Happy

ABC

29 She Got The Best Of Me LUKE COMBS 30 High Horse

TRAVIS COLLINS

31 Burning Man

DIERKS BENTLEY

SONY ABC

F/BROTHERS OSBORNE

EMI

JASON ALDEAN FT. MIRANDA

32 Don’t Let Me Forget

CATHERINE MCGRATH

WARNER

LAMBERT

33 You’re In It

GRANGER SMITH

WHEELHOUSE/BMG

6 I’d Rather Be A Highwayman ADAM HARVEY 7 Drowns The Whiskey

TW TITLE

SONY BROKEN BOY/SONY

8 Drunk Girl

CHRIS JANSON

34 King Of The Sky

ANDREW SWIFT

SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS

9 Party Down Under

ADAM BRAND

ABC

35 What I Don’t Know

RACHAEL FAHIM

TOP DOG

10 No Sad Song

THE WOLFE BROTHERS

ABC

COLE SWINDELL

WARNER

11 Desperate Man

ERIC CHURCH

36 Break Up In The End

EMI

37 For A Moment

ABBIE FERRIS

38 Birds In Cages

TAMARA STEWART

INDEPENDENT

39 If You Let It

BAYLOU

INDEPENDENT

40 Drive Thru

JADE HOLLAND KRISTY JAMES

SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS STONEY CREEK/BMG

12 Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset

WARNER

LUKE BRYAN

EMI

13 Day Drunk

MORGAN EVANS

14 Simple

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

15 Life Changes

WARNER

THOMAS RHETT

BIG MACHINE BMLG/UMA

SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS

INDEPENDENT

16 Lose It

KANE BROWN

SONY

41 Cinderella

17 Get Down South

DAVISSON BROTHERS BAND

SONY

42 Best Shot

JIMMIE ALLEN

18 Lioness

BECCY COLE

43 Born To Love You

LANCO

SONY

19 Blue Tacoma

RUSSELL DICKERSON TRIPLE TIGERS/SONY

44 Real Good Time

UMA

20 Straight To Hell

DARIUS RUCKER W/ JASON ALDEAN,

JUDAH KELLY

45 I Was Jack (You Were Diane) JAKE OWEN

ABC

CHARLES KELLY & LUKE BRYAN EMI 21 One Life

GRAEME CONNORS

22 Loud

TIM HICKS

23 Drunk Me

MITCHELL TENPENNY

24 Neon Smoke

ABC ABC/OPEN ROAD

GORD BAMFORD

25 Shout The Land A Drink THE HAY BALERS 26 The Valley Of His Dreams

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

47 Love Or Money

SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS WARNER

BIG LOUD

KASEY CHAMBERS

ESSENCE/WARNER

BENNETT, BOWTELL & URQUHART

SONY ABC

JOHN WILLIAMSON

46 Goliath Is Dead

CHECKED LABEL SERVICES

48 Secondhand Heart

MELODY MOKO

49 This Is It

SCOTTY MCCREERY

50 Beach Mode

TROY KEMP

INDEPENDENT TRIPLE TIGERS/SONY

CHECKED LABEL SERVICES

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

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BUSH BALLADS

BUSH BALLADS

EXCITE FANS

BY PETER COAD OAM WWW.BUSHBALLADEERS.COM.AU

THE INCLUSION AT THIS YEAR’S MUSTER OF A QUALITY, TWO-HOUR BUSH BALLAD SHOW EACH DAY WAS AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS ATTRACTING LARGE CROWDS OF ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORTERS.

Dallas Family, Anne and David Kirkpatrick, Ernie Constance, Norma O’Hara Murphy, Amos Morris, Dianne Lindsay, Peter Simpson, Graham Rodger, Steve Passfield, and The Travelling Country Band just to mention a few.

THE MUNNA CREEK COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL Munna Creek Country Music Festival held from October 18 to 21 features a great line-up of artists on the program including Rodney Vincent, Laura Downing, Sharon Heaslip, Evelyn Bury, Waddo, Glenn Jones, Vanessa Waara, Trevor Tolton, Peter Salata, Lynda Hansen, Tony Wagner, Lex K., Ashley Cook, Cockroach The Drummer, Kerry McDonald, Alan Blowers. Comperes will be Rosanna Ruddock, Clarrie Weller, and Ian Crombie. Bush Poets are Gary Fogarty and his team Of Funny Buggers.

CLARENCE VALLEY COUNTRY MUSTER

Bush ballads excite Gympie crowds

H

osted by Dianne Lindsay and Peter Simpson, showcasing top bush ballad artists Dean Perrett, Anita Ree, Jeff Brown, Bec Hance, Glenn Jones and featuring an amazing band, led by Rod Coe. Dianne and Peter extend their thanks and congratulations to all the artists and band who contributed to these shows success.

Their thanks also to the Gympie Muster committee for making the bush-ballad shows possible.

DVD BALLADS OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Bush Balladeers Association released a DVD in September. Filmed live at Enrec Studios, Tamworth, the DVD features 18 artists with songs of this nation. The DVD will be available from the ABBA, and 60

also from many of the artists involved. More details can be found via the ABBA website.

BUSY TIMES FOR GRAHAM With his fifth Tag-Along-Tour behind him, the 2019 TagAlong – Lightning Ridge to Birdsville – already close to being booked out and his latest CD Ringers In The Sky receiving major acclaim, Graham Rodger is looking forward to catching up with everyone at his big line-up of 2019 Tamworth Country Music Festival Concerts featuring wonderful talent and variety.

FESTIVALS COMING UP: PORT PIRIE COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL The annual Pt Pirie Country Music Festival is staged over the October 11 to 14. This year’s event features Justin Standley, Tom Maxwell, Kim Ritchie, Graeme Hugo, Allan Webster, Dwayne Elix, Cactus Martens, Jay J Shannon, Michelle Little, and Dale Duncan.

SLIM DUSTY COUNTRY MUSIC MEMORIES WEEK The Slim Dusty Country Music Memories Week held from October 15-21 is always a premier event with top line entertainment on show including the fabulous

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

Held from October 23 to 29 this annual event showcases a fine line-up of artists including Wayne Horsburgh, Col Finley, Kiara Rodrigues, Charmaine Pout, Samantha Bellamy, Owen Blundell, Terry Gordon OAM, Jeff Brown, Justin Standley, Craig Giles, John and Christine Smith, Dale Duncan, Graeme Hugo,, Laura Downing, Lindsay Waddington, Kross Kut Showband, Ray Pratley, Anthony Baxter Bill Kearns & Friends (Poets), and many more.

FRASER COAST MUSIC MUSTER Presented by Fraser Coast Agriculture Show Society Inc. the Fraser Coast Music Muster is held from October 24 to 29 at the Maryborough Showgrounds & Equestrian Park, Maryborough Qld. Guest artists are Dean Perrett, Brian Letton, Bruce Lavender, Glen Albrecht & Ricochet Band, Kalesti Butler, Kylie Castle, Wal Neilsen, Alec Beckett, Stu Watson, Clyde Cameron, Rob Hopkins and others.

NAMBUNG COUNTRY MUSIC MUSTER The Nambung Country Music Muster in WA will be staged from October 25 to 28 at the Nambung Station Stay in WA (two hours north of Perth). Artists appearing this year include Dianne Lindsay, Peter Denahy, Peter Simpson, The Band Of Mates, Sharon Heaslip, and many more. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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

AN INSTRUMENTAL LEADER

BY LORRAINE PFITZNER OAM

LINDSAY WADDINGTON HAS BEEN A PROFESSIONAL TOURING AND SESSION MUSICIAN FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

H

e started out playing drums in the Proserpine Country Music Club in 1984 and by the age of 11, was a member of a local band that played regular Friday and Saturday nights at the Palace Hotel.

As a teenager, Lindsay was undertaking session work for local artists before taking a regular job playing in Col Edmonds’ and John years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

Kilcullen’s band Country Conspiracy.

‘Waddo’ hit the road when he was just 15 with the legendary Brian Young.

The touring lasted five years travelling Australia as a fulltime member of Youngie’s band.

It was during those years that Waddo learnt how tough a musical career can be. He said; “The late Jimmy Little, who was also on the tour, told me ‘if you can last two years working and touring around Australia you will be a good entertainer’.”

Waddo got to meet and work with many great Australian artists during this time including Troy CassarDaley, Beccy Cole, Peter Denahy, and Kym Warner and of

course his sister Shaza Leigh, who all toured with Brian at some stage of their careers.

When not working or on the road, Waddo learned to play guitar and as each artist was only allowed to take one instrument on tour he had his drums so had to borrow a guitar.

Being left-handed he would turn the righthanded guitar upside down to play his way, hence the unusual way of playing guitar. He later learned to play the mandolin.

In 1995, Waddo moved to Sydney to further his career where he worked with numerous artists including Col Hardy, Charley Boyter, Doug Rowe, Beccy Cole and many others.

A year later, he moved to Tamworth where he became a member of the Butler band as well as a session musician at the LBS studio with Shaza and his brother-in-law Lindsay Butler OAM. In 2001, he joined the Australian “Cooee Show” with Aubrey & Martin Beggs and toured the USA playing at the Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, as part of World Fest, Dollywood in Pidgeon Forge Tennessee as well as performing cultural shows in various schools throughout America.

In 2003, Waddo released his debut instrumental album Cool Change, and started producing in his own Kross Kut Records Studio on the Gold Coast.

He made his career as one of Australia’s busiest country drummers before making the transition to become a multi-instrumentalist and entertainer and has toured and backed many of our leading artists.

To date he has released nine albums and won or received numerous finalist nominations as an instrumentalist in many of Australia’s leading industry awards.

He has also won many awards as a producer, including three times as producer of International Country Album of the Year in Iowa, USA. His new release Nullarbor contains 10 instrumentals, with the toe-tapping White Rabbit setting the scene for a great playlist.

It includes two new tunes Nullarbor and Dingo as well as eight older popular country songs including Always On My Mind, Sea Of Heartbreak, and Invisible Tears. Waddo is joined by John Kilcullen on the old Tex Morton classic Freight Train Yodel.

The traditional sounds are enhanced by multi-instrumentalist Lawrie Minson on steel guitar, Dobro, harp and banjo, Hugh Curtis on fiddle, mandolin and bass and Glenn Thomas on keys.

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WRITING GRE AT SONGS

IT’S NOT

ROCKET SCIENCE

PART 3

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

WHETHER YOU ARE SIGNED TO EITHER A RECORD LABEL OR PUBLISHING COMPANY OR INDEPENDENT OF BOTH, THE SAME RULES APPLY TO THE EARNING AND COLLECTION OF MONEY FOR YOUR WORK.

T

he only difference is that, in the case of signed artists and writers, the collection is done on their behalf. What I hope to show are ways that, even in these trying times, you can maximise your earnings.

APRA

The more often your songs are played on radio and television, the more they earn, and the bigger the station or network are, the higher the earnings are. Community radio is of huge value in terms of promoting artists and their recordings but attract very little in terms of royalties … they basically earn very little above their operating costs from sponsorship. Commercial stations pay a portion of their advertising revenue and the ABC stations have a different arrangement.

Live performances are critical. Funded by licence fees paid by the venues that have live entertainment, this money is vital. If you are a singer-songwriter, you simply log every one of your songs at each gig on a live performance return (on the APRA website). At the end of each financial year the total performances and your share of the live performance pool are calculated, and your royalties are sent to you. If you are not a performer but your songs are being performed, you can still log them and earn royalties. Because I write with so many other writers, I earn money when they log performances of our songs from their own gigs as well. I regularly meet people who think filling in live performance returns is too

much trouble … I would like to thank these people for adding to our income. Where artists are performing your songs, it is well worth asking them to include them on their Live Performance Returns.

If you are fortunate enough to have your songs played overseas, APRA are able to collect royalties on your behalf because of reciprocal arrangements with overseas performing right associations.

AMCOS CD sales have taken a huge hit since the streaming revolution started but country music fans still love the artist/fan relationship where they buy CDs and get them signed. Sadly, even the grey nomad market is faltering with new 4- wheel drives no longer having CD players.

Major record labels are scrupulous about paying the correct royalties on album sales

so, if you have a song recorded by one of their artists, you can bet you will be paid. If you are an independent artist, you will be required to buy a licence from AMCOS to cover the royalties on your album. Even though I record my own songs, I always get a licence so that my co-writers get paid.

That said, in these tough times, some artists are avoiding paying a licence fee to AMCOS. This means that you can have songs on an album that is selling and be cut out of your fair share of the album’s earnings. When a song has been recorded, you are within your rights to let AMCOS know so that they can check it for you.

THE FUTURE The more cynical of us might suggest that there isn’t one, but my take is that I love being a songwriter, I work hard to write lots of quality songs and even harder at getting them recorded. I log every song that I do live. I write with lots of artists for their albums and I try to write the singles.

I run workshops to help young writers get their work to a recordable standard. A combination of all the different strands of my songwriting career enables me to make a living. At some point, the streaming thing will have to be sorted … it can’t continue like this. My advice is always to write your absolute best songs, write because you love it and always look out for any possibilities to exploit your work.

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), details on upcoming songwriting workshops around the country … 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 OCTOBER 2018 Sept 28-Oct 7 32nd Mildura CMF | Contact: John Arnold |E: milduracountrymusic.com.au | T: 1800 039 043 5-7 5 Rivers Outback Festival | Balranald | NSW | W: 5riversoutbackfestival.com.au 11-14 Northern CM Port Pirie Music Festival | SA | Contact: Mary Bateman | T: 08 8633 2302 or M: 0408 334 086 | e: mabiena.mb@gmail.com | W: northerncountrymusicassociation.org 12-14 Mt Hunter CM Stampede | K Ranch Arena | 180 Monks Lane | Mount Hunter | NSW | kranch.com.au 15-21 15th Annual Slim Dusty CMF | Kempsey Showground | NSW | Camping, food and entertainment | Contact: Pauline Fisher or Kate Mainey | T: 02 6562 6533 | 1800 18SLIM | E: Festival@slimdustycentre.com.au | w: slimdustycentre.com.au 18-21 Munna Creek CMF | Contact: Lex K | M: 0428 293 145 | W: munnacreekfestival.com 18-21 Annual The Waterhole Rocks – Rock n Roll Campout weekend | Contact Sue Osberg | M:0474 266 215 | E: waterholerocks@outlook.com | Facebook.com/TheWaterholeRocks 22-28 Clarence Valley Country Muster | Grafton | NSW | Contact: Wendy Gordon | M: 0432 741 947 |E: wgordon@cvcmuster.com.au | W: cvcmuster.com.au 25-28 Nambung CM Muster | WA | T: 08 9652 4048 | E: enquiry@nambungstation.com.au | W: numbungstation.com.au 26-28 Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival | W: dorrigofolkbluegrass.com.au NOVEMBER 2018 2-4 Ballina CMF | Various venues | Ballina | NSW | T: 02 6686 9255 | W: ballinacountrymusic.com 8-11 Airlie Beach Festival of Music | Various venues | Contact: Gavin Butlin | T: 0411 477 908 | E: airliebeachfestivalofmusic@gmail.com | W: airliebeachfestivalofmusic.com.au 8-11 6th Kyabram RV CM Corral | Kyabram Showgrounds | Vic | T: 03 5853 2933 | E: ky47347@bigpond.net.au | W: kyrvcountry.com.au 10-11 1st The Great Huon Valley Festival | Times: Sat 11:30am to 10pm & Sun 10am to 6pm | Franklin Oval & Foreshore | 2 Hayes Road | Franklin | Tas | W: thegreathuonvalley.com.au | Tickets through Oztix 16-18 Burra CMF & TQ | Burra Showgrounds | SA | Camping, Food, Licensed Bar, Workshop, Bush Poetry | Contact: Secretary | M: 0428 922 614 | Artist applications contact Tracey’s mobile 0429 866 769 | E: burracmf@gmail.com | W: burracountrymusicfestival.com 17-18 Gidgee Coal Bush Ballad Awards | Pittsworth Showground and Bottletree Hall | Qld | Bush ballads, bush poets, walkups, food, damper | M: 0427 731 088 or 0427 578 264 22-25 6th Temora CMF | NSW | Venues include Temora Bundawarrah Centre and Temora ExServices Memorial Club | Tickets on sale | Contact Roz Giles | M: 0408 597 307 | E: rozandcraig@bigpond.com | W: temoracmf.com 28 32nd ARIA Awards | Sydney | NSW | aria.com.au DECEMBER 2018 No known festivals or events JANUARY 2019 11-17 Countdown to the 47th Toyota CMF Tamworth | NSW 12 Gwandalan CMF | NSW 18-27 47th Toyota CM Festival Tamworth | NSW | tcmf.com.au 26-27 Matamata Piako CM Awards | Overall Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Veteran & Songwriter categories will be eligible for the 2019 Entertainer of the Year

years of bringing you the music 1975–2018

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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018