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JULY 2018 VOL. 43 NO.6
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TRAVIS COLLINS FOR THE LOVE OF THE ART
PHIL EMMANUEL TRIBUTE
CATHERINE BRITT A CLEAR VIEW
ADAM BRAND
MAN BEHIND THE BRAND
THE SHIRES VITAL BRITS
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DAN + SHAY The new album featuring hit single “Tequila” and special guests Keith Urban and Kelly Clarkson
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FROM THE EDITOR
INSIDE THE JULY ISSUE IT’S NO SECRET THAT FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, I’VE HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR TRAVIS COLLINS, WHO IS OUR COVER STORY THIS MONTH.
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he very first time I saw Travis I was working with Joan Douglas and The Pub Group Management. It was January 2001, I think, when we offered a walk-up stage at Southgate Inn during the festival. I was sitting next to the sound guy when a young girl, accompanied by her brother, jumped up to sing her two songs. She was really good, but then her brother sang. I indicated to him to sing another, and another and one more. I went back to the office with excitement and told Joan about him as one to watch. Shortly after, he graduated from the CMAA Academy and in 2004 won Star Maker. I’ve loved watching Travis manoeuvre through life and achieve his goals. He’s so talented, always putting on a great show, and he has a genuine passion for country music and how it’s represented. The great Phil “The Wiz” Emmanuel died suddenly of an asthma attack whilst visiting his brother Darcy in Parkes, in May. He was due to perform at a few local venues in his former hometown. Phil was one of the world’s greatest electric guitar players.
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Former radio manager and presenter Alan Clement, late of Bairnsdale died after complications to lung surgery. Both men were frequent visitors to our family home for 50 years so we feel a great deal of sadness at this time. Their contributions to the music industry are immeasurable. Congratulations to Morgan Evans on his first US top 10 with Kiss Somebody. Warner label manager made a promise to the late Rob Potts that he would make “his boy” a star and he’s true to his word. At the time of going to print, Kiss Somebody had also reached No 1 on SXM The Highway Hot 30 Countdown. We look forward to chatting to Morgan in a few
Phil Emmanuel and I in April 2017
months, when his debut album is released. In addition to Travis this month, you can catch up on UK superstar duo The Shires, Adam Brand, Catherine Britt, Jayne Denham, Ashley Monroe, US multi-threat Lindsay Ell, Anthony Taylor. In the One To Watch series, meet Star Maker grand finalist Hayley Wilson (I left her out of last month!) and Jonnie Russell tells us about his passion for keeping the memory alive of aviator Charles Kingsford Smith. Keep up-to-date with all our regular features including the diary of 2018 Toyota Star Maker Brad Cox, Allan Caswell’s tips on songwriting, Lorraine Pfitzner’s gems in Down Memory Lane, news from the Australian Bush Balladeers Association, Coming Events, Live Music Scene and the charts. Enjoy the pages Cheryl Byrnes Cheryl@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au
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FEATURES TRAVIS COLLINS CATHERINE BRITT ADAM BRAND PHIL EMMANUEL ASHLEY MONROE THE SHIRES JAYNE DENHAM ANTHONY TAYLOR LINDSAY ELL JOHNNY RUSSELL
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EDITOR Cheryl Byrnes P: 0407 106 966 E: cheryl@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au ADVERTISING Joanne Maiden P: 0429 784 860 E: joanne@tamworthcountrymusic.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS Linda Bridges P: 02 6767 5555 CONTRIBUTORS Allan Caswell, Anna Rose, Australian Outback Spectacular, Bec Belt, BJ Fullarton, Bridget Rees, CMA, CMAA, David Dawson, Garry Coxhead, John Elliott, Jon Wolfe, Jonnie Russell, Lachlan Bryan, Lorraine Pfitzner, Peter Coad, Susan Jarvis, Tom Inglis, and our great mates in publicity and record companies nationally and internationally. PHOTOGRAPHERS John Elliott. Thanks to our friends who supply the many photos we are able to use. TRC TEAM Jess Fitzsimmons, Karlee Cole, Eleanor Turnbull. ART AND DESIGN Sam Woods NEXT DEADLINE: August: August 10, 2018
PUBLISHER Tamworth Regional Council 437 Peel Street, Tamworth NSW 2340 P: 02 6767 5555
REGULARS 8 NASHVILLE NEWS 9 TOYOTA STAR MAKER UPDATE 30 LIVE CM SCENE 31 ONE TO WATCH HAYLEY WILSON 38 HEAR & THERE 40 FESTIVALS 48 SOUND ADVICE 56 COUNTRY CHARTS 58 BUSH BALLADS 60 DOWN MEMORY LANE 61 WRITING GREAT SONGS 62 COMING EVENTS 63 NEWS
Country Music Capital News is compiled and published monthly by Tamworth Regional Council, 437 Peel Street, Tamworth NSW 2340. The views and opinions expressed in Capital News are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright 2017 Tamworth Regional Council, ABN 52631074450. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part by any manner or method whatsoever without the written permission is prohibited. All statements made in advertising are the sole responsibility of the advertiser in respect of legal and industrial relations. Printed by Fairfax Printing, 159 Bells Line of Road, North Richmond. 2754. ISSN 1440-995X years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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NEWS
QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST AMONGST THE HONOUREES IN THIS YEAR’S QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY 2018 HONOURS LIST ARE ERIC SCOTT, THE LATE PHIL EMMANUEL, OLIVE BICE, GLENN A BAKER, AND BRIAN CADD.
HUSSY HICKS WIN ALBUM OF THE YEAR
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he fourth annual Gold Coast Music Awards took place in May, celebrating the thriving music industry and culture in on the coast. The Hussy Hicks, Julz Parker and Leesa Gentz, took home the award for Gold Coast Album of the Year with On The Boundaries. Awards were also presented to Amy Shark (Artist of the Year), Hollow Coves was announced Breakout Artist and also had Song of the Year for Coastline, Shakafest was Event of the Year, The Mason Rack Band, Best Live Act, Miami Tavern Shark Bar is this year’s Venue of the Year and Lane Harry x Ike Campbell’s The Dash, directed by Nils Nilsson, received Video of the Year. On judging the nominations, panel chair and Queensland Conservatorium deputy director, Donna Weston said “The categories were hotly contested in the judging this year. Given the strength of nominations, the judges just had to keep coming back to the criteria to ensure the right results were reached.” The Hussy Hicks and others performed at the sold out beachside event that kicked off Surfers Paradise LIVE, a four day event that celebrated local and national talent with free gigs throughout the area. Performers include Jimmy Barnes, Darryl Braithwaite, as well as many locals.
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amworth’s Eric Scott received an Honorary Medal (OAM) in the General Division for service to the performing arts through country music, which includes his tireless work at the Australian Country Music Hall Of Fame. Phil Emmanuel late of Buderim Qld received the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division (OAM) for service to the performing arts, particularly through music and Olive Bice of Maiden Gully Vic also for service to the performing arts, particularly through country music. Glenn A Baker of Winmalee NSW was awarded Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to the entertainment industry through promoting, preserving and documenting popular music culture and Brian Cadd of
Byron Bay NSW for significant service to the music industry as a singer, songwriter, performer, mentor and producer, and to professional associations.
SAD LOSS
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lan Clement, former radio presenter and station manager has died. Alan worked at numerous radio stations throughout the country for over five decades and in addition to his roles in radio, Alan was involved in many areas of the Australian country music industry including the Australasian Country Music Awards, created Teenage Country Style featuring a selection of popular Tamworth teenage artists in the ‘70s, and created opportunities for artists. Alan was a lifetime member of the Capital Country Music Association and compered more than 30 of the Jamborees. He was a huge supporter of a number of football clubs. Alan had been working in Bairnsdale, Vic at 3REG-FM up until his death, following complications after lung surgery in May.
ENTRIES FOR THE 40TH TOYOTA STAR MAKER ARE NOW OPEN SEE PAGE 36 FOR MORE DETAILS 8
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NASHVILLE NEWS
Richard “Dick” H. Frank, Jr. (centre) with Ed Benson (left) and the late Jo Walker-Meador (right), both former CMA Executive Directors, at Frank’s retirement party in 2002.
COUNSEL EMERITUS FOR THE CMA, DIES
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ichard “Dick” H Frank, Jr, Counsel Emeritus for the Country Music Association and the man who prepared and filed the corporate charter for CMA as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame, passed away on May 31, his 90th birthday. Richard was born in Columbia, Tennessee. He earned a BA degree from Vanderbilt University in 1950 and earned a law degree a year later in 1951. He served in the United States Navy and after leaving active duty, he attended New York University where he earned a Master of Law degree in Taxation in 1956. Richard returned to Nashville where he began a career in the private practice of law that he would continue for almost 50 years. He was a member of the Tennessee Bar and was also admitted to the Bars of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee; the
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. After filing the corporate charter for the Country Music Association in 1958, he began serving as volunteer legal counsel for the newly formed association and continued to serve for almost 40 years. Although Frank began his private practice of law specialising in taxation and estate planning, he soon began developing a copyright and entertainment law practice. By the 1970s and 1980s he was representing some of the leading writers, artists and publishers in country music and was recognised nationally and internationally as a pre-eminent copyright and entertainment counsellor. He mentored other lawyers in his firm and taught Entertainment Law at Vanderbilt Law School and Copyright Law at the Nashville School of Law. He has been active in the leadership of the Copyright Society of the United States and helped found and lead the Copyright Society of the South. Frank also served as a trustee and trustee emeritus of the Country Music Foundation. Frank is preceded in death by his first wife Kitty. Survivors include his current wife Sandra, son R. Horton Frank, III and daughter Mary Delphia Frank Scobey.
LUKE BRYAN TOUR
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uke Bryan will headline 13 stadium shows for his What Makes You Country tour. The tour kicked off on May 31 in Toronto, Ontario and, by the tour’s end, he will have headlined some of North America’s biggest and best sports stadiums in New York City, Cincinnati, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Boston, Minneapolis, Los Angeles (the first country concert to ever be held in Dodgers Stadium), Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, Vancouver and wrapping the trek in Detroit at Ford Field on October 26. Special guests along the way include Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Morgan Wallen, Carly Pearce and DJ Rock. Most People Are Good is the superstars latest No 1 hit.
FOURTH OF JULY
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ady Antebellum, Chris Janson, Lucie Silvas, Shannon Sanders, the Nashville Symphony and more will take the stage at Nashville’s FREE 4th of July celebration. A day filled with live music and family fun leads into an evening of more music and the best fireworks in the USA. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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BY LACHLAN BRYAN
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one are the days of hotel-room trashing, month-long band benders and other forms of dramatic excess – they’ve been replaced by a digital age where musicians are highly accessible, social-media friendly and, for the most part, less rich and famous. Even in Australian country music – where I’ll admit the excesses have rarely achieved the notoriety of rock ‘n’ roll, there’s been a dearth of new contemporary country stars in recent years (despite a plethora of excellent artists enjoying very good careers). Travis Collins however is an obvious, and very welcome, exception. “There was a real turning point, for me, around three years ago”, says Collins, a former Toyota Star Maker winner who has long been earmarked for big things. “I have to admit I wasn’t ready for success when I first broke through, despite the great opportunities that I had. I was a kid that grew up in housing commission in western Sydney, and all of a sudden I had a record deal – it was daunting. I recorded two albums without really knowing who I was creatively.” “I wish I’d waited longer to record” he continues. “I lost track of what I loved about music in the first place. I think it’s a really sad thing that a lot of young artists fall into – my passion for
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WE’RE NEARING THE THIRD DECADE OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AND IF YOU ASK ANY ASTUTE OBSERVER OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS, THEY’LL HAPPILY TELL YOU THAT THE AGE OF THE ROCK STAR IS LONG DEAD.
music fizzled out and took a back seat to the idea of how to become successful at music.” “But that turning point happened when I sat down with a few friends and a few home truths came out. I realised that you have to really do this for the love of the art – and you have to write songs without even thinking about whether anyone might buy them or not. Worrying about seeing your name as a headliner or how much money you’re making etcetera – all that stuff has got to not even come in to your thinking. You do it for the music and the rest will take care of itself.” Ironically, this rather philosophical (and almost anti-commercial) realisation prompted an almost immediate upturn in Travis’ commercial success. A glance at the country music charts over the years that have followed shows that he has clearly established himself at the top of the Australian country music tree – a fact recognised by the six Golden Guitar Awards he’s taken out in that time – including the coveted award for Male Artist of the Year in 2017. Much of Travis’ success can be attributed to his impressive live performance. He’s not only one of the country music scene’s most accomplished singers and guitar players, but also one of its most passionate performers. “I came to realise that it was less important for people to see and hear me than it was for them to feel me,” Travis explains “and part of that is not being in people’s faces all the time. For instance, I might go two weeks without making a social media post – I’m not one of those artists that has to constantly be updating everybody all the time. I’ll only make a post if I have something to say. Any time I get on stage or release a song I want it to really mean something to people – I want them to feel it”. Of course, it’s a lot easier to make people feel it when you play well-written, emotive, relatable songs – and Travis seems to have no shortage of those on new album Brave And The Broken. First single High Horse, for instance, has all the pop sensibility of a major country power-ballad, complete with slow build and soaring chorus. It’s a break up song, with the narrator addressing a friend, imploring him or her to understand the magnitude of the heartbreak he’s experiencing. It captures the loneliness and isolation of the broken hearted with stinging accuracy. “I went in to the writing process with no preconceptions” says Travis. “There was no checklist or rulebook – I just tried to write as honestly as I could.” Travis had a hand in the writing of all songs on this record, with co-writers including Jason Duke and Dave Turnbull (who’ve written hits
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FOR THE LOVE OF THE ART with Keith Urban and Luke Bryan respectively). “I hadn’t written with many of these guys before,” he says, “and I really felt like the process was a bit of an apprenticeship. That’s what I was looking for. I really wanted to open my mind up and see my music through the eyes of these experienced writers – I wanted to plant some seeds and see what kind of tree we could grow together, in both a writing and production sense, as opposed to in the past where I’ve always tried to grow as much of the tree as possible on my own. I was much more of a blank canvas this time around.” Travis was particularly happy to see themes start to emerge naturally through the writing and recording process. “Of course there are relationship songs,” he concedes, “but often it’s music itself being celebrated on this record. There is also a bit of a theme of the human volunteer spirit – of people willing to put others ahead of themselves. These things just started to appear organically as I let the songs dictate where we as writers would go.” If the production of Brave And The Broken were to have a theme of its own, it would surely be one of “letting go”. The album represents a significant departure for Collins as he handed over the production reigns to esteemed Nashville producer Luke Wooten (Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley). “In the past I’ve made most of my records myself…but at some
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“I FEEL LUCKY – I LISTEN TO THE BAND TRACKS AND THE SOUNDS AND THE GROOVES ON THIS ALBUM AND I’M HUMBLED TO GET TO BE THE GUY THAT GETS TO SING WITH THESE GUYS.”
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point during the writing process for this record I realised that I wasn’t going to be able to do these songs justice with my production skills,” says Travis. “It was actually just good fortune that Luke was available – I’d admired his work and we’d wanted to record together for a long time but things had never lined up. Then I just got a call and he said ‘hey I’ve got some time in early January if you want to do this’. Fortunately I’d been thorough with the writing process and I was ready to go (having had a really productive writing trip to Nashville a few months before). If I hadn’t gotten that call. I’d probably still be waiting for the right time or the right producer to make this album.” Of course, working with a major Nashville producer such as Wooten usually means getting in the studio with some incredible musicians – and this was no exception. Brave And The Broken boasts a studio band including Mike Rojas (Luke Bryan) on keys, acoustic guitarist Carl Miner (Taylor Swift) and bassist Jimmy Carter (Alan Jackson). “The Nashville experience was everything and more than I hoped it would be,” Travis reflects. “I feel lucky – I listen to the band tracks and the sounds and the grooves on this album and I’m humbled to get to be the guy that gets to sing with these guys. I hear the things on there that I really love about my favourite Trace Adkins records, or my favourite Dierks Bentley records. There’s more groove on this record than I ever could have achieved by myself. It’s not especially left or right of anything I’ve done before, it goes both ways – it’s just a much broader musical footprint.” Despite the all-star cast and heavyweight producer, Collins wasn’t afraid to throw his own opinions around in the studio. “It was definitely different for me not to be calling all the shots” he says. “It was strange really to be on a winning horse (after Hard Light was so well received) and then suddenly change direction in the way I write and record. But these guys were all great listeners – and when I had an idea that was different to Luke’s they would always listen, and we’d try it out, and often run with it. It could have been intimidating but it really never was.” The results of Travis’ Nashville sessions speak for themselves. Brave And The Broken is an accomplished piece of work from a bona fide Australian country star at the top of his game. It is music written and produced to be quickly understood, played loud and eventually sung back at the stage – most likely with a drink in hand and a fist in the air – accompanied by a thousand of your closest mates. The album comes out August 17 through ABC Music and Universal Music Australia, and is available for pre-order now. Travis Collins plays The Big Red Bash in Birdsville on July 11, Mt Isa Mines Rodeo on August 11, The Gympie Music Muster on August 24 and Deni Ute Muster on September 29.
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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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A CLEAR
VIEW BY SUSAN JARVIS
CATHERINE BRITT ADMITS SHE NEVER DOES ANYTHING BY HALVES.
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“EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT.
atherine said “Anyone who knows me is very aware that I’m full on – I love doing things, seeking out new adventures. I’m an extremist.” So it’s not surprising that Catherine has crammed an awful lot of living into her 33 years of life. She’s been a highly respected songwriter and performer since she first emerged as an extraordinarily talented teenager, mentored by Bill Chambers – who remains a close friend and collaborator. Heading to Nashville at just 17 years of age, Catherine went through a crash course in the highs and lows of the music industry – which included being feted by no less than Sir Elton John, and some very dark moments that she wasn’t sure she’d pull through. But Catherine’s a fast learner, and ultimately she realised Music City and its values weren’t for her. She returned to Australia, and her home town of Newcastle, to carve out the kind of career she felt was right for her. “I’ve had a crazy life for sure – sometimes I can’t believe what I’ve been able to pack into my life so far. “But through it all, I’ve been aware that I’m really privileged to be able to make a living out of music.
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“There were times when I was really seeking fame and success, but I’ve come to realise that the most important thing is to be true to myself – to make music for the right reasons, and to be happy.” The last couple of years have been a rollercoaster for Catherine, who’s fought and won a battle with cancer, met and married her soul-mate, James Beverley, and given birth to an adorable baby boy named Hank. The family’s rented out their home in Newcastle and bought a van; they are now travelling the country, working from and on the road, and loving every minute. “We gave it a try on our honeymoon three years ago, and realised that this was the way we wanted to live – so we’re doing this permanently for now, thanks partly to a sponsorship from Jayco,” Catherine said. “It has been amazing – we get to see some incredible, inspiring places; we get to be outdoors; and we’ve met lots of wonderful young families out here in the bush.”
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I SEE THINGS MUCH MORE CLEARLY. I KNOW I’M NOT INVINCIBLE. I LOOK, THINK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY.”
Catherine has also just released a brand new album, simply titled Catherine Britt & the Cold, Cold Hearts. It’s a warm, organic collection of authentic, personal songs that have been written and recorded with much love and care in her home studio, the Beverley Hillbilly Studios. “I knew I wanted to do something more organic. So we built a studio and did everything ourselves,” Catherine said. “I’ve always wanted to do one of those ‘artist and a band’ projects. When I was writing the album I was rediscovering the music that I grew up on. I thought about who would get that and pull it off and I pulled in Michael Muchow and Andy Toombs to be the Cold, Cold Hearts. They’re not only amazing musicians but also great people to travel with.” Catherine admits her brush with cancer – which spawned the Golden Guitar-winning collaboration F U Cancer – changed her forever. “Everything is different. I see things much more clearly. I know I’m not invincible. I look, think and act differently,” she said. “I think the best way to describe it is as a kind of
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knowing. But it has made me determined to make the most of every moment.” Catherine handled her cancer diagnosis and treatment in a very public way, and she’s also shared the very personal song she wrote about it, I’m Not Ready with others – Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont. “I wanted to cowrite this song, because it was easier for me to do it that way. For me, sharing is therapeutic, and if it also increased awareness and understanding of cancer, then that’s really positive,” she said. Much of this album is a reflection on Catherine’s life, past, present and future. She’s dealt with the Nashville years, and her youthful mistakes, in Young In All The Wrong Ways, co-written with Bill Chambers. He also cowrote Catherine’s tribute to her home town, the powerful Coalmine. The first single from the album is Red Dirt, inspired by the time she and James spent early this year in the town of Silverton, near Broken Hill, where they ran the local pub for a while and staged the very successful inaugural Silverton Sunsets Music Festival. “The festival was fantastic, and we’re already planning
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next year’s event, at the start of March,” she said. Some of the spectacular scenery from the area features in the video released for the song. In a positive vein, Troubled Kind is about leaving the troubles of life behind and hitting the road, off on a new adventure, while Bush TV is a song about contentment. It’s a real highlight of the album, and captures a quintessentially Australian experience, as well as a real sense of peace. Catherine’s written a wonderful love song to James in Met My Match. “I never really expected to settle down, get married, have children – I never thought anyone would really get who I was. But James does – and I get him. We’ve
both found the right person,” she said. Other wonderful tracks on this album include the whimsical The River And The Gum, written with Melody Moko, Too Hot To Just Quit – about living each day as if it’s your last – and the wonderful chain-gang sound of Where You Gonna Go? Catherine’s also included a cover of Fred Eaglesmith’s I Like Trains, which she’s sung ‘forever’. Catherine’s been performing in Western Australia through June, and the Cold, Cold Hearts will join her to tour Queensland this month, before appearing at the Groundwater Country Music Festival at Broadbeach in late July. They head to NSW and Victoria later in the year. Catherine is incredibly proud of this album, which she describes as being “like pages from my diary”. She’s crafted those experiences into a remarkable piece of work that is warm, appealing and mesmerising.
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THE MAN BEHIND THE BRAND
“THESE COUNTRY TOWNS AND PUBS ARE EXCITED ABOUT CREATING SOMETHING TOGETHER, IT’S REALLY EXCITING TO ME AND THE BAND… WE ARE TREADING WATER BUT LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT.”
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IT WAS 1999 AND EMERGING ARTIST ADAM BRAND HAD HIS FIRST GOLDEN GUITAR AWARD SITTING AT HIS FEET.
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is then manager, Graham Thompson, leant over to him and said “Listen mate, I think your life’s about to change.” And he couldn’t have been more right. Adam took home three Golden Guitar awards that night and over the last 20 years he’s collected a total of 12. The awards are one of many milestones he’s achieved over his two-decades of music. And in celebration of an illustrious career, it was only fitting that he should release an album that is allencompassing of those highlights – and so, Milestones was born. The album is set for release on Friday, July 13 which will be 20 years to the day that Adam released his debut self-titled album that shot him to stardom. And while on face value it might appear to be a greatest hits album, Adam has carefully pieced together a mixture of light and shade from his career. There are his songs with hidden messages; the first song he ever wrote; and a song about a Bullfrog; … and then there is his new one, Milestones. The single was co-written with good friends Mike Carr and Drew McAlister and it’s a nod to Adam’s career and his devotion to his fans. But Adam has hailed the song as a blessing in disguise, and said it almost didn’t happen. “It’s a personal thing,” he said. “You know how you hear a songwriter say they have writer’s block?, I hadn’t written a song for five years. “I’d had incredible writers block, I was putting songs out that I’d previously written. “For some reason I felt like I’d come to the point where I didn’t know how I could say what I wanted to say. “Mike and I wrote so many songs over the years together, so I rang him up and told him I need to tap back into whatever this is. “I need to unblock this thing that is sealed shut. “At that point, Drew and I became good mates, so I invited them to a song writing session at a hotel room in Sydney and I sat there and said guys, I’ve got 20 years coming up, and I’ve really got to start something.”
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BY HALEY CRAIG
It was there, with his two good mates, that Adam says he found his words again and it didn’t take long for Milestones to be penned. “Unlocking that door on Milestones was a huge relief,” he said. “It said to me that in my own heart I do still have things to say and I still know how to say what I want to say.” “There is one line that really spells it out to me and that is, ‘I’ve found my feet and I’ve found my way, and all the things I want to say I’m ‘gonna before I’m dead and gone’- it sums up the point I was at when I wrote the song with them. “It unlocked the door, I found my feet and I found my way.” Brand’s also been finding his way around the country as part of a celebratory 20th anniversary, Milestones tour. It’s different than what fans might be used to, he’s targeting country pubs and performing for audiences in country towns that might not have seen a concert of that scale before. “We wanted to go down a path we hadn’t gone down before and take the shows to towns that aren’t used to having shows,” he said. “I had this little thing gnawing away at me to have a show like this. “I put the call out on Facebook and asked if anyone
knows anyone who manages or owns a good country pub, and that I had a little plan. The response was unbelievable. “It was totally different to the way it’s normally done; I started ringing up some of these country pub owners and talking to them about what I was trying to do. “Nine times out of 10 it would work out. “I wanted to create these little shin-digs where people wouldn’t expect it, and in a way it’s celebrating milestones but it’s also creating more. “These country towns and pubs are excited about creating something together, it’s really exciting to me and the band…we are treading water but loving every minute of it.” Adam’s career is lengthy in both years and achievements. His ability to communicate with and relate to his fans has seen him draw audiences across the world. From recording deals in Nashville, to heading on tour with Taylor Swift, and the dozens of accolades under his wing, it all adds up to a remarkable career for the musician, who says he has loved every minute of it. But, he admits, there is something about his 20th year of stardom that could make it the best yet and it’s not just his own doing either. “This career is not a solo career,” he said. “It’s not just me, Adam Brand, there’s a whole lot of people who you rely on, the friendships and so many people you can’t do without. “I look at my manager Ken Outch; we did it (the partnership) on a handshake. “It’s not because of a great contact or managerial-client based discussion but because of a friendship. “It (music) is not something I can do alone, even though it looks like I’m the one standing up on stage… this is a team career. “This year …. Milestones, it feels like it is as good as it gets. “I don’t need it to get any better because I’m happy. “When I stand on stage on this tour and sing some of those songs on the album, it feels right and it feels like I’m where I need to be. “Right now I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
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IN MEMORY
PHIL ‘THE WIZ’ EMMANUEL OAM 6 JULY 1952 – 24 MAY 2018
FOR 57 YEARS PHIL EMMANUEL PLAYED GUITAR AND, JUST TWO WEEKS AFTER HIS PASSING, HE WAS HONOURED BY THE QUEEN WITH THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA, FOR A LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO THE PERFORMING ARTS.
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nown as Australia’s greatest electric guitar player, Phil’s career began when he was touring with the family band. At the age of nine, Phil was already working as a professional musician in The Emmanuel Quartet, then the Midget Surfaries and The Trailblazers. Phil played lead and younger brother Tommy played rhythm guitar, along with brother 18
Chris on drums and sister Virginia on slide guitar. The Trailblazers won two televised talent contests making it possible to produce an album. The children earned the family’s sole income for several years. They travelled Australia between 1960 and 1966 playing their favourite music. Following the death of their father, Buddy Williams invited them on the road until child welfare stepped in putting a stop to their travelling and sent them to school. Phil’s musical roots stem back to the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s and his style and preference was largely defined by the classic guitar sounds of these eras. Phil’s influences include guitar great Hank B Marvin and The Shadows, the Ventures
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I won’t be able to look into those green eyes again or hear that wicked laugh. He taught me so much right from the start. He showed me how to recognise song keys, chords, and harmonies, how to get a sound that worked, how to stay out of the way on stage and when to step forward when I had something to say, musically or otherwise. We spent so many years traveling, playing shows, setting up, packing up, sleeping in little cheap motels and pubs, all because we loved to entertain people and have fun. We shared everything, and he taught me about kindness, giving, listening, how to love people as they are. He was a walking contradiction, and a dreamer, but mostly, a loving kind, concerned brother... to be continued.... xx TOMMY EMMANUEL
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
Phil (centre) and Tommy (second from right) with The Bushwackers in Tamworth
“Phil’s musical prowess is so astonishing that there are times when the man becomes the guitar and the guitar becomes the man. His passion is illuminating; his ability is breathtaking “While his brother Tommy plays it sweet; Phil plays it from the street”. GLENN A BAKER OAM and the Beatles. Phil then turned his attention to the music of Al Di Meola, Carlos Santana, Steve Morse and Gary Moore and the much admired Jeff Beck. But It is Hank that Phil attributes the path he chose to take on his musical journey. Phil said; “If it wasn’t for Hank B. Marvin and The Shadows, I wouldn’t be the electric guitar player I am today. When I first heard Hank play in 1959 I was fascinated and hooked by his sound and use of echo.” He worked with Nev Nicholls and The Country Playboys at the Texas Tavern in Kings Cross, Sydney a popular spot for American servicemen. Nev received a Golden Guitar in 1975 for Nashville Express, an instrumental that featured Phil as the primary guitarist. Phil’s versatility saw him perform alongside artists that included jazz musicians James Morrison and Don Burrows to big-band – Ed Wilson, the Royal Military College Band, to country – Slim Dusty, Reg Lindsay, Lee Kernaghan, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, to rock and blues Dire Straits, The
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
Shadows, Midnight Oil, Jimmy Barnes, Roy Buchanan, Don Walker, John Farnham and Ian Moss and hundreds more. In 1991 he was the recipient of the Hands of Fame in Tamworth NSW where his imprint can be found at Block 3, position 131 (a map is available at www. countrymusichalloffame.com.au/Hands/Hands_Plan). The release of his first album Kakadu Sunrise in 1992 saw Phil pushed into the limelight as a result of nationwide media saturation. The Emmanuel Brothers toured extensively for years and in 1995 Sony Records released the brothers’ first album, Terra Firma, which celebrated their 35 years of guitar playing. It received an ARIA nomination for Best Adult Contemporary, and Best Instrumental nomination at the Tamworth Country Music Awards. In the year 2000, Phil had one of his greatest audiences when he and Tommy performed at the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics to a worldwide audience of 4.5 billion.
“It’s been a long time since Goldrush’s last gig in 1983. But all of us remember that time clearly, and all the more so because of the impact Phil had on the band. We were an unlikely mixture - an acoustic bluegrass banjo player, a singer songwriter, and a guitar player who seemed to have only one volume setting on his amplifier…..Probably it should not have worked. But Phil ’s ability to bridge many styles somehow brought it all together. With all he brought to the band – the brilliant guitar playing, the sense of humour and unfailing generosity - we were lucky to share the stage with him.” MARK «BUCKY» COLLINS, DAVID MARE , DOUG BLIGH AND CHRIS HAIGH OF GOLDRUSH.
“Without a doubt, we would not be the musicians we are today without his [Phil ’s] influence. He sparked in us our love for instrumental music. He encouraged us and told us to stick to our guns and play the music we love. Every year we’d busk on the streets of Tamworth. We’d wait eagerly for Phil to arrive to his gig at the top of the Tudor Hotel, where we’d be busking outside. He’d invite us in to perform with him to a packed out crowd. Each year we got a little better and Phil would be so excited to add his magical harmonies over the songs we’d written. He was one of a kind, he created magic with every note he played. Yet he was so humble, I’m not even sure he knew just how much we looked up to him and how much he helped to shape us as musicians. As a friend, he always loved to have a laugh. The way he’d tell a story would have you hanging off every word, the same way you hung off every note he played on his guitar. He was genuine, down to earth and kind. We are so incredibly grateful to have had our lives touched by his.” THE BOSTOCKS
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Phil with Joe Robinson
Phil and Amanda with their families
Shortly after, in the same year, Phil experienced another highlight with his second tour of Europe when he headlined “Issenden”, the world’s largest guitar festival before setting off on a brief tour of Europe. 2010 marked the 50th Anniversary of Phil’s and Tommy’s musical careers, and they embarked on a nationwide tour, with Phil’s daughter Jesse as their guest. The tour included a return visit to the Tamworth Country Music Festival where they were honoured in the Galaxy of Stars and receiving Australian country music’s greatest accolade, the Roll of Renown. Both attractions are located at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre. Phil received numerous accolades including the People’s Choice Awards (Tamworth) for Musician of the Year in 2008, induction to Tasmania’s Axeman’s Wall of Fame in Latrobe in 2012,
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and in 2017 the Elvis Wall of Fame in Parkes. Such was Phil’s versatility; he transcended genres, Bach to the Beatles and everything in between. If you ever heard him play the classical piece Nessun Dorma from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s opera you would no doubt have been left spell bound. Phil’s albums are available through his website and include Electric Guitar Player (2003), In The Shadows of The Beatles Vol 1, Chariots Of Fire with Rob Bostock, Goldrush Live At Last, The Best So Far and The Miracle Christmas Songs. Phil’s sudden death was caused by an asthma attack at his brother Darcy’s home in Parkes NSW, where he was due to perform a number of concerts over the weekend. At his time of death, Phil was putting the final touches to his latest album and was enjoying working on numerous new projects. Phil shared his gift willingly and held master classes to pass on his expertise. He was generous, funny, kind and humble. He loved animals, in particular reptiles – snakes, lizards and all. He leaves behind his siblings Veronica, Chris, Darcy, and Tommy and his five children, Jesse, Jamie-Lee, Georgia, Marshall and Jackson, and two grandchildren. In November 2017, Phil married Amanda, whom he’d been with for 16 years. Phil Emmanuel, one of the world’s greatest guitarists died aged 65, and will be remembered forevermore.
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Tommy, Phil, Darcy, Chris, Virginia, Mrs Emmanuel and Veronica
“My early teenage years were spent driving up and down the east coast of Aus playing shows with him [Phil]. The Mercedes was my first car - it used to belong to Phil at one point. I remember missing 60 days of school in one term, just before I left High School.. was out playing shows with him. Kudos to my principal, telling me I was wasting my time in the classroom. Found my true calling on the stage and have never looked back. I thought about going to Sydney Conservatorium after I left school, but Phil told me in no uncertain terms not to bother and to get over to Nashville. Wonder where I’d be if it weren’t for him? He called Tommy and made that introduction, which changed the course of my life. All the Robinson’s loved Phil. I’m just one of hundreds of Aussie guitarists he took under his wing. He was always so generous to anyone who showed an interesting in playing. Really gonna miss him.” JOE ROBINSON
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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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PISTOL
PACKING
WILD
LOVE 22
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BY DAVID DAWSON
I need a stranger to pull my hair and call my name Take me home and make me feel alive again Round and ‘round, oh help me God It’s coursing through my veins Wash over me like on the rain Wild love take over me and I’ll never be the same I want love I want a wild, wild, wild love. WILD LOVE – ASHLEY MONROE-WAYLON PAYNE-BRENDAN BENSON.
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hen Knoxville girl Ashley Monroe wrote a brace of songs for her fifth solo album Sparrow with Texan singing actor Waylon Payne she scored a bonus – a video partner. Payne, son of the late star Sammi Smith and Willie Nelson guitarist Jody Payne, appeared in a string of movies cast as stars diverse as Jerry Lee Lewis and Hank Garland. “Waylon is truly an amazing actor, too, and so, so handsome,” Ashley revealed to Country Music Capital News of the singersongwriter who also graced video clips by late country comedienne, producer and singer-songwriter Kacey Jones. “I have an acoustic video of us singing Wild Love so that will have to be our music video for now.” Although the duo referenced Barcelona in their lyrics she has not been there. “I wanted it to be a European city,” Monroe explained. “That was where the melody and words first came through when I was in London, but I loved how Barcelona sang. I’ve only technically seen that city in the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona but that was a sexy movie.”
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But it was canine love of Payne’s pooch Petey and photographer Becky Fluke’s dog Hobo that prompted their cameos in her video for Paying Attention – one of four songs she wrote with Waylon on the soulful album produced by Dave Cobb at the historic RCA Studio A in Nashville. “The dogs were also there in studio a lot while we were making the record,” Ashley added. “Dogs inspire me clearly.” So do prolific co-writers. “Ironically, we were working on another song we haven’t released yet,” Monroe, 31, and mother of son Dalton explained. So there are a quite a few Monroe-Payne compositions waiting in the wings? “We have probably over 50 by now,” Monroe confessed. “We’re just getting started too!” That may seem a lot but Monroe also has a treasure trove of songs she wrote with another Texan Jon Randall who collaborated with Pistol Annies’ pal Miranda Lambert on recent hit Tin Man. “Jon Randall and I have been writing since I was 16,” Ashley recalled of her collaborator on the album’s first single – the sensual Hands On You and I’m Trying To. “I know we have over 100, maybe more. I love him so.” Another song She Wakes Me Up, penned with Payne and Paul Moak, had gender and species changes after its initial inception. “It started about my dog Betty, then we wrote the chorus to my future unborn daughter,” Monroe explained. “Then I got pregnant with my son, but I wanted to keep the pronoun “she”. Complicated, but one of my favourites.” Paternal inspiration, reaching back to her late
father Larry who died of cancer in Knoxville when Ashley was only 13, also inspired her collaboration with fellow Pistol Annie Angaleena Presley on Daddy I Told You. “For sure, it was around my birthday and my dad always sends a nice song gift, so when this one started coming in. I called Angaleena and Josh O’Keefe and said y’all better hurry and get here,” Ashley recalled. Keys To The Kingdom penned with Payne was also a paternal paean of sorts. “I was definitely inspired by how magical a song can be, it’s like through music, you can kinda get to heaven, even just for a short time,” Monroe confessed. “I definitely feel him when I sing that one.” Although Ashley and former baseball star pitcher husband John Danks are busy raising their son Dalton she still has time to record and perform with the Pistol Annies including a recent concert in hometown Knoxville on Miranda’s tour. “I always love singing in my home town, and Miranda always loves bringing me out there too,” said Monroe of her matron-of-honour at her marriage to Danks on October 24, 2013, at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. “We always feel the love!” And that elusive third Pistol Annies album? “We are about to start recording. I’m more excited than ever. Not sure about the release date yet,” Ashley revealed. Meanwhile there’s another new song This Heaven penned with Anderson East - recent partner of Miranda after she divorced Blake Shelton who also officiated at Monroe’s wedding. “It actually came to me in line at Walgreens pharmacy, thinking about all the temporary heavens we hold. Then I got my medicine down the hatch, and went and wrote with Anderson and Aaron Raitiere,” Monroe confided. Monroe also wrote the evocative Rita about an old friend and won a new one when Alison Krauss heard her album entrée Orphan. “A friend of ours sent her the link. I’ll never get over her calling to tell me. I hold her up so high,” Monroe added. Monroe co-wrote all 12 songs on her album including liberation anthem Mother ’s Daughter with Texan Ryan Beavers and Brendan Benson who has released six solo albums and is a member of The Raconteurs. She also penned powerful romance regret requiem Hard On A Heart with another Texan Blu Sanders and Mississippi man Paul Moak. So what about a Monroe solo tour or Pistol Annies reunion in Australia? “We’ve already been chatting about how to make it happen. I might have to wait ‘til Dalton gets a bit older so he can understand, “shhh, sit down!” On the long plane ride over, but I do see it happening one day.” But Ashley does have a baby sitter if she chooses to leave Dalton at home to tour here. “John is now retired as a baseball player, and is now the best dad ever,” Ashley proudly declared.
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BY BEC BELT
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en welcomed his second son, Tennessee, with partner Vicki on April 30, just 10 days after the release of the new album, Accidentally On Purpose. The timing of the two new releases was coincidental, with Vicki pregnant before The Shires had planned a new album. It has meant double celebrations for Ben. The songs are at the heart of what the UK artists do, with each track holding meaning for Ben and Crissie. “It was so exciting, writing songs for the album and you imagine every step of releasing the album, so we’re so excited once we get to release day,” Ben said. Crissie said they’d been listening to the tracks since February, so hadn’t been nervous about releasing them, just impatient for others to hear them. “We’ve selfishly been listening to these songs, so we’re just so excited for people to hear this music,” she said. “We put our whole self into albums and this one we’re just really excited about because it’s a lot more upbeat, but there are still some ballads as well.” Their music and popularity is spreading through the UK and they’re touring larger venues including the Royal Albert Hall on an upcoming tour. “We have played tiny venues, medium-sized ones and now we are stepping up,” Ben said. “We see all the fans that we’ve had from day one because they
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A NEW ALBUM AND A NEW BABY HAVE MEANT EXCITING AND BUSY TIMES FOR BEN EARLE AND CRISSIE RHODES OF UK DUO, THE SHIRES. “WE WERE JUST BLOWN AWAY BY THE AUDIENCE... WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO COME OVER AND INTRODUCE OURSELVES, BUT EVERYBODY ALREADY KNEW WHO WE WERE....”
all come back and it’s like having a big birthday party every night, so we just can’t wait to get it out.” They’ve already road-tested some of the new tracks while on a recent radio tour. “We played a couple of the songs acoustically and the reaction was really great,” Crissie said. “We haven’t played them out live with the full band, which usually takes on a completely different meaning for the songs to see the reaction to the crowd. We love to get out amongst the fans and hear their stories about what the songs are, which gives a completely new meaning to them.” The duo co-wrote the first single, Guilty, on a trip to Nashville last year. The feel-good party song summed up their time in Music City. Accidentally On Purpose also features the anthemic love song, Stay The Night, co-written with Ed Sheeran, after they met him at a party. The hits are sure to keep on coming after the UK country music superstars entered the history books in 2015, when their debut album Brave became the first ever British country album to enter the UK top 10. Their second album, My Universe, also broke new ground by becoming the fastest-selling British country album of all time and reached the top three in the UK charts. As more people embrace the new style of country that The Shires champion, their fanbase grows. “The new country sound is hugely growing,” Ben said. “When we got together five years ago, people would say things like ‘country was artists like Dolly Parton and country and western’, and ‘we love the older artists’, but it’s moved on from there. People are now listening to
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people like Kane Brown, Little Big Town and Lady Antebellum and then they discover other artists like us.” Ben, the main songwriter for the duo, said they now wanted to ensure people embraced the songs as their own. “We’re just hoping the songs are meaning something to people,” he said. Crissie said they had their sights set on more international tours with their album. “With this album, we want to take it further afield,” she said. “We hope to come back to Australia and tour all over and the states because we would like to cover more of the country over there. We want to expand ourselves into other territories with this new album.” The duo said they would love to return to play for their Australian fans, with their first headlining visit last year. “We had such an amazing time,” Ben said. “It’s hard to explain that feeling of playing CMC Rocks to someone who hasn’t been there. The line-up is incredible and there are artists doing shoeys on stage. We would love to come back.” Chrissie said it was a new experience for them to have people turning red from the sun at a festival because they didn’t often get that in the UK. “We are prepared for rain every time for a festival, it’s not the same in Australia,” she said. “We were just blown away by the audience. We didn’t really know what to expect and we started My Universe and everyone just put their hands in the air and just sang all the words. We thought we were going to come over and introduce ourselves, but everybody already knew who we were and knew the words.” The duo said they loved that, like UK audiences, Australian fans were listening audiences. “All of these artists have written the songs or handpicked them, so every word means something to them, so we love to get an audience that listens to the words,” Ben said
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VITAL BRITS years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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BY BEC BELT
JAYNE DENHAM HAS NO FEAR OF FLYING, WHICH IS HANDY WITH HER HIGH-ENERGY SHOWS, AUSTRALIAN ACCENT AND NEW ALBUM, CALAMITY, WINNING FANS IN THE US.
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t’s also not everyday you’re told you’ll be recording your new album in the studio of Jay De Marcus, of Rascal Flatts’ fame, nor being invited to perform at the biggest truck shows in the world, but it’s all become a reality for the Australian country artist. Jayne went to the US to check out the music scene and headed to Nashville, as she’d never visited Music City. Whilst there, she met her now manager Stacey Willbur who believed the trucking side of Jayne’s music would resonate in the US. “I went for a holiday, but suddenly I was madly songwriting for a new album, and I’ve now been invited back five times to perform at some of the biggest truck shows in the world.” The singer said she was always true to herself by just being the Aussie character that she is, which worked with American audiences. “A lot of Australians go over to America and they’re more focused on becoming American and having an American sound but, for me, it’s too late,” Jayne said. “I knew if I was going to go over there, I had to be true to myself. The truck driving community is just like the Australian truck community they love to keep it real and they think I’m hilarious over there because I sound so Australian and come out with things like ‘crickey’.
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“My show is always high energy and a lot of fun with lots of crowd interaction and that works in the truck show world. “I never dreamed this would happen and I’m really grateful to fly the Australian flag in America.” The country rock chick was told she’d be recording the album with two days notice, but a last minute phone call changed everything. “We had a studio booked, we had the producer lined up in Brian White, but then he rang the night before and said there was a change of venue,” Jayne said. “He said we’re going to Jay De Marcus’ house and he’s going to be playing bass on the album and it’s where they recorded the latest Rascal Flatts album. There was a jumping off the lounge moment, I have to be honest.” The seven-track album is a mix of party tracks, ballads and trucking songs. “This album was really different because, as well as recording in Nashville, I wrote all the songs there,” she said. “The great thing in Nashville, was when they heard there was a chick from Australia who writes trucking songs, everyone was like that’s really different and it was fun to get excitement from the songwriters. It was then about finding writers who could write trucking songs that worked with both Australian and American audiences. “On the other side I got to work with Jen Schott (who co-wrote Fear Of Flying) who is just the most beautiful songwriter when it comes to songs of the heart. The first two singles are Stacks and, the title track, Calamity, which have both been radio hits for Jayne. “The two singles are very much me - a high energy, trucking song and a song about a romance,” she said.
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KEEP “This album sums up where I am and it was fun having two country rock songs as the first singles.” Another song getting plenty of notice is the co-write with Jerry Salley called Black Coffee And White Lines. It has had more than 100,000 streams on Spotify already. The release of Calamity comes five years since her last full album, Renegade. The singer played the Mid-America Truck Show in March and just returned from Shell Super Rigs in June and, back on home soil, she will play Lights On The Hill in Gatton.
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ON TRUCKIN’ “There are thousands of trucks who form a convoy in memory of those who have died on the roads,” Jayne said. “I always make a rule of going in the convoy to be a part of the day, because we can’t do without our truck drivers and we do lose people on the road and it’s important we acknowledge that and give them the honour
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they deserve” Prior to that, this month Jayne will share her knowledge with young aspiring country artists at the CMAA Academy of Country Music junior course where she will be a team leader for the third time. “I have worked with the juniors and I really enjoy that age demographic; it’s just great having all these kids turn up who are keen. A lot have had musical lessons leading up to academy and what I love and
why they’ve asked me to do it, is my gift to work with the kids on how to translate their musical ability into performance,” Jayne said. “We have that show on the final night and I love working with the kids on becoming a performer and watching that evolve over the week. I love watching the kids becoming more confident and seeing them flourish through working; they step out of that academy with a lot more tools under their belt.” Next month, Jayne will play the Gympie Muster with plenty more shows coming up around the country.
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BY JON WOLFE
NORTH QUEENSLAND SEEMS TO BE A GREAT BREEDING GROUND FOR AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY MUSIC MUSICIANS AND SINGERS AND ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC TO ARRIVE ON THE SCENE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IS ANTHONY TAYLOR.
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o describe Anthony as a quiet achiever is an understatement, but this unassuming man has built a solid reputation as a live performer and he has now joined the list of recording artists with a debut album called Music Man. Anthony started playing music from a young age and competed in various country music talent quests across Australia with wins that include the Queensland Gold Awards, Gympie Muster Talent Search, Tamworth Entertainer of the Year, North Queensland Champion of Champions, Queensland Champion of Champions and a Toyota Star Maker finalist position. Anthony said the main reason for taking so long to record an album was because he really loves to play live and that has been his focus for many years. “First and foremost I love playing,” Anthony said. “I love singing and playing and I think I hung onto that because I was afraid recording would change what I do.”
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He was one of the first to attend a CMAA College of Country Music and said he was growing up at the time. “I got a lot of friendship from going to the college, and that’s probably the thing I’ve taken away more than anything else from that experience,’ he said. “As the years go on, the stuff that they taught at the college comes out and I go ‘Oh, that’s right I learnt that a long time ago’ and I can put it into play.” After completing the CMAA College, Anthony hit the road with the legendary Brian Young Show at the age of 17 for two years. “I think it created me as a person,” Anthony said. “It gave me morals – you know my parents gave me the basics - I think my work ethic came from Youngie and I grew up very quickly. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Youngie and I butted heads a bit because we were both strongwilled, stubborn, you know. Youngie put me in my place quite a few times. The album is outstanding in a number of ways – not the least that it’s country in the true sense and it features songs that come from other songwriters and not even a co-write. “I am, and I’m not, a songwriter,” Anthony said. “Like most artists I’m a massive critic of what I do and there’s six or seven songs on there written by Peta Cherae Peters and some her husband Jayson wrote, and I figure she’s such good songwriter why not record and have those songs broadcast to the world.” Anthony says when it comes to picking songs to record a lot goes into the process. “A lot goes through my head,” he said. “I sat on the songs for a long time. Peta Cherae sent me a heap of songs and sometimes I’d ring her up and say ‘Can you write something around this idea’ and she’d bounce back to me with a song – sometimes in minutes, as long as it took her to record it on her phone! “So I went through them all and found the ones we actually recorded and a song has to speak to me. If it speaks to me in a certain way, I love it. “If I know I can tell a story through a song and the listener is going to take what they can out of it – relate to their own lives
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– I think that’s the key. “A lot of the songs are personal. Pastor ’s Daughter for example, it couldn’t get any truer than that. I married a pastor’s daughter and Peta Cherae wrote about that and the kids – like one likes to sing and one likes to dance. “I still can’t sing it live, ’cause I tear up, it’s so real.” The album was produced by renowned musician and producer Simon Johnson. Anthony said he shared a bottle of tequila and a chat in Tamworth with Simon one night and made the decision right there and then that he was going to produce the album. “He gets it. He’s one of the most placid, kind-hearted, open-minded people you could meet and just gets that I’m country, which is what I was going for and nothing is too hard for him. “The album was recorded all over Australia and America, some of it.” Anthony said he went into the studio with some pre-conceived ideas and demos. “I went in with ideas and working with someone like Brad Bergen on drums was great. I told him what I wanted and he just sat there and played it and it was exactly what I wanted.” One highlight of the album is the participation by esteemed US guitarist Redd Volkaert. “I rang him up one day and said ‘Look man, I know this is a longshot, but are you willing to record a guitar track for my album?’ and he said ‘Hell, yeah! Send it to me’. “And he sent me two tracks for the song and it was exactly what I wanted and I didn’t have to explain it to him. “Working with professionals just made it so easy.” If you like your country country, add Anthony Taylor’s Music Man to your collection, and if he comes to a venue near you, drop whatever you’re doing and go check him out – you won’t be disappointed. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
A QUIET ACHIEVER years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
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TOYOTA STAR MAKER UPDATE
IT’S ALL DAMN FUN! WELL, WE ARE PRETTY MUCH HALF WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, AND WHAT A GREAT AND BUSY TIME IT’S BEEN.
A
t the end of May I met Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont in Dareton NSW for the first show of their western leg for their ‘Highway Sky’ Tour. From there, we headed down to Adelaide, Neals Flat, Port Lincoln and across to Ceduna SA. I haven’t spent a lot of time in South Australia so was great to check out some new country. Then it was time to hit the Nullabor and head west for the WA run. The drive over was pretty unexciting for the most part. We did check out a
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few cool lookouts and saw some whales so that was a definite highlight. Big thanks to Adam and Brooke and also their team for having me on this run of shows. I have learnt heaps about touring the west and it’s been damn fun. I drove 3300kms home in 37 hours and landed in Hay NSW to catch up on some work I have been putting off while on the road. Now it’s time for my tour!! My album tour started on June 28 in my home town of Jindabyne NSW. We have sold out this show and I
C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
thank everyone at home for their support, and looking forward to putting on a hot country show. The rest of the tour continues onto places like Tamworth, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Wollongong, Canberra, Central Coast, Bellingen, Gympie, Brisbane, Sydney, Wagga Wagga, before doing a couple of shows in the Northern Territory. Head to my website BradCoxOfficial.com to check out the tour dates and information. That’s about all I have for news at the moment. Thanks to everyone with the support so far with the album, I have had plenty of great response. Myself and the band are super keen to hit the road and start playing these songs for all of you, so get along to a show and support live music. Brad
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
LIVE MUSIC SCENE
LIFT OUT
Please note all show venues & times are correct at time of printing. Capital News recommends you check with the venue prior to attending.
ALEYCE SIMMONDS
BLAKE O’CONNOR
BRIAN LETTON
JULY 14 The Welder’s Dog, Tamworth NSW 21 Muswellbrook RSL, Muswellbrook NSW 22 Lizottes, New Lambton NSW
*Guest of Adam Eckersley & Brooke McClymont #Guest of 2018 Toyota Star Maker Brad Cox JULY 7 Dubbo RSL NSW* 15 Chop N Chill, Port Macquarie NSW AUGUST 4 Wauchope Country Club NSW 9 Heritage Hotel Bulli NSW# 10 Transit Bar Canberra ACT#
JULY 6-8 Yellow Belly Festival, St George Qld AUGUST 12 Nobby Town Hall Qld 17-19 Boondooma Celtic Festival Qld 26 Ilford Town Hall NSW
ALICE BENFER
ADAM BRAND JULY 1 The Loxton Club, Loxton SA 10 Big Red Bash, Birdsville Qld 13 Kedron-Wavell Services Club, Brisbane Qld 14 Rooty Hill RSL, Sydney NSW (SOLD OUT) 20 Huntington Tavern, Kempton Tas (SOLD OUT) 21 Hotel Tasmania, Launceston Tas 22 Winnaleah Hotel Tas (SOLD OUT) 28 Maroochy RSL Qld AUGUST 19 Weethalle Show NSW 24 Que Bar, Wagga Wagga NSW 25 Kinross Woolshed, Albury NSW 30 Mt Pleasant Tavern, Mackay QLD 31 Emerald Star Hotel, Emerald QLD SEPTEMBER 1 Great Western Hotel, Rockhampton QLD 14 O’Donoghues Irish Pub, Sydney NSW 15 Central Hotel, Ungarie NSW 16 Armatree Hotel NSW OCTOBER 5 Falcon Hotel, Kanyapella Vic (SOLD OUT) 6 5 Rivers Outback Festival, Balranald NSW 7 Creekside Hotel, Warracknabeal NSW 12 Raymond Terrace BC NSW 13 Mt. Hunter Stampede NSW 14 Royal Hotel, Bungendore NSW
JULY 1 Salisbury Community SC Qld AUGUST 31 Wyper Park Scout Camp, Bundaberg Qld SEPTEMBER 1-2 Wyper Park Scout Camp, Bundaberg Qld 14-16 Clifton Showgrounds Qld 21-22 Pioneer Village, Maleny Qld
JULY 1 Big4 Northshore Holiday Resort, Tweed Heads NSW 2 Discovery Parks Fraser Street, Hervey Bay Qld 3 Bargara Beach Holiday Park Qld 4 Fisherman’s Beach Holiday Park, Emu Park Qld 5 Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Resort Qld 6 Big4 Holiday Park, Bowen Qld 7 Rowes Bay Beachfront Holiday Park, Townsville Qld 8 Island Gateway Holiday Park, Airlie Beach Qld 9 Cape Palmerston Holiday Park Qld 10 Discovery Parks, Tannum Sands Qld 11 Captain Cook Holiday Village, 1770 Qld 12 Oodies Cafe, Bundaberg Qld 17 Reflections Holiday Park, Ballina NSW AUGUST 2 Memo Music Hall, St Kilda Vic 3 York On Lilydale, Mt Evelyn Vic 4 Gateway Hotel, Geelong Vic 5 Whalers Hotel, Warnambool Vic 23-26 Gympie Muster Qld
JULY 13 Taps Mooloolaba Qld AUGUST 9-12 Gemfest, Emerald Qld
BEN RANSOM AUGUST 25&26 Gympie Muster, Amamoor Qld
BILLY BRIDGE
JULY 7 Dubbo RSL NSW years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
JULY 28 Panthers, North Richmond, NSW
ANDREW SWIFT
ANGELA EASSON
ADAM ECKERSLEY AND BROOKE MCCLYMONT
BOWEN & CLARE
JULY 13 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld 27 & 28 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld AUGUST 5 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld OCTOBER 7-15 Cruising Country 8
CATHERINE BRITT & THE COLD COLD HEARTS
BRAD COX **Guest of Adam Harvey JULY 13 Toyota Hats Off To Country, West Tamworth LC NSW**8pm 13&14 Toyota Hats Off To Country, The Albert, Tamworth NSW 20 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle NSW 27 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld AUGUST 2 Spotted Mallard, Melbourne Vic 4 Country Rocks Under The Stars, Braidwood Showgrounds NSW 9 Heritage Hotel, Bulli NSW 10 Transit Bar, Canberra ACT 12 Central Coast CMF NSW 17 Concert For Dolly, Katherine NT** 23 No 5 Church St, Bellingen NSW 24 Gympie Music Muster Qld 25 Lefty’s Oldtime Music Hall, Brisbane Qld 31 Leadbelly, Newtown, Sydney NSW
BRENDAN SMOOTHER
Guest Melody Moko JULY 12 Reef Hotel - Cairns Qld 15 Rainforest Ranch, Byfield Qld 20 Maryborough Sports Club Qld 21 Royal Hotel, Gympie Qld 22 Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane Qld 27-28 Groundwater CM Festival AUGUST 11 Sawtell RSL Club NSW 31 Rooty Hill RSL Club NSW SEPTEMBER 1 Lizottes, Newcastle NSW 2 Ettalong Diggers, Ettalong Beach NSW
CARTER & CARTER JULY 20 Burrinja Theatre, Upwey Vic 21 Colac Otway PAC Vic AUGUST 3 Bunjil Place, Narre Warren Vic 4 Club Mulwala NSW 5 Alexandra Town Hall Vic 10 The Sphinx Hotel, North Geelong Vic 11 Wonthaggi Union CAC Vic 12 Barn Concert at Carter & Carter’s Farm, Kinglake Vic 17 The Wedge PAC, Sale Vic 18 Moe RSL Vic 19 Frankston RSL Vic 30 Capital Theatre, Bendigo Vic 31 Swan Hill Town Hall Vic SEPTEMBER 1 Albury EC Vic
JULY 13 Tamworth City BC NSW 13 Carmen’s Restaurant Tamworth NSW 14 Post Office Hotel, Tamworth NSW 15 Longyard Hotel, Tamworth NSW C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
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LIVE MUSIC SCENE CHRISTIE LAMB JULY 6 Musicman Megastore, Bendigo Vic 7 Newport BC Vic 8 Kinross Woolshed Albury NSW 14 Rooty Hill RSL NSW w Adam Brand 15 The Catho Pub, Catherine Hill Bay NSW 21 The Colonial Hotel, Werrington NSW AUGUST 17 Sawtell Hotel NSW 18 Casino RSM Club NSW 19 Caloundra RSL Club Qld 25 Ourimbah RSL Club NSW OCTOBER 12 K Ranch Arena, Mount Hunter NSW 13 The Colonial Hotel, Werrington NSW
DALE HOOPER JULY 13 Dubbo RSL Club Resort NSW 14 Bathurst RSL Club NSW OCTOBER 28 Bathurst RSL Club NSW NOVEMBER 3 Johnny Cash CMF, Stanthorpe Showground Qld
DANI YOUNG JULY 6 Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW 7 Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul NSW AUGUST 18 Lizotte’s, Newcastle NSW
DEAN PERRETT SEPTEMBER 7-9 Nanango Showgrounds Qld OCTOBER 9 Radiance Of The Sea 26-28 Maryborough Equestrian Park Qld
DIANNE LINDSAY JULY 7 St George Qld AUGUST 23 Gympie RSL Qld
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SEPTEMBER 1 Bundaberg Muster Qld 14 Bony Mountain Festival Qld OCTOBER 9 Cruising Country 8
GEOFF WILLIAMS JULY 29 Pittwater RSL Club, Mona Vale, NSW AUGUST 7 Magpies Club, Waitara, NSW 26 Pittwater RSL Club, Mona Vale NSW
GRETTA ZILLER JULY 14 Orange Ex Services NSW AUGUST 10 Temora Ex SC NSW 11 Dubbo RSL NSW
HAYLEY JENSEN OCTOBER 27 Rock Edge CMF, VDMFest, Biloela Showground, Qld NOVEMBER 10 Kick The Dust Up Festival, Goolabri, near Canberra NSW
HAYLEY MARSTEN JULY 7 Granite Belt Christmas Tree Farm, Applethorpe Qld 12 Oodies Cafe, Bundaberg, Qld 13 Blackwater Country Club Qld 15 The Yacht Club, Gladstone Qld AUGUST 15 Staves Brewery, Sydney NSW 17 Servo Food Truck Bar, Wollongong NSW 18 Quarterdeck, Narooma, NSW 19 Cuppits Winery, Ulladulla, NSW 22 The Royal Hotel, Gympie Qld SEPTEMBER 13 Bayview Country Art Club, Bittern, Vic 29 The Milk Factory, Brisbane, Qld OCTOBER 21 The Agrestic Grocer, Orange, NSW 26 Willy Eds Music, Gladstone, Qld 27 Saleyards Distillery, Rockhampton, Qld
C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
HILLBILLY GOATS JULY 21 John Sprent Reserve, Moggill BNE Qld 27 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld AUGUST 4 Cairns Casino Qld 10 Black Mountain Unplugged, Cooktown Qld 15 Rollingstone Big4 Qld 17 Anchor Bar, Airlie Beach Qld 19 Rosslyn Bay Resort, Yeppoon Qld 31 Maleny Folk Festival Qld SEPTEMBER 7 Gympie RSL Qld 14 Bony Mountain Festival, Warwick Qld 21 Beerwah Hotel, Sunshine Coast Hinterland Qld 22 Palmwoods Hotel, Sunshine Coast Hinterland Qld 28 Bulimba Golf Club, Brisbane Qld 30 Kilkivan Bush Camp, Kilkivan, Qld OCTOBER 7 Royal Hotel, Meredith Vic 9 Cruisin Country 8 NSW 20 Cootamundra Ex Services Club NSW 26 Wollongong Diggers NSW
JESSICA EMILY ODGERS JULY 1 The Manhattan Line, Bulimba Qld 22 The Manhattan Line, Bulimba Qld AUGUST 19 Southport Sharks Club Qld 26 Gympie Music Muster Qld
JOHN FLANAGAN TRIO JULY 5 Junk Bar, Ashgrove, Brisbane Qld
JOHNNY GREENWOOD JULY 7-8 St George Showgrounds Qld
HURRICANE FALL JULY 13&14 Hats Off To Country, Longyard Hotel, Tamworth NSW 27&28 Broadbeach Qld
JOSHUA HEDLEY (USA)
JULY 25 Rooty Hill RSL, Sydney NSW 26 Village Green Hotel, Melbourne Vic 27 Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville Qld 28 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld
W Band & Guest LILLIE MAE JULY 19 Leadbelly, Sydney, NSW 20 Marrickville BC NSW 21 Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine NSW 22 Northcote Social Club Vic 26 Caravan Music Club, Melbourne, Vic 27-29 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld
JASON OWEN
JULIET OLIVER
JASMINE RAE
*Sings John Denver JULY 14 Orange Ex Services NSW 21 CEx, Coffs Harbour NSW
JULY 6 Royal Family Hotel, Port Elliot SA 8 Woodcroft Hotel SA 28 Laura CMF SA
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
LIFT OUT
Please note all show venues & times are correct at time of printing. Capital News recommends you check with the venue prior to attending.
AUGUST 3 Woodstock Wines, McLaren Flat SA 4 The British Workingmen’s Club, Wingfield SA 19 Playford CMC, Gawler SA SEPTEMBER 2 Adelaide CMC, Noble Park SA 7 Woodstock Wines, McLaren Flat SA 9 Woodstock Wines, McLaren Flat SA 14 Royal Adelaide Show, Wayville SA OCTOBER 5 Woodstock Wines, McLaren Flat SA
KIARA RODRIGUES
20 Maryborough Sports Club Qld
JULY
21 Royal Hotel, Gympie Qld
8 Clovelly Park Memorial CC,
22 Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall,
Adelaide SA
27-28 Groundwater CM Festival Qld
SEPTEMBER
AUGUST
26&27 Camperdown Football Netball
11 Sawtell RSL Club NSW
Club Vic
JULY 1 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld 12 Hats Off To Country, Tamworth NSW 29 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld OCTOBER 1 Grandchester Community Hall Qld 12 The Irish Village, Emerald Qld 26-28 Maryborough Showgrounds Qld
1 Lizottes, Newcastle NSW
27 Clarence Valley Festival, Ulmarra
2 Ettalong Diggers, Ettalong Beach
NSW
JULY 7 Dandaloo Hotel, Dapto NSW 14 Hats Off To Country, Moonshiner’s Bar, Tamworth NSW 21 Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan, NSW AUGUST 3-5 Mona Farm, Braidwood, NSW 25 Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan, NSW SEPTEMBER Dapto NSW 30 Jamberoo Pub, Jamberoo, NSW OCTOBER
LACHLAN BRYAN AND THE WILDES **w Not Good With Horses AUGUST 23-26 Gympie Muster Qld
LILLIE MAE
NSW
NORMA O’HARA MURPHY SEPTEMBER 14&15 Bony Mountain Folk Festival Qld
Guest of JOSHUA HEDLEY (USA) JULY 19 Leadbelly, Sydney, NSW 20 Marrickville BC NSW 21 Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine NSW 22 Northcote Social Club Vic 26 Caravan Music Club, Melbourne Vic 27-29 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld
PETE SMITH *Variety Show JULY 14 Gympie Seniors Citizen Hall Qld 15 Maryborough Seniors Citizen Hall Qld 22 Coalston Lakes Hall Qld 27 Mulgiled Hotel, Monto Qld
20 Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan, NSW
MELISSA ROBERTSON
28 Railway Hotel, Bunderberg Qld
KYLIE ADAMSCOLLIER
JULY 13 Hats Off To Country, Tamworth City BC NSW 14 Hats Off To Country, Post Office Hotel, Tamworth NSW
MERILYN STEELE
21 Gatton Senior Citizen Hall Qld
*w band AUGUST 29 St Mary’s Band Club NSW*
23 Laidley Culture Centre, Gatton Qld
JULY 22 Country Heritage Association of Qld Inc, Grandchester Qld SEPTEMBER 14-24 10-day tour Emerald, Alpha,
JULY 8 Smithfield RSL Club NSW 13 Mounties, Mount Pritchard NSW 28 Campbelltown RSL Club NSW AUGUST 21 Riverstone Schofields MC NSW
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
1 Dandaloo Hotel Family Fun Day,
KEL-ANNE BRANDT
31 Rooty Hill RSL Club NSW
28 Mildura CMF Vic
KORA NAUGHTON
KALESTI BUTLER
Brisbane Qld
13 Twin Towns Resort NSW
Longreach, Winton, Charters Towers, Greenvale, Ayr, Mackay, Rockhampton, Qld OCTOBER 22 Clarence Valley CM, Ulmurra NSW
MELODY MOKO Guest of Catherine Britt JULY 12 Reef Hotel - Cairns Qld 15 Rainforest Ranch, Byfield Qld
AUGUST 5 St Mary’s Hall, Rockhampton Qld 12 Mackay Senior Citizen Hall Qld 19 Bororon Hall Qld
PETER CAMPBELL JULY 1 City Golf Club Toowoomba Qld OCTOBER 7 City Golf Club Toowoomba Qld
S O N GW R I T E R S J O I N T SA MEMBERS BENEFITS
• Informative quarterly newsletters • Reduced fees for TSA National Songwriting Contest Re • Reduced fees for TSA Sponsored So Songwriting Workhops • $69 Annual Single Membership includes 12mths Country Music Capital News Co • $35 Annual Single Membership excludes Country Music Capital News Co • Options Op for Junior and Household memberships • Pe Performances opportunities
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
JOIN online or complete d e t a i l s b e l ow
and send to Tamworth Songwriters'Association Inc PO Box 618 Tamworth NSW 2340 Please send me a TSA Membership Application form Name: .......................................................................... Address: ....................................................................... ....................................................................................... www.tsaonline.com.au
C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
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LIVE MUSIC SCENE 14 15 16 20 26 27
Bocce Club Kyabram Vic Golden Hills Motel, Bendigo Vic Barham & District Services Club NSW Warragul Sports Club, Warragul, Vic Essendon Football Club, Essendon, Vic Mulwala Water Ski Club Vic
ROSS MCGREGOR JULY 27 Diggers Club, The Entrance NSW
SARA STORER RACHAEL FAHIM JULY 13&14 Hats Off To Country, The Albert Hotel, Tamworth NSW AUGUST 24 Gateway Hotel, Geelong Vic 25 Palms at Crown, Melbourne Vic SEPTEMBER 21 Wests, New Lambton NSW 22 Panthers, Penrith NSW OCTOBER 5 Club Old Bar, Old Bar NSW
JULY 6 Capital Theatre Bendigo Vic 7 Hamilton PAC Vic 27 Bombala RSL Club NSW 28 Braidwood SC NSW
SHELLEY MINSON JULY 13 Oasis Hotel, Tamworth NSW 15 West Tamworth LC NSW SEPTEMBER 19 Twin Towns, Tweed Heads NSW
REBECCA LEE NYE JULY 1 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld 6 The Events Centre, Caloundra Qld 7 Star Casino, Gold Coast Qld SEPTEMBER 14 Brolga Theatre, Marborough Qld 15 Moncrieff EC, Bundaberg Qld DECEMBER 2 Rising Sun Hotel, Rosewood Qld
RODNEY VINCENT JULY 3 Sussex Inlet RSL Club NSW 10 Ettalong Diggers Club NSW 12 Canterbury Hurlestone Park RSL Club NSW AUGUST 9-10 Horsham RSL Club, Horsham, Vic SEPTEMBER 5 Ararat Town Hall Vic 7 Williamstown BC Vic 11 Wonthaggi Workers Club Vic 13 Mulwala Water Ski Club NSW
7 Canberra Southern Cross Club ACT 8 Forbes Services MC NSW 21 Wests New Lambton NSW 22 Evan Theatre, Panthers, Penrith NSW OCTOBER 5 Club Old Bar NSW 6 The Cube, Campbelltown NSW 19 Norths LC, Kallangur Qld 20 Mackay EC Qld
THE WEEPING WILLOWS JULY 12 Golden Barley Hotel, Enmore NSW 13 Two Goats Cafe and Baa, Armidale NSW 14 Hats Off To Country, City Sider Diner Sessions, Tamworth NSW
THE WOLFE BROTHERS JULY 11 Big Red Bash, Birdsville Qld 14 Illfracombe Races Qld AUGUST 2 Memo Music Hall, St Kilda Vic 3 York On Lilydale, Mount Evelyn Vic 4 Gateway Hotel, Geelong Vic 5 Warnambool Greyhound Race Club Vic 6 Sheepvention, Hamilton Showground Vic 10 Highfields Tavern, Toowoomba Qld 11 The Morrison Hotel, Brisbane Qld 12 Mt Isa Rodeo Qld 16 Mt Pleasant Hotel, Mackay Qld 17 Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone Qld 18 Golden Octopus Rodeo, Ayr Qld
AUGUST 11 Mt Isa Mines Rodeo Qld 17 Rooty Hill RSL, Rooty Hill NSW 24 Gympie Muster Qld SEPTEMBER 15 Brisbane Racing CM Day, Hamilton Qld 29 Deni Ute Muster, Deniliquin NSW OCTOBER 27 VDL Festival, Biloela Qld
WAYNE HORSBURGH JULY 4 Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club, Sydney, NSW 25 Campsie RSL Club, Sydney, NSW AUGUST 5 East Cessnock BC NSW 7 Ryde Eastwood LC, West Ryde NSW 10 Budgewoi Soccer Club NSW 25 Bairnsdale RSL Club Vic 26 Morwell Club Vic 28 Albury Commercial Club NSW SEPTEMBER 2 Yass Seniors Hall NSW 4 Bathurst RSL Club NSW 7-9 Nanango Showgrounds, Kingaroy Qld 13 Mulwala Ski Club NSW 14 Kyabram Bocce Club Vic 15 Bendigo Golden Hills Motel Vic 16 Barham Services Club NSW
THE MCCLYMONTS
23 Smithfield RSL Club NSW
JULY 27 Shoalhaven Heads BC NSW 28 Groundwater CMF, Broadbeach Qld AUGUST 11 Mt Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo Qld 24 Gateway Hotel, Geelong Vic 25 The Palms At Crown, Melbourne Vic 31 Inverell RSM NSW SEPTEMBER 1 Casino RSM NSW
30 East Cessnock BC NSW
WYNONAH DOVE’S AMERICAN ROOTS JULY
TRAVIS COLLINS JULY 11 Big Red Bash, Birdsville Qld
27 Club Cronulla NSW AUGUST 18 Camden Golf Club, Narellan NSW
MADCDS
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C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
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ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE STAR MAKER JOURNEY? DO YOU THINK YOU’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE 40TH TOYOTA STAR MAKER?
Entries open Friday 13 July 2018 close 1 October 2018 Details and entry form online at starmaker.com.au Conditions of entry online
40 YEARS OF WINNERS 1979-2018: Grand Junction • Tommy Miller • Leanne Douglas • Lee Kernaghan • The Vic Lanyon Band • Great Divide • Jane Maddick • James Blundell • Jenine Vaughan • Craig Robertson • Keith Urban • Gina Jeffreys • Warren Derwent • Beccy Cole • Clint Beattie • Tanya Self • Darren Coggan • Lyn Bowtell • Kate Ballantyne • Brendon Walmsley • Grant Richardson • Kylie Sackley • Kieran Lancini • Todd Williams • Travis Collins • Samantha McClymont • Cat Southern • Kirsty Lee Akers • Talia Wittmann • Liam Brew • Luke Austen • Luke Dickens • Bob Corbett • Kaylee Bell • Jared Porter • Mickey Pye • Karin Page • Rachael Fahim • Brad Cox
AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY MUSIC’S 40TH ANNUAL SEARCH FOR A NEW STAR SUNDAY, 20 JANUARY 2019 • TOYOTA PARK • TAMWORTH NSW ENQUIRIES: T: 02 6767 5555 E: info@starmaker.com.au W: starmaker.com.au ORG AN ISED BY
REF SF8655
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
HAIR DESIGN & MAKE UP
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C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
TRIPLE TRIPLE TRIPLE THREAT NAMED AS ONE OF THE HUFFINGTON POST’S “TOP COUNTRY ARTISTS TO WATCH”, LINDSAY ELL IS A TRIPLE THREAT: ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIAN, UNIQUE VOCALIST AND SONGWRITER.
T
he Canadian native has released her version of John Mayer’s Continuum recording every single instrument and singing every part. Kristian Bush (Sugarland) gave Lindsay an assignment in preparation to record her debut album. She was given two weeks to reimagine her all-time favourite Desert Island record and she chose Mayer’s 2006 album. The process led her to emerge with a renewed creative discovery and vision for how she plays, writes and records her own music. The end-result of Kristian’s unique assignment became her critically-lauded No 1 debut album The Project. Lindsay said; “Recording Continuum was the thing that started it all. Kristian taught me some of the most valuable lessons as my producer from this ‘homework’ assignment. He gave me three rules: I needed to play all the instruments myself, I needed to record it alone in my studio, and I had two weeks. Through it all, I remembered
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
all the things I first loved about making music. I can’t wait for my fans to hear the music that helped shaped Criminal and The Project. Now aged 29, Lindsay learned to play guitar while traveling with her father to country-bluegrass camps as a young girl. She honed her craft as a musical stylist and songwriter after being discovered by BTO and The Guess Who’s Randy Bachman (American Woman/Taking Care of Business) who discovered her at the age of 13. The multi-instrumentalist was soon touring alongside the likes of Luke Bryan, Buddy Guy, The Band Perry and Keith Urban, as well
as wowing audiences as Carrie Underwood’s guitar player live on the “50th Annual CMA Awards” and holding her own alongside icon Melissa Etheridge on Skyville Live. The Project debuted at No 1 on the Country Album Sales Chart last August and was lauded as Billboard’s Best Country Album of 2017. The whirlwind doesn’t stop for Lindsay who just wrapped a year-long run on Brad Paisley’s Weekend Warrior World Tour. The multi-instrumentalist is set to join Sugarland’s Still The Same Tour this month ahead of supporting select dates of Keith Urban’s Graffiti U World Tour in the US fall. Adding to the excitement, Lindsay collaborated with Urban on a brand new track Horses, which features on Graffiti U. Her current single Criminal is Top 20 at US Country radio and recently landed atop Canadian Country Radio Charts. Australia’s Jeremy Dylan (pictured with Lindsay) caught up with Lindsay and that conversation can be heard on his ‘My Favourite Album Podcast’ real soon. Lindsay’s release of Continuum is available digitally.
C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
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PHOTO: TIM JOHN BLAKE
O N E T O WAT C H
HAYLEY WILSON BY SUSAN JARVIS
WHEN A NEW COUNTRY MUSIC STAR SUDDENLY EMERGES, IT OFTEN FEELS LIKE A RAPID ASCENT TO THE TOP.
B
ut as many artists will attest – from Lee Kernaghan to the latest hot stars, Amber Lawrence, Aleyce Simmonds, Fanny Lumsden and Travis Collins – the reality is very different. It often takes a decade or more of hard slog, disappointments, dusting yourself off and trying again to make it in the music industry – and longevity in the industry can depend on earning your stripes in this way. Toyota Star Maker grand finalist Hayley Wilson is all too conscious that she’s in the midst of that long-term career trajectory, and she’s determined to seize every opportunity to make it work. Having released her stunning debut album, Further Than Forever, in 2017, and impressed the huge Star Maker crowds in January this year, 25-year-old
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Hayley is now focusing on putting all her ducks in a row ready for the future. “I’m conscious that I’m in a building phase right now. I’ve had a great response to the release of Further Than Forever, I’ve released four singles from the album, and I’m now figuring out who I’ve become and what I want my next album to sound like,” Hayley said. Hayley’s sublime first single Somnus, cowritten with Aleyce Simmonds, was critically acclaimed and made the fans sit up and take notice. It was followed by Bad For You and the gentle On And On. Hayley’s current single is Easy For Me, penned with Golden Guitar winner Luke O’Shea. It’s an upbeat song that Hayley says is simply about gratitude. The last 18 months have been a period of growth and consolidations for Hayley, who performed at last year’s Gympie Muster for the first time, then went on to wow the audience at Star Maker. “Star Maker was really important for me. It gave me some incredibly valuable opportunities, particularly in being able to connect and build relationships with people in the industry. I’ve had other opportunities
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come up because of it,” Hayley said. The next step for Hayley is to travel to Nashville later in the year for a month of intensive songwriting for her second album. “I thought I had my sound nailed on the last album, but I’ve found that – particularly over the last six months as I’ve been writing – my musical tastes and influences have changed quite a bit. I’ve evolved quite a bit since the release of Further Than Forever, and I’m still working out how the next album will sound,” she said. Hayley is still considering options for production of the album, but says she hopes to go into the studio in early 2019 to record. Meanwhile, she’s honing her craft in the time-honoured way, by gigging around her home city of Brisbane. She has also been participating in the Song Hubs program organised by former Toyota Star Maker winner Jared Porter, which she says has been a wonderful opportunity to cowrite. Hayley is clear that she’s playing the long game when it comes to her career. “There are highs and lows, and at times it is easy to get frustrated. But I strongly believe that you have to create your own opportunities, and I’m prepared to step out of my comfort zone and take chances,” she said. “I know that what I’m doing will put me in a good place when opportunities do come up, and then I will reach out and seize them – in the meantime, I’m just enjoying the journey!”
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
$8*867
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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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HEAR+THERE AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE IN NASHVILLE AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY MUSIC WAS GIVEN A PROMINENT FORUM AT THE INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC CONFERENCE (ICMC) AT BELMONT UNIVERSITY IN NASHVILLE IN EARLY JUNE.
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he conference, organised by professors James Akenson and Don Cusic, is an annual event and attracts scholars from around the world to discuss various aspects of country music. On the first evening, the keynote event was “Aussie Country: The Big Picture, History and Today”. Andrew Smith described influences on early Australian country music, Dr Toby Martin (currently lecturing in England) commented on Slim Dusty’s songs about Aboriginals, and Colleen Trenwith, once with the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, recalled performing with Tex Morton, Slim Dusty and Bill Monroe. Colleen now teaches Bluegrass at East Tennessee State University. A surprise guest at the keynote event was Anne Kirkpatrick, who was visiting Nashville at the time and was invited by Colleen. With Colleen, she was able to give first-hand recollections of her parents and other aspects of Australian country
music, and was enthusiastically welcomed. The presentations were favourably received and several people in the audience commended the event. In a separate presentation, a fourth Australian, Dr Guy Cundell, of the University of Adelaide, described the role of the Hawaiian steel guitar on the emergence of Western Swing. Andrew Smith was also on the panel of the Charles K Wolfe Memorial Panel discussion, “The Vietnam War, Nashville, and Country Music: A Retrospective”, and commented on Australian country music songs related to the Vietnam War. Over the past two decades, Australian performers such as Tex Morton, Buddy Williams and Slim
Toby Martin, Anne Kirkpatrick and Andrew Smith at the conference
Dusty have become better known in the United States. A recent edition of Bill Malone’s classic text, Country Music USA, for example, mentions Tex Morton, so too does Jocelyn Neal’s book on country music, and Barry Mazor described the influence of Jimmie Rodgers on Australian country singers in his book, Meeting Jimmie Rodgers. Dr Akenson, a professor who lectures on teaching methods at Tennessee Technological University, regularly uses Australian country music to teach Australian History and Geography to students in Tennessee. Australian country music has no firmer friend in the United States than James, and he was largely responsible for organising the keynote event. He and Andrew Smith had been corresponding regularly since the late 1980s but, until the conference, had never met face-to-face. One of the highlights of the conference was a live feed of Mac Wiseman, who recorded with Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs. The seminar was held at the old Bradley studios, which were later sold to Columbia. Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, George Jones and Bob Dylan, amongst countless others, recorded in these studios.
Visiting Tamworth?
See Star Maker’s amazing journey at the Star Maker Café at Diggers, Kable Ave, Tamworth
1979 40
THE LEGEND CONTINUES
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2018 years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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MIL UR A D nd ANNUAL
SEPTEMBER 28th to OCTOBER 7th
Dianne Lindsay
Rodney Vincent
Emma Jene
Glenn Jones
The Southern Stars - The Australian Independent Country Music Awards to be held on Saturday October 6th at 6.00pm Go to our Website: www.milduracountrymusic.com.au For program purchase, accommodation enquiries and general details Phone 1800 039 043
w w w.m i l d u r a c o u nt rym u s i c . c o m . a u years of bringing you the music 1975â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018
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HEAR+THERE
DOLLY’S DREAM 2018 GOLDEN GUITAR WINNER TOM CURTAIN WANTED TO RAISE AWARENESS OF BULLYING AFTER AMY “DOLLY” EVERETT ENDED HER YOUNG LIFE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
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efore she took her life, Dolly wrote the words, ‘Speak even if your voice shakes’, inspiring Speak Up, Tom’s duet with multi-Golden Guitar winner
Sara Storer. “The incident inspired me to write the song and then try and raise more awareness about bullying in any form,” he said. “The more we’ve become involved, the more we’re learning how prolific bullying is in society. There’s no quick fix to bullying, we all have to do our bit to raise awareness, set an example and hopefully save a young life.” Dolly was from a property outside Tom’s hometown of Katherine NT. He wrote the song with Garth Porter, who donated his studio and time to produce the track in Sydney. “Being a father of two kids living out in the bush, it really hit home for me,” Tom said. “Living out here, you think you are quite removed from anything like this, so to have a beautiful young girl that you’ve seen grow up, take her life and then a family ripped apart, is just devastating.” Tom organised two schools in Western Australia (where he was touring at the time) Pinjarra Primary and Pinjarra Senior High - to be involved in the film clip and audio recording of the track. “Pinjarra Primary School students can be heard on the recording of Speak Up and I think you would agree, they did an amazing 42
Dolly Everett
job,” Tom said. On June 1, Tom and Sara, and other artists, were involved in Dreaming Under the Stars in Katherine, where they raised more than $170,000 for Dolly’s Dream and gave attendees a sneak peek of the Speak Up film clip.
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All proceeds from the single will go directly to Dolly’s Dream, an organisation established by her family and friends in her memory that will work to create positive change and help prevent the lives of other children being lost, and act as a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. Speak Up can be purchased from iTunes and Google Play or, a physical CD can be purchased via www.katherineoutbackexperience.com.au years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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HEAR+THERE
THE STOLEN GENERATION STARIN’ OUT THE BACK OF A CAR IS THE NEW SINGLE BY EMERGING WAUCHOPE-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER ANGUS GILL.
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t is a poignant reflection of the loss and trauma experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of the Stolen Generation. It was co-written with highly regarded Indigenous singer-songwriter Kevin Bennett (The Flood/Bennett Bowtell & Urquhart) and recorded with both Kevin and fellow Indigenous performer Amos Morris. The release of the song coincided with National Reconciliation Week 2018 and Angus said, “The theme of National Reconciliation Week this year is ‘don’t keep history a mystery’, which is fitting because it summarises our intentions with this release. Just before the song came about, I had seen the Phillip Noyce film Rabbit-Proof Fence and I broke down emotionally during the scene where they were taking the children away. This was when I had the line pop into my head, ‘It’s hard to look forward when you’re staring out the back of a car’. 44
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Co-writer Kevin Bennett agrees, “When Angus came to me with the idea for Starin’ Out The Back Of A Car and we sat down to start writing, I thought it would be a monumental task to tell such a harrowing personal story. It brought to the surface many emotions for me as a parent and now grandparent, so I could empathise with what must have been the most traumatic feelings of helplessness and profound loss…it still haunts and affects so many Aboriginal people to this day.”
Starin’ Out The Back Of A Car is the third single lifted from Angus’ critically acclaimed debut album Nomad, which was released in September 2017. Whilst a relatively new face on the Australian country music scene, when Angus was a grand finalist in the 2017 Toyota Star Maker, he caught the eye of Guy Sebastian who tweeted “Forget Duncan, I wanna have a beer with Angus”! Veteran radio presenter and one of Australian country music’s strongest supporters Ray Hadley OAM said, “Angus Gill is a brilliant young singersongwriter and if you want to be thoroughly entertained, you’ll go and see his show.” Over the coming months, Angus will be embarking on a USA songwriting trip taking him from California to Nashville where he will write his new album. Angus will be attending a songwriting retreat with Rodney Crowell and Bernie Taupin and is hoping to meet up with the legendary Steve Earle whom he first met in 2015 in upstate New York. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
H+T CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF
BUDDY WILLIAMS
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on Dorrigo and Guy Fawkes Historical Society have announced a special event to be held Saturday and Sunday September 8 and 9 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of Dorrigoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous sons, legendary Aussie country music pioneer Buddy Williams. Visitors are invited to join locals for the celebration, camping and caravan sites, at reasonable cost, will be available at the showground. From 3pm on the Saturday at the showground arena, the North Dorrigo Pony Club will perform a musical ride, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be whip cracking, a local horseman mustering â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the white-faced cattleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, several horse and sulkies, and a brumby from the Guy Fawkes National Park, broken in to perform tricks. Buskers will be welcome and from 6pm a
fantastic tribute to Buddy and his music will be staged in the main pavilion. Amongst those performing will be Lindsay Butler, Pixie Jenkins, pioneer Trevor Day, Ashley Cook, Trevor Tolton plus Shaza Leigh and Peggy Gilchrist. On Sunday September 9, a memorial plaque will be unveiled at the museum and there will be an informal morning tea and a chance to inspect displays. Following that, there will be a guided tour, for a limited number of people, of the Dorrigo Railway Museum. For more information and to book tickets for the concert, contact Georgie Frogley on 02 6657 2120, between 9am and 5pm. Radio presenters who would like to celebrate can email Garry Coxhead at garryc1953@hotmail.com to obtain a selection of Buddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music.
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DP
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THE LEGACY OF KINGSFORD-SMITH AS FAR BACK AS HE CAN REMEMBER, JONNIE RUSSELL HAS HAD A PASSION FOR AUSTRALIAN HISTORY, IN PARTICULAR, AVIATION HISTORY.
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is late father Eric Russell was a school teacher and impressed upon Jonnie, from an early age, how important it was to learn about Australian heritage. Jonnie became interested in aviation history after meeting and becoming friends with Austin Edward Byrne who was a creator, artist and historian. Mr Byrne spent 50 years creating his magnificent ‘Southern Cross Memorial’ which is now preserved in the National Museum of Australia, in Canberra, ACT. Mr Byrne told Jonnie he thought it a great shame no one had ever written a song (or symphony as he referred to it) about the world’s greatest aviator, Charles Kingsford Smith, so Jon wrote the first verse of The Immortal Southern Cross. Mr Byrne met Kingsford Smith when ‘Smithy’ handed over the blue prints of his Southern Cross aircraft in order for Mr Byrne to create a scaled down model of the Fokker aircraft. Mr Byrne gave Jon a cassette recording of Smith’s voice which had been recorded at Mascot airport in 1929 and Jon incorporated the recording into the song.
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Jon re-recorded the song in 2007 with backing tracks put down in Richmond NSW at Dan Morrison’s New Horizon Studios. “I wanted to record my vocals at Richmond,” said Jonnie, “because of Smithy’s close association with the Hawkesbury district in the early days. “When the Southern Cross was heavily loaded with fuel, he would need a long runway to affect a takeoff so he’d use Richmond Air Base which had a longer runway than Mascot in Sydney. In October 2017, Jon organised a concert to honour the aviator. It was held in the historic Richmond ‘School of Arts’ and officially opened by Hawkesbury mayor, Mary Buckett.
Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm and Americans James Warner and Harry Lyon, left Oakland USA on May 31, arriving in Brisbane on June 9, 1928 after just 83 hours and 43 minutes flying time. They rested up before flying into Mascot on the morning of June 10 where they were welcomed by more than 300,000 people – more than three quarters of the population of Sydney at the time. Today’s jumbo jets continue to take the same route. Jon’s mum, Muriel, was in the crowd. She has contributed to the liner notes on the CD sleeve alongside the late aviation pioneer; Nancy Bird-Walton (who was given her very first flying lesson by Kingsford Smith himself in 1933). “Nancy Bird once told me,” said Jonnie, “that Kingsford Smith’s landing in Sydney that day was equivalent to man’s first moon landing as it made headlines ‘the world over’.” “Kingsford Smith loved the glory of it all to be quite honest,” said Jonnie. Apparently, as soon as they arrived in Sydney, Warner and Lyon, the two Americans, were transported to Circular Quay where they were to sail back to the States as soon as possible. “He sure didn’t want two Americans taking any of the ‘lime light’.” Jonnie Russell has always liked to honour people who have achieved great things in life – people he has written about include; Hank Williams – he wrote at age 14 – We’ll Ne’r Forget Hank Williams. He also wrote about WWII hero; Audie Leon Murphy – America’s Unsung Hero, Gaby Kennard – Solo Woman who was the first Australian woman to fly solo around the world, Austin (Aussie) Byrne – The Immortal Aussie, and the unrecorded Champion Race Horse Black Caviar. “Celebrating the 90th anniversary of this flight is very important and it’s my wish to keep the legacy of Kingsford Smith’s name alive for generations to come.” said Jonnie. A special commemoration concert is being planned for later this year and a full length movie is due to be shot by directors Snowy Robson and award-winning producer Ian Cook. The producers are discussing the use of Jon’s song, The Immortal Southern Cross, as the soundtrack.
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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Stay up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, live music scene, new talent, coming events, bush balladeers, writing great songs, down memory lane. SUBSCRIBE ONLINE www.capitalnews.com.au OR PHONE: 02 6767 5555 or E: info@capitalnews.com.au years of bringing you the music 1975â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018
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CAITLIN HARRIS / CMA
HUNTER BERRY/CMA
NATASHA MOUSTACHE/CMA
HUNTER BERRY/CMA
Florida Georgia Line with the Backstreet Boys
Luke Bryan
Dwight Yoakam, Brothers Osborne and Dierks Bentley
Morgan Evans at Ascend Amphitheatre
47TH CMA FEST
NASHVILLE
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groups. Chris Watson Travel has taken 14 tours to CMA Fest and has also sponsored a return trip to Nashville for the annual Toyota Star Maker winner since 2010. The festival took over downtown Nashville Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10, with more than 300 acts performing on 11 official stages and ticket proceeds going directly to helping enrich and sustain music education programs across the country through CMA’s nonprofit arm, the CMA Foundation, thanks to every artist at the festival donating their time. The festival is filmed for a three-hour special, “CMA Fest”, which will be hosted by Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini. In addition to the many ex-pats living in Nashville, a number of Australian artists performed at CMA Fest this year including our biggest export Keith Urban, rising superstar Morgan Evans, and 8 Ball Aitken and Baylou performed on the CMA Spotlight stage.
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Brett Eldredge KAYLA SCHOEN/CMA
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he 47th annual CMA Fest drew tens of thousands of fans to the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium, capacity crowds at Chevrolet Riverfront Stage and the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheatre, and largest engagement by country music fans in the event’s history from visitors from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 international countries. Australians are making the trek each year by the hundreds as individuals and with various tour
JOHN RUSSELL/CMA
IT’S AN ANNUAL HIGHLIGHT ON THE AMERICAN COUNTRY MUSIC CALENDAR AND THIS YEAR DIDN’T DISAPPOINT THE CROWDS THAT DECENDED ON NASHVILLE.
Lindsay Ell performs at the Radio Disney Country Stage
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
FESTIVALS NATASHA MOUSTACHE/CMA
Kelsea Ballerini
Charley Pride
Thomas Rhett
KAYLA SCHOEN/CMA
JOHN RUSSELL/CMA
Old Dominion
Ray Stevens sings the National Anthem
Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina
Chris Stapleton
Aussie 8 Ball Aitken
years of bringing you the music 1975â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018
NATASHA MOUSTACHE/CMA
NATASHA MOUSTACHE/CMA
Keith Urban
DONN JONES/CMA
NATASHA MOUSTACHE/CMA
Carrie Underwood
JOHN RUSSELL/CMA
JOHN RUSSELL/CMA
CMA NASHVILLE
Dan + Shay
Carly Pearce
Dustin Lynch
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FESTIVALS
HATS OFF TO COUNTRY
19TH HATS OFF FESTIVAL
INJECTS COOL INTO COUNTRY
THE WELCOME MAT IS WELL AND TRULY OUT FOR THE TAMWORTH REGION’S 19TH ANNUAL TOYOTA HATS OFF TO COUNTRY FESTIVAL, STAGED IN THE CITY FROM JULY 12 TO 15.
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he midyear winter festival in the Country Music Capital will include some of Australia’s brightest stars including Adam Harvey, Luke O’Shea, Aleyce Simmonds, Felicity Urquhart, Kevin Bennett and 2018 Toyota Star Maker Brad Cox. Hats Off to Country will feature more than 100 individual country artists and dozens of events and activities over four big days and nights, with live music, shows and attractions on offer at 16 venues across the city.
MAKING WISHES COME TRUE
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HONOURING OUR NEXT ‘BRONZED AUSSIE’
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he Country Capital Bronze Bust Committee, under the auspices of the Australian Bush Balladeers Association, will salute an Aussie legend, Frank Ifield, at 10am on Saturday, July 14. Plans are being made to create a bronze bust of the revered artist, with concerts such as this one contributing to the final tally. The majority of funds come from the Australian country music community. This concert will be held at Southgate Inn, where a $10 donation can be made at the door
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amworth husband and wife, Ray and Samantha Pratley, want to help raise money for the MakeA-Wish foundation, in particular for kids from the country, and give back to the community. They wrote and recorded the single, Make A Wish Come True, which was produced by Kross Kut Records and hope to make a huge donation to the charity. They have organised their “Country For Kids” tour which will take them to Qld, NSW, Vic and Tasmania, before they return to Tamworth in January for the annual country music festival. The song also has an accompanying music video which has been produced by Tamworth’s Chasing Summer Photography. The single will be released in Australia and New Zealand with proceeds from the sales being donated to Make-A-Wish in the countries where it is sold. The couple will launch the single with a concert and sausage sizzle on Saturday, July 14 at 11am at the Big
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SADDLE UP AND JOIN THE COWBOY CRAWL
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ast year’s inaugural Cowboy Crawl was a huge hit, with two busloads of festival-goers enjoying the country spirit on the Friday night, so it’s advisable to book now for this fun event which kicks off at 6.30pm on Friday, July 13.
Golden Guitar in Tamworth, coinciding with the Hats Off To Country weekend. Ray and Samantha will launch their tour and unveil their vehicle wrapped with images and sponsor logos. Thomas Foods International has sponsored a “Country For Kids” tour cap and Make A Wish Come True single giveaway. Each day, six children and their families find out their child has a life threatening illness. Make-A-Wish brings really sick kids much needed hope for the future, strength to face the challenge of their illness, and joy from their incredible wish experience. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
HATS OFF TO COUNTRY
FESTIVALS
ASPIRING COUNTRY ARTISTS LEARN FROM THE BEST
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t’s back to the books, guitars, and songwriting for 23 aspiring young music artists these July school holidays as they prepare for the CMAA Academy of Country Music junior course. Held annually in Tamworth during the winter school break, 23 young people from New South Wales, Queensland, New Zealand, South Australia and Victoria will spend a week at Calrossy Anglican School learning about several key aspects of the country music industry. For most of them, this will mean school will also be in for the parents and carers who accompany students throughout the course and attend a business and industry component of their own. Making up the 2018 alumni are nine boys and 14 girls, with 14 from NSW, six from Qld, and one each from NZ, SA and Vic. Their ages range from 11 to 18. Leading the course is director and award-winning artist Lyn Bowtell, general manager and award-winning singer-songwriter Roger Corbett, group leaders Jayne Denham, David Carter, Simon Johnson and Liam Kennedy-Clark, with guest lecturers Travis Collins, Allan Caswell and Amber Lawrence. Former academy students include Jessica Mauboy, 2017 The Voice winner Judah Kelly, Sam and Brooke McClymont, The Sunny Cowgirls, Sara Storer and many others. The CMAA Academy of Country Music junior course runs in Tamworth from July 7 to 15. The students and tutors come together to celebrate another successful graduation at 7.30pm on Friday, July 13 at The Family Hotel in a fabulous free concert. Attending the 2018 academy are: CCMA Junior Talent Quest scholarship Rory Phillips (11), Tumut NSW (instrumental course); Best of the West NZ scholarship Zac Griffith (14), Nelson Lakes, NZ; FNQ CM Festival (Walkamin) scholarship Brendan Wright (17), Mareeba Qld; Homestead Youth Talent Expo scholarship (2017) Sophie Volp (15), Meringandan Qld; Homestead Youth Talent Expo Scholarship (2016) Cassi Marie (16), Caboolture Qld (instrumental course); Laura Byrnes Music scholarship Emmagen Rain (11), Murwillumbah NSW; Mid North Country Music scholarship SA Josie Rains (16), Hallett SA; Freddie Bailey-Cook (13), Tamworth NSW; Piper Butcher (14), West Wallsend NSW; Lili Crane (17), Merewether NSW; Jorja Dalton (15), Hillston NSW; Felicity Dowd (14), Bega NSW; Bella Mackenzie Fenlon (13), Eimeo Qld; Charlie Fittler (15), Armidale NSW; Shelby Grace (17), Rose Valley NSW; Daniel Henwood (18), Wangaratta Vic; Shyanne Irwin (14), Muswellbrook, NSW; Abbey Johnson (15), Mittagong NSW; Benjamin Johnston (16), Bulli NSW; Maranda Pugh (15), Charters Towers Qld; Brooke Roberts (15), Townsville Qld; Tom Manning (11), Tamworth NSW (instrumental course); and Billy Carnaby (17), Waterview Heights, NSW (instrumental course).
Jenny Mitchell
Logan Hoswell
DAG SONGWRITERS RETREAT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
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he sixth annual Singer-Songwriter’s Retreat will kick off Thursday, July 12 running throughout the Toyota Hats Off To Country Festival. The DAG Sheep Station, Nundle will welcome Logan Hoswell from Tamworth, NSW and Jenny Mitchell from Gore, New Zealand as they get the chance to write and learn from some of Australian country music’s finest and successful award-winning songwriters, including Shane Nicholson, Luke O’Shea, Kevin Bennett, Felicity Urquhart and Aleyce Simmonds. Logan Hoswell a singer-songwriter born and raised in Tamworth, was awarded the APRA AMCOS Indigenous Regional NSW scholarship and was chosen by Blues legend Buddy Knox who is also the son of country music legend Roger Knox. Logan attended the 2016 CMAA Junior Academy of Country Music, and also opened for Adam Harvey at the 2016 Toyota Hats Off To Country Festival. She is known to write from the soul, and about personal experiences which have shaped her into the young woman she is today. The second Scholarship was awarded by The DAG Sheep Station to New Zealand’s, Jenny Mitchell in her home town of Gore in the Southland during the 2017 Gold Guitars. Jenny is the 2017 NZ Gold Guitar Overall Winner, 2017 Southland Entertainer of the Year and one of New Zealand’s brightest musical talents, a songwriter who blends country, folk, and Americana into her own captivating style. Jenny’s unique style has delighted audiences of all shapes and sizes, from the thousands at the Tamworth Country Music Festival to intimate house concerts in her home region, Southland. Both Logan and Jenny will perform alongside their tutors and peers at a special Songwriters’ Showcase at The DAG at 4pm on Sunday, July 15.
For a full program and further information about Toyota Hats Off to Country – Tamworth’s cool, midyear festival, visit hatsofftocountry.com years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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FESTIVALS
WINTON
WINTON’S WAY OUT WEST FEST
CELEBRATES WALTZING MATILDA WORDS & PHOTOS: JOHN ELLIOTT
THE TOWN OF WINTON, IN WESTERN QUEENSLAND SWELLED TO NEARLY 10 TIMES ITS USUAL POPULATION WHEN 7,000 PEOPLE FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA FLOCKED TO THE ICONIC OUTBACK TOWN TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF THE WALTZING MATILDA CENTRE.
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ith rousing speeches from Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk and Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, the spirt of Banjo Patterson was flowing through the town from John Williamson’s performance at the official opening, through to Winton’s biggest ever pub choir at the North Gregory Hotel. The music played from dawn to well into the night with blistering performances from the likes of Jessica Mauboy, John Williamson, James Blundell, Brad Butcher, Busby Marou, Russell Morris, Dean Perrett, Jeff Brown, Peter Pratt, Ali S and The Black Sorrows, while international guests Kip Moore, Lee Brice and Charlie Worsham rocked the outback and were shown what Aussie country hospitality really means. 52
The Winton Turf Club had one of its biggest ever days as 2,000 punters enjoyed a real country race meeting and stories, songs and beers were shared across a dozen concert venues. “Winton’s Way Out West Fest is more than just a music festival,” said Winton Mayor Gavin Baskett. “This event celebrated everything that’s great about life in the outback from our songs and poems like Waltzing Matilda, through to our iconic Winton Races, our friendly locals and of course our iconic pubs.” After it’s devastating destruction by fire in 2015, the newly rebuilt $23 million Waltzing Matilda Centre is again the pride of Western Queensland. The Centre is a landmark for Western Queensland celebrating the resilience of the local community as well as the spirit of what is our unofficial national anthem. The Winton Shire Council is currently looking at the viability of running Winton’s Way Out West Fest again in 2019.
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ABOUT THE WALTZING MATILDA CENTRE The Waltzing Matilda Centre is the first museum in the world dedicated to a song. ‘Waltzing Matilda’ was written by ‘Banjo’ Paterson whilst holidaying in Winton on Dagworth Station. Legend has it that this song was first performed in public at North Gregory Hotel. Opened in 1998 and becoming an icon of the area, the original centre was destroyed by fire in 2015. The brand new $23 million Waltzing Matilda Centre was designed by award winning Cox Architects. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
FESTIVALS
WINTON
Busby Marou
Banjo Paterson and John Williamson
Bush Balladeer Dean Perrett and A B Paterson College Choir at Bladensberg National Park
The massive crowd at the main stage years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
Crackups with Bush Balladeers Dean Perrett, Jeff Brown and Peter Pratt
Kip Moore
James Blundell
Lee Brice
Channel 7’s Cody and Luke with James Blundell C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
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FESTIVALS
DORRIGO
Jeff Scroggins and Colorado
John Flanagan Trio
Dosca
Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse
DORRIGO DOES IT BEST THE 17TH DORRIGO FOLK AND BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE FROM OCTOBER 26 TO 28.
O
rganisers are well on the way to finalising yet another wonderful weekend of acoustic music, concerts, workshops, jamming, dancing and more. It’s a family festival with something for everyone and participation from all ages is encouraged. The line-up includes Folk, Bluegrass and Old-Time artists from around Australia and overseas. The Old Time Music School takes place from October 24 and offers three days of learning and playing alongside award-winning old time musicians. This year, Bryant and 54
Brown will present old-time music traditions from North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia and other Southern states, reflecting their depth of experience. Also taking the stage is multi award-winning Bluegrass powerhouse Jeff Scroggins and Colorado. Now based in Nashville, they have perfected a blend of deep tradition whilst also trailblazing progressive influences. The line-up continues with
C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
South Australia’s premier Bluegrass band Bluegrass Junction which includes SA royalty Trev Warner, Nick Cawthorne, the Bridgeland brothers and Stephen Loss; mandolin players Mike Compton and John Reischman and Eli West; and from Scotland the energetic Dosca. Hear the suberb guitar skills of Guy Ghouse together with the Bulladong songbird, Australia’s Gina Williams, will leave you breathless. The talent is endless with Luke Plumb and The Circuit, Georgia State Line, Liam Gerner with Luke Moller, John Flanagan Trio, Rhodeworks (NZ), Willing Ponies, The String Contingent, Lucy Wise, The Knott Family Band, Cat and Clint, The Blueridge Broadcasters and Anna Smyrk who are all just a taste of what to expect. The full line-up is on the website as well as links to ticket sales for the festival and the Old Time School. The program is fabulous and there will be plenty of workshops and favourite Old Time Dance and Ceilidh. Find all the information you need at www.dorrigofolkbluegrass.com.au and plan a visit to Dorrigo in Springtime. years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
years of bringing you the music 1975â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018
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SOUNDADVICE BIGGER
SUGARLAND UNIVERSAL MUSIC AUSTRALIA
It’s been eight years since Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush graced us with an album under their duo, Sugarland. There’s been a tragic stage collapse in their past and they’ve both had stellar solo releases in this time, but some things are just meant to be together and so is the case here. They’re back better and Bigger. From the first notes of the first track and title track, Bigger, the vibe is upbeat and positive for this comeback album. I can’t pick a highlight from this album because there are simply no filler tracks to be found. Kristian sings more than their previous albums together, and they even have a cameo from Taylor Swift on Babe. They push the boundaries of country on Bigger, including rapping in On A Roll, but their country roots and accents leave no doubt this is definitely a country album. It’s one you must add to your contemporary country collection. UMA 3003479 BEC BELT
LIVIN’ THE DREAM
GAIL AND LINDSAY HAMMOND INDEPENDENT
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Gail and Lindsay Hammond’s latest album Livin’ The Dream. It’s a fine collection of songs and instrumentals showcasing the good old traditional style of Aussie Country. It has been well recorded; the sound is crisp and clear and bush ballad fans will love it. Lindsay’s guitar picking is right up with Barry Thornton, Lindsay Butler and Alisha Smith and perfect for the collection of songs that Gail and Lindsay have written or co-written. Good story songs, from the title track about taking their music on the road through Rivers Rise And Rivers Fall, The Hills Of Murrungowar, A Good Bush Ballad Song, The Little Bush Boy, Ghost’s Of Old Carnarvon and We’ve Seen The Best Of It Mate, the titles indicate what you can look forward to. Picking a favourite is hard but I particularly loved When The Cows Come Stringing Home, bringing back memories from my childhood. As a bonus, the great Peter Denahy features on three instrumentals and their daughter Paula sings Our Nan. INDIE GARRY COXHEAD
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IN THE MEANTIME
BRENDAN SMOOTHER INDEPENDENT
Most country music fans will know of Brendan through his successful radio singles and live shows, and now you can listen to his debut album, which even he admits was a long time coming. You will find four of his already well-played songs here – Stretcher Bearer, Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, Behind The Seen and his latest single Big Black Car – and they are but a small indication of the songwriting and musical talents you will discover with the rest of In The Meantime. Brendan has a good ear for the many sub-genres of country music and fully exploits that understanding here. There’s rocky blues with opener Gypsy Girl, the laid-back fiddle-driven Campfire Conversation, the very country A Schooner Too Much, the bluegrassy Love Street – and the only non-original, a beaut rework of Andy Durant’s The Last Of The Riverboats. His storytelling talents and voice draw you in and hold your attention for the duration and In The Meantime has well been worth the wait – just don’t make us wait so long for album number two, mate!
DEBBY CAMPBELL
GOD’S BEEN GOOD TO ME
THE WAY WE WERE
ADAM PRICE
INDEPENDENT Debby is Glen Campbell’s daughter and although this project was started in a small way before his death in August 2017, it came to fruition after his passing and you can hear the emotion in Debby’s voice as she sings these songs recorded or loved by her father. The best-known song is the opening By The Time I Get To Phoenix, and two of the songs that fans voted were their favourite Glen Campbell songs: Less Of Me and Today Is Mine. Debby said that Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine ‘is a generational song sung in the Campbell family’ and she carries on that tradition here. There’s a touching Leader Of The Band and the poignant Looks Like Rain – Debby said she practically lived it each time she visited her father in the Alzheimer’s home. The production is high quality, mixing some first class acoustic playing with strings in arrangements that Glen would have approved of. This is a heartfelt tribute to a genuinely talented man who entertained the world and left a mark that will live on for generations. Plateau Music/Inquiries: MBeaman@vegasexperience.com JON WOLFE
INDEPENDENT
God’s Been Good To Me is the fourth album in Adam’s musical journey. His previous albums, Paint You A Song (2011), I’m Me Again (2014) and Driftwood (2016) have all been mostly mainstream country, while this new offering sees Adam firmly put his feet into the Country Gospel / Christian Country Camp. The album features 15 well-crafted songs by a variety of composers including Derek Toomey, Tony True and Mitch Townley. Adam brings an authenticity to these songs. Through his vocal performance you can hear his strong belief in the power of the cross and Jesus’s message of hope. There are some lovely instrumental moments also on the CD. I really enjoyed the subtle use of the fiddle on The Island, and the gentle mandolin work on My Answer is the Cross. Overall, this is a reflective album with a wonderful message. INDIE PETER CHRISTIE
BS003/Checked Label Services JON WOLFE C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
SOUND ADVICE - album reviews are the reviewers’ own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the view of Capital News or the publisher. Sound Advice will accept unsolicited albums for consideration, but cannot guarantee published reviews. Sound Advice does not review singles. Send 2 CDs together with biography or media release to Capital News, PO Box 555, Tamworth NSW 2340 and email a jpg of the cover to c.byrnes@tamworth.nsw.gov.au AMOS
MICHAEL RAY ATLANTIC NASHVILLE
After his visit to Australia last year, fans have been anxiously awaiting Michael Ray’s second album and it’s here in the form of Amos, released on June 1. Named after his late grandfather, who has been a major life inspiration, the album takes listeners through heartbreak, love, and life – the makings of all good country albums. Amos is definitely one for lovers of new country with plenty of pop influences evident. Ray’s country roots, shine through and this work shows how much he’s grown as an artist since his first self-titled album. Highlights for me are Get To You and Her World Or Mine. The latter will take you right back to any heartbreak you’ve had and, although Ray didn’t pen any of the songs on Amos, his performance of this song leaves the listener in no doubt he’s felt every lyric in the track. UMA 2375109 BEC BELT
BLAKE O’CONNOR
BLAKE O’CONNOR INDEPENDENT
Port Macquarie singer-songwriter Blake O’Connor received a welcome bonus on his debut CD co-producer and tour benefactor Adam Eckersley. Windsor-born Blake wrote his first song at 14 for his stage entrée at a wedding and quit school in Year 11 to pursue his music. It was worth it. Blake has credible clout and vibrant vocals on his six originals here. Solo entrée Travellin’ Man segues into Blackwater - one of two tunes penned with Kevin Bennett. Blake may only be 17 but skates on jagged edges of a broken heart in Won’t Be Missing You and his second Bennett co-write on Six String, replete with John Stuart’s pedal steel. Hedonistic freedom anthem Life On The Road is followed by the passionate plea of Believe In Love penned with Adam whose slide guitar aids the cosmic climax driven by Daniel Biederman on piano and organ. Rachel Brady’s backing vocals sweeten the four tracks produced by Michael Lynch at Shoehorse Sound. A hard act to follow. INDEPENDENT BOC001 DAVID DAWSON
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
A CLOSER WALK
CONNIE KIS ANDERSEN INDEPENDENT
I have to admit, when I opened the package to find the latest recording by Connie Kis Andersen, I was a tad excited. To then see that it was a Gospel recording with some of my favourite gospel songs, I couldn’t wait to pop it into the CD player. Connie’s exquisite vocals coupled with some of Nashville’s finest instrumentalists and the world’s greatest gospel songs, you could not ask for more. What a Friend We Have In Jesus recorded as a duet with Doug Wayne is sublime, so heartfelt and honest. Connie has a beautifully pure vocal tone, and to this purity she adds just the right amount of vibrato, dynamic contrast and emotion. It is no wonder that she is a favourite of Joanne Cash-Yates (Gospel Music Hall of Fame and sister to Johnny Cash). This album is probably the most beautiful Gospel album I have heard in the past 12 months and I highly recommend it to everyone – not just Gospel fans. INDIE PETER CHRISTIE
WILD MOUNTAIN
MEGAN COOPER INDEPENDENT
With glorious sophomore album Wild Mountain, Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Megan Cooper confirms her skill and status in the intoxicating alchemy of songcraft. Debut album Ghosts, Choirs & Kings (2013) established Cooper as one of the most entrancing voices in Australian song, garnering a 4.5 star review from the Sydney Morning Herald and inviting the adulation of not only this magazine but many others. In recent years, Cooper has spearheaded the wildly popular Cake & Cordial Sessions, wowing crowds in Brisbane and Tamworth alike alongside peers including Paddy McHugh, Brad Butcher and Gretta Ziller. Wild Mountain, produced by Michael Muchow (Catherine Britt, Hillbilly Killers) is a considered, finely crafted album of breathtaking poise, drawing assuredly from the wellsprings of Americana, folk, classic country, and contemporary alt. country. The immensity of Cooper’s vocal powers lends the album a transcendent quality, while reassuring optimism and self-belief glint and gleam, gemlike, beneath the surface of the album’s songs of adversity and heartache. INDIE BRADLEY LUCAS
EMMYLOU HARRIS
THE BALLAD OF SALLY ROSE WARNER MUSIC
Septuagenarian singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris long ago proved why her music triumphed over so many peers. So it’s fitting her epic 1985 concept album has been re-released with 10 bonus demos dating back to 1983. The precious Colin Escott liner notes, a dying delicacy in the digital era, reveal tour manager Phil Kaufman gave her the alias Sally Rose in Rapid City, South Dakota. Phil, famed for stealing and cremating her touring partner Gram Parsons body in 1973 with his little Aussie mate Michael Martin, was subject of Johnny Knoxville 2003 movie Grand Theft Parsons. But he didn’t preside over Emmylou’s marital and recording nuptials with Paul Kennerley that gave us this 23-track gem that depicts a songstress’s love for a Sioux Indian and his tragic demise. The previously unreleased demos include Rhythm Guitar, Sweet Chariot, The Sweetheart Of The Rodeo and the title track. Definitely a timely treasure for fans of the thrice-wed 14-time Grammy winner who last toured here with Texan Rodney Crowell and Jedd Hughes in 2015 RHINO/8122793429 DAVID DAWSON
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COUNTRYCHARTS ARIA TOP 20 AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY ALBUMS Week Commencing 18 June 2018 TW
LW
TI
HP
TITLE
ARTIST
1 1 7 1 Graffiti U
KEITH URBAN
2 3 7 2 Campfire
KASEY CHAMBERS & THE FIRESIDE DISCIPLES
3 4 110 1 Ripcord
KEITH URBAN
4 6
1009 1
5 5
549 1
6 7 12 1 7 8 318 1 8 9 95 1 9 10 3 4 10 11 350 1 11 17 158 1 12 15 208 1 13 14 244 2 14 19 64 1 15 18 235 2 16 13 465 1 17 12 244 1 18 20 46 4 19 16 5 12 20 R/E 82 1
The Very Best Of Slim Dusty Greatest Hits: 18 Kids Country Heart The Story So Far His Favourite Collection Dawn Of The Dark Ultimate Hits Spirit Of The Anzacs Fuse A Hell Of A Career! The 25th Anniversary Album Anthems - A Celebration Of Australia Big Ones Greatest Hits The Great Country Songbook Hit Country Australia Brad Cox 60 Summers
CAP/EMI WAR CAP/EMI
SLIM DUSTY
EMI
KEITH URBAN
CAP/EMI
THE WOLFE BROTHERS
ABC/UMA
KEITH URBAN
CAP/EMI
JOHN WILLIAMSON
WAR
TORI FORSYTH
LHAU/UMA
LEE KERNAGHAN
ABC/UMA
LEE KERNAGHAN
ABC/UMA
KEITH URBAN
CAP/EMI
JOHN WILLIAMSON
WAR
LEE KERNAGHAN
ABC/UMA
JOHN WILLIAMSON
WAR
LEE KERNAGHAN
ABC/UMA
TROY CASSAR-DALEY & ADAM HARVEY VARIOUS
SME ABC/UMA
BRAD COX
TMW
GRAEME CONNORS
ABC/UMA
OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN AIRPLAY COUNTRY TOP 20 Week commencing 16 June, 2018. TW
LW
TI
HP
TITLE
ARTIST
LABEL
1 1 20 1 Parallel Line
KEITH URBAN
CAP/EMI
2 2 8 2 Babe
SUGARLAND FT. TAYLOR SWIFT
BIG/UMA
3 5 17 3 Ain’t Seen It Yet
THE WOLFE BROTHERS
4 3 18 2 Crawl Beg & Cry
BRAD BUTCHER
5 7 9 5 Like We Used To
THE MCCLYMONTS
6 4 15 2 Brake Lights
RACHAEL FAHIM
7 28 5 7 Cry Pretty
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
8 18 8 8 Red Dirt
CATHERINE BRITT & THE COLD COLD HEARTS
9 6 16 3 Most People Are Good
LUKE BRYAN
10 19 8 10 Milestones
ADAM BRAND
ABC/UMA IND UMA IND CAP/EMI UMA CAP/EMI ABC/UMA
11 8 13 7 Heaven
KANE BROWN
SME
12 34 16 12 You Make It Easy
JASON ALDEAN
SME
13 14 9 13 Neon Smoke
GORD BAMFORD
ABC/UMA
14 9 19 2 Heatwave
MISSY LANCASTER
15 10 19 10 Written In The Sand
OLD DOMINION
16 16 8 11 Me Without You
CAITLYN SHADBOLT FT. REECE MASTIN
17 12 11 10 Runaway Train
ANDREW SWIFT
SFR/UMA
18 11 3 11 High Horse
TRAVIS COLLINS
ABC/UMA
19 23 16 12 Dreamcatchers
MELANIE DYER
20 15 17 6 Loaded
CHRISTIE LAMB
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SME RCA/SME ABC/UMA
UMA ABC/UMA years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
COUNTRY TRACKS Week commencing 23 June 2018. This chart is published by Country Music Services and updated weekly at countrytrackschart.com.au POS LW
TI
HP
TRACK TITLE
ARTIST
1 1 13 1(3) Better Day
CARTER & CARTER
2 8 2 2(1) No Sad Songs
THE WOLFE BROTHERS
3 4 6 3(1) Red Head At Heart
MELISSA ROBERTSON
4 2 9 1(1) So Smooth
ADAM ECKERSLEY & BROOKE MCCLYMONT
5 3 6 3(3) A Girl Needs Her Daddy’s Love
EMMA JENE
6 10 3 6(1) High Horse
TRAVIS COLLINS
7 5 6 1(1) Beautiful Life
BECCI NETHERY
8 6 6 3(1) Old School
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
9 7 2 7(1) Fields Of Gold
LYN BOWTELL
10 15 12 1(1) Lake House
BRAD COX
11 25 6 11(1) Milestones
ADAM BRAND
12 36 17 1(2) Rollercoaster Ride
PHOEBE JAY
13 12 3 12(1) My Turn Now
DELLA HARRIS
14 9 7 5(1) Red Dirt
CATHERINE BRITT & THE COLD COLD HEARTS
15 17 5 15(1) Flesh ‘N’ Blood
SCOTT DOUGLAS
16 26 5 15(1) Feelin’s
DON ALLEN (FEAT. DEIDRE BENTLEY)
17 34 7 12(1) Coming Home
KEITH URBAN (FEAT. JULIA MICHAELS)
18 11 3 11(1) Starin’ Out The Back Of A Car
ANGUS GILL (FEAT. KEVIN BENNETT & AMOS MORRIS)
19 13 3 13(1) Under My Skin
KIRSTY LEE AKERS
20 28 3 20(1) I Can Almost Smell The Smoke
KRISTY COX
CMC TOP 50 W/c 23 June 2018. This chart is updated weekly at countrymusicchannel.com.au or tune into CMC. TW TITLE
ARTIST
1 Like We Used To
THE MCCLYMONTS
2 You Make It Easy
JASON ALDEAN
3 Red Dirt
LABEL
HAYLEY JENSEN SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS
27 Mr Jukebox
JOSHUA HEDLEY
CATHERINE BRITT &
28 My Voice
MELINDA SCHNEIDER
THE COLD COLD HEARTS LOST HIGHWAY
29 Me Without You
CAITLYN SHADBOLT
BRAD BUTCHER
5 Milestones
ADAM BRAND
6 Tequila
DAN+SHAY
7 Rich
MAREN MORRIS
SONY
8 One Number Away
LUKE COMBS
SONY
9 Woman, Amen
DIERKS BENTLEY
EMI
10 Cry Pretty
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
EMI
TRAVIS COLLINS
13 Even If You Were The One SHANE NICHOLSON 14 Neon Smoke 15 Coming Home
ABC WARNER
GORD BAMFORD
THIRD MAN
FEAT. REECE MASTIN
INDEPENDENT
BE MUSIC ABC
30 Get Along
KENNY CHESNEY BLUE CHAIR/WARNER
31 Hands On You
ASHLEY MONROE
32 Butterflies
KACEY MUSGRAVES
33 Criminal
LINDSAY ELL
34 Guilty
THE SHIRES
35 Up Down
MORGAN WALLEN FTG.
WARNER UMA
STONEY CREEK/BMG UMA
FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE BMLGR/BIG LOUD
ADAM ECKERSLEY & BROOKE MCCLYMONT
12 High Horse
LABEL
26 Saturday Night
UMA BROKEN BOW/SONY
4 Crawl, Beg & Cry
11 So Smooth
TW TITLE ARTIST
UMA ABC LOST HIGHWAY ABC
KEITH URBAN
36 Beach Mode
TROY KEMP
37 Dark Sunglasses
KRISTY JAMES CHECKED LABEL SERVICES
38 Drunk Girl
CHRIS JANSON
39 Goliath Is Dead
KASEY CHAMBERS
40 Run To Paradise
MUSTERED COURAGE
CHECKED LABEL SERVICES WARNER ESSENCE/WARNER INDEPENDENT
FTG. JULIA MICHAELS
EMI
41 I Was Jack (You Were Diane) JAKE OWEN
16 Most People Are Good
LUKE BRYAN
EMI
42 Heaven
KANE BROWN
17 I Hate Love Songs
KELSEA BALLERINI BLACK RIVER/SONY
43 Blue Tacoma
RUSSELL DICKERSON TRIPLE TIGERS/SONY
18 A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega ASHLEY MCBRYDE
WARNER
44 Babe
BIG LOUD SONY
SUGARLAND FTG. TAYLOR SWIFT
19 Hangin’ On
CHRIS YOUNG
SONY
20 Spitfire
JODY DIREEN
ABC
21 Under My Skin
KIRSTY LEE AKERS
22 Hide The Wine
CARLEY PEARCE
BIG MACHINE
47 Starin’ Out The Back Of A Car ANGUS GILL
23 Wildflower Bruises
HOMEGROWN
INDPENDENT
48 Loud
TICKE HICKS
24 Alright With Me
GRETTA ZILLER SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS
49 Lake House
BRAD COX
25 Karaoke & Corona
O’SHEA
50 Get To You
MICHAEL RAY
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
CHECKED
SONY
BIG MACHINE
45 A Little Pain
MARGO PRICE
46 Runaway Train
ANDREW SWIFT SOCIAL FAMILY RECORDS
THIRD MAN CHECKED ABC/OPEN ROAD TAMWORTH MUSIC WORKS
C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
WARNER 59
BUSH BALLADS
FUNDRAISING CONTINUES FOR
FRANK IFIELD’S BRONZE BUST BY PETER COAD OAM WWW.BUSHBALLADEERS.COM.AU
THERE ARE CURRENTLY NINE BRONZE BUSTS OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC LEGENDS INCLUDING TEX MORTON, CHAD MORGAN OAM, BUDDY WILLIAMS, SHIRLEY THOMS LINING THE AVENUE OF HONOUR IN BICENTENNIAL PARK, TAMWORTH.
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his achievement is due to the hard work and dedication of the Bronze Bust Committee, country music supporters, and the many artists giving their time at music fundraisers towards making the busts a reality. The legendary Frank Ifield is next on the Bronze Bust list, so this month I remind everyone to go support the fundraiser concert to be held on Saturday, July 14 at 10am at the Southgate Inn, Tamworth, as part of the ‘Hat’s Off To Country’ weekend in Tamworth. The event is presented by the Australian Bush
Frank Ifield
Balladeers Association and will be hosted by Lorraine Pfitzner OAM. There is a donation entry fee of $10 at the door with all monies raised going to Frank’s bust. Artists giving their time to support the concert are Lyn & Phil Manning, Greg Bain, Patti Morgan, Graeme Doubleday, Tom Manning, Kylie Adams-Collier, Tom Chesterfield, Big Al, and Lorraine Pfitzner.
BALLADS ON DVD A new venture the Australian Bush Balladeers Association undertook a couple of years ago, was the compilation of a DVD of bush ballad artists. The project was filmed live with Steve Newton at Enrec Studio, Tamworth and as all would understand such a project is very time consuming and exacting, but I am pleased to let everyone know that the DVD is getting close to completion. If all continues to come together as it has been, it is hoped the DVD will be available later this year and more information will be available then.
CUNNAMULLA POETS AND COUNTRY MUSIC MUSTER As traditional music festivals continue to grow in popularity it is pleasing to see there are more and more traditional bush ballad events taking place each year. Support for such events is very often drawn from the thousands of grey nomads travelling around Australia who choose to support their favourite artists by following the festival run. The Cunnamulla Poets and Country Music Muster is certainly another such event on the growing calendar of traditional style entertainment. It will be held at the Cunnamulla Showgrounds from July 10 to 15 with entertainment including, Jeff Brown, Rex Dallas, Chad Morgan, The Gunbarrel Highwaymen, Gary Fogarty, Alisha Smith, Caitlyn Jamieson, Keith Jamieson, Ray Essery, and Matt Manning.
ALBUM REVIEW TERRY BENNETTS – GUITAR PICKER Guitar Picker, is an all-instrumental album release from the very talented Western Australian guitarist Terry Bennetts. Terry has continued to enjoy much success with his original compositions with many of his writings recorded by other artists. This release features 12 tracks in all, four covers and eight of Terry’s originals. Seven of the tracks are duets, in which Terry has been joined by the talents of Ian Simpson on Dobro, banjo and acoustic guitar, Alisha Smith electric guitar, Lucky Oceans pedal steel, Ginger Cox electric guitar, and Peter Denahy fiddle. This album is just brimming with Australian talent, with excellent backing musicians and a great variety of songs and styles. Guitar Picker is a very enjoyable, entertaining listen, and it will travel in many CD player’s throughout Australia. 60
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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
D O W N M E M O RY L A N E
JONESY’S
BACK BY LORRAINE PFITZNER OAM
TALENTED ACTOR, SINGER-SONGWRITER GLENN JONES IS BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM TITLED EVERY DAY IS AUSTRALIA DAY.
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his is Glenn’s 14th studio album and of the 12 songs, he’s written six. Big Bill Jones, It’s A Dog’s Life, Every Day Is Australia Day and for me the stand-out tracks are I Guess I’ll Miss The Horses and One Eye One Barra. The last track, The Tractor, is a monologue, something Jonesy excels at. He seems to be able to select or write years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
some good stories such as this one which shows his sense of humour. There are two tracks written by Lloyd Jansen; one about Russell Coster, Stan Coster’s son titled Buffalo; and the other is The
Church Of Latter Day Bush Balladeers, both great songs. Other great offerings include Geoff Sidebottom’s Not So Much Has Changed, Rick Ford’s The Mores The Pity, Ian Quinn’s You Must All Go To Crakow and Jim Kiley’s A Great Deal More Than Mine. All the songs suit Jonesy’s vocals and the traditional style of country backing makes this great listening. Lindsay Waddington produced and played on this album, and some of Australia’s top musos also appear including Lawrie Minson, Michel Rose, and Hugh Curtis. Glenn plays rhythm guitar and sings some harmonies along with Terry Gordon, Reg Poole and Tyson Coleman all on vocal backing. This album contains a variety of stories in song, bush ballad style. It’s surprising that Glenn, who grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs, would love the bush ballad music as he does. However, Glenn’s dad once worked as a bushman and told him bedtime stories about his life in the bush. As he grew, Glenn’s love of the bush and its stories became part of his life. Early in his teens he started to show his musical talents by learning guitar and singing bush ballads preparing him for a future career in country music, not knowing where that road would lead him. Glenn became a popular country act in his home in and around Sydney singing in the pubs and at barbecues. He recorded his first single for Emertone Records in 1984 with the songs The Public Bar Room Ringer backed with Walking The Kings Highway. After hearing about and listening to this young man, Eric Watson recorded Glenn’s first album The Bush Never Leaves Me Alone on Selection Records and released it in 1986. He recorded several more with Selection but these days he records with Lindsay at Kross Kut Records. His previous album with KKR was Brumbies Run. Glenn has travelled around many parts of Australia with his bush ballad style of music and continues to make appearances at country music festivals. Since 2006, he has enjoyed performing the lead role at the Australian Outback Spectacular which is currently playing 4 nights a week on the Gold Coast, Qld. Glenn was inducted into Tamworth’s Hands Of Fame in 1995.
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W RITING GRE AT SONGS
ORIGINALITY BY A L L A N CA S W E L L
I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT ORIGINALITY IN SONGWRITING COMES, NOT FROM SAYING SOMETHING THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SAID BEFORE BUT MORE SAYING SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SAY EVERY DAY OF THEIR LIVES … AND FINDING AN INTERESTING WAY OF SAYING IT.
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ightweight little “me too” song ideas may get on a record or limp onto radio but rarely live long as songs. I have decided to devote this column to some of the little flaws that will drag down the originality of your song.
RHYME
There are some shockers that regularly find their way into songs rhyming brain with insane, change with rearrange or drink with think have been done to death. Unless you can find a clever way of doing it, avoid using these aural clichés. Sometimes rhyming girl with world is unavoidable … curl and unfurl rarely cut it. If you get stuck, always look at changing the line you are rhyming with rather than taking the easy, safe and BORING option … and learn to love the half rhyme … if it sounds right … it is.
TITLES Yes, I know … you can’t copyright a title but, when you know that a title has been used before, why would you use it? A title is just a cool way of expressing the central idea of your song. If that idea is strong, it deserves for you to put in the extra effort to come up with the killer title. When someone plays me a song and I ask them what the song is called, and they say, “I haven’t decided yet”, it tells me that they haven’t thought it through. The song should always tell you what it’s called. Paul Simon’s 59th
Street Bridge Song mentions neither the street nor the bridge (the hook is “feeling groovy”) and Bob Dylan’s Rainy Day Women, mentions neither rain nor women. My argument is that when you are a Dylan or a Simon you can get away with it … until then you’d best stick to finding a great title and hanging the song off it.
BUZZWORDS A lot of songwriters feel that, if an idea works once, it will work again. You tend to get a rash of summer songs every year to cash in on … well summer. Fine … write about summer but try to avoid the template of tailgates, beer, and hot looking girls in tank tops and Daisy Dukes. Whoa Whoa doesn’t qualify as any kind of lyric. In a heated moment in a songwriting session I once said, “Let’s just write the song … we can put the ‘whoa whoas’
in later.” In an effort to appeal to your own generation, don’t fall for the trick of using all the “in” words. These phrases go in and out of fashion and can either date your song or confuse people who come from a different era.
LET’S WRITE A SONG LIKE … Rewriting the last month’s hit song and passing the copy-cat version off as your own is not only dishonest but severely unoriginal. Part of the rationale behind doing this, is the forlorn hope that this will somehow appeal to the “Industry”. The thing is that no one ever made it by being a second-rate version of someone else … you make it by being a really good version of yourself. Production, although not part of the songwriting process, can reinforce the sound alike nature of a record and make you sound unoriginal.
YOUR DUTY AS A SONGWRITER… A song doesn’t necessarily need to be the truth but it needs to sound real. Your duty as a songwriter is to touch people. To do this, you need to tell your story in a way that appeals to the listener and in a way that is not tied down with lines that scream … “We’ve heard all this before”. Don’t be obscure but don’t be obvious … a lyric should always sound like a conversation between the writer and the listener … but never the same conversation you had last week. See you next month … maybe. If you have questions regarding participating or hosting upcoming songwriting workshops, my “one on one” private songwriting coaching service (based in the Blue Mountains), my book or my “how to” DVD contact me on 0419 218 988 or at allan@ allancaswell.com
ALLAN CASWELL SONGWRITING SCHOOL For information about future workshops: 0419 218 988, allan@allancaswell.com
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years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
COMINGEVENTS JULY 2018 2-8 Yellowbelly CMF | St George Showground | Qld | Featuring Jeff Brown, Johnny Greenwood, Bec Hance, Pete Wilson, Matt Manning, Ray Essery, Kylie Castle, Jammo, Alisha Smith, Gary Fogarty, Tony McKenna, Michael Clare, Dianne Lindsay and Peter Simpson | Thursday night dance | Facilities include showers, toilets, power first in best dressed, walk-ups, food, hospital close by, motels, shops, van parks | Contact Keith Jamieson M: 0427 731 088 10-12 Big Red Bash | Birdsville | Simpson Desert | Qld | Featuring Adam Brand, Busby Marou, Russell Morris, Travis Collins, The Wolfe Brothers, Amber Lawrence | W: bigredbash.com 12-15 Toyota Hats Off To Country | Tamworth | NSW | T: 0407 10 69 66 | E: info@hatsofftocountry.com | W: hatsofftocountry.com | CMAA Junior Academy, DAG Retreat, ABBA Fundraiser, TSA All Day concerts, CCMA Tribute Concert and many venues 12-15 Bello Winter Music Festival | Bellingen | NSW | W: bellowintermusic.com 10-15 Cunnamulla Poets and CM Muster | Featuring Chad Morgan, Gunbarrel Highwaymen, Gary Fogarty, Reg Poole OAM, Terry Gordon OAM, Owen Blundell, Brian Letton, Matt Manning, Alisha Smith, Caitlyn Jamieson, Ray Essery, Jammo and more | Facilities include all weather venue, food | Contact Keith Jamieson | M: 0427 731 088 or M: 0439 130 617 or Walkups M: 0419 577 650 13&14 21st Annual SCCMA CM Festival & Awards | Dapto LC | Dapto | NSW | Talent Quest Awards & Showcase | Entry closes June 29 | T: 02 4272 1029 | sccma.com.au | Club: T: 02 4261 1333 | Club: W: daptoleagues.com.au 27-29 Hughenden CMF | Diggers Entertainment Centre | Hughenden | Qld | Contact Cecily Paul | M: 0428 411 258 | E: cecilypaul@bigpond. com | hughendencountrymusic.com 27-29 Groundwater CMF | Broadbeach Alliance Ltd | Gold Coast | T: 07 5656 0100 | W: goundwatercmf.com AUGUST 2018 3-5 Country Rocks Under The Stars | Mona Farm | Kings Highway | Braidwood | NSW | W: countryrocks.com.au 3-5 Lockington CMF | Lockington Community Hall | Vic | Big River Entertainment | T: 0408 597 307 | E: rozandcraig@bigpond.com | w: lockingtoncmf.com | Tickets: W: ticketebo.com.au/lockingtoncmf | Plenty of seating. Great dance floor. Snacks and meals available. A first class line up of entertainers all weekend including Craig Giles, Callum Gleeson, Annette & Kim, Kinta, Grant Luhrs, Johnny Shilo, Justuss Duo, Rikki, Country Horizon, Rupe Adams, Kerran Keats and others. 9-12 60th Mt Isa Rodeo | E: isarodeo@gmail.com | W: isarodeo.com.au 9-19 Sydney Guitar Festival | Various venues various artists | W: sydneyguitarfestival.com.au 11&12 Central Coast CMF | Contact Events Officer: Amelia Taylor | T: 02 4350 5130 | W: theentrance.org.au/whats-on/events 15-19 Gulf Country Frontier Days Festival | Gregory Downs | Qld | Alec & Amy Doomadgee | W: thegulfcountryfrontierdaysfestival.com.au 23-26 Gympie Music Muster | T: 07 5482 2099 | Ticket Inquiries/Sales 1300 438 849 | E: info@muster.com.au | W: muster.com.au 24-26 The Drover’s Camp | Camooweal | T: 07 4748 2022 | W: droverscamp.com.au 28-Sept 2 Phil & Chris Coad’s Traditional Aussie Muster | Wyper Park | Bundaberg | Qld | T: 0458 728 464 or 0419 603 371 | Facebook: philandchriscoadscountrymuster 31-Sept 2 7th Maleny Music Festival | Maleny Showgrounds | Qld | W: malenymusicfestival.com SEPTEMBER 2018 28 Aug-Sept 2 Phil & Chris Coad’s Traditional Aussie Muster | Wyper Park | Bundaberg | Qld | T: 0458 728 464 or 0419 603 371 | Facebook: philandchriscoadscountrymuster 31-Sept 2 7th Maleny Music Festival | Maleny Showgrounds | Qld | W: malenymusicfestival.com 6-9 Annual Heritage Country Muster | Nanango Show Grounds |Qld | Traditional Country Music | Contact Sandra Shearn M: 0429 631 273 | E: nanangocountrymuster2@yahoo.com.au | Facebook and Web Nanango Show Society 8-9 Broxburn Music Club’s Annual CMF & TQ | Broxburn Community Grounds | Cnr Pittsworth & Felton Road | Pittsworth | Qld | E: inquirybroxburn@gmail.com 14-16 Neurum Creek Music Festival | Neurum Creek Bush Retreat | E: info@neurumcreekfestival.com | W: neurumcreekfestival.com 14-16 Bony Mountain Music Festival | Warwick | Qld | Contact: Norma O’Hara Murphy | T: 0488 673 778 or 0490 415 699 | W: bonymountainfolkfestival.com CANCELLED The 2018 Howard Music Festival will not go ahead due to unsuccessful financial support 14-16 Clifton/Goomburra CM Stampede | Clifton Showground | Qld | E: maggiestokes29@gmail.com | Facebook.com/groups/goomburra 15 Brisbane Racing Club’s Country Music Raceday | Hampden Street | Ascot | Qld | T: 07 3268 2171 | E: sales@brc.com.au | Gates Open 10:30am | Functions Open 11:30am | brc.com.au/country28-29 Deni Ute Muster | Deniliquin Festival Site | Conargo Road | Deniliquin | NSW | E: info@deniutemuster.com.au | W: deniutemuster.com.au 22-23 The Pioneer Valley CMF | Facebook.com/pioneervalleycmf 28-Oct 7 32nd Mildura CMF | Contact: John Arnold | milduracountrymusic.com.au | 1800 039 043 years of bringing you the music 1975–2018
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C O U N T RY M U S I C C A P I TA L N E W S J U LY 2 0 1 8
years of bringing you the music 1975–2018