Issuu

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 VOLUME 46 NO 5

sam

lachlan

SONGS IN FLIGHT

SONIC APPRECIATION

HAWKSLEY

BRYAN

shane

NICHOLSON SAD SONGS WITH SILVER LININGS

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editor’s NOTE

LOOKING

forward

When SLIM sang the DON WALKER lyrics to Looking Forward, Looking Back, he nor any of us could have imagined that those words and sentiment could be so poignant to the world in 2021.

part from war, COVID-19 has been given more attention than anything that I can remember. In our world of country music, it has created chaos, and ruined careers, due to the closure of venues, and the cancellation of festivals and

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events. However, our people are resilient. Despite the entertainment business being shut down for the best part of the past 18 months, trying to find the silver lining amongst it all, our industry has

found ways to be creative and inspired and carry on. Over the past 12 months since we returned as a bi-monthly you will have noticed that all artists who are featured have shared their personal experiences about both their pandemic pain and positive pastime. This month’s issue is no different and the stories continue to be optimistic and motivating and I hope that you will not only enjoy reading them but I encourage you to find ways of supporting the artists during this time, if you are in the position to do so. “There are strange days, Full of change on the way, But we’ll be fine, unlike some, I’ll be leaning forward, to see what’s coming, looking forward, looking back, we’ve come a long way down the track, got a long way left to go ...” Take care out there. Cheryl

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 FEATURES LACHLAN BRYAN SHANE NICHOLSON SAM HAWKSLEY CLAY WALKER JAYNE DENHAM HAYLEY JENSEN MICHAEL WAUGH DESTINY OZ BAND AUSSIE INVASION OF THE US KATRINA BURGOYNE MORGAN EVANS

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MANAGING EDITOR Cheryl Brown P: 0407 10 69 66 E: cheryl@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au ADVERTISING Cheryl Brown P: 0407 10 69 66 E: cheryl@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au

REGULARS

SUBSCRIPTIONS Linda Bridges T: 0439 406 136

NEWS

CONTRIBUTORS Allan Caswell, Anna Rose, Aristomedia, Australian Country Music Hall of Fame, Bec Gracie, David Dawson, Gordon Sheard, Graham Thompson, Jack Paten, Jon Wolfe, Lorraine Pfitzner OAM, Max Ellis, Peter Coad OAM, Ros Lindsay, Stuart Coupe, Susan Jarvis.

TOWARDS 2022

PHOTOGRAPHERS Alex Jeffery, Andrew Pearson, Bev Moser, Greg Sylvia, Jeremy Westby, John Elliott, June Underwood, Katrina Burgoyne, Michelle Day, Snapped At A Gig, Tamworth Regional Council and all who support Capital News.

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Country Music Capital News is compiled and published bi-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 2021 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 Australian Community Media Printing & Distribution, 159 Bells Line of Road, North Richmond. 2754. ISSN 1440-995X. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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MORE FROM SLIM A new album has been released 18 years after the passing of the king of country music.

Slim Dusty & Joy McKean out fishing

he album, Gone Fishin’, ties in with the anniversary of Slim Dusty’s death on September 19, and Fathers’ Day on September 5. Anne Kirkpatrick said; “Fishing

On Friday July 30, Tom LeGarde died at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, aged 90. Tom and Ted LeGarde were identical twins born in Mackay, Qld. They migrated to North American in 1957, then landed in Hollywood before relocating to Nashville in 1958. After a few years back in Australia in the ‘60s they returned to the US and signed a management contract with Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker. They appeared on variety shows, hosted their own TV series in Los Angeles and worked with hundreds of artists across the decades. Tom died three days short of the anniversary of his twin Ted, who died on Aug 2, 2018.

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was second nature to dad. As a teenager dad would fish in Nulla Creek ‘with a seasoned kurrajong pole’ and throughout the 60’s he would take time out of the show runs across Queensland and the Territory wherever the fishing was good.” Gone Fishin’ is available now on all streaming and download platforms and a limited number of CDs, will be available from retail stores and from the website slimdustymusic.com.au After music, fishing was Slim’s favourite past time and these songs reflect that. Some of the tracks are Where I’d Sooner Be, A Bad Day’s Fishin’, Another Night in Broome, Bunda Waterhole, Catching Yellowbelly (In The Old Barcoo), Why Don’t You Just Go Fishing, Big Yabbies From The Creek and Nulla Creek. Dave Homer received a brief Joy McKean and Anne Kirkpatrick to create the album cover artwork.

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ABC MUSIC SIGNS MELANIE DYER Singer songwriter Melanie Dyer has signed a new record deal with Australian music label ABC Music. Melanie said that she is excited to be joining the label led by such strong, nurturing women in Natalie Waller and Jenny Peachey. ABC Music’s Jenny Peachey said, “We are excited to have Melanie join us and look forward to building on her accolades and achievements to date with the new music.” Coinciding with the signing is the release of the new single Run Out Of Road, produced by Pete Holz, and written with Forest Glen Whitehead and Dan Fernandez. Melanie said that she wrote the song during her last trip to the USA in Feb 2020 just before COVID hit Australia and all international flights were stopped “I’ve been so lucky to travel from Gold Coast to California, New Zealand to Memphis and everywhere in between for music,” she said. “When the world came to a halt in 2020, this song took on a whole new meaning.” After securing mainstream, commercial radio support and over 2.4 million streams on previous single Memphis T-Shirt, Melanie sits comfortably as a leading artist in the country/pop genre. The single will be released on September 3.

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news PHOTO: BEV MOSER

PHOTO: JEREMY WESTBY

DOCO TO HONOUR

NASHVILLE

lefty

L-R: Marlon Frizzell, M. Douglas Silverstein, David Frizzell, and Allen Frizzell.

A deal has been signed by Extrovert Entertainment to produce a major biopic on country music legend, singer-songwriter LEFTY FRIZZELL.

he documentary will be undertaken by the creative direction of Emmy-awardwinning director and producer, M. Douglas Silverstein. Lefty’s son Marlon Frizzell said the family is honoured to be working together on the film. Lefty’s recording career in the national spotlight lasted only 25 years, producing a total of 39 Top 100 songs and six #1 hits on the Billboard charts. His major hits included I Love You A Thousand Ways, That’s The Way Love Goes, If You’ve Got The Money, I’ve Got The Time, and Saginaw Michigan. Lefty became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in July of 1951 and has been posthumously honoured with induction into the Country

Music Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. He died at the age of 47, on July 19, 1975. M. Douglas Silverstein has produced live concerts for clients as diverse as Green Day, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the United Nations, as well as high-profile national branding productions, including Madonna, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake and his documentary credits include Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, Willie Nelson, and Foo Fighters. Producers are seeking archival video footage, photos, and news stories involving Lefty Frizzell. Anyone with such materials can email theleftyfilm@gmail.com.

WHAT’S ON This is what we’re missing out on by not travelling to Nashville over the next two months. The Ryman Auditorium, Ascend Amphitheatre, Bridgestone Arena, Bicentennial Park and Franklin Theatre are filled with country music. What you would see if you were in the Music City in September

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is the regular Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights at the Grand Ole Opry House, and this smorgasbord of artists including Cadillac Three, Blake Shelton, Whiskey Myers, Clint Black, Brothers Osborne, Jonas Brothers with Kelsea Ballerini, Charles Esten, Eric Clapton, AmericanaFest and Indigo Girls. In October, Nathanial Rateliff & The

Sarah Cates, John Scott Sherrill, Amy Grant, Buddy Cannon, Rhett Akins and Mark Ford.

FIVE NEW SONGWRITERS FOR HALL OF FAME The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) has announced its Class of 2021. The five who will be inducted into the Hall this November are Amy Grant, Toby Keith, Rhett Akins, Buddy Cannon and John Scott Sherrill. The announcement was made by Sarah Cates, chair of the organisation’s board of directors, and Mark Ford, its executive director. The five will join the 213 previously inducted members when they are officially inducted during the “50/51” Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala. Due to the postponement of last year’s 50th Anniversary celebration the Class of 2020 – Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Kent Blazy, Brett James and Spooner Oldham will also be honoured.

Night Sweats, John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band, You Got Gold: Celebrating the life and songs of John Prine, Alan Jackson with Tenille Townes, Boz Scaggs, Zac Brown Band and The Doobie Brothers. Australia’s The Tesky Brothers are set to perform at the Marathon Music Works on October 5. Find a full list at visitmusiccity.com/things-to-do-innashville-nashville-events-upcoming-events

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sonic APPRECIATION

BY STUART COUPE

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Lachlan Bryan is certainly not alone in having found the past 18 months of COVID-infused life more than just a little frustrating and difficult.

e and his band The Wildes have had to cancel and postpone more shows than they care to think about, but amidst all that they’ve been very active on the recording and releasing front. Earlier this year came the rather superb Nearest Misses Live album, a sort of ‘best of’ collection captured during shows back in 2019, just awhile before the world, as we know it, changed forever. The recordings – full of the spirit and passion of a typical Wildes show – hung around for some period of time before guitarist and producer Damian Cafarella set about transforming them into an album. Excellent as Nearest Misses Live was, the most exciting aspect of COVID-era Lachlan Bryan And The Wildes is the recording and release of an astonishing impressive new studio album, As Long As It’s Not Us, which arrives at a time when everyone thought things might be about to return to something approximating the way we knew it before COVID spot fires around the country reminded everyone, including Lachlan, that we’re a long way from that. So, we have a superb album coming out without too many shows planned to promote it. “We’ve got a few festivals booked later in the year – Dashville Skyline and Out On The Weekend – and fingers crossed they happen, but I don’t think we’re going to try and do a tour,” Lachlan says philosophically. “It just feels too uncertain to try and put a tour together.

And everyone who does tour is constantly trying to reschedule so it’s chaos – and really hard to get venues and the dates you want. We might do a few gigs but that will probably be it. Otherwise we’ll rehearse a real lot. That’s the other thing with what’s going on. Normally you get in a routine from playing a lot. OK, we can go for ages without playing but then we play a real lot and you get really match fit doing that, but we’re just having to try and replace that with rehearsals. Not that we can even rehearse at the moment.” Lachlan and I were talking during the latest Victoria lockdown and things looked just a little gloomy. However, the bright and shining light in all this is the quality of songwriting, singing and playing on As Long As It’s Not Us which to these ears is the finest album of The Wildes’ career – and they’ve already set the bar pretty high in terms of quality. “We really are happy,” said Lachlan. “This album has been a long time in the making. I would have said it was pretty much finished over a year ago but we’ve added a few new songs and shuffled a few things in and out. “Because we have a studio that we work in all the time it’s easy for us to walk away, think about things, listen to them and them come back in and change and add things. It’s a luxury we have, but I guess it’s a luxury a lot of people have these days as so many people make recordings in their own studios without having to hire really expensive

“Because we have a studio that we work in all the time it’s easy for us to walk away, think about things, listen to them and then come back in and change and add things.“

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studios for days which also adds to the pressure of recording.” The main difference between As Long As It’s Not Us and previous Wildes albums is, as far as Lachlan can pinpoint, the fact that it’s a very collaborative album. There’s a lot of co-writes on the album and on top of that they don’t all originate from Lachlan. In fact, this is the first Wildes album where there’s a song included that doesn’t involve his writing at all. And also pulled in for a co-write – on the title track – is You Am I’s Tim Rogers. Weighing On Me (“that’s the hit”, Lachlan laughs) was written by impressive up-and-comer Riley Catherall and founding Wilde, bass player Shaun Ryan. The two also co-wrote three songs included on Catherall’s superb When I Go album. “Shaun and Riley wrote a lot together during the lockdown,” Wilde said. “The way they worked is that if the song starts with an idea from Riley then it was for his album, and if Shaun got it started then it was a Wildes song. “It’s been great to have a more creative involvement from Shaun in that area. He went through a lot in the last year. He now lives with me and S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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he spent a very lonely first lockdown period and he wrote a lot during that time, and there are parts of this record that became very much his – and that even includes songs that I wrote that he really relates to. So, I think it alternates between being mine and Shaun’s record – and Damian of course as he got hold of the songs pretty early on.” The thing that’s most immediately evident about As Long As It’s Not Us is not just the quality of the songs but the overall sonic palate of the album. This is a band stretching out, really using the studio, taking some chances and pulling them off magnificently. “We had a production aesthetic with this album that we’ve never had before,” he agrees. “We’ve never messed around with old drum machines and never quite got out all our guitar pedals as often as we have on this record. “I think that’s a reflection of the music we were listening to when we started this record and that we’ve kept listening to. We’re not the kind of people who sit around always listening to acoustic guitars and banjos all the time and that other listening has bled into this

album. There are elements of – dare I say it – pop on this record. That’s something that I’ve always secretly enjoyed but never found a way to work it into what we do. What I’m most proud of with this record is that the songs sound like ours but they also don’t sound like anything we’ve ever done before.” But long term Wildes fans shouldn’t fear. When Lachlan talks about pop he’s not talking Lady Ga Ga, Beyonce and the like. Whilst that sort of pop record from The Wildes is an intriguing fantasy, he’s thinking of another sort of pop music. “I’m a bit of a sucker for slightly shoegazing American indie pop,” he explains. “The first bands I think of in that area are Wilco and I really like The National, and a band we supported called Lord Huron, and Calexico. We’ve known those guys for a long time. “And the other thing is that they’re all bands as opposed to singer songwriters. And their sounds are pretty hard to pin down. There’s obviously the country element that seems to be behind most music that we’re involved with, but they’re bands that are prepared to do some experimenting and the lyrics don’t always have to be perfectly storytelling and linear like. And nor do the songs of mine that I really like. The ones I gravitate to aren’t that linear. “So, we probably indulged in a bit of that on this record, and for that reason I find it easier to listen to than other things I’ve done before. With storytelling songs, I found myself really holding up to such high standards that I was never going to be able to meet. With these songs there’s much more stream of consciousness in there.” Whatever the components that have been melded together and how exactly it was all put together, one thing remains – As Long As It’s Not Us has lifted the bar of creativity and performance a few notches higher for Lachlan Bryan And The Wildes.

“We had a production aesthetic with this album that we’ve never had before. We’ve never messed around with old drum machines and never quite got out all our guitar pedals as often as we have on this record.

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sad songs with silver linings SHANE NICHOLSON reckons he’s made a career out of writing

dark songs that sound like they’re happy.

hane said “I love that juxtaposition – and it kind of reflects life, where what you see isn’t always what’s going on underneath.” “The other side of that is that a sad song can often have a positive undertone – a sense of hope, a silver lining. It’s important for songs to be 14

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nuanced, to have lots of different layers and emotions.” That’s certainly true of Shane’s remarkable new album, Living In Colour, which was released last month. It is the 11th album from this incredibly talented songwriter, singer, producer and philosopher, and it transcends what has been a career of wonderful albums – which

have garnered Shane 11 Golden Guitars, three ARIA Awards and numerous other accolades, and seen him receive over 10 million streams and more than 80,000 album sales. Fans have already heard several of the album’s tracks, from the powerful The High Price Of Surviving, released in 2020 and the winner of the 2021 Golden Guitar for Song of the Year, to the retro, nostalgic Harvest On Vinyl and Life Ain’t Fine. Now he’s released And You Will Have Your Way, a mid-life reflection S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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BY SUSAN JARVIS

on how we become more cynical and less sure of what we know as life goes on. “In my twenties, life seemed full of possibilities, then my thirties came along and I had kids, and started thinking about what the world would be like for them. By my forties, my old world-view had almost completely eroded, and I think I’ve probably reached peak cynicism,” he said. Making Living In Colour was a very different experience for Shane. “Whenever I’ve made an album in S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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the past, I’ve immersed myself in the experience, but this one was all made in downtime between producing for other people and home schooling – late nights and early mornings. “It really grew organically, starting with a mess of ideas that somehow grew together into a cohesive album. I did almost all of it myself, with some drum parts from Josh Schuberth and mixes from Matt Fell.” For Shane, the experience was bittersweet – it was the first album he’d made without the involvement of the late Glen Hannah, a close friend whose death had a profound impact on Shane. “Glen’s loss permeated the songs even more than I realised at the time. It really coloured everything about the album,” he said. Nowhere is that more evident than in A Million Angels, which Shane describes as “a late-night song of consolation”. “There was a lot of grief – not just Glen, but other family members and musicians. But at the same time, close friendships were becoming more solidified, we were checking in more on each other because we’d seen the devastating result of not doing that,” Shane said. “I’ve come to realise that while we need to remember those who are gone, the most important thing is those who are still here, and to focus on that.” The High Price of Surviving was in fact written before Glen’s passing, and recorded just before the news came through. “It’s a song about how the burdens we carry can sometimes get too much. It wasn’t a reaction to Glen’s death, but rather strangely prophetic. It has become his song. When we play a show, we send it out to him. There’s no longer a sadness when we play it – there’s actually a warm feeling around it.” Living In Colour is a multi-hued album, covering a wide range of subjects. One is the state of the world, and Shane pulls no punches in his responses to it.

House Burns Down takes both a “I’ve come to political and a personal perspective realise that – and Shane says it captures his while we need propensity to write songs when he doesn’t understand something. to remember “There are so many messed up those who are things and I don’t know how to start fixing them. I find it helpful to write gone, the most when I can’t make sense of things, and important in many ways this album has been thing is those hugely therapeutic for me – a kind of catharsis,” Shane said. who are still “The songs are very intense, and here, and to there’s a lot of dirt under the album’s fingernails. These times have been focus on that.” tumultuous and traumatic for everyone, and that’s all part of the album.” That’s explored in one way on Shane’s response to Paul Kelly’s Life is Fine, Life Ain’t Fine, which he played to Paul – one of his mentors and idols. It’s also front-and-centre on This Is War, a rally call to the next generation to solve the world’s current catastrophes. For me, the most powerful song on Living In Colour is Ain’t Been Loved, a song about domestic violence dressed up as a love song. It is a remarkable piece of writing and leaves you shattered by the end. Shane was part of Sam Hawksley’s Song Club throughout 2020, and has included several songs written during that communal songwriting exercise. One is Where In The World, which ended up giving him the album title. “I don’t usually write to order, but The Song Club made me get into a kind of subconscious space. I’m not sure what I was channelling, but it generally worked,” he said. Songs such as Simple Man and Harvest On Vinyl provide a counterpoint to the darker moment on the album. Simple Man was inspired by Shane’s father, and is a reflection on what happiness really is, while Harvest On Vinyl is simply a nostalgic trip down memory lane, and a contemplation about what makes us who we are. And Shane explores both the nature of songwriting and that of the music industry in the nuanced, and sometimes ruthless, How To Write A Song – penned at a time when the music industry is doing it tougher even than most parts of society. With the album’s release, Shane feels an enormous sense of relief and pride. “The great thing is that I’m still as excited as I always was when a new album comes out – and this is number 11,” he said. “That sense of accomplishment, creative fulfilment, having my thoughts and feelings out there in the world – that’s why I do it. “The touring and the awards are just a bonus, but it’s the sense of creating something and being proud of it that really means the most. And I’m particularly proud of this album.” TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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BY SUSAN JARVIS

songs in flight Anyone who knows SAM HAWKSLEY is aware that he’s not only extraordinarily talented, but also one of the nicest and most humble people in the industry.

“I’m not particularly attached to my own voice, and this idea started to form that I could create a record of songs I’d written but sung by women.” 16

o, it comes as no surprise that he doesn’t feature on a single track on his latest album, Birds. The Nashville-based songwriter/ guitarist/singer/producer came up with the unique concept for Birds at the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic – a long 18 months ago now. “Like every other musician who’d suddenly lost all their gigs and production work, I was asking myself what on earth I was going to do now,” he said. “I’m not particularly attached to my own voice, and this idea started to form that I could create a record of songs I’d written but sung by women. “The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. No one was asking me to make a record like this – not the fans, not a record label. I’m not even sure my mum thought it was a good idea. I just wanted to do it, so I did.” And what a remarkable collection of music it is. Sam’s gathered together an eclectic collection of women – some of them well known; some very familiar to country fans; and others he’s admired for years, but never thought he’d get to work with. “For example, I’ve been a huge Jonatha Brooke fan-boy for years. Her album Plumb redefined how I listen to music,” Sam said.

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“My friend Ben Butler agreed to ask her to do a song – we picked Come Tomorrow, which I wrote years ago with Kevin Bennett. I sent it to her and she agreed! I still have to pinch myself when I hear it. She made it her own.” Come Back Baby, which Sam wrote with Brooke McClymont in the early 2000s, is a standout track. Sam describes Brooke as the most natural singer he’s ever met. Sam’s recently released a video to go with the song – featuring old 1920s footage. It’s wonderful, and shows that Sam excels at pretty much everything he attempts. “One of my pandemic projects was to learn how to make videos, but of course the only way I could do that during lockdown was to use stock footage. It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I’ve now made videos for all the tracks on Birds – I’ll release them one by one over the next year or so. The Wendy Matthews one is already out there. Wendy does an amazing job on the album’s first single, We All Need Love. It gave me goosebumps.” Another spine-tingling moment on Birds is Felicity Urquhart’s exquisite vocal on Nothin’ In Life. She and Sam wrote the song together, and it captures her philosophy of life.

“The song came from a Marie Curie quote: ‘Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood’,” Sam said. Shanley Del makes a rare appearance on I’m Just A Little Square, a song that could have been written for her. She brings just the right quirky, warm, sweet vibe to the track. Other women who’ve taken part are Alyssa Bonagura, Amber Rae Slade, Nina Ferro, Wendy Page and Danielle Deandrea. “Every one of them has just gone above and beyond, and I absolutely love listening to this album,” Sam said. But Birds isn’t Sam’s only successful pandemic project. Over the last couple of years, Sam’s been involved in coordinating The S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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Wendy Matthews

Song Club, an evolving group of songwriters who are tasked with writing an individual song each week based on a prompt. My friend Rachel Loy began The Song Club in the US about four years ago, and a couple of years ago I decided to start it with a group of Aussies,” Sam said. “At the time, we didn’t know there would be a pandemic, but it has ended up giving structure and purpose and a real sense of community to a lot of artists. “A lot of us were struggling after our friend Glen Hannah passed away in 2019, and COVID put enormous pressure on many artists – not only financial but also psychological. People were floundering, and this was a way to just keep in touch and S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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check in with people – especially if the lyrics of a particular song raised any red flags.” The project has generated hundreds of songs, and they are beginning to emerge on albums across the country, including Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham’s album The Song Club, and Shane Nicholson’s brand-new album, Living In Colour. Sam writes a song each week along with everyone else, and now has about 130 songs waiting to be recorded. “The issue is getting that down to 10 tracks I want to record – so maybe that’s the next project,” Sam said. Over the last 18 months, Sam has also found time to produce albums for Australian artists

Amber Joy Poulton and Alice Benfer – albeit using some very different online methods. But he says he’s more than happy with the results. And he produced and performed on the I Still Call Australia Home single put together by Kristy Cox and featuring a bunch of ex-pat Aussies including Jay and Mark O’Shea, Kristy, Travis List, Troy Kemp, Camille and Stuie French and Katrina Burgoyne. “There was a lot of emotion there. We all live in Nashville, and I guess it’s home to us, but there’s something about where you were born and grew up, and we’re all really missing our families and friends in Australia,” Sam said. “When you know you can’t get back there, suddenly you really want to go home.” Like every other performer, Sam’s also been missing life on the stage and the road. When I spoke to him, he was on his first tour since the start of the pandemic, with the legendary Kim Richey. And he was loving every moment. “It was so weird to be back. I was really nervous, and didn’t quite know what to do. But it was also wonderful to be back on a stage and playing again,” Sam said. TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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BY JON WOLFE

Any country music recording artist would be more than pleased if a new album went to #1 on the day of release, but for US artist CLAY WALKER it was even sweeter because his new album Texas To Tennessee has been a long time coming.

“I wrote all the songs on it and it was like baring more of my soul than I’ve ever done before and I love that. I’ve always recorded songs that I’ve either loved or lived, and in this case it’s a lot of both.” 18

lay made a name for himself in the early to mid-1990s with 11 platinum albums and a string of #1 singles including Live Until I Die, Dreaming With My Eyes Open, This Woman And This Man, and Hypnotize The Moon, but somewhere along the line life got in the way. “Artists have a shelf life and how long the industry will promote an artist,” Clay said. “I lost my record deal, my contract, and I didn’t have a manager, so over the last 10 years I’ve struggled with working my way back inside. “I got a chance to get back through TK Kimbrell, Toby Keith’s manager, who heard that I’d been writing and recording new music and I played it for him and he said ‘This sounds like stuff that needs to be on the radio, like right now!’ One thing led to another and I got signed to Show Dog Records.” The industry started to pay attention to Clay again and a single from the new project, Need A Bar Sometimes, garnered almost 20 million on demand and video streams and a huge Tik Tok following. Being born in Beaumont, Texas, and moving to Tennessee, Clay says the new album is really an autobiography. “I wrote all the songs on it and it was like baring more of my soul than I’ve ever done before and I love that,” Clay said. “I’ve always recorded songs that I’ve either loved or lived, and in this case it’s a lot of both. The song Texas To Tennessee is the journey of my life, my career. I’m born a Texan and will die a Texan, but Texas and Tennessee have

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been a huge part of my life and they always will be.” There’s a Texan sensibility to Clay’s songwriting and performing that can be compared to songwriters like Guy Clark, Roger Miller and others, that shows in the structure of songs that tend to be short and to the point with hardly a word wasted. “Guy and Roger were both great influences on me as a songwriter and singer and to be compared to them I’m honoured and flattered,” he said. “I think in today’s world, people want you to get to the point and they knew how to do it back then, so the songs just sit right there in front of you.” A duo of songs at the heart of the album found Clay working with the songwriting powerhouse of Jennifer Hanson and Mark Nesler. Cowboy Loves A Woman embodies the Texas in the album title and the title track, also co-written with Hanson and Nesler, is like a sequel, and together they pinpoint the core of Clay as an artist and a man. “Cowboy reminds me of what made country music great,” Clay said. “Not that it’s the greatest country song, or that I’m the best singer in country music – I have never and would never claim that – but I might be in a place where I can connect the value in a song. “Vocally I’m at my best right now, there’s an ease in my voice on those songs and others on the album.” During our chat Clay used a couple of football analogies as he spoke about how important teamwork has been in the making of the new album. “Throughout my career there have been key people who have helped me put albums together, but

I saw something with this album I’ve not experienced before – what it takes to make a championship happen. The songs are your deep threat wide receivers; the full support of the record company is the offensive line; songwriters like Jaron Boyer and producer Michael Knox ran through walls for me. Everyone has done their part and it’s impressive. You can have talent, be famous or have a few hits, but you can’t win the Super Bowl without champions around you, and man, I’ve got ’em!” Like many songwriters, Clay admits to being a bit of an eavesdropper when it comes to writing songs. “Most really good songwriters do that too,” Clay said. “Songs are a conversation that you add music to, those are the best ones. Give me a conversation that you add music to and you have a monster song.” Clay couldn’t have been happier with the news that Texas To Tennessee had hit #1 on debut. “I’ve never had that before, it’s a great feeling,” he said. “It’s very gratifying to be at a point in my life where I can offer something in its fullness – I’ve never quite had that before. Early on I was pegged as a neo-traditionalist, and I don’t think I really fit that mold, but today’s music and my style have hit dead centre on Texas To Tennessee.” Clay says he would like to come back to Australia, not only to perform, but he says the NSW Golf Course in Sydney is the best in the world and when it comes to golf he knows of what he speaks. In 1996 he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and he has become a passionate advocate and fundraiser for others through his Band Against MS and he hosts the annual Clay Walker Charity Classic golf match at Pebble Beach. In closing he said he’d love to come to the Tamworth Country Music Festival and made an offer we’d be silly to turn down – but I’ll have to keep that to myself for now! S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

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BY JON WOLFE

LIKE A HIGH-HEELED

jesse james It seemed almost fitting that when JAYNE DENHAM came into my office to talk about her new album, Wanted, that she was wearing a mask, albeit a medical one and not a western style bandana.

“I basically did it for myself and having an alter ego for myself was a change and creatively it was fun.” 20

ayne, known for her trucking songs and albums, has taken a new path with her new album and it’s a stunning departure which sees her riding a musical range in a concept album that brings together images of western outlaws and powerhouse contemporary music redolent of the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood/ Ennio Morricone movies, but with a feminine twist - like a “highheeled Jesse James”. (Jayne’s line, not mine.) “I wanted the album to be country-rock but not too rock,” Jayne said. “I wanted to pull it back a bit and then add a western theme to it. It was intentional to marry the two – normally my albums are four-piece band, added instruments and that’s great and I love doing that – but I wanted this one musically to be more a piece of art, I guess. There’s many layers besides the rock instruments, there’s timpani and its orchestral.” Jayne’s producer Brian White describes the music as “country rock with a big serve of spaghetti western on the side!” The western theme isn’t a first in music – see Tumbleweed Connection by Elton John and Desperado by The Eagles and Andrew Farriss’ debut album, for instance – but it is probably the first by and Australian female performer.

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“I basically did it for myself and having an alter ego for myself was a change and creatively it was fun,” Jayne said. Jayne co-wrote four of the songs on the album, including the title track, where she was joined by Troy Kemp and Matt Scullion. “I’d written with Matt before but never with Troy and it, and other songs, were written on Zoom because of the Covid situation,” Jayne said. “And we all kept writing that way …. everyone was so nervous and none of us were technically set up for it to start. “Raggedy Ann (the top 10 single at the time of writing] was written by my producers in Nashville, Brian White (Blame It On You – Jason Aldean) and Brian Bunn (two-time Grammy nominated and multiinstrumentalist who played all the instruments on the record except drums), and myself and it was like ‘let’s write a song about a girl that shoots a gun’ – seriously, when you’re in lockdown and you’re twiddling your thumbs, that’s a really fun, creative thing to do!” Jayne and her co-writers really enjoyed writing and producing to fit the concept, as it gave them a kind of outlaw perspective to break some of the production clichés and rules as they went along. The album has a big sound befitting the concept and features a

duet with Troy Kemp – Rainstorm – and Better Make It A Double is sure to grab attention just like a western shootout at high noon, while the closing track, Beautiful World, ends on an up note. “I thought after shooting people and being tough I should end it with a little bit of happy,” Jayne said. Jayne, also sourced other songs that fit the concept and she also formulated the ‘look’ of both the album and upcoming live appearances. “I always knew I wanted to call the album Wanted, and I wondered how can I present this record live. You know, I can’t come out with the regular Jayne Denham country rock clothes, because it’s a bit more theatrical in some ways I actually decided I wanted to create a ‘look’. “I’ve always loved coats, that long look, and I had a holster made - the E-bay ones just didn’t look right - so I could have my fake gun, and I’ve always worn a hat. “I guess deep down I’m not Jayne Denham, I’m really Raggedy Ann!” The production team also made the decision to link the songs on the CD and vinyl with sound effects like gunshots, horses and wind to give it more of the spaghetti western feel, like maybe where Clint Eastwood’s ‘man without a name’ rides across an open plain or into town. After not being able to perform because of lockdown Jayne is looking forward to presenting the album live. “It’ll be more like a show, I guess,” she said. “I’m looking forward to putting on my alter ego persona, but I’ll still rock like I always do!”

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As Australia grappled with a global pandemic and the raft of restrictions that came with it, HAYLEY JENSEN turned to music where she pushed the boundaries and explored her limitations.

“Just thinking about all the songs and just how every little sound and every word and story is really different… we really took the time to not just throw it out there.” 22

t’s seen her produce her fourth studio album and perhaps her most authentically country one yet – a gift to her fans that’s been sitting inside her Sydney apartment for some time now, waiting to be released. Breakin’ Hearts, is an album of uncharted waters for Jensen with new sounds, different melodies and new stories to share. Due to be released in August, New South Wales’ latest outbreak of the Coronavirus has meant Jensen’s launch and album tour had to be pushed back to October. So far, fans have been treated to the release of four singles from the release: Karma, Just Gonna Party, Fireworks and the title track, Breakin’ Hearts – all which have climbed the charts and been met with rave reviews. Despite the setback, Jensen told Capital News, her latest release has been an exciting secret to keep. “Maybe once a week, I have a little listen again, I get so excited every time,” she said. “Just thinking about all the songs and just how every little sound and every word and story is really different… we really took the time to not just throw it out there.” The story behind this latest release began during a trip to Canada in 2019 for a number of performances. It was there she kicked off the song writing process and met up with Troy Kokol, who would then go on to produce this new release. From Canada, it was back to Australia and, soon enough, into the unknown of the year 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic. Jensen found herself recording in a makeshift studio at home, using music tracking software she’d never used before, and swapping notes

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with Troy in a different continent and time zone. “We did it all over zoom’ she said. “We started producing it when I came back to Australia, we would spend hours and hours playing with different sounds and sending things back and forth to each other. “I’d go to sleep having sent him something that night and I would wake up in the morning thinking… what am I going to get back, here?!” Jensen said the process to create the album was “one of the most satisfying creative experiences” of her musical career – a no limits approach. “Troy was trying to get an insight of what music I like and what inspires me – whether it’s country or not, what I listen to on repeat. “He made me make a playlist of songs and I put them all in there.” Using that playlist as inspiration, the dynamic duo created layers of music to create different feelings and emotions across the 10 tracks. The end result is a raw, and unapologetically honest and authentic album from Jensen. “They (the songs) all come from different places,” she said. “There’s a few heart break songs and gritty songs where I had to dig back into the past and kind of bring it out again. Because now I’m very happy and in a beautiful relationship. “That is where the song Fireworks comes from, knowing that every day when my husband walks in the door, I still get those fireworks and butterflies. “The times we spent together, the holidays we’re going to have or enjoying each other’s company. That song really came from a feeling of true love and the spark behind that.” Jensen says the excitement around creating new sounds and exploring her vocal range was one of

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BY HALEY SHERIDAN

the highlights of this latest release. No stranger to telling it like it is, one of the singles Shot Down came with a unique beat and a message that she won’t give up on fighting for what she wants. “It’s a very interesting one, I had that ‘stomp clap’ pattern going as a drum pattern in my mind and then the melody just came to me, like a train going down a track. “This song is about not being held back or held down by anything, you might shoot me but I’ll be getting back up.” “There’s no real theme going through the whole record, I was trying to draw on parts of my character that define me.” S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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waters The album also features a special nod to her late father, Rod, with the inclusion of a cover of the Sarah McLachlan classic, Angel – a duet she recorded with Beccy Cole. It was that song, which saw her gain a following on the 2004 season of Australian Idol, and a song her father had chosen for her. “It has always been a special song to me for that reason and losing him a few years ago, it became a stronger connection and he was also so proud that he picked that song for me,” she said. With the album all wrapped up in a little bow, Jensen is now waiting for the green light to hit the road in October. She says the decision to postpone S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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the August launch tour was a tough one, but hopefully it is worth the wait for her fans. “It was at the beginning of July, I could just see that everything was starting to shut down, cases were starting to rise and restrictions were coming in,” she said. “At that time, I thought that maybe it could get under control for August but within a number of days everyone could see the numbers kept going up. “Thankfully I was able to change the album release date… I thought, if I don’t jump on this, everyone will be trying to reschedule. It worked out all the (tour) dates apart from one, I was able to reschedule. And in even

better order logistically. I’m feeling a bit of peace about it even though it was distressing at the time. “That was the hardest part of the decision, but at the same time…If I release this in the middle of the pandemic and am not able to tour it and give the songs and the album a chance to get out there and be heard by as many people possible, it’s kind of going to be a waste as well. After two years of working on it.” She said before Sydney’s lockdown came in, she and her band were able to rehearse the new album. “It’s sounding so awesome live, I’m really glad it’s translated from the recorded state,” she said. And as for bringing it out into the world, Jensen says she couldn’t be happier with the outcome of Breakin’ Hearts. “It’s different to anything I think is out there,” she said. “I was worried people would say it’s too different, that it’s not quite organic as country should be, but we wanted to push those boundaries and create a fusion of sounds.” Breakin’ Hearts will be released on October 22. TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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19/8/21 1:14 pm

BY SUSAN JARVIS

HEALING THROUGH

music

The world has descended into a dark, strange place over the past couple of years, and it’s no surprise that music is beginning to reflect that.

“I needed time to reflect and be still, and be with my family. Being isolated in lockdown was a bit like having a broken arm stuck inside a cast – it was frustrating and I was itching to get out, but ultimately it was what I needed to start putting myself back together again.” 24

or Michael Waugh, the surreal nature of 2020 was magnified many times over, as he faced a series of personal tragedies. “My dad passed away in January 2020, then in March – just before the first lockdown – my mum also left us,” Michael said. “There was a lot of emotional turmoil, especially going into lockdown two weeks after the funeral. “Then we found out that my brother had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.” For Michael, the emotions were overwhelming, and being at home simply gave him more time to think. Then something strange happened. “In the midst of it all, this moment of stillness emerged. Suddenly there was no choice – we couldn’t go places and do things to take our mind off all the sadness. And that was a kind of gift,” he said. So, Michael started to do what he knows best: he began to pour his grief and emotion into songwriting. “For all of us, and particularly for me at that time, it’s hard to think

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straight – everything’s uncertain and confused, and I think everyone was frightened,” he said. “So, the songs I wrote during that period definitely had a dark undercurrent – they gave me a chance to get out a lot of darkness and dirtiness; it was a kind of catharsis. But I hope that in writing them, I also found light and strength, and was able to put that into the songs too.” The song that most accurately captures that period for Michael is The Cast, which became the title track for his powerful new album. “I needed time to reflect and be still, and be with my family. Being isolated in lockdown was a bit like having a broken arm stuck inside a cast – it was frustrating and I was itching to get out, but ultimately it was what I needed to start putting myself back together again,” he said. While the making of The Cast was hindered by numerous lockdown constraints, Michael worked with producer Shane Nicholson to create a nuanced, multilayered, moving body of work.

“Having an artist like Shane taking these songs and giving them such life, power and vitality was part of my healing too – I kept sharing these vulnerable songs with him, and he kept sending them back whole and strong,” Michael said. Michael’s parents inspired several of the tracks on The Cast, including He Taught Me, Hold On To The Ones You Love and Too Many Drawers. They inspire both tears and smiles, because they are infused with love and grief and a myriad of other emotions. Felicity Urquhart duets with Michael on the heartfelt Too Many Drawers, and Michael says his mother would have been delighted. “Mum loved Fliss – and she was always really kind and warm to mum. It seemed so right to have her on this track,” he said. Unsurprisingly, there are some very raw, and quite confronting moments on this album, including Sleepless and Swollen. “Some of these songs came from a very deep, dark place. Like all songs, there are elements of truth and elements of creative licence,” Michael said. “I certainly related strongly to Swollen, which is about eating disorders and self-image – during lockdown I used food as a crutch while my life was imploding, and I felt ugly and empty. Men don’t talk enough about this issue, and I’m proud to have put this story out there.” Irrigation Channel explores some complex themes: relationships and some undercurrents of rural life. He describes the song as “a murder ballad about the death of a relationship”. Michael says he was worried he’d gone too deep and too dark on The Cast, but manager Graham Thompson encouraged him to put the songs out there. “I hope people will really relate to the stories and the emotions – even if they sometimes find the songs confronting. The real power of music S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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is to make that deep connection with those who hear them,” he said. “My wife’s a social worker, and when she sells merch at my gigs, she jokes that I break people’s hearts and she ends up having to counsel them.” Michael says that, Flying, the first single from new album The Cast, was written as a love song to his brother. “I was stuck at home in Melbourne when he really needed me, and I couldn’t get to him. So I wrote this song to remind him of our childhood, and of how I will always be here for him,” he said. Michael also looks back to the past for his new single, Dark. The song was written during long car trips to see his ill mother. “I found the only music I could listen to was new romantic songs from my youth. They’re big, textured, emotional. The song captures that dark, nightclub feel – the concept that whatever happens in life, Friday nights are yours,” he said. As a drama teacher when he’s not a musician, Michael saw the toll lockdown took on kids, and Four Square is about how important it is for kids to have fun amidst the expectations and criticisms they face. Other more positive songs include Dirty River – a tribute to Michael’s adopted city of Melbourne – and Real Estate, a reflection on contemporary dreams. “It’s become a kind of fantasy for mid-life couples – looking at real estate apps and dreaming of houses you could never afford,” he said. Michael may not be able to perform at the moment – though he did slip in a show in his home town of Heyfield before the latest spate of lockdowns – but he’s enormously proud of his new album. “As a writer, I get to journey with people during challenging times in their lives – they often say to me, ‘It’s like you’re telling my story’. That’s a huge privilege, and I never forget how lucky I am to be part of that,” he said. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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BY REBECCA GRACIE

meant to be No strangers to Australian country fans, DESTINY BAND OZ are giving more of what the fans have asked for – new music!

“If people love the stuff we are writing and recording and we are having fun doing it, that’s all we want, and we are being chased to do shows now.” 26

lthough COVID-19 restrictions have postponed or cancelled most of their performance opportunities over the past 18 months, the Victorian husband and wife duo of Thomas and Tessa Libreri, have been busy in the recording studio. Like many musical love stories, the couple met in a band when Thomas auditioned for a group that Tessa fronted in the 1990s, and the rest is history. Following that line dancing band, the couple branched out on their own, and the name Destiny came from how they first met. However, there were already other bands overseas with the same name, and when they began releasing music, their songs were getting mixed up with these other bands, so they added Oz to the name to differentiate that they were the Australian artists. Who I Might Be is the new album from Destiny Band Oz with Damian Cafarella in the producer’s seat. The first single lifted from the album was This Is Our Land, released in January 2021, which reached No. 1 on the international mainstream country top 40 airplay chart, No. 1 on the Tasmanian/ OzCMR chart and No. 1 the Australian Country Songwriters Show Top 10 Most Requested, and No. 5 for two weeks on the Country Songs Top 40, charting for 18 weeks. One of the biggest accolades for

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this single, though, was when This Is Our Land was used to open the Australian Songwriter’s Association Virtual Awards ceremony and it has been pitched as an all-inclusive anthem for the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032. From a song celebrating Australia and its land and people, they followed it with second single, It’s A Shame, which is about life and COVID-19. It made No. 1 on the Australian Country Songwriters Show Top 10 Most Requested, No. 6 on the Tassie/OzCMR chart and No. 14 on the Country Tracks chart. The latest single is Show Pony, released on August 1, following the July 23 release of the album. “This is the first time we’ve worked with Damian Cafarella,” Thomas said. “We had some rough demos that we sent him and he did all the drum tracks, then we did the music to his drumming from home, then we went in and in five days he smashed it out; he’s awesome.” Thomas added guitars with Damian also on guitars, slide and keys. “The studio is fantastic and you feel right at home straight away and we will definitely be using him again,” Thomas said. Tessa described the album of 10 original songs as folk-country, with one song a co-write with Wendy Barnes, which has hints of Santana and Thomas said this album was more streamlined in terms of genre, compared to previous releases. “We are so pleased with the response to the album and the

singles we have released so far,” Tessa said. “We have so many other songs to release that we are pretty excited about, too.” The next single slated for release in mid-September is In The Neck, which the duo described as a tongue-incheek husband’s lament, with Lachlan Bryan having shot the humorous video to accompany the track. Having released 20 singles since 2017, the duo isn’t resting on their laurels with more than a dozen No. 1 tracks in that time, as they build on their reputation. “It’s all very overwhelming, because for the short amount of time we have been out there, we’ve done exceptionally well,” Thomas said. “If people love the stuff we are writing and recording and we are having fun doing it, that’s all we want, and we are being chased to do shows now.” COVID-pending, the duo hopes to get back on the road, and across the Bass Strait for two weeks of Tasmanian shows in October and once overseas travel restrictions ease, though, they plan to travel to the USA at the urging of listeners there, and would also like to travel to England and Malta, where Thomas has family ties. “We had a tour planned to see most of Australia and play and it all got shut down, so an Australian tour would be definitely on the cards again and overseas when we can,” Tessa said. Although COVID-19 restrictions have cut into the duo’s live gigs and their ability to sell physical CDs and merchandise at shows, they have physical copies available by contacting the band through their website or Facebook page. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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SERIES PART 1: AUSSIE INVASION OF THE US “I’m sitting here with memories reading letters from old friends dreaming I am back with those pals of mine in the good times once again I see the mountain trail we used to ride the Murray River flowing where once stood the homestead of my youth in the days of old Khancoban.” In The Days Of Old Khancoban - SMOKY DAWSON.

Smoky with Ted & Tom LeGarde, John Laws and Arthur Blanch

BY DAVID DAWSON

HOW SMOKY DAWSON LED THE WAY Legendary country star and radio host SMOKY DAWSON led the Aussie invasion of Nashville in 1950 after hosting Smoky Dawson’s Pepsodent Rangers with wife DOT in the early 1940s.

awson, who died at 94 on February 13, 2008, graduated from radio to rodeo with his vast array of guitar, rope, knife, axe and horse tricks on Stan Gill’s rodeo circuit and agricultural shows. Smoky, survived by Dot who passed at 104 on October 27, 2010, headed to the U.S. in 1950. He made world headlines when he played the New York premiere of Twentieth Century Fox movie Kangaroo - starring Peter Lawford and Richard Boone - when two zoo-

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roos Zip and Zap escaped enroute to the screening. It was the height of the Korean War but the New York World Telegraph front-page story ‘Zip Zigs As Police Zag’ made world wire service headlines and earned Dawson infamy. Smoky was the first artist to record for Nashville Record label Hickory – the label created by Wes and Fred Rose who also managed and published the late country king Hank Williams. Dawson signed a three-year deal and wrote and recorded U.S. debut

single The Last Supper and The Light Of The World. He also played the role of a singing, sharp shooting cowboy in the Broadway musical Kiss Me Kate with Dot. But Smoky, MBE, and Dot were lured home to host syndicated Kelloggs radio show The Adventures Of Smoky Dawson and inducted into Tamworth’s country music Roll Of Renown and the ARIA Hall of Fame. “It was an easy going, spur of the moment thing,” Smoky told me of American tours with Dot. “I would crack a whip and take the top off a whiskey bottle held by Dot in her undies. They wanted me to tour with Burl Ives in Paint Your Wagon but I got a telegram from J Walter Thompson saying ‘we want you home, name your price.”

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DAWSON SMOKED TRAIL FOR URBAN COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS Smoky led the charge for peers diverse as TEX NEWTON-JOHN, PETER ALLEN, THE LEGARDE TWINS, REG LINDSAY AND LATTER-DAY EXPATRIATE STARS KEITH URBAN, MORGAN EVANS and TOMMY EMMANUEL.

ex Morton, born Robert William Lane in Nelson, New Zealand, on August 30, blazed his U.S. and Canada trail before he died at 66 on July 23, 1983. The vaudevillian, actor, TV host and circus performer began recording in the forties and toured Canada and America from 1950-1959.

He toured with Pee Wee King in 1952 and recorded in Nashville in March 1953. His Canada and United States invasions exploited his skills as a stage hypnotist, memory expert, whip cracker and sharpshooter. Tex toured with Canadian country singer Dixie Bill Hilton and claimed he toured for six months as an opening act for Hank Williams whom he met in 1952. He returned to Australia in 1959 for a short run Grand Ole Opry show, featuring Roy Acuff, Wilburn Brothers and June Webb and was the first inductee into the Australian Roll of Renown in Tamworth, in 1976.

PHOTO: MICHELLE DAY

MORTON, OLIVIA

FROM DIVA TO DAME Four-time Grammy winner DAME OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN AC DBE, now 72, was our first major expat chart star in the U.S.

he British born singer, songwriter, actress and activist, scored five #1 U.S. hits and ten top 10 Billboard hits including If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974) and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975). In 1978, she starred in the musical film Grease, that featured two major hit duets with co-star John Travolta - You’re the One That I Want and Summer Nights.

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Her solo smashes included I Honestly Love You (1974), Physical (1981), If Not for You (1971), Let Me Be There (1973), Sam (1977), Hopelessly Devoted to You, A Little More Love (1978), Heart Attack (1982), Magic and Xanadu with ELO. Olivia overcame controversy about her country pop hybrid and several bouts of breast cancer to be hailed as a major health charity benefactor in Melbourne.

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SERIES PART 1: AUSSIE INVASION OF THE US

TREK TO STARDOM THE LEGARDE TWINS Tom and Ted

were born on March 15, 1931, in Mackay, Queensland.

hey left home, aged 15, and hit the rodeo circuit as cowboys and began playing music throughout Australia as Australia’s Yodelling Stockmen. They were signed to the Rodeo label from 1950 to 1952 and had hits in the 1950s on Regal Records. In 1957 they left for Canada where country singer Wilf Carter, aka Montana Slim, was an influence. They headed south to Hollywood, performed on Doye O’Dell’s Western Varieties TV shows, and hosted a KTLA TV show in Los Angeles before hitting Nashville. Ted and Tom were regulars on 1963 TV show Network and appeared on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode I, Mudd in 1967.

In 2009, Ted played the Old Man Dalton character in the movie D4, an action-thriller. In the 1970s they toured America to promote music of old western movies and in 1972 signed with American Heritage Records. They opened the LeGarde Twins Country Music Theatre in Twitty City, in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and moved the theatre to the Quality Inn Hall of Fame Hotel in Nashville. They also played Nashville Palace in 2007, Williamsburg Film Festival in 2008 and 2009 played with Tommy Cash in Corydon, Indiana. Ted LeGarde died on August 2, 2018.

TENTERFIELD TO TENNESSEE PETER ALLEN (born Peter Richard Woolnough) in

Tenterfield, NSW, died at 48 on June 18, 1992, after wide success in the U.S. and beyond.

is songs were hits for Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) by Christopher Cross, won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1981. His cabaret and concert career, including appearances at the Radio

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City Music Hall riding a camel. His patriotic song I Still Call Australia Home was used in advertising campaigns and added to National Film and Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia registry in 2013. Allen first husband of Liza Minnelli on March 3, 1967, separated in December 1969, and divorced on July 24, 1974.

He had a long-term partner, model Gregory Connell - together from 1974 until Connell’s death in 1984. Allen and Connell died from AIDS-related illnesses eight years apart, with Allen becoming one of the first well-known Australians to die from AIDS. and thinking audiences would not want to see a performer they knew was sick. In the 1998 musical about his life, The Boy From Oz debuted in Australia. It ran on Broadway and earned Hugh Jackman a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

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BUSINESS LEADERS Australian-born Americans BILL WALKER and his son JEFF founded Con Brio Records in 1975.

t was named Billboard Magazine’s Best New Country Label of the Year in 1977. Bill Walker was the arranger and producer after being musical director of the Johnny Cash TV show from 1969-1971, the Statler Brothers show on Nashville Network and CMA awards show from the 1970s through the early 1990s.

Bill, now 94, retired in Nashville with his wife – singer Jeanine Ogletree. Jeff Walker died at 65 in September 2015 after creating Aristo Media Group in Nashville to promote publicity, marketing, radio and video releases in country and Christian music. His clients included Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, Gretchen Wilson, the Dixie Chicks, Trisha

Bill Walker

Jeﬀ Walker

Yearwood, Shania Twain, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and Sugarland. Walker served 35 years as a Country Radio Seminar director and won many CMA awards. He preceded more recent arrivals in Nashville of Australian music promoters Tamworth Country Music Festival and 2TM radio pioneers John Minson and Max Ellis, followed by the late Rob Potts.

TRIUMPHED BY LUNAR LANDING made his first trip to Nashville in 1968 and cut an EP for the Festival label, before several albums on Bill and Jeﬀ Walker’s Music City label, Con Brio Records. REGINALD JOHN LINDSAY OAM

e travelled to America in 1968 and while in Nashville, he was seeking out ideas for his Adelaide TV show, The Reg Lindsay Country & Western Hour. He made the first of his Grand Ole Opry appearances - the first Australian to do so - on a Friday night, and following a standing ovation and encore he returned on the Saturday night. He was made an Honorary Citizen of Tennessee and recorded

his first American EP Reg Lindsay In Nashville. Later that same year, he opened the Reg Lindsay Country Store and Trading Post, in Sydney, selling western gear. Reg’s biggest hit was a 1971 cover of Armstrong written by former Kingston Trio member John Stewart – a tribute to Neil Armstrong’s lunar landing in 1969. He recorded it in 1970 and a copy of the song was included in a time capsule at The Johnson Space Centre, Houston Texas. He married Heather McKean

Reg with Hank Snow at Rainbow Ranch

(The McKean Sisters with sister Joy) on February 13, 1954, but separated in 1982. He wrote more than 500 songs and released 65 albums and 250 singles in his 50-year career. Reg, singer-songwriter-producer, radio and TV host, and winner of three Golden Guitars, died of pneumonia at 79 on August 5, 2008. He was survived by second wife, Roslyn Lindsay, and his three daughters Joanne, Sandra and Dianne, and their families.

NEXT EDITION the latter-day expat Aussie Nashville invasion by artists diverse as Keith Urban, Morgan Evans, Sherrie Austin, Jamie O’Neal, Jewel Blanch, Jedd Hughes, Tommy Emmanuel, Catherine Britt and others. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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PHOTO CREDIT: ALEX JEFFERY

BY ANNA ROSE

Maybe I should just give up Wrap it up and move on home Throw it in a dusty box Where baseball gloves And dead dreams go Wish I didn’t care so much I wish it didn’t hurt so bad I wish I wasn’t cursed with Chasing something I might not catch

a blessing in disguise When KATRINA BURGOYNE wrote the words of Songwriter, you can tell she was having doubts about making such a huge move from one country to another.

“It’s incredible that something we did in lockdown with minimal resources has turned out so well for us. We’re pretty stoked. I think it proved to both of us that we could do it.” 32

n January next year, it will mark five years since the Gunnedah girl packed her three suitcases, guitar, a small nest egg and a big bag of dreams to begin her new life as a singer-songwriter in Nashville, TN. For the first 18 months, it seemed like she was being tested beyond her limits, suffering debilitating laryngitis and sinus problems that were threatening her livelihood. Then she met two people who transformed her life completely – her boyfriend, Steve Kinney and a kindly doctor. Having only known Steve for three weeks, Katrina left for a short trip back home to Australia. She was extremely ill and Steve flew out to Australia, asked her to be his girlfriend, and said he wanted to take care of her back home in Nashville. The second gift she received was meeting a kind and generous doctor

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in the States, who took on her case pro bono, which was handy, as she was down to her last $150. He performed two operations for her, relieving the situation markedly. Then, with some chiropractic work, her sinus and voice problems were a thing of the past. These days Katrina is kept busy doing five gigs a week, some locally, and some in Kentucky – but Katrina is happy to do the miles for a venue that’s supported her through the hardest of times. Although COVID-19 has been the scourge of the music industry, shutting down venues and taking away work opportunities for musicians, Katrina and Steve found a positive out of that negative situation. With Steve losing his job and Katrina’s gigs dried up for a 12-month period, they decided to make an album in isolation. It was a real eye-opener for

Katrina, who discovered her boyfriend (who she thought wasn’t in the music industry) had some very handy hidden talents. When he was 18, Steve studied music production and audio engineering at Middle Tennessee State University and was befriended by Grammy-winning record producer Steve Bisher, who became his mentor, passing on priceless secrets not everyone is privy to. “We created the album in our studio apartment and now Steve does music videos for lots of people,” Katrina said. “He played every instrument on the album, bar drums, which his brother did – and somewhere during 2020 my music became our music. “It’s great now to turn around and say: Hey Steve, we’re #4 on the Music Network chart, #1 on CMT, or that we’ve made the Fresh Country playlist for Spotify. “It’s incredible that something we did in lockdown with minimal resources has turned out so well for us. We’re pretty stoked. “I think it proved to both of us that we could do it. COVID was probably a blessing in disguise for us, although it’s been so hard for a lot of musicians.” They’re now preparing to move out of Nashville to Hendersonville, adding to the Aussie enclave already in residence 18 miles from the heart of Music City USA. Camille and Stuie French, Sam and Amanda Hawksley, Kristy and Travis List, Nash and Veronica Chambers and Troy and Aleesha Kemp. “We’re really excited about moving into a two-bedroom apartment, where Steve will set up his studio is one room – and to be among friends is great. “It’s fabulous when you get cheers from home or to hear an Aussie accent. We’re all here giving it a red hot go and we’re all missing home, so every single person counts – every cheer counts.” Keep up with Katrina’s latest news at www.kbcountry.net S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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BY JON WOLFE

REAL LOVE FINDS A WAY

ince his award-winning Kiss Somebody and top 10 album Things We Drink To, Morgan has taken stock and decided that he wanted to form a band and record the new material. The first single to spring forth and land at radio, both here in Australia and in the US - where he is now based - is Love Is Real, and he embraces the connected moments that stitch life together. “The song is a road trip in itself and I want to let my music flow freely and with a band I can do that,” Morgan said. “It’s a big part of what I’ve learned lately, and it leaves room for that connection … which is the whole reason I do this.” Although there are no plans to finish recording and releasing an S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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It’s been almost two years or more since MORGAN EVANS released anything new but he hasn’t been just sitting around … he’s been working on new material and a new outlook for the future. album this year, Morgan says he is working on new songs. “We’ve got a handful of songs recorded and more I want to record,” he said, “but we’ll definitely have more music this year, maybe an album next year.” Morgan says that he’s in a good space at the moment. “The last year-and-a-half has been rough – I can’t sugar-coat that – but I’m just hanging to go play music live again. “I’ve had a good run since moving to Nashville and I wouldn’t change a thing, and the move was

a good thing, it has established me here in the States. The opportunities have been great and of course, and my wife Kelsea [Ballerini] is the icing on the cake, who could ask for more? She’s in the business and understands me completely.” Morgan said he would love to come home and visit family and friends and perform. “It’s been a long time since having my feet on the ground there and feeling the culture,” said the boy from Newcastle, “and being in the water every day!”

“The song is a road trip in itself and I want to let my music flow freely and with a band I can do that,”

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TOWARDS 2022

THE 50TH TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL

THE STORY OF COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL: PART FIVE THE 80S

a true blue BY MAX BY MAX ELLIS ELLIS

COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL Tamworth entered the 1980s with a big leap forward. The town hall was too small for the hordes of people wanting to see the awards.

In 2011 when we were preparing for the 40th Tamworth Country Music Festival, Capital News invited Max Ellis to write the story about Tamworth and country music. It is based on his own experience and involvement since the mid ’60s and research he undertook over many years. As we countdown to the 50th festival we bring you the story again as a reminder of just why Tamworth is the Country Music Capital. 34

t 2TM we had already begun to agitate for a big venue for the city but this, in the form of Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Convention Centre, didn’t eventuate until almost 20 years later. In the meantime, we discovered an alternative… a gigantic big top, which was being used by TVW in Perth to tour Disney On Ice around Asia. In its biggest eight-pole configuration, it could seat about 7000 people, but for 1980, we decided the four-pole configuration was adequate. It was huge and we erected it on No. 3 Oval. We had to fill 4000 empty seats, so BAL Marketing (the 2TM marketing arm running country music promotions) threw itself into a frantic campaign to attract more customers. It was our first Commonwealth Bank sponsorship and we had a vast number of guests and industry people, who in those, fewer commercial days, got in for free. Radio 2TM staff all acted as unpaid ushers and during the hectic festival days virtually the entire complement was involved in some way or another. Our families were often pressed into work too, selling programs or working backstage and their help was always appreciated though often overlooked at the time. The first time in the big top was wonderful. The Bose sound system by Dave Bell and Harold Isberg

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was superb and it was possible to hear every word from the top of the Tamworth Lookout. The sets produced by Barry Harley were spectacular. To utilise the very expensive big top, we staged huge shows on the Friday and Saturday nights before the swards. The Friday night was the Trailblazer Show featuring more traditional acts while the Saturday Volvo Show was pure star attraction with Slim. Ticket sales that first year in the tent were not bad either, with the awards grossing $27,930, the Slim Dusty Show $10,860 and Trailblazer Show $3,700. While the tent was a wonderfully atmospheric venue, it had its problems. Barry, whose responsibility it was to set it up, was continually challenged. At times, the ground was so hard the tent pegs wouldn’t go in unless it was watered, and then there were green ants that suddenly appeared ready to savage anyone sitting down. It was all pretty primitive and some of the artists weren’t used to having to trek across the grass to get to a portaloo before the show started. American Ray Price once made a trenchant comment about having to go into the “boondocks for a leak”! In 1980, we asked then NSW Premier Neville Wran to be a guest presenter and he was joined by Charley Pride. The following year Deputy Prime Minister Doug

Anthony did the honours along with Jeanne Pruett, from Nashville, and Jo Walker, the CEO of the American CMA, who later presented me with a certificate of appreciation. In 1983 BAL Marketing staged the National Bluegrass Championships which attracted some high-powered visitors. Fiddle player Byron Berline was already a legend having played with Bill Monroe and most of the other notable bluegrass musicians of the era. On his Australian visit he was accompanied by a young mandolin player, Vince Gill, who was later to become a superstar of American country music. They played and helped judge the Bluegrass Championships under the gumtrees near the Longyard Golf Course. About this time, we started chasing publicity by taking our story directly to media in Sydney and later Brisbane and Melbourne. Early in January the then Tamworth mayor Warwick Bennet and I, together with our PR people Dave Douglas in Sydney, Rod Pilbeam in Brisbane and Megan Tudor in Melbourne, went to all the major media outlets, TV, radio and press to talk about Tamworth. Over the years Warwick and I appeared on all the major TV and radio shows and were interviewed for every metro paper in the capital cities. I still have an article headlined Where The Streets Are S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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The Golden Guitars were held in the big top

John Williamson in the cavalcade

Full Of Gold. Of course, this sort of first-hand contact encouraged media to follow up by coming to the festival and by the late ’70s and early ’80s, the awards were being covered by crews from all the TV networks and dozens of radio and press journalists from all over Australia. Even Newsweek covered us in their international edition and later Time magazine ran a story in 1987 entitled In Tamworth, Music, Music. Early on, we actually flew some key journalists up to Tamworth, but once we were under way, they generally came at their own expense. For the rest of the year we were constantly fielding media enquiries and like today, seeing repeat coverage as each journalistic generation discovers the magic. As journalists and visitors poured into the city each January, we realised that for many people there was still a “hick” image associated with our music and our city. To counter this, we all dressed up, in my case, in a tie and neatly pressed slacks, specifically to impress journalists. Imagine their surprise when they slouched into my office in their grubby jeans and T-shirts to find me immaculate in tie and clean, ironed shirt, looking for all the world like their bosses back in Sydney. Of course, despite this, there were some rather disparaging stories. The Daily S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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1983 Golden Guitar winners

Telegraph once ran a story titled The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Twanging Guitars and Buzzing Blowflies and it seemed national TV cameramen would not be satisfied until they had some shots of drunken bikies or large ladies with bandages on their legs sitting in the gutter! Country was developing its own media too. In 1980, Nick Erby, already heavily involved in Tamworth but still working in Canberra, started the new syndicated TV program Country Corner, from Capital Television. In Brisbane, 4KQ went country and became the most successful country music station in a capital city until taken over by a talk network some years later. As an attempt to get our message out during the year, BAL Marketing introduced a syndicated weekly newspaper column called Captain Country, but before the days of email or fax it was just too difficult to handle and it didn’t last long. That year, Eric Watson, country music’s most respected historian, moved to Tamworth with his Selection Records label, reflecting a trend, with many artists and industry people moving to Country Music Capital. That same year The Rod Murdock Award was presented to me by the Minister for Tourism, Ken Booth, at a NSW tourism conference in Queanbeyan. It was for services to tourism and I was

very surprised, having been tricked into attending by mayor Warwick Bennet, who told me I was to make a speech about the festival! Back at 2TM, Hoedown dramatically expanded its core audience when it started broadcasting live to 4WK in Toowoomba and Warwick in 1981. With coverage of the Darling Downs, we were made aware of the Australian Professional Rodeo Association which was then based in Warwick. Its CEO, Jim Stewart, was a keen country music follower and John was soon broadcasting a special segment on Hoedown about the rodeo circuit. This contact encouraged us to look at rodeo as part of the festival and this undoubtedly was one major factor, that contributed to Tamworth’s long-standing and extremely valuable association with the equine industry. Then because the industry and fans were clamouring for more, we decided that Capital News should become a monthly publication. Gary Robertson (our sales and marketing manager at BALM) and I went to Melbourne and interviewed Jazzer Smith for the job. Jazzer had been editor of JAMM, the Journal of Australian Music and Musicians was then editor of a magazine called Across Country and already widely known in the industry. We persuaded him to make the move to Tamworth in 1980 where he quickly became established as a much-loved and respected country music guru and writer. The first tabloid monthly Capital News hit the stands in February 1981 with Reg Lindsay and Patsy Riggir on the cover. Jazzer was a fine writer, an enthusiastic member of Toastmasters and an inspiration to many people. In 1982, Jazzer became a staff writer at The Northern Daily Leader where he quickly established his expertise in the entertainment field. The Battle of the Bush Bands was conceived by Jazzer during his time at The Leader. It was initially staged near the Longyard before finally settling at West Tamworth League Club. In 1984, Jazzer, with partner Anna Rose, and assistance from Keith Blinman, produced The Book of Australian TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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Allan Caswell, Norma O’Hara Murphy, Nick Erby and Arthur Blanch on the Golden Guitar Awards ﬂoat

Barry Harley and Buddy Williams

The festival continued to grow with activities, which would go on to become the heart and soul of the event. 36

Country Music, a massive, fullcolour volume, which endures as one of the most comprehensive country music publications ever compiled in Australia. Another sad occurrence on November 22, 1981 was the death in a road accident late at night after a gig of two brilliant young musicians, Glenn Green and Eric Newton (son of Slim Newton), who were both working at 2TM. These talented young men had been deeply involved in the scene and were greatly missed. A couple of years later in 1984, tragedy again struck Tamworth when a plane chartered by Brian Young crashed near Oodnadatta, killing drummer Ken Ramsay and injuring Roger Knox and Stephen Bunz. The festival continued to grow with activities, which would go on to become the heart and soul of the event. In 1982 came the first Country Music Cavalcade down Peel St, set up with the support of 2TM through Bob Kirchner and the Chamber of Commerce. The chamber also started the very successful Queen of Country Music Quest in 1984. This promotion has, like the Cavalcade, created an incredibly valuable link between the community and country music. Another very important event in January 1981 was the first Country Music Festival Rodeo.

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It was started by BAL Marketing because we believed that the huge horse industry had a close affinity with country music and because we wanted something on the weekend before the Awards. So, with help from the Australian Rough Riders’ Association, we staged it on the first Saturday of the festival, sponsored by the Commonwealth Bank. Originally it was run by contractor Gary McPhee on the Tamworth Showground. Years later it was taken over by the Australian Rough Riders’ Association and moved to the Don Willis Pavilion and extended to a week of activity. In 2009 it was moved to the new $20 million Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC). At the 1982 festival, Stan Coster received the inaugural Tamworth Songwriters’ Association Song Maker award. The TSA Song Maker wall of honour was established at Southgate Shopping Centre, but in 1994 it was transferred to the Tourist Information Centre. And while songwriters were being recognised, so were musicians. The first Harmonica Championships were held in Tamworth in 1982 with the involvement of John and Lawrie Minson and Hohner. On the awards night in 1982, we were faced with a crisis. It was a stormy night and after the presentations, the wind blew up

and the huge tent started to shake. Tent poles leapt in the air as the canvas strained and flapped and many feared it would blow away (in fact years later this tent did blow down while in Tasmania, so we were lucky). Quickly, we finished the show and hustled the audience outside only to be confronted by a clear, starry night and an almost full moon. However, it had given us such a fright that though we now owned the tent, it seemed we would never have felt comfortable in it again. While we negotiated to sell the big top, we started looking for a new awards venue and we finally found something that interested us. The vast Jakab factory building in Tamworth’s industrial precinct, Taminda, was used by Peter Botfield (later a driving force behind AELEC) to build ambulances and post office vans. Busy through the year, it was idle during January when the workers went on holiday. Basically, it was an uninsulated tin shed with a bitumen floor but we believed we could convert it into a usable venue. Under the Theatres and Public Halls Act, there were some things that had to be done. First, we had to have a permit and once we achieved this, making the Jakab Music Factory the largest registered concert venue in NSW for a brief period. The acoustics were poor, to say the least, but with big sets and an S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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Gary Robertson, Max Ellis and John Minson

excellent band we got by – until it rained in January 1984. Awards night came and the rain bucketed down at the Jakab Music Factory. Tamworth businessman Keith Singh, generous as always, brought in truckloads of sand so that our patrons could get into the venue with relatively dry feet, but there wasn’t anything we could do about the noise of the rain on the tin roof. The audience could see the artists’ mouths moving but despite the PA, they couldn’t hear much apart from the drumming of the downpour. Fortunately, they all took it in the right spirit, but we knew then, that was the end of the Jakab Music Factory, forever! The saga of the awards venue was on again. In the middle of 1983 the Golden Guitar Awards were recognised internationally when Gary Robertson and I, together with winners Jewel Blanch, Johnny Chester and Bullamakanka, were invited to the International TV Awards in Fort Worth Texas. It was interesting because all the other “international” performers were European and all were clones of American artists. We were proud our artists reflected our own culture and who stood out as superb entertainers. Bullamakanka, with its unique bush band sound and great energy, attracted lots of attention. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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Must Be Country band Garry Steele, Bill O’Neill, Lou Farina, Gary Brown, Garry Adams

With Hadley, Opal, Angelwood and other labels, Tamworth was already established as a recording centre. In 1983, Ed Matzenik and Steve Newton formed ENREC Studios. ENREC was an acronym for Eric Newton Recordings. (Steve is the late Eric’s younger brother). Starting in the then Myer storage building on Johnston St, North Tamworth and later to a site on Manilla Rd, they recorded and released about 180 titles on the ENREC label alone. In 1993 Steve moved ENREC to a new location at Kurri Kurri, near Newcastle and later to Epping in Sydney. The studio returned to Tamworth in 2009, operating in the former Hadley premises. As a company associated with 2TM, Tamworth TV station NEN9 (later Prime and now Prime7) had long supported country music. In 1982, it produced a popular onehour program series called Must Be Country, hosted by well-known singer and comedian, Terry Gordon and produced by Adrian Payne. It was broadcast on Saturdays at 11.30am and later at 9.30pm on Thursdays. Going live to air presented musical director Lou Farina with some real challenges, as it often involved winging it with unrehearsed artists. “Must Be Crazy” is what the boys in the band, Lou, Garry Steel, Garry Adams, Gary Brown and Bill O’Neill (and later Norm Bodkin and Lindsay Butler) called it. The program utilised a lot of local talent as well as

visiting stars and ran for 28 episodes on NEN9/ECN8 (Taree). It was so successful that the group went on the road and toured the viewing area, after the TV series finished. Terry’s opening sentence on episode one was a classic. “Welcome to Country Music Capital, boosing (sic) at the seams! After the fright the big top had given us, it was sold and the search was on for a new awards venue. Fortunately, the Tamworth Workmen’s Club had a large auditorium and it was decided that it would serve for the awards in January 1985. By this time, safety regulations were being tightened and the free-and-easy approach we had enjoyed in the ’70s was disappearing. As the new manager of BAL Marketing, Barry Harley, found he had some huge Theatres and Public Halls Act compliance problems to overcome before he could use the club auditorium. After protracted negotiations, and even political lobbying, permission was granted the day before the event. But venues remained a problem. In 1986 the awards moved to the Tamworth High School auditorium. This was a relatively small space and its lack of capacity changed the entire nature of the event. Instead of the awards catering for the thousands of country music fans, it became a closed event for the industry elite. Suddenly, the awards stopped being the focal point of the festival because only a handful of people were able to participate. This situation continued in 1988 when BALM moved the event to another small venue, Calrossy auditorium (the same year they were moved to a Saturday night because of the Australia Day holiday change). Many believe the second half of the 1980s saw the awards diminish in importance as the fans were locked out, and for most of them, the climax of the festival was relegated to reading the results the following day. Of course, live radio broadcasts and, in the late ’80s, live TV on Channel 7, did offer considerable exposure for the winners. This situation was not helped when the Commonwealth Bank sponsorship was lost in 1988 and no new replacement was found until 1990. It was not TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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Stan Coster

In fact, looking back, the song that typiﬁes the ’80s isn’t a contemporary song or a bush ballad. It’s John Williamson’s 1987 anthem to everyday Australia, True Blue. 38

remedied until the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) returned the awards to the fans in 1993. In June ’84, with the support of my wife Grynet, who was working at TAFE, I was able to implement a long-dreamed-about plan and left 2TM/BALM to start my own operation, Max Ellis Marketing (MEM). Barry Harley took over, but by mid-1985 both he and Kate Nugent had joined me at MEM. Later, Bob Kirchner also joined us. Another one of the BALM team, Gary Robertson also left 2TM about this time for a job in Kempsey but he returned, establishing a booking agency, Axiom Enterprises, in Tamworth. After Barry left BAL Marketing in 1985, Jim Hynes became manager and was in charge of the awards until 1992. Away from 2TM, our group had retained our interest in country music and Max Ellis Marketing was busy with the Tamworth Songwriters Association Awards, which we initiated in 1988. MEM was also heavily involved in other activities including consulting to country music station 4KQ in Brisbane, organising the Slim Dusty Reunion Festival in Kempsey in 1986 and ’87 and running the national APRA Awards in Sydney and Melbourne in ’86 and ’87 and the organisation’s 60th

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James Blundell

anniversary celebrations in Sydney in 1986. John Smyth’s Tamworth Country Centre was an exciting project to develop a tourist complex across the road from 2TM and we became involved. The first major element was a classic Australian country hotel. This was the famous Longyard Hotel. It was opened by Ted Egan, on March 17, 1985 and was named after Keith and Marion Dixon’s song Leave Him In The Longyard (sung by Slim). Under the management of Don and June Smyth, who wholeheartedly embraced the country music fraternity, it quickly became a central festival venue. One very exciting project about this time was building with my old friend and business partner Warwick Bennet, that famous Australian icon, The Big Golden Guitar. It was unveiled by Slim Dusty on January 22, 1988. Of course, the Big Golden Guitar stands outside the renowned Country Music Gallery of Stars wax museum. This has been a popular part of Tamworth for more than 30 years and has been viewed by tens of thousands of visitors. It was originally conceived as part of John Smyth’s Tamworth Country

Centre. John selected 20 pioneer artists for stage one of his museum, commissioning Jerry Seigenthaler, of Nashville, to create the figures for a cost of more than $100,000. A promotion to launch the wax museum was staged in Martin Place, Sydney in September 1983 and the museum opened above Treloars (now Adairs) on the corner of Brisbane and Peel streets, in January 1984. The final figure of the 20 was unveiled in 1985 by the subject himself, Slim Dusty. In 1988 it was bought from Centrepac by Warwick Bennet and myself and moved to a purposebuilt building on its present site near the Longyard the Big Golden Guitar. With the inside sets for the wax figures designed by Barry Harley, it was renamed the Country Collection. A second attraction was the unique rock and gem collection amassed by Warwick’s late father, Gil Bennet. This has since been moved to Nundle. It was run by Margaret Bennet for 11 years before being purchased in 1999 by Wendy and Noel Bennet (who commissioned a number of new figures) and in 2010 was purchased by Tamworth businessman Tom Coultan. In 2019, S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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Tom gifted the Wax Museum and Big Golden Guitar to Tamworth. In the mid ’80s, more events were appearing in January with the one and only staging of a new Gospel Awards – and Star Maker moved to January. In 1985, for the first time, finalists were announced for the Golden Guitar Awards. There were more yearround country features too. By the late 1980s, some more fundamentals were changing. In October 1987 another of the festival founders and country music legend, John Minson retired from 2TM, handing Hoedown over to Nick Erby who ran it, retitled later as Country Music Radio, until it finished in 2000. John was a tremendous loss to Tamworth country music though he retained his involvement until his death in Coffs Harbour in 2017. As the ’80s closed, there were still more new developments for Country Music Capital. In 1989 Lindsay Butler, who had had a long association with Tamworth, both as a guitarist and record producer, opened his LBS Studio at Moonbi. With Lindsay’s reputation and contacts, clients were soon coming from all over Australia to the studio in the bush near Tamworth. Despite a constant and heavy touring schedule, Lindsay and wife Shaza Leigh later opened a studio at Robina on the Gold Coast and then moved to a new studio complex in Goonoo Goonoo Rd in 2004. In the ’80s, as we moved into the CD era, country music enjoyed a tremendous leap in general popularity. Another new generation of artists like Jewel Blanch, Allan Caswell, Deniese Morrison, The Flying Emus, Anne Kirkpatrick, Patsy Riggir, Bullamakanka and the Hired Hands made their marks while plenty of the previous generation S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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like Slim Dusty, Arthur Blanch, Smoky Dawson and John Williamson continued their topselling parade. One charismatic young man made an astounding leap from bush obscurity into the spotlight. James Blundell turned the traditional “pay your dues” career path upside-down when he won Star Maker in 1987. He won his first Golden Guitar in 1988, for New Talent, and was accorded instant stardom, winning a hatful of Golden Guitars in subsequent years and attaining heights of stardom few achieve in a lifetime. He was elevated to the Roll of Renown in 2019. It introduced a new expectation of almost instant fame, but few were to attain these heights and even fewer, retain them. In fact, looking back, the song that typifies the ’80s isn’t a contemporary song or a bush ballad. It’s John Williamson’s 1987 anthem to everyday Australia, True Blue. It had been a decade of growth and consolidation. The huge promotion for the big top venue had been spectacularly successful and by the early ’80s, festival crowds had exploded into the levels we expect today. Country Music Capital was established and stable but in the second half of the ’80s, we were also seeing the first signs of the rift that was to cause such a revolution in the early ’90s. After almost 20 years, the small group of people who had been driving the promotion were dispersing and 2TM was beginning to relinquish its role as the country music innovator and industry leader. New entrepreneurs were contributing to the Tamworth country music scene with a fresh diversity and energy. Country Music Capital was heading for an exciting but uncertain few years.

True Blue JOHN WILLIAMSON

BRONZE STATUE FUNDRAISER

A highlight of Tamworth’s 50th Country Music Festival in January 2022 will be the unveiling of a lifesize bronze statue of John Williamson AM and this is your opportunity to pay tribute to this great Australian.

$99,000

gofundme.com search ‘John Williamson bronze statue’ johnwilliamsonbronzestatue.com

Your opportunity to pay tribute to a great Australian TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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hear & THERE THE

BLOCK

SHOWDOWN Australia’s most successful renovation reality program The Block has returned to Channel 9 for its 17th season.

ountry star Kirsty Lee Akers and husband Jesse Anderson were successful in their pitch to participate in the Fans v Faves showdown where five homes will be renovated in Hampton, located 14 kms from Melbourne’s CBD. Kirsty (33) and Jesse (32), from Wangi Wangi just south of Newcastle are competing for a stake in the $100,000 prizemoney, plus whatever profits their home makes on auction day. The rock-solid couple have been together since they were 16, married now for seven years. Kirsty’s talent and will to succeed set her on a path to stardom taking her from the country music talent quest circuit, to winning the songwriting section

of the 2006 Road To Tamworth, becoming the 2007 Toyota Star Maker, and receiving two of the prestigious Golden Guitar trophies in 2008 and 2021. Jesse started working at a pizza shop at 13, before training as a fitter and machinist. In 2016, he took over as lead director at Klik Productions and has directed over 150 country music videos, including making clips with Kirsty. The couple realise the opportunity The Block presents for them and plan on giving it a red hot go. Scott Cam hosts his 15th series of The Block and will again be joined by Block co-host Shelley Craft, site foremen Keith and Dan, and judges Neale Whitaker, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer.

D you want access to the most comprehensive and Do cost-efficient method of distributing your single? CRS PUBLICITY HAS BEEN PROMOTING COUNTRY MUSIC FOR OVER 29 YEARS C Recognised by radio stations across Australia and internationally. Contact Tracy & The Big D | E: crs@crspublicity.com | M: 0450 332 105 | W: crspublicity.com Co

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h&T

n 1988, their live show at The Prince of Wales Hotel Bandroom in St Kilda, Melbourne was recorded by sound engineer Noel Bennett, straight off the mixing desk. The show was part of a 10-date run and included in the backing band Australian’s Malcolm Wakeford on drums and Graham Thompson (Compass Bros) on bass. Created by the Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA) to raise funds to provide financial, health, counselling and well-being services for roadies and crews in crisis. Albert Lee enjoyed legend status among musicians. Born in England, he was “the guitarist’s guitarist”, for his technical virtuosity and for

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DOIN’ IT FOR THE ROADIES Highly acclaimed US-based country music guitarists VINCE GILL and ALBERT LEE are the latest artists to throw their support behind ARCA’s Desk Tape Series. playing his Telecaster at breakneck speed. “We were the youngsters who picked up the mantle after the great country names like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard,” Albert recalls. “That’s when I first met Vince. He was more into bluegrass. But he and Ricky Skaggs would tell you I was an influence on them picking up the guitar.” “We wanted to do this for ARCA’s Roadie Fund. Being a crew member is tough and there’s no pension, so

it’s all I could do to help.” The 1988 tour was pulled together by folk music promoter and wine grower Andrew Pattison, who donated the live tape to ARCA. The recordings, mastered by Phil Dracoulis, were released on ARCA’s Black Box Records, through MGM Distribution and on all major streaming services, with Nprint creating the artwork. Type this into your search engine browser to access https://ffm.to/ liveattheprinceofwaleshotel1988

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news

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new COUNTRY SINGLES Get your fix of some of the latest new single releases right here. What’s your pick?

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BY SUSAN JARVIS

watch ONE TO

B O ’ N E S S

ackson said “Our mum, Sallyanne Kearney, was Adam Brand’s tour manager for 10 years, so we literally grew up on the road. Adam is our godfather, and he’s been incredibly supportive of us.” Adam is indeed proud that his godsons are now fully-fledged performers. The seventeen-year-olds have formed a duo, Bo’Ness, and have already released their debut single, We Don’t Need This Town. The name Bo’Ness is a tribute to the hometown of the twins’ Scottish grandmother. They also have Gunditjmara heritage on their grandfather’s side. But while they’ve experienced the highs of touring life, building friendships with numerous performers and even getting to perform with them at times, Jackson and Callum have also faced some very tough challenges. We Don’t Need This Town is a heartfelt song about domestic violence – inspired by their own experience when their mother fled a violent and difficult situation with them and their younger brother. The twins wrote the song at David and Merelyn Carter’s songwriting camp a couple of years back, with Lachlan Bryan’s help. “We came to the camp with the idea, but it’s a topic that’s hard to tackle. Lachlan was amazing – we told him the whole story and he really helped us with the lyrics,” Callum said. “It felt really personal, but he showed us how to make it both real and about us, yet more universal so it would resonate with other people. “We’re really proud of the single – particularly as it reached the top 10 on the country charts.” The twins had plenty of support from the industry. Close family friend Sam Hawksley played guitars, and the single was produced by Matt Fell. Callum and Jackson – who are mature way beyond their years, perhaps because they’ve grown up surrounded by creative adults S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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FROM TOUR BABIES

TO KINDNESS AMBASSADORS Identical twins JACKSON and CALLUM McPARTLANE are no strangers to the country music industry – they grew up touring the country with some of Australia’s biggest stars. – are also strong anti-bullying campaigners. So they decided to release a version of McAlister Kemp’s Fight Me as the second track from their debut single. “We were bullied growing up, and it’s a huge problem. That song meant a lot to us, so we decided to release our own version,” Jackson said. The pair have also joined forces with the Kind Is Cool anti-bullying website, and wear “Be Kind” t-shirts at all their gigs, doing everything they can to spread the anti-bullying message. Just before the 2020 first lockdown, the pair were selected for TV show The Voice. They reached the Top 20, and both say it was a wonderful experience – but they’re glad they left the show when they did. “Our game plan was to get that far. It was an amazing opportunity and we made a lot of friends and

industry contacts,” Callum said. Strangely – given their childhood experiences – it wasn’t until they took part in the 2019 Academy of Country Music that Callum and Jackson discovered their passion for country music. “Until then, we’d played all kinds of music, but at the academy we suddenly realised this was where we belonged. We found we loved country music. Which is kind of bizarre given that it was there all the time with Adam,” Jackson said. The twins have recently moved from Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula to the Gold Coast hinterland. When we spoke, they were about to emerge from two weeks’ quarantine. “We’ve always done a lot of busking – we see it as paid practice, so we’re keen to get out there and gig again,” Jackson said. “Over the last year, we’ve also been lucky enough to tour and perform with the Red Hot Summer tour.” The lengthy lockdowns they’ve endured in Victoria have also given them plenty of opportunities to write songs, and they’re now gearing up to record several of them with Matt Fell. “Lockdown has just made us even more determined to succeed in the music industry. We’re really excited about getting our new music out there,” Callum said. TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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where

BY ANNA ROSE

ARE THEY NOW? EVELYN BURY

blooming IN BUNDY There’s a woman living in Bundaberg, Queensland who’s never been all that comfortable talking about her achievements – and there have been plenty of them.

lthough born in Victoria, Evelyn Bury is a true Queenslander these days, loving the climate and the lifestyle of Bundy. Much of what Evelyn achieved throughout her career she attributes to one rather remarkable man – the late Eric Watson. “I usually end up playing down my role in country music, but in a way, that’s letting Eric down,” Evelyn said. “He was responsible for so many of us (the Selection Records family) doing so much.” Under Eric’s guidance, Evelyn released 12 solo albums which contained more than 30 of her own compositions. She was the first female country artist on compact disc in Australia and even this feat she puts down to Eric – as he was the first to drop vinyl. Some of the most fun albums to record were the five “team” efforts with Selection stablemates Reg Poole, Barry Thornton and Glenn Jones. Evelyn’s trophy room holds three Tamworth Songwriters’ Association awards – for New Songwriter, and TSA Salute awards for Gospel and Contemporary Country Song of the Year – and her much prized Golden Guitar. She won the Female Vocalist of the Year award in 1988 for I’m Stronger Than I Look – but that only happened because Eric nominated her, according to Evelyn. In five consecutive years, she was a finalist six times due to Eric’s diligence in submitting her entries. 44

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“I am so very grateful that I got to tour and work with all our beloved pioneers and made some great friends in the business,” Evelyn said. “One of my earliest memories was when I was six years old, living in Bayswater, Victoria and we were huddled around the radio listening to Chad Morgan on Australia’s Amateur Hour. “Imagine my delight when I actually got to meet Chad – and we’ve become the best of friends. It was the same with all the lovely old pioneers like Smoky Dawson and Buddy Williams. “Country music, to me, has been like a family. When Waddo (Lindsay Waddington) comes through town, I love to go along to his shows. I’ve known him since he was a young boy. Now he has his own successful recording studio. “I support all the touring artists coming up this way and I’ve been missing that contact since COVID-19 put a stop to touring.”

It didn’t take her long to settle into life as a Queenslander once she made the move north in 1981. “Home isn’t always where you’re born. The minute I arrived in Bundy with four small children, it felt like home,” she said. Pretty soon she began working with local bands and formed the Bundaberg Country Music Club with Pat McCarthy, the sister of Queensland country singer John McSweeney. Then in 1985 Evelyn instigated the Bundy Easter Roundup, which ran successfully for the next 35 years. She released a single on ENREC Records, Tamworth in 1986 and the following year came her debut album on Selection Records. Evelyn was inducted into Rocky Page’s Hall of Fame and Avenue of Honour in Barmera, SA in 1989 and two years later was proud to be inducted into Tamworth’s Hands of Fame. In the late 1980s Evelyn was the Queensland Goodyear Girl, performing with a band at various Goodyear tyre outlets and agricultural expos, escorted by John “Mr Hoedown” Minson. Evelyn formed an all-female band, Buried Treasure, in Bundaberg, playing throughout the local area. In 2017, ABC Radio gave Evelyn an award for her contribution to country music over a 55-year period. Although her last album came out in 2004, Evelyn returned to the recording studio in 2018, releasing a duet with Justin Standley – Love And Happiness For You. Each Friday Evelyn drives over to her mate, Burt Everett’s house and takes him out to lunch. A gifted songwriter, Burt’s compositions have been recorded by Boof Morgan and Glenn Jones. She loves her daily exercise and volunteers at the Visitor Information Centre promoting her beloved Bundy. She also mentors the young people at the local country music club, sharing her skills and passion with the next generation. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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BEHIND THE

BY REBECCA GRACIE

music

JAY SEENEY

usic has been in Jay’s blood since he was a young child, when aged three years old, he asked his mum for a saxophone. “I then picked up the guitar at 12 or 13 years old and I never looked back,” he said. “I love the great vibes that playing music gives you. There is a great community of folks in the country music industry, and that really helps, too.” About four years ago, though, he wanted to explore his creativity even further and offer more to the music industry than playing in and fronting a band. “It got to a point where I knew there was something else I could bring to the table for the industry; a new vision and a new style of video to the country music industry,” Jay said. “I also wanted to highlight the landscapes in Australia because we live in an incredible country, so why not work with some of the greatest acts in the country in some of the best parts of the country? I’ve come away with some great clips.” Jay estimates he’s directed and shot more than 500 video clips with a great strike rate of being shown on the Country Music Channel, Country Music Television, and stadiums with tens of thousands of people in them, as well as three Golden Guitar finalist placings. “For me, it’s all about the passion that artists bring to their projects,” he said. “Everyone works so hard on their music and they’ve got a goal to deliver the best possible product, so that energy and passion is really infectious. “Something I really love is that people are wanting to achieve the best they can with their music and have as much fun as they can in the process – you have to be making sure you’re having fun in the process and I just really like being able to contribute something tangible to other people’s careers.”

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creative VISION

From being in front of audiences to behind the camera, Blacklist Productions’ JAY SEENEY has experienced it all, juggling being on stage as well as an industry professional behind the music. One of the major highlights of Jay’s career so far was shooting the Backroad Nation clip with Lee Kernaghan, having it played at all of the Golden Guitar winner’s shows, being nominated for a Golden Guitar with it, and then topping all of that off with the clip being shown to 75,000 people in a stadium during the Fire Fight Australia Concert in February 2020. Jay has also been a Golden Guitar finalist for Hey Brother from The Wolfe Brothers and Travis Collins’ Rainy Day. COVID-19 restrictions have meant shooting clips in person when he can, and improvising at other times. “I feel like I’m in the movie Dodgeball where I’ve gotta duck, dodge dive and weave at the moment,” he said.

“There have been a lot of lockdowns which have prevented music videos happening and I do a lot of work interstate in Tasmania and Queensland. For instance, I had a music video coming up with Ashleigh Dallas, we couldn’t do what we wanted to do, so we changed the concept to a lyric video with footage that I’d shot on a trip to Mudgee. “I just want to keep helping artists connect with their audience with whatever tools they have at their disposal a lot of it comes down to looking at the opportunities that are available. The artists who are still achieving are those who are looking for the opportunity.” Jay said he was loving shooting and directing film clips for artists because the creatives he worked with kept raising the bar. “The talent keeps on increasing and that encourages me to raise my bar, too,” he said. “I want to keep it really current and modern so country music can grow along with the other industries.” And as for his own music, Jay said he had a single ready to release but, ironically, he couldn’t shoot the clip at the moment and was waiting for restrictions to lift. TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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THE

BY ANNA ROSE

sidemen MICHEL ROSE

STARS SEEK OUT

the man of steel In Australia we call him The Man of Steel … because MICHEL ROSE is arguably the finest pedal steel player of his generation.

ichel began his musical journey at age eight in his homeland of Mauritius, receiving a Dutch-made Egmond acoustic guitar. The family moved to Australia when Michel was 14 and his love affair with guitars continued until he heard the instrumental break in Misty – and that was it. He purchased his first pedal steel – a Sho-Bud single neck – and began practising, trying to get that same sound he’d heard on Misty. In the late 1970s, Michel wandered into Landis Music in Park Street, Sydney and asked the salesman if he knew any bands in need of a pedal steel player. Call it fate, if you will, but that salesman was Bruce McCumstie, and Bruce was very keen to have a steel player in his band. 46

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About a decade later he joined Beaudesert band, playing alongside Peter Johnson, Robbie Brown, English John Green (UK) and Terry Philpott. His first steel session was on 1981 Star Maker winner Leanne Douglas’s Don’t It Make You Wanna Cry, which won her the New Talent Golden Guitar the following year. He then played on each successive Star Maker release. When bands were allowed to enter Star Maker, Beaudesert was a finalist in 1982, the year Lee Kernaghan took out top honours. Michel became a sideman to the ultimate Aussie star when he joined Slim Dusty’s Travelling Country Band, touring with the king for the first time for two years. Always loving session work, Michel was thrilled to play on Jimmy Little’s reggae hit, Beautiful Woman, which featured Tim Finn’s studio band. When Jean Stafford entered the EMI studio to record her debut on that label, Burning Bright, Michel was there, alongside producer Rod Coe. He re-joined the TCB for the mammoth Bicentennial tour and played on several Slim Dusty albums, in between his heavy schedule of session and touring work. He played on all of Graeme Connors’ early albums, apart from A Little Further North, and toured with him for several years. Michel’s distinctive pedal steel can be heard on Anne Kirkpatrick’s ground-breaking album Out Of The Blue and her successive albums, and most of Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole, Adam Harvey and Gina Jeffreys’ albums. When UK guitar guru Albert Lee came to Australia, Michel was more than happy to be sideman on his national tour – twice in fact and when LeAnn Rimes did her first Australian tour, Michel was in the band. He has worked extensively with Australian film composer Peter Best on soundtracks for ABC TV series and movies, including Doing

Time For Patsy Cline, which won an Australian Film Institute award for Best Original Music Score. He also played on the movie soundtrack for My Mother Frank, which won the Australian Screen Sound Guild Soundtrack of the Year. One of Michel’s favourite bands has been the Feral Swing Katz, which he formed with Stuie French after they discovered a mutual love of old western swing tunes. In 2002, Michel was invited to the International Steel Guitar Convention in St Louis, Missouri. The Feral Swing Katz (with Felicity Urquhart out front) performed at that show and smashed all records, receiving four standing ovations, previously unheard of in the history of that event. Michel re-joined the Slim Dusty Family Tour, playing dates in NSW and Queensland, and played on the live album, Reunion. He’s also played on a single for kd lang, Our Day Will Come, which she performed at the Sydney Gay Games, and played in US country star Jann Browne’s Australian touring band. Greg Page invited Michel to Nashville to play on his album, Taking Care Of Country, a salute to Page’s Elvis fascination, utilising the majority of Presley’s TCB Band. And when Catherine Britt went to America in 2018 to record her first Universal release, Catherine Britt And The Cold Cold Hearts, she took her favourite sideman along. Having long been based in Sydney, Michel and wife Tracey made the move to the Gold Coast in 2016 where he’s in constant demand for session and festival work. Despite the lack of gigs in 2020 and 2021, Michel has managed to keep busy with session work and even scored a cameo role on the big screen, which we’ll hopefully see in 2022, when Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie is released. If you’re chasing a sideman to the stars, look no further than Michel Rose. He’s worked with them all. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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writing

BY ALLAN CASWELL

GREAT SONGS

WHERE THE money I have been writing this column for over 15 years and have always tried to focus on actual song writing rather than the business of song writing.

owever, after months of conversations with other songwriters regarding the tragic economic situation facing all songwriters, I have decided to look at song writing income in this column. You don’t start off writing songs to make money … you start writing for the sheer enjoyment and excitement that song writing gives you. That feeling should stay with you for the rest of your song writing career. I probably love writing songs more now than I have ever done. That said, everything you create has a monetary value. From the moment your song starts being heard it begins to make money and that money belongs to you. If you choose to give away a percentage for publishing, management etcetera that is up to you but if you create it, you own it. Sadly, in recent years, Australian songwriters have been hit by two pandemics … COVID 19 and streaming. I have never been an opponent of streaming as a platform. Streaming is the

latest in a long line of methods of getting songs to listeners. It is quick, efficient and accessible and gives everyone a chance to hear your songs anywhere in the world. Where I have a problem with streaming companies is that they are being paid by consumers for their service but handing an abysmally small amount on to the songwriters. They have no content of their own. We provide all their content and receive a pitifully small amount in exchange. The fashion industry that used to be called the music industry keeps telling us that “this is the future, get with the program, and stop clinging to the past”. My question is “Why?”. I prefer to keep it small, own it all and use rather than be used by the system. Streaming’s detrimental effect on CD sales, record stores and radio has further eaten into the songwriter’s tenuous relationship with his or her bank balance.

went

Oops sorry, but there’s more bad news … COVID 19. If you are a recording artist and can’t tour because of COVID, why would you release an album? Your only way to recoup the cost of recording your album is to get on the road to promote it or sell it through your website. Country music fans still buy CDs at gigs but thanks to COVID the gigs stopped. If artists can’t tour, they don’t record, so your chances of having your songs cut drops off alarmingly. Most songwriter’s APRA payments are their main source of income from song writing. A big slice of your APRA payment comes from your songs being played, either by you or other artists at their live performances. With the disappearance of live performances, everyone’s APRA payments have suffered. I have been making a decent living as a songwriter since 1979 and have zero intention of doing anything else but I have never seen making money from songs this tough. The good news is that none of these problems will last forever. The streaming situation is unsustainable. If artists can’t make money, they can’t make albums and the streaming companies will lose all their new content. Without new content the streaming companies will struggle. Change will either come from a change of heart from streaming companies (unlikely) or legislation (it’s already happening). COVID is slowly coming under control and live gigs are struggling back to life. As that happens, song writing income will come back with it. It’s a long haul but it will happen. Besides, you weren’t going anywhere. You love song writing, it’s in you and its fun. If a song is worth 10% of what it used to be worth, write 10 times more songs … I will.

If you have questions regarding upcoming songwriting workshops or my “one on one” private songwriting coaching service (based on the Gold Coast), my books Writing Great Song Lyrics, My Version Of The Truth, Secrets Of Stronger Songwriting or if you would like to host a workshop contact me on 0419 218 988 or at allan@allancaswell.com

ALLAN CASWELL

SECRETS OF STRONGER

SONGWRITING Allan Caswell’s latest book Secrets of Stronger Songwriting is available now For information: allan@allancaswell.com

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bush BALLADS

BY PETER COAD OAM www.bushballadeers.com.au

A NATION’S

spirit

LINDSAY HAMMOND is one of the quiet achievers in the bush

ballad lead guitar world and in his new country instrumental album he captures the spirit of the bush.

he new release, Bush Country, is testament to he and wife Gail’s dedication to country music and in particular the bush ballad genre. Together, with his wife Gail on rhythm guitar, the couple are a wellrespected duo in the bush ballad circles and around their home area of Gippsland, Victoria. Recorded by Barrie Clissold of Wombat Road Recording Studio in Valencia Creek, the 14-track album includes classic ballads such as Lawson’s Ghost, Travellin’ Guitar and The Whispering Bush, Meryl’s Theme, Saddle Up and Ride, and Just An Axemark On A Gidgee. There are also a few country evergreens such as Silver Bell. Four tracks feature their daughter Paula on bass, with Ron Robinson playing bass on the remainder tracks, and Pete Denahy on fiddle. Bush Country is a very pleasant, easy listening album. Congratulations Lindsay and Gail on this terrific release.

ALBUM REVIEW

KEVIN LANSDELL DUSTY COVERED

Hailing from WA, Kevin Lansdell played drums for old time dances, but then learnt guitar and began singing at festivals around the state. Kevin is a great supporter of Slim Dusty’s music and his album Dusty Covered includes his versions of classic Slim Dusty, from Losin’ My Blues, The Biggest Disappointment, to Lights On The Hill. This 12-track album was recorded by Mark Donohue. The lineup of musicians to join Kevin includes Lee Forster, Ian Simpson, Rusty Crook, Pete Denahy, and many of Lansdell’s own family. Dusty Covered is a very solid product and an album I think will do very well for Kevin. 48

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TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS Whilst many upcoming traditional country festivals may still be subject to COVID-19 artist change or cancellation, I will mention those coming up briefly in this article in the hope that they are able to proceed. It’s a busy September starting with Phil and Chris Coad’s Traditional Country Muster from September 3 to 5 at Wyper Park, Bundaberg; then the Nanango Country Music Muster follows from September 9 to 12 at Nanango Showgrounds; and the Bony Mountain Folk Festival, hosted by Norma O’Hara Murphy, will be staged from September 17 to 19, on her property at Bony Mountain near Warwick in Qld. Finally, in September is the Texas Country Music Roundup to be held at the Texas Sports Complex Middleton Street, Texas, Qld from September 23 to 26. Festivals in October include the Bedgerabong Country Music Campout Week from October 5 to 10; the Port Pirie Country Music Festival in SA from October 8 to 10; the Ariah Park Mary Gilmore Festival from October 13 to 17; and the Widgee Balladeers & Country Music Festival at the Widgee Bushman’s Bar & Sportsgrounds from October 7 to 10.

ALICE’S NEW ADVENTURES Alice Benfer has just released a new album that showcases nine songs, a mixture of originals and covers. The easy listening country album What Can I Say was produced by Sam Hawksley in Nashville. Alice is the “Green Brother’s Country On Keppel Talent Search Winner 2021” and took home a Takamine guitar worth $1000. She also had the opportunity to perform as the opening act for 2021 Country On Keppel festival and will be part of the artist lineup in 2022. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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BY LORRAINE PFITZNER OAM

MEMORY LANE

musical INFLUENCES C DENNIS

atching the entertainment bug at the age of 18, Dennis Morgan was strongly influenced by his mother and his siblings growing up listening to country music in Queensland’s Wide Bay region. At 23, he joined his first band in Brisbane with moderate success before joining the band Midnight Express a few years later. It was with this band that he cut his first single called Love Is Blind which received excellent airplay on local country radio 4KQ. This created an awareness of the band they needed and provided them with the opportunity of television appearances. When the band split in 1983, Dennis went on tour for a number of years with his brother Chad Morgan, and entertainer Terry Gordon, performing around Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Following the tour, he headed back into the studio where he recorded several new tracks. One of the songs from that session got him a lot of airplay on Macca’s ABC Sunday morning breakfast program which was broadcast all over Australia. It also got him into the final five in the heritage section of the Golden Guitars in Tamworth in 1988 with the song Henry Lawson written by his good friend Ewan McKenzie. He has toured the north island of New Zealand five times and recorded four CD albums, as well as appearing at quite a few festivals around Australia. A fairly new addition to his career is his ‘Salute to Don Williams’ show which is well received. His repertoire includes a couple of original songs but mostly covers of songs made

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MORGAN

DENNIS MORGAN is the youngest of a large musical family. popular by such artists as Don Williams, The Eagles, Creedence Clearwater, Elvis, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Roy Orbison and others that were big influences on his early years. His current CD In Over My Heart is a covers album of easy listening classic country. His warm vocal is a pleasure to listen to and I think the stand out songs are Lodi, Some Broken

Hearts Never Mend and You’re My Best Friend. Dennis has been entertaining in bands and as a solo artist for over 40 years. He is looking forward to borders opening when he will be able to tour again with Chad and nephew Chad Jr. If they are performing in your area they would love for you to pop in and say hello.

Dennis has been entertaining in bands and as a solo artist for over 40 years.

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soundADVICE

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 cheryl@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au

ALICE BENFER WHAT CAN I SAY INDEPENDENT

Queensland’s Alice Benfer mixes traditional and contemporary country for this album that will put a smile on the faces of country music stalwarts everywhere. Recorded at Benjy Pocock’s Vibetone Studios, mixed and mastered by Michael Carpenter, and produced by Sam Hawksley over in Nashville, What Can I Say is a mix of interstate and international talents. The ﬁrst single, More Than Words, was released last year and charted well at radio with fans and broadcasters, alike, embracing Alice’s traditional country sounds. A highlight track for me was You’ve Never Tasted Dirt and it’s sure to make more than a few listeners smile – we all know someone who pretends to be country, looks great in their country jeans, but they’ve ‘never tasted dirt’. This track also demonstrates a more contemporary country to the singer-songwriter who is based just outside of Gympie. Having just added to her accolades, winning the Green Brothers Country on Keppel Talent Search, this solid collection of tracks will cement Alice’s place among those artists who are keeping the traditions of country alive, while also embracing modern sounds.

INDEPENDENT REBECCA GRACIE

BLACK KITES RAIN THROUGH SUNSHINE INDEPENDENT

Victorian country roots quartet Black Kites boomerang with passion on their second album with 12 earthy originals penned by lead singer Ange Foresio. Foresio digs deep into his inner psyche from femme fatale entrée Country Girl that segues into meteorological metaphors of If It Ain’t One Thing and It Ain’t Like The Blues. Weather imagery ignites The Rain May Fall with guest vocalist Kathryn Tolhill, Your Way Back Home and inspirational Rain Through Sunshine. Foresio draws from his memory bank for grand paternal passion in My Mountain Home and Yarra Valley retreats for regret abandonment in Really Don’t Matter. He exploits train metaphors to brighten That Evening Sun and purges wine escapes in materialistic parody I Remember. Ange mops melancholia from his back pages in Long Time Coming and homage Robbie - an uplifting ﬁnale and live gig favourite. Guitarist Marchi Marasco and electric and upright bassist-mandolinist Eric Newman provide backing vocals as drummer Vince Scopelliti picks up the tempo for Foresio who adds harmonica, piano and guitar. This is a timeless tableau cut in Northcote and showcased at farmers’ markets and way beyond.

THE HELLO DARLINS GO BY FEEL INDEPENDENT

Canadian super group, The Hello Darlins’ new full-length offering, Go By Feel, is nothing short of the perfect blend of traditional and modern country music wrapped up in 11 songs. From the songwriting to the production that allows the lyrics to shine, this album is one for the lovers of music that moves you and songs that have something to say. The first notes of Catch That Train had me hanging on every lyric and moving to the beat of these tracks, and right through to the short but sweet instrumental, Farewell River Rouge, this album is packed with gems. Go By Feel is a full-length offering to be enjoyed as a whole, although each song can more than standalone, but you get the full story only by listening to each track as the album takes you on a journey with very purposeful arrangement. Overall, this is a shining light in modern country music and new releases from Canada, a nation that continues to bring us some of the best artists around. thehellodarlins.com REBECCA GRACIE

BRIAN CADD SILVER CITY

FANFARE RECORDS

Perth-born Brian Cadd recorded albums with bands diverse as The Groop, Axiom, Bootleg Family and Flying Burrito Brothers during his 50 plus year career. Cadd, now 74, returned to Nashville and cut his 14th solo album with expat Australian producer Mark Moffatt and ace session musicians including pedal steel guitarist Dan Dugmore and fiddler Luke Moller. The singer-songwriterpianist celebrates historic love of Americana - hearing The Band in the Easy Beats London flat in 1968 - with 13 originals. Cadd, AM, honours his embryonic roots from entrée Eye Of A Hurricane - penned with John Beland and Gib Guilbeau - to bonus finale track A Little Ray Of Sunshine. He pays homage to late heroes in Everybody’s Leaving and diverse shades of love in Just Because She Can and In A Little While. Cadd vividly depicts febrile fate in Slow Walk, beatific dreams in Answer To A Prayer and friends and family left behind in Cottonwood and Rainy Days. Equally evocative is the celebratory title track - vast contrast to ruptured romance of When It All Comes Down, Quietly Rusting and Slice Of The Knife. Nostalgic nirvana. FANFARE323 DAVID DAWSON

BLACK KITES 002 DAVID DAWSON

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CAMILLE TRAIL RIVER OF SINS

COMPASS BROS RECORDS

There’s a sense of real expectation in the opening seconds of Humming Chains, the ﬁrst song on Camille Trail’s debut album. There’s audio eﬀects that seemingly (and maybe really) come from another time and place. Then comes sparse instrumentation before Trail’s plaintive, lonesome, lost in time and reverie voice comes in, urging you to break the humming chains because you feel no pain. Then about a minute and a half into the song the full instrumentation hits hard and Trail’s voice soars over it. At the conclusion of these three and a bit minutes you know you’re in the presence of something pretty special. And as the eleven songs weave their spell it’s pretty obvious that the 22 year old Trail is something special – very special. Produced by Shane Nicholson, River Of Sins has pretty much everything. The sonic palate is varied, nuanced and never remotely dull. Then there’s Trail’s voice which is sublime. And of course, at the end of the day it’s all about the songs – and Trail is a perceptive wordsmith. Throw in a bit of Brad Butcher duetting and well, this album is a gem. COMPASS BROS/UMA STUART COUPE

NATALIE HENRY WHITE HEAT INDEPENDENT

You may recognise the name from the pairing with ex-husband Brock as The Wayward Henry’s but this is all one sassy female with what it takes to make a statement on her own. This album swings with retrocountry sounds sung by a woman who has lived a life and her vocals shred the songs with heartfelt truth and a declaration that she’s here for the long haul. Check out the title track and the Weed Wine And Women to get the feel and then mosey on into Wild Woman’s World And Reckless. Henry oﬀers a softer side in Blue, Eddie And Arms Of A Stranger, but don’t be fooled … she means business. Featuring co-writes with Catherine Britt, Bill Chambers, Melody Moko and Lyn Bowtell, as well as her own compositions, the songs are down to earth and telling in a personal way. Produced by Catherine and Michael Muchow, White Heat oﬀers a tell-it-like-it-is reality supported by great playing and production that brings it home with a bang. BEVERLEY HILLBILLY RECORDS/MGM JON WOLFE

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REG POOLE

REX DALLAS

MATILDAROO MUSIC

INDEPENDENT

THE FINAL MUSTER 2021 Since Reg Poole released his first LP record 47 years ago. the man known as the ‘Gentle Giant of Country Music’ has released some of the finest albums of bush ballads and traditional style country music we’ve seen. Reg has cemented a special place in the Australian country music industry; the excellence of his work garnering him multiple Golden Guitars, elevation to the Australian country music Roll of Renown and the OAM for his services to country music. His latest release, The Final Muster 2021, features the song Poppy, which was released as a single to radio about 12 months ago, picking up a lot of airplay, but now available for the first time on CD. While a sad song, which tears at the heart strings, it also displays the joy of the special bond that develops between a grandfather and his grandchildren. The other 12 tracks are re-releases of gems he recorded over the years for Selection Records. I highly recommend this great album. E: regpoole@bigpond.com or phone 0407 301 304.

UNCHAINED

At 82 years of age, Rex Dallas can look back on an amazing career that is now into its 7th decade. A polished, professional entertainer of the highest calibre he has proved over his career that he can turn his hand to all genres of music. Loved by many for his bush ballads and yodelling, over the years he also turned his hand to rock and roll, in fact this icon of the Australian music industry has displayed his huge talent with any type of music he chooses to perform. On his new album Unchained, Rex shows us once again how he can take any song and make it his own. He performs 12 evergreens including Mona Lisa, That’s Amore, Are You Lonesome Tonight, Always On My Mind, Unchained Melody, A Man Without Love, and six other classics. Rex is a top shelf act, these are top shelf songs, so if you like the old classics do yourself a favour and get this excellent album. CHECKED LABEL SERVICES GARRY COXHEAD

MICHELLE LITTLE INVINCIBLE INDEPENDENT

It’s been more than a decade since Michelle Little last shared her original music with the world via a record and Invincible has proven to be well and truly worth the wait. The album bares the fruit of 11 tracks of story-telling and takes its audience on a rollercoaster of emotions and tells stories of survival. Little lays her emotions bare on big events in her life, from experiencing grief, pain and suffering to finding herself all over again. Along with the shade of sadness, are songs about triumphs, of blowing off steam and having a good time despite life’s adversities. It’s raw and relatable and coupled with signature traditional country melodies, is one worth keeping in the collection. If you’re looking for an album that covers a lot of bases and ticks all boxes, Michelle Little’s Invincible, might just be it.

INDEPENDENT HALEY SHERIDAN

CHECKED LABEL SERVICES ROO 011 GARRY COXHEAD

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COUNTRY MUSIC

capital

Adam Harvey

Gina Jeﬀreys

Graeme Connors

MORE TICKETED SHOWS

ON SALE NOW

Planning for the 50th anniversary Tamworth Country Music Festival will continue despite the current COVID-19 restrictions.

r Harley said “Like many others in our situation, we are hoping for the best outcome, while simultaneously preparing for the worst. We are pushing forward with our 50th anniversary festival plans because we know that artists, the industry, and the Tamworth business community heavily rely on the festival for revenue. “Fans can rest assured that country music will still be found in Tamworth next January, as this city is and always will be the capital of country music in Australia. Many artists will be taking part in the special 50th anniversary concert to be held at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and

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Conference Centre (TRECC) at 1pm on Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Mr Harley says, “The 50th Anniversary Concert will be a musical journey documenting the past half-century of country music in Australia and includes some of the country’s most revered artists like John Williamson, Graeme Connors, Sara Storer, Adam Harvey, Felicity Urquhart, James Blundell, and Gina Jeffreys.” There’ll no doubt be many special moments at various shows throughout the festival. The Wests Entertainment Group’s line-up includes top shelf entertainment with Adam Harvey, Tania Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys and Beccy Cole in Blazes Show Room at the West Tamworth League Club.

Some of the new guard will also play at Wests including Hurricane Fall, Michael Waugh, and Camille Trail, plus you’ll be able to laugh along with Kevin Bloody Wilson and Darren Carr. Andrew Swift will be at Moonshiners whilst Brad Butcher and the Weeping Willows will perform at the iconic Tamworth Town Hall. Toyota Country Music Festival Manager, Barry Harley says it’s exciting that these accomplished artists are coming back to Tamworth in 2022. “For many of these artists Tamworth is where it all began. “Whether it was busking on Peel Street, or performing as part of the festival early in their career, there is a huge connection between country musicians and Tamworth. To purchase tickets, head to the festival website tcmf.com.au and stay up to date on social media on the official Facebook and Instagram sites for Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth. S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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TAKE ME HOME TO TAMWORTH As the Toyota 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival approaches, preparations are underway to celebrate the milestone. The Tamworth Regional Gallery will present an exhibition that interprets Tamworth’s place at the heart of Australian country music. Take Me Home To Tamworth surveys the many dimensions of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, with images and objects associated with key personalities including Tex Morton, Slim Dusty and Joy McKean, Smoky Dawson, Chad Morgan, Jimmy Little, John Williamson, Keith Urban, Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, Paul Kelly and Troy Cassar-Daley. It includes specially commissioned artworks that will provide fresh artistic perspectives on some of the

Fanny Lumsden

Hayley Jensen

icons of Australian country music, including those with little-known First Nations personal stories. Included in the exhibition is the above special piece of artwork of Chad Morgan OAM. Captured by artist Peter Hudson on this 170 x 180 cm oil-on-linen it can also be viewed at peterhudsonart.com The gallery’s own collection, and that of the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame, are the sources of many well-loved items included in the exhibition. Other collections, such as that of the National Portrait Gallery, or private collectors have also provided artworks; and specially selected works from photographers who have attended festivals over many decades, will also be on display. Discover the singers, their songs, instruments and costumes, and the fans who have made Tamworth Australia’s Country Music Capital. The exhibition will open from Saturday, December 4, 2021 to Sunday, February 13, 2022 at the Tamworth Regional Gallery.

Kirsty Lee Akers

MUSICNSW APPOINTS NEW REGIONAL MUSIC OFFICER

Independent alt-country artist Sarah Leete has been appointed as the new regional music officer for the North West region that takes in Armidale, Tamworth and surrounds, one of seven across the state. RMOs will host networking events, conduct surveys, and facilitate communication and collaboration between artists, venues, industry professionals and councils. Sarah brings more than seven years of experience working as an independent musician to this role, having toured locally, regionally, and interstate, and understands the challenges faced in regional areas when it comes to the creation and performance of original music. This latest expansion would not be possible without the investment and support of Create NSW, and it serves as an acknowledgement of both the critical importance of music to regional communities and economies, and of regional music to the broader music ecosystem. Join the group MusicNSW: North West on Facebook to stay in touch.

Travis Collins

TRAVELLING GOLDEN GUITAR

The big blow-up Golden Guitar is on the move and together with our country music stars has been promoting the Toyota 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival at various locations throughout the country. It’s been to the Hunter Valley, Lake Macquarie, Sydney and Tooma. Keep an eye out for when it comes to your town.

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star maker TAKING ENTRIES FOR 2022 The annual TOYOTA STAR MAKER competition is back and will be held as part of the 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 2022.

he competition, which provides a launching pad for 10 finalists, with one being the ultimate winner, is urging emerging artists who are ready for a professional career in the Australian country music scene to enter. Star Maker is the nation’s most loved and respected country music competition and has been making an impact on the landscape for 42 years with winners that include Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, James Blundell, Beccy Cole, Sam McClymont, Brad Cox, Kaylee Bell and Blake O’Connor. Star Maker coordinator Cheryl Brown said; “We are look for a winner

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who is open to the experience and will work together with our team to create a long and successful career in the music industry.” 2019 winner Blake O’Connor said; “I tried not to treat Star Maker like a competition, but I saw it as all part of the process of building a career in country music.” Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer John Pappas said Toyota was proud to continue to support Toyota Star Maker and give up-and-coming country music artists the wonderful career opportunities provided by the prize package. “After the competition being cancelled last year due to COVID-19, it is great to be able to bring both country music fans and talented

newcomers to the scene together, and support our rural heartland through Toyota Star Maker. “For the past 42 years, Toyota Star Maker has been a highlight on the country music calendar and we can’t wait to celebrate with the 2022 winner at the Toyota Country Music Festival’s 50th anniversary in Tamworth next January,” he said. Entrants are required to send in two tracks of their choice, provide their biography and career achievements to date, as well as provide any additional information that might help them over the line to become a finalist. This year, to give more entrants an opportunity, 20 semi-finalists will be interviewed individually and privately via zoom, followed by a public announcement to introduce the final 10. Despite Star Maker not going ahead in January 2021, due to the pandemic, Sammy White had her year extended as the 2020 winner, giving her the opportunity to have continued use of the Toyota vehicle to tour and share her music, as well as access to Star Maker support. Sammy released three singles in 2020 Lay It On Me, Home (Feels Like You) and her Star Maker album Undone. Entries close September 30, so if you or someone you know want to enter, get started at starmaker.com.au S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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TWO MORE BITE THE DUST It’s not the message organisers of the annual Deni Ute Muster AND Byron Bay Bluesfest had planned however for the second consecutive year, they both must cancel. The Deni Ute Team said; “It is with great regret that we announce the cancellation due to the evolving COVID-19 outbreak and related restrictions and border closures.” Like all event planners, organisers left their decision for as long as possible, but the risks that continued to escalate made it impossible to keep everyone safe. Peter Noble said; “It is obvious that we cannot present Bluesfest in a safe manner

in October, so we have re-scheduled back to our usual timing with dates over the Easter Long Weekend next year; a time we expect things to be returning to normal.” Organisers of Bluesfest urge ticket holders to hold on to their October tickets for Bluesfest April 15 to 18, 2022. All current ticket holders for Deni will automatically have their tickets transferred to the 2022 muster scheduled from Friday, September 30 to Saturday, October. Refunds for Deni can be requested, however, until October 31, 2021 from Oztix by going to the website forms.oztix. com.au/RefundRequest/.

CAMPAIGN HITS HALF-WAY A crowdfunding campaign to immortalise Australian icon, John Williamson AM in bronze, has officially hit the $50,000 half-way mark. The campaign to create a life-sized bronze statue was officially launched in June, with the unveiling set to be a highlight of the 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival and Golden Guitar Awards in January 2022. Toyota Country Music Festival Manager, Barry Harley says around $99,000 will be needed to create the statue. “So far, we’ve had such great support for this campaign, with large donations received from many in the country music community. We’ve also secured grant funding for the project from the NSW government.” John said that he’s very proud that it’s in Tamworth. “Tamworth’s done so much for country music, done a lot for me, and the ones coming along. “If I can be someone there, encouraging young ones, I think that’s fantastic,” he said. For more information about the project visit johnwilliamsonbronzestatue.com

Join Adam Harvey and The Duck for this exciting new weekly radio show and podcast Covering everything country music, interviews, plenty of laughs, new songs and Adam’s favourite classics Commences Saturday 5 September 2020 7pm every Saturday following Ray Hadley’s Country Music Countdown on the KIX radio network S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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Missy Lancaster

Luke O’Shea

Sarah Bernardo

Andrea Krakosvka

Mike Carr

Rachael Fahim

Jasmine Rae

Ashleigh Dallas

Catherine Britt

TAMWORTH

COMES TO TOWN DESTINATION TAMWORTH,

together with CHRIS WATSON TRAVEL dished up a taste of the iconic Tamworth Country Music Festival right in the heart of Sydney with its Tamworth Comes To Town event

he event, held on the weekend May 28 to 30 was a promotion of country music by Rydges World Square and Chris Watson Travel. Promoted as a weekend getaway it had a jam-packed schedule of live music, dancing, songwriting sessions, a country music cruise, and more. The line-up featured some of the best with Travis Collins, Adam Harvey, Andrew Farriss, Lyn Bowtell, Amber Lawrence, Luke O’Shea,

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Andrew Swift, Ashleigh Dallas, Judah Kelly, Jasmine Rae, The Viper Creek Band, Mike Carr, Southbound, Roo Arcus, Jeremy Turner, Liam Brew, and newcomer Brock Curtis. The event kicked off in Martin Place with a line-dancing flash mob followed by a live performance by Travis Collins and band. “The idea behind Tamworth comes to town was to promote what Tamworth has to offer, showcase the incredible range of live music that can be found around the city each

January, and bring tourism back to Sydney’s CBD,” said Chris Watson. With the 50th anniversary of the Tamworth Country Music Festival just around the corner, festival manager Barry Harley backed the event, saying there’s no better time to be celebrating country music. “January 2022 marks a momentous 50 years of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, and with many festival goers hailing from Sydney, this event is the perfect way to kick start the celebrations and continue to cement Tamworth’s position as the home of country music in Australia. There will be a lot to celebrate at next year’s Festival.” Brittany Peacock representing Rydges said; “It was a pleasure to welcome Tamworth Comes to Town S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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Brock Curtis Andrew Swift

Andrew Farris & Lawrie Minson

festivals

Roo Arcus

The Viper Creek Band

Judah Kelly

to Rydges World Square Hotel. This event was very different to our usual corporate events, so when Chris told us that the hotel had been selected we were very excited! As soon as the first act, started playing in our Cidery Bar, the hotel came alive with guests in Akubras and flannel shirts. This vibe was infectious, and 10 minutes into the first gig all the staff were suddenly wearing matching flannel scarfs.” “It’s not every day you see star acts like Andrew Farriss playing in the hotel,” Brittany said. “We would like to thank Chris Watson for hosting the event with us, and we are looking forward to hosting the event in years to come! We look forward to being more involved in country Australia and country music.” S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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Adam Harvey

Travis Collins

Amber Lawrence TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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19/8/21 1:14 pm

Photo: Tao Jones

P to: Pho to De Desti stinat sti nattion i NS NSW W

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TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL 5 DAYS 4 NIGHTS 19 JAN 22

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OR BOOK WITH REDISCOVER AUSTRALIA 1300 236 594

REDISCOVERTRAVEL.COM.AU

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE – ASK ABOUT OUR COVID-19 TRAVEL ASSURANCE *Terms & Conditions apply. In the event minimum number of guests are not reached, we will provide a full refund or alternative date. Prices are correct at time of printing, prices subject to availability, prices may change without notice. All prices are quoted in AUD and are prices per person twin share. Seasonal surcharges may apply. Credit card fees apply. Service fees apply as outlined on our website and in our office. By making a booking and paying a deposit you enter into a contract and agree to all terms & conditions as outlined at www.rediscovertravel.com.au including the non refundable deposit. Packages offered by Swish Wish Pty Ltd trading as Rediscover Australia. We are proud to be ATAS accredited - ATAS accreditation number A13642. Full terms & conditions apply and can be found on our website or please ask your consultant. Travel insurance is highly recommended. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS: This journey and arrangements will comply with Covid 19 health guidelines in place.

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COMING events

All event information is correct at time of printing. Please check with organisers that the event you’re interested in is going ahead, before setting out to attend.

SEPTEMBER 2021 3-5

9th Maleny Music Festival | Maleny Showgrounds | Qld | w: malenymusicfestival.com

3-5

Dalrymple CMF | Charters Towers Showgrounds | Qld | w: facebook.com/dalrympleCMC/

Moved to 2022

Slim Dusty Kempsey Festival | NSW | w: slimdustycentre.com.au

9-12

Miles Back To The Bush Festival | Qld | W: backtothebushfestival.com.au

9-12

Nanango Country Muster | Nanango Showgrounds | Qld | nanangoshowsociety.net/heritage-muster

10-12

Country Thunder Music Festivals | Florida | W: countrythunder.com

11-13

17-19

22-26

CANCELLED | Texas CMF | Sporting Grounds | Qld | w: texasqldmusicfestival.com.au

24-25

CANCELLED | 18th King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge & Bush Festival has been moved to 23-25 September 2022 | w: kingoftheranges.com.au

OCTOBER 2021 1-3

Savannah In The Round | Mareeba, Cairns Hinterland | Qld | w: savannahintheround.com.au

1-3

CANCELLED | Deni Ute Muster | Deniliquin | NSW

22-24

Lockington CMF | Lockington Community Hall | Vic | Big River Entertainment | T: 0408 597 307 | E: rozandcraig@ bigpond.com | w: lockingtoncmf.com | Tickets: W: ticketebo.com.au/lockingtoncmf | Plenty of seating. Great dance floor. Snacks and meals available. A first-class line-up of entertainers all weekend including Craig Giles, Kinta, Col Thomson, Grant Luhrs, Annette & Kim (NZ), Kerran Keats, Rupe Adams, Ray Macartney, The Good Time Band and more.

14-17

Country Thunder Music Festivals | Arizona | USA | W: countrythunder.com

NOVEMBER 2021 12-14

Groundwater CMF | Broadbeach | Gold Coast | T: 07 5656 0100 | W: groundwatercmf.com

18 - 21

Temora CMF | NSW | temoracmf.com

DECEMBER 2021 12

Wagga CM Club Christmas Show, Wagga Wagga NSW

PHIL PAYNE

Artist Manager & Booking Agent

(02) 9557 9622 - (03)5762 5490

CDS - DVDs - Packaging - Books Download cards - Merchandise

OVER 35 YEARS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS, INCLUDING 15 SUCCESSFUL YEARS IN COUNTRY MUSIC For professional advice, for successful advice, for personal service. Please call or contact me any me....

“It’s a great time for conversation and an excellent time for songwriting” Paynie Presents - SYDNEY, AUST. m: 0408 448 541 e : philpaynie@bigpond.com

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LIVE music SCENE BEN MASTWYK

OCTOBER 1-3 Dashville Skyline, Lower Bedford NSW

CAMILLE TRAIL

ADAM BRAND

JANUARY 2022 20 Toyota Park, Tamworth NSW

ADAM HARVEY

OCTOBER 8 The Capital, Bendigo Vic 9 Commercial Club, Albury NSW 22 Inverell RSM NSW 23 Armidale Ex-Services MC NSW 29 Caloundra RSL SC Qld 30 Kedron Wavell SC, Chermside Qld JANUARY 2022 15 Blazes, West Tamworth LC NSW 19 50th Anniversary Concert, TRECC, Tamworth NSW 21 Blazes, West Tamworth LC NSW

ALEXIS AND SUZIE

SEPTEMBER 10 Night Quarter, Birtinya, Qld 26 Drift Bar, Caloundra, Qld OCTOBER 1 Kilkivan Smoking B&RF Qld 2 Drift Bar, Caloundra Qld 23 Marcoola Surf Club Qld

ALEXIS SAWFORD

SEPTEMBER 3 Banana Bender Pub, Palmview Qld 11 Montville Bar and Grill Qld 12 Kawana Surf Club, Buddina Qld OCTOBER 3 Montville Bar and Grill Qld 8 Montville Bar and Grill Qld 24 Montville Bar and Grill Qld

AMBER LAWRENCE

JANUARY 2022 19 50th Anniversary Concert, TRECC, Tamworth NSW 21 Blazes, West Tamworth LC NSW

ANDY PENKOW

OCTOBER 3 Ophir Hotel Orange NSW 15 Ophir Hotel Orange NSW 17 Ophir Hotel Orange NSW NOVEMBER 6 The Australian Hotel & Brewery, Rouse Hill NSW 12pm

ANGELA EASSON

SEPTEMBER 5 Ellis Beach Bar & Grill Qld 11 Whitsunday Sailing Club, Airlie Beach Qld 17 City Lane, Townsville Qld 19 Townsville Brewery Qld 25 Dingo Beach Hotel, Airlie Beach Qld 28 Keppel Bay Sailing Club, Yeppoon Qld OCTOBER 16 Bribie Island RSL Qld 24 The Jetty, Bribie Island Qld 62

*w Shane Nicholson ^w Michael Waugh SEPTEMBER 17 Harmonie German Club, Canberra ACT* 18 Bowral BC NSW* 23 Oodies Café, Bundaberg Qld^ 24&25 Outback By The Sea Festival, Karumba Qld OCTOBER 2&3 Savannah In The Round, Mareeba Qld 9 The Barn at Wombat Flat SA^ 10 Trinity Sessions, Adelaide SA^ 17 Lizotte’s, Newcastle NSW *^ 22 Junk Bar, Brisbane Qld DECEMBER 3 Murray Delta Juke Joint - Goolwa, SA* 5 Trinity Sessions - Adelaide, SA* JANUARY 2022 20 Event Centre, West Tamworth LC NSW 21 Event Centre, West Tamworth LC NSW ^

CASEY BARNES

JANUARY 2022 21 Blazes, West Tamworth LC NSW

CASS HOPETOUN

JANUARY 2022 20 Event Centre, West Tamworth LC NSW

CATHERINE BRITT

SEPTEMBER 5 Smokey Dan’s, Tomakin NSW 10 The Australian Hotel, Winton Qld 11 Red Earth Hotel, Mount Isa Qld 12 Royal Hotel, Bedourie Qld 17 Mundaring Weir Hotel WA 18 Goldfields Arts Centre, Kalgoorlie WA 24 Seasons Hotel, Newman WA 25 Iron Clad Hotel, Marble Bar WA OCTOBER 1 Onslow Rodeo Club WA 2 Whalebone Brewing Company, Exmouth WA 8 Morundah Opera NSW 9 Young SC NSW 9 Tumbarumba Hotel NSW 10 Young SC NSW 21 Arcobar, Heatherton Vic 22 Greendale Pub Vic 23 The Barwon Hotel, Winchelsea Vic 24 Delatite Hotel, Mansfield Vic 28 The Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan NSW 29 Lake George Hotel, Bungendore NSW 30 Tumut River Brewing Co NSW 31 Tintaldra Hotel Vic NOVEMBER 6 Star Hotel, Eidsvold Qld 12 Wakool Hotel NSW 13 Noojee Pub Vic 19 Village Inn, St Leonards Tas 20 Mathinna Country Club Tas 21 The Bridge Hotel, Forth Tas 26 Sea Lake RSL Club Vic 27 Willalooka Tavern SA 28 Mount Gambier BC SA

CHAD MORGAN

JANUARY 2022 19 50th Anniversary Concert, TRECC, Tamworth NSW

CHRIS CALLAGHAN

JANUARY 2022 17 Capitol Theatre, Tamworth NSW

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CHRIS STAFF

SEPTEMBER 18 Clarence Valley Anglican School Hall NSW 25 Telegraph Hotel, Tenterfield NSW OCTOBER 23 Telegraph Hotel NSW 29 Commercial Hotel, Kyogle NSW NOVEMBER 27 Telegraph Hotel NSW DECEMBER 31 Telegraph Hotel, Tenterfield NSW

28 Brunswick Ballroom Vic 30 Meeniyan Town Hall Vic 31 Shepparton Showgrounds Vic

CHRISTIE LAMB

OCTOBER 1 Savannah In The Round, Mareeba TNQld

COL FINLEY

SEPTEMBER 17 The Village Green Hotel, Grafton NSW 19 Ewingar Showgrounds NSW OCTOBER 1 Big Top Music Hall, Mareeba Qld 2 Main Stage, Mareeba Qld 3 Bull Bar, Mareeba Qld 17 Sturt Reserve, Murray Bridge SA

DARLINGHURST

SEPTEMBER 4 Neon Horse, Stanhope Vic 16 Lizottes, Lambton NSW 17 Centro CBD, Wollongong NSW JANUARY 2022 19 Moonshiners Honky Tonk Bar, Tamworth NSW

DEAN PERRETT

SEPTEMBER 10-12 Showgrounds, Nanango Qld

HAYLEY JENSEN

OCTOBER 2 Gatton Showgrounds Qld 15 Moonshiners Honky Tonk Bar, Tamworth NSW 16 Halekulani BC, Budgewoi NSW 17 Laurieton United SC NSW 21 Django at Camelot Lounge, Marrickville/Sydney NSW 23 Tumut River Brewing Co NSW 24 Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW 27 Lizotte’s, Newcastle NSW 28 Heritage Hotel, Bulli NSW 29 Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden ACT 30 The Toff in Town, Melbourne Vic 31 Albury Commercial Club NSW NOVEMBER 5 The Met Hotel, Toowoomba City Qld 7 Johnny Ringos, Brisbane Qld 11 Vinnie’s Dive Bar, Southport Qld JANUARY 2022 21 Blazes, West Tamworth LC NSW

HILLBILLY GOATS

SEPTEMBER 4 Maleny Music Festival Qld 10 Foots Hill B&RF, Townsville Qld 12 KC’s Bar & Grill, Airlie Beach Qld 24 The GAS, Brooweena Qld OCTOBER 30 Mooloolah Valley Country Club Qld NOVEMBER 5 Gympie RSL Qld 6 Imbil Acoustic Festival, Borumba Deer Park Qld 27 Nindigully Pig Races Qld

DESTINY BAND OZ

OCTOBER 8 Ulverstone Rowing Club Tas 9-10 Ulverstone BC Tas 17 Australian Italian Club, Prospect Vale Tas DECEMBER 31 Morwell BC Vic

FANNY LUMSDEN

JANUARY 2022 19 50th Anniversary Concert, TRECC, Tamworth NSW 22 Tamworth Town Hall NSW

FELICITY URQUHART

SEPTEMBER 10 Avoca Beach Theatre NSW OCTOBER 2 Kerribee Park, Mareeba Qld 7 Duke of George Hotel, East Fremantle WA 8 Margaret River Hotel WA 10 Bridgetown Pottery Restaurant WA 23 The Roxy Theatre, Bingara NSW

JAYNE DENHAM

SEPTEMBER 17 Mezz Bar, Wallsend Diggers Club, Newcastle NSW 18 Springwood Country Club NSW OCTOBER 16 Country by The River Festival, Murray Bridge SA 12-14 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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**All subject to COVID-19 health restrictions. Capital News recommends that you check with the venue prior to attending any performance so as not to be disappointed if it’s not on.

NOVEMBER 18 Hallam Hotel Vic 19 Gateway Hotel, Geelong Vic 20 Tumbarumba Hotel NSW JANUARY 2022 15 Moonshiners, Tamworth NSW

MERILYN STEELE

THE BLOOMVILLES

*Album Launch SEPTEMBER 5 The Butchers Brew, Dulwich Hill NSW

OCTOBER 8 Club Liverpool NSW 17 Petersham RSL NSW DECEMBER 15 Beauty Point Resort, Padstow Heights NSW

THE BUSHWACKERS

SHANE NICHOLSON

LACHLAN BRYAN

SEPTEMBER 24 Americana Carnival, Melbourne Vic OCTOBER 2 Dashville Skyline Festival, Hunter Valley NSW NOVEMBER 12-14 Groundwater Fest, Gold Coast Qld

LLOYD BACK

SEPTEMBER 2&9 Kingaroy Holiday Park Qld 10-11 Nanango Heritage CM Muster Qld 16&23 Kingaroy Holiday Park Qld

MATT WARD

SEPTEMBER 4 Federal Hotel, Pt Pirie SA 6 Crown & Anchor Hotel, Adelaide SA 13 Crown & Anchor Hotel, Adelaide SA 17 Sound City, Pt Lincoln SA 18 Lefties, Whyalla SA 19 The Olive Bus, Clare SA 20 Crown & Anchor Hotel, Adelaide SA 24 Shotgun Willie’s, Adelaide SA 27 Crown & Anchor Hotel, Adelaide SA OCTOBER 1 Stein’s Taphouse, Nuriootpa SA 2 Three Brothers Arms Hotel, Macclesfield SA 3 Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide SA 14 Stag and Hunter, Newcastle NSW 15 Petersham BC Marrickville NSW 17 Peter Lehman Wines, Barossa SA 20 Midnight Special, Sydney NSW NOVEMBER *Album Launch Party 5 Steins Taphouse, Nuriootpa SA* 7 Shotgun Willie’s, Adelaide SA* 28 Shotgun Willie’s, Adelaide SA 12-14 Groundwater CMF, Gold Coast Qld 19 Welder’s Dog, Tamworth NSW

MELINDA SCHNEIDER

JANUARY 2022 22 Capitol Theatre, Tamworth NSW

MELISSA BAJRIC

JANUARY 2022 18 Capitol Theatre, Tamworth NSW

MELODY MOKO

SEPTEMBER 3 Arcobar, Heatherton Vic 4 Neon Horse, Stanhope Vic 16 Lizottes, Lambton NSW 17 Centro CBD, Wollongong NSW 18 The Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan NSW OCTOBER 2&3 Dashville, Lower Belford NSW S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

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MICHAEL WAUGH

SEPTEMBER 2 Memo Music Hall, St Kilda Vic 3 Music on the Hill, Red Hill Vic 11 Live at the Bundy, Bundalaguah Vic SOLD OUT 23 Oodies Café, Bundaberg Qld 24 Junk Bar, Brisbane Qld 25 Wauchope Arts Factory NSW 30 Django Bar, Marrickville NSW OCTOBER 1 Heritage Hotel, Bulli NSW 2 The Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW 9 The Barn at Wombat Flat, Neales Flat SA 10 Trinity Sessions, Adelaide SA 15-17 Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival NSW 17 Lizotte’s Newcastle NSW (e’ning) 22-24 Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Fest NSW 29-31 Maldon Folk Festival Vic NOVEMBER 12-14 Healesville MF Vic DECEMBER 4 Theatre Royal, Hobart Tas JANUARY 2022 21 West Tamworth LC NSW

2021

OCTOBER 8 Hardy’s Bay Club NSW 17 Lizotte’s Newcastle NSW DECEMBER 3 Murray Delta Juke Joint, Goolwa SA 4 The Barn At Wombat Flat SA 5 Trinity Sessions, Adelaide SA JANUARY 2022 19 50th Anniversary Concert, TRECC, Tamworth NSW 19 The Pub, Tamworth NSW

SUSAN KEENAN

SEPTEMBER 3&4 Montville Bar and Grill Qld 12 Mooloolaba CB Qld 19 Montville Bar and Grill Qld OCTOBER 9-10 Montville Bar and Grill Qld 17&29 Montville Bar and Grill Qld

SEPTEMBER 26 The Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland NSW OCTOBER 1 Commercial Club, Albury NSW 2 The Good Old Days Weekend, Barellan NSW 17 The Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield NSW NOVEMBER 20 Southern Sydney Folk Club, Carlton NSW

THE MASON BOYS OCTOBER 1 McCormack Park, Merrijig Vic 30 Omeo GC Vic NOVEMBER 20 Glenmaggie Hall Vic

THE RHYMER FROM RYDE JANUARY 2022 14-23 North Tamworth BC NSW

SUSAN KEENAN & ALEXIS SAWFORD W CONTRABAND

SEPTEMBER 5 Bluff Bar, Alexandra Heads Qld 18 Marcoola Surf Club Qld 25&30 Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi Qld

TRAVIS COLLINS SEPTEMBER 23-26 Texas CMF Qld JANUARY 2022 19 50th Anniversary Concert, TRECC, Tamworth NSW 21 Toyota Park (Bicentennial Park), Tamworth NSW

MONTGOMERY CHURCH

SEPTEMBER 11 Palais Royal Ballroom, Katoomba NSW 18 The Street Theatre, Canberra NSW

NORMA O’HARA MURPHY

SEPTEMBER 23-26 Texas CMF Qld

RAECHEL WHITCHURCH

OCTOBER 3 Savannah in the Round, Mareeba Qld JANUARY 2022 *guest of Adam Harvey 15 Blazes, West Tamworth LC NSW* 20 Event Centre, West Tamworth LC NSW 21 Blazes, West Tamworth LC NSW*

RORY PHILLIPS

SEPTEMBER 10 Brungle Memorial Hall NSW

SARA STORER

JANUARY 2022 19 50th Anniversary Concert, TRECC, Tamworth NSW 20 Tamworth Town Hall NSW

SAMMY WHITE

OCTOBER 3 Savannah In The Round, Mareeba TNQld NOVEMBER 12-14 Groundwater, Broadbeach Qld

SOUTHBOUND

TROY CASSAR-DALEY

OCTOBER 1 Savannah In The Round, Mareeba Cairns Hinterland TN Qld 2 VDM Festival, Biloela Qld

TAYLOR MOSS

SEPTEMBER 23-26 Texas CMF Qld

OCTOBER 2 Kerribee Park, Mareeba Qld JANUARY 2022 20 Tamworth RECC NSW

WAITING FOR BRENDA SEPTEMBER 10 Neurum Creek MF Qld TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L

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NEW HILUX AWAKEN YOUR UNBREAKABLE

The New Toyota HiLux has almost everything. Enormous power. Incredible torque. Advanced safety and connectivity features like Lane Departure Alert¹, Pre-Collision Safety system with Pedestrian Detection¹, Apple CarPlay®2 and Android Auto™,². And after over forty years navigating harsh Australian terrain, HiLux is built for off-roading. All it needs - all it has ever needed - is someone who’s ready to live up to the legend. Because while expert engineering and revolutionary design make HiLux stronger, safer and more powerful, Unbreakable is defined by the spirit of its drivers. Toyota HiLux. Awaken your Unbreakable.

¹Driver assist feature. Only operates under certain conditions. Check your Owner’s Manual for explanation of limitations. Please drive safely. ²CarPlay® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Android Auto™ is a trademark of Google LLC. Requires compatible device, USB connection, mobile data, network reception & GPS signal. Mobile usage at user’s cost. Apps subject to change. Speak to your Dealer about device compatibility. Check toyota.com.au/connected TAMw ORTH C O U N T R Y M U S I C C A P I TA L news S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1 64

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Tamworth Country Music Capital News - September/October 2021 Volume 46 No 5