Explore every episode of the podcast Sunburnt Country Music
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justine Eltakchi on her magical, moving debut album, Big Dream Baby | 23 Apr 2026 | 00:32:10 | |
The music of Sydney-based singer-songwriter Justine Eltakchi came to my attention because she released a country music single, ‘If I Could’, with Timothy James Bowen. She isn’t a country artist per se – in that it’s not one of the genres she has mostly written in, for artists such as Casey Donovan and Abby Christo. But truly Eltakchi could create songs in pretty much every genre and be great at it, because it becomes clear from the first time you listen to her debut album, Big Dream Baby, that she is an artist with not only exceptional songwriting skills but a voice to match. And, beyond that, the willingness to show us her heart and bring us her stories as a way of fostering connection. There’s a bravery in that, in an artist showing us – rather than telling us – that her ambitions are as big as her talent. Because it is a big ambition – a big dream, of course – to want to connect with others, on any level. There’s no guarantee they’ll accept what you’re offering, or accept it in the spirit in which it’s offered. They may not understand. They may reject you. That risk creates a vulnerability for the artist, and it’s also there in Eltakchi’s songs – in both lyrics and vocal delivery. What’s most there, though, is a love of life in the details and the big themes. The title song has already been released as a single, as has ‘Daughters and Sons’, which Eltakchi recorded with Donovan, ‘Petals’ and ‘Six Weeks of Summer’. There’s a lot more to explore on this album, and you will want to listen to it over and over, for its musical and lyrical richness. In speaking to Eltakchi about it, it became clear that the richness has developed over many years, from a robust musical upbringing, and from not only that open heart but open mindedness. There are many genres on this album because she has chosen the style of music that is best for the song, and given herself the freedom to do that – or, probably more likely, taken it, because being eclectic is not often the path travelled when artists have pressure to sound a certain way. I loved talking to Eltakchi about her background and her work as a songwriter for others and creator of songs for herself. I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting her too. And if you’re in Sydney she’s launching Big Dream Baby at Lazybones Lounge in Marrickville on 30 April, with special guests appearing in her set. Big Dream Baby is available now. You can find it on Bandcamp. For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Melanie Dyer on new single ‘Golden Girl’ and life in Nashville | 20 Apr 2026 | 00:30:26 | |
Melanie Dyer is one of Australia’s most-streamed country music artists, and she’s also been nominated for three Golden Guitars and three APRA AMCOS Most Performed Country Work awards. Currently resident in Nashville, Tennessee, Melanie has released a new single, the heartfelt ‘Golden Girl’. Dyer has long been an in-demand co-writer – you can find a playlist of songs she’s co-written on Spotify, and the list of artists who have recorded one of her songs includes Amber Lawrence, James Johnston and Hayley Jensen. She has the skill of writing melodies that are memorable but not obvious, and lyrics that are accessible and which can also go places you don’t expect. This is also true of songs she writes to record and release herself. The latest of these is ‘Golden Girl’, which was inspired by her parents’ love story in their – and her – home town of Inverell in New South Wales. Her mother worked at the Golden Fleece truck stop – hence the title of the song; the music video – which was filmed by Dyer’s partner, Jackson James – features that truck stop and an old Holden car with a story, which Dyer reveals in this new interview. 'Golden Girl' was produced by Grady Saxman. ‘It’s really written by my parents and their love story,’ says Dyer. ‘Bringing that to life in Nashville was a really cool way to have that hybrid of where I'm at in my life between Australia and Nashville.’ The song was recorded as part of a full album tracked in a single day in Nashville, with all musicians live in the room simultaneously – a first for Dyer, and an experience she describes with barely contained disbelief. The album is due to roll out soon, with Dyer carefully selecting singles to give each song its own moment. Dyer and James moved to Nashville about a year ago and have flourished since, with Dyer recently performing at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and playing and writing regularly in Nashville. There’s a solid community of Australians living there too – plus Dyer had been visiting for a decade before she moved. It’s stood her in good stead as she settles in. While she’s there for the long haul, we’re lucky to still have her songs being released here – she’s a valuable part of Australia’s country music community too, regardless of where she lives. ‘Golden Girl’ is out now. Listen to ‘Golden Girl’ on Apple Music Listen to ‘Golden Girl’ on Spotify Watch the video for ‘Golden Girl’ on YouTube For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Savanah Solomon finds her ‘Someday Somewhere’ | 04 Apr 2026 | 00:30:56 | |
Savanah Solomon is a singer-songwriter from Western Australia who has released the singles 'Magnolia' and 'I Don't Know You Anymore', as well as the 2023 EP Where the River Meets the Sea. Her latest single is 'Someday Somewhere', and it is a warm, hopeful song with more than a few great lines in it. The song was written a couple of years ago, during a period of involuntary limbo. Solomon had just found out she'd secured a fly-in fly-out job, but the start date was months away. With no income, no momentum and a lot of waiting, she turned to pen and paper. What emerged was something close to a personal mantra – a song about sensitivity as a strength, about humour as a survival tool, and about trusting that good things come to those who keep showing up. One line in particular lands with the elegance of something that sounds obvious only after someone else has said it: Worry is a waste of the imagination. 'Someday Somewhere' was produced by Josh Dyson at Villa Studios in Western Australia; Dyson also plays bass in Solomon's live band and contributes much of the instrumentation on her recordings. The video, directed by Emma Smart, was filmed near Solomon's home and features Solomon riding her father's red lawnmower down golden roadside fields, dressed in a blue op-shop jacket that she'd bought two years earlier with no specific plan, just a feeling it would come in handy. It is, as intended, an exercise in pure joy. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/xizjqiA020o?si=2mkWASRCYi5BocA- Since releasing 'Magnolia' last year, Solomon has expanded her reach considerably, supporting Kingswood in Albany, playing Melbourne's Newport Folk Festival (to which she's returning in June), and completing a run of shows in Esperance and Nannup. An album is on the horizon – a blues and folk-leaning collection focused on storytelling – though Solomon is letting it develop at its own pace. More singles are in progress in the meantime.
‘Someday Somewhere’ is out now. Listen to Savanah Solomon on Apple Music Listen to Savanah Solomon on Spotify Listen to Savanah Solomon on YouTube For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Scarlet’s Way show their hand with ‘House of Cards’ | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:42:01 | |
Perth duo Scarlet’s Way – whose members are Katey Gabel (vocals) and Shayne Savic (guitar) – are one of the busiest acts in music, not just in their home town but, as I found out during our recent interview, on the high seas too! Not to mention at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, where they spent several days this year performing as well as cementing connections made at previous festivals. Their travel came in handy for their latest EP, Scarlet’s Way 3, as they wrote the songs while driving across the Nullarbor Plain. The EP was then recorded at their home studio. You’ll only hear those songs, though, if you buy a physical copy of the EP – and that’s a decision we discuss in this chat. Just as I was wrapping up the interview – or thought I was – I spotted a word on Gabel’s T-shirt that intrigued me. It turned out the slogan on the top was ‘I run on insulin and Diet Coke’. Figuring she wouldn’t have that on a T-shirt unless she was, in all likelihood, a diabetic, I asked her about it, and this led to Gabel talking about how she has managed her type 1 diabetes over her time as a performer. I’ve interviewed Scarlet’s Way before but we’ve never spoken about that, and it adds an important dimension to the band’s story. So in case you need an incentive to watch/listen to the end … I very much hope you stick around for that story! Listen to Scarlet’s Way on Apple Music
Listen to Scarlet’s Way on Spotify Sunburnt Country Music: For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Turning pain into melody: Chloe Swannell's unexpected journey behind new single 'Loves' a Lil' Bit | 28 Apr 2025 | 00:34:58 | |
When I saw on the Instagram page of Central West NSW artist Chloe Swannell that she was playing a bass – something that I hadn’t noticed her playing before – I decided to ask her about it when we had an interview for her latest single, ‘Loves’ a Lil’ Bit’. There was no way to know the story that would unfold about what led to her learning that instrument in what has to be record time, nor the other stories that would come from asking her about it. In short: Swannell has had – and continues to have – a life full of rural danger (in this case, a serious hand injury caused by a horse) that is also rich in both creating and teaching music. She learnt the bass quickly because she had to; her ability to do so arose from the fact that she’s a seriously accomplished musician. Swannell’s passion for music is evident in the music she’s released, including her latest single, ‘Loves’ a Lil’ Bit’, which is about the different ways to love. ‘We all sat there,’ says Swannell about writing with her producer Tarquin Halls-Corbett, ‘and we went around the room and we wrote down what we loved. And for me it's my favourite farm boots. It's watching a man in a suit come down the aisle, waiting for his bride on a wedding day. For Tarquin, it's hanging around the campfire with me and [band mate] Izzy. ‘So we wrote all these things down and we just worked them into the song. And that's what it's about. It's just about what we love. And we hope that you can find what you love in that as well.’ You’ll find out more about Swannell’s music – including her teaching of it – in the chat, and also find out more about her fascinating life. She is clearly not a woman who is deterred by difficulties, driven as she is by her love for music and, fundamentally, making the most of each day. Listen to Chloe Swannell on Apple Music Listen to Chloe Swannell on Spotify Sunburnt Country Music: For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Soul-stirring stories: Ruby Shay's powerhouse voice brings personal tales to life on Hitch a Ride | 24 Apr 2025 | 00:47:02 | |
Ruby Shay is an artist from the Central Coast of New South Wales who was impressive out of the gate when she released her debut single, ‘Sinner’, in late 2023. Since then she’s kept impressing, and her new album Hitch a Ride is a moving collection of songs about life and how we forge our way through it. I first interviewed Shay at the time of the release of ‘Sinner’ and she was so interesting to talk to. Her singing voice is a great embodiment of her personality: rich, layered, direct, uncompromising in the ways that matter. When she sings, you feel that you are really seeing her through song – she is not hiding anything. And, also, she has lived through so much that has brought her to have this voice that commands attention. That voice is married with the array of stories on Hitch a Ride, which were written either by her or by her bandmate in The Red Horse, Shaun Wilson. In our recent interview, Shay talks about how she and Wilson came to choose which songs would be included on the album, and how the songs he wrote seem so much like they would be songs of hers. This is a conversation with an artist who is technically emerging yet feels emerged – even established, because she knows herself so well that she has arrived in this first album as a complete artist who is at the beginning of what she can share with the world. What you will see and hear in the interview is what’s on the album: a woman with a life that has yielded stories of good and bad times, of shifting sands and learning to stand firm. She’s such a fascinating artist and I so look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. Listen to Hitch a Ride on Apple Music Listen to Hitch a Ride on Spotify Sunburnt Country Music: For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Rory Phillips on his Anzac Day single ‘Dear Mum and Dad’ | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:39:05 | |
Rory Phillips is still in his teens and has been playing on festival stages since he was seven. He is a graduate of the CMAA Academy of Country Music and has also been an intern there. He plays with the Bushwackers, he’s been in Sara Storer’s band, and that’s really the tip of the iceberg of his achievements, which include releasing the singles ‘The Truth’ and ‘Because Boys’. He now has a new single, ‘Dear Mum and Dad’. ‘Dear Mum and Dad’ was written at the CMAA Academy of Country Music in Tamworth, as a collaboration with student Andrew Scharf, who had the original idea, mentor Jayne Denham, and Alan Caswell. It was produced by Bushwacker co-founder Roger Corbett at The Valley Studio, and features the voice of fellow Bushwacker Dobe Newton OAM, co-writer of the anthem ‘I Am Australian’ (which last year was released in a Youth Collaboration version, featuring Rory’s vocals). It’s a song about war and sacrifice, released in time for Anzac Day 2025.
Rory is one of the busiest humans around – of any age – yet he found time to film a music video for the song and we talk about the making of it, including the uniform he wears in it. We also speak about his work at the Academy, as well as touring with Sara Storer, and how he’s fitting in his musical life around uni studies. He’s been passionate about music since he was very young, and if anything that passion has only grown as he’s developed more skills and had more experience. He may be young but his sense of service to music is inspirational.
Listen to Rory Phillips on Apple Music Listen to Rory Phillips on Spotify Watch the video for ‘Dear Mum and Dad’ on YouTube Sunburnt Country Music: For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Vixens of Fall on their spirited new single | 18 Apr 2025 | 00:47:28 | |
Vixens of Fall are a sister trio from south-east Queensland who released their debut album, Magick in the Chaos, in 2023. While their sibling harmonies are undeniably a big part of their appeal, the Vixens - Nina, Wren and LuLu – also have great, heart-tugging songs that convey their story and what they hold dear (‘The Long Game’, ‘Crooked Crown’), and others that are hugely entertaining while also offering a story. They’re also gathering a large following, often through festival performances. At the time we spoke for this interview, they had not long returned from the massive CMC Rocks festival in Queensland, so of course I asked them about it – and about several upcoming appearances, including how they prepare for festivals. The Vixens are a close unit, and that closeness is part of their strength in the studio and on stage. They understand how to work together as siblings, and the push and pull that come with that. So it’s perhaps no surprise that they formed a bond with The Buckleys, another sibling band, which led to the writing of ‘Sinkin’ Spirits’, the latest song from Vixens of Fall. We talked about how they met The Buckleys and came to work with them, and the story behind the song. It was an absolute pleasure to talk to these vivacious sisters again – our first interview in a while. It’s a long chat because there was a long to chat about! But they will entertain you, just as they do with their music. Listen to Vixens of Fall on Apple Music Listen to Vixens of Fall on Spotify Sunburnt Country Music: For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Tom Nethersole takes us on a country-pop trip to Ardmona Rd | 13 Apr 2025 | 00:32:27 | |
When interviewing an artist for the first time, I have no expectations about how things will go. I have my questions prepared, and that means that there will be some sort of conversation, even if it’s brief. While it’s possible – usually likely – to have a sense of how the interview may go within a couple of minutes, I always leave room for it to change and for the conversation to open up. So there was room there for Melbourne artist Tom Nethersole to range when I interviewed him for the first time recently. And range he – we – did. Nethersole was an absolute pleasure to talk to – open, thoughtful, gracious and with so many interesting things to say about life and music, including his mental health advocacy and how he has become increasingly vulnerable with his songwriting. The reason I haven’t interviewed Nethersole before is because he hasn’t released anything in the country music genre before. A pop artist, he has performed at festivals such as Midsumma’s Pride Street Party, Rockhampton River Festival and Always Live. He’s also the creator of his own music videos, and has collaborated with fashion brands such as House of Campbell, Silk Laundry, Van Heusen, and Mimco. Nethersole’s new single, ‘Ardmona Rd’, was, it turns out, not meant to be a country-pop single. He went into the studio with the makings of it and its country sound evolved during the recording. As Nethersole grew up in the country, outside of Shepparton in Victoria, that seems appropriate. ‘Ardmona Rd’ is gloriously heartfelt and uplifting – a love song that is about the grandest of romantic gestures: showing the loved one the places and people that are most meaningful to you. In the case of this song, that is taking them home to Ardmona Road. Nethersole says that the song is 'deeply personal but also relatable, especially for queer listeners who are searching for that fairytale moment we don’t always see reflected in music.’ We talk about that, and a lot more, and I hope you enjoy meeting Tom Nethersole as much as I did. Listen to ‘Ardmona Rd’ on Apple Music Listen to ‘Ardmona Rd’ on Spotify Sunburnt Country Music: For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Every track has a tale: Linc Phelps reveals the heart of Faith & Sweat | 07 Apr 2025 | 00:37:23 | |
**Contains the track 'Country Singer' from Faith & Sweat** Linc Phelps hails from the country music centre of Gympie in Queensland and he has just released his debut album, Faith & Sweat, which has already produced four chart-topping singles. The album has been a long time coming for Phelps, who has practised what he preaches in the album’s title by putting in a lot of sweat over the years to develop his music to the point where he’s ready to release this album, keeping faith in his craft all the while. As he says, ‘There is so much in this life that's worth aspiring to and worth chasing.’ The album was produced by fellow Queenslander Gavin Carfoot, who co-wrote some of the tracks, and in fact the album was an all-Queensland affair, as it was mixed by Gold Coast resident Jared Adlam. It contains collaborations with The Wolfe Brothers on ‘Sing a Little Louder’ and Melody Moko on ‘Dear Mind’. Faith & Sweat is a set of origin stories for Phelps, although there are still more left unrecorded and unreleased. Perhaps the most impactful story on the album is the one he wrote in memory of his daughter Denver Grace – the last track on the album, ‘Green Valley’. In this interview we talk about ‘Green Valley’ as well as other songs on the album, and about Phelps’s rich life in music, which encompasses not only recording and performing but working with emerging artists at Song Muster and elsewhere. That faith and sweat has culminated in an album that is both meaningful and entertaining, a reward for the listener who wants a deeper layer of story to connect with while also tapping their toes in time to the music. Listen to Faith & Sweat on Apple Music Listen to Faith & Sweat on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham discuss their uplifting new single ‘Joy Roller’ | 01 Apr 2025 | 00:31:55 | |
Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham won three Golden Guitar Awards for their most recent album, Birdsong, but that is far from the extent of their award winning, as at last count I believe they have a bajillion – the technical term – between them for their separate endeavours. They have been touring constantly over the past couple of years and they have a brand new song, ‘Joy Roller’. Joy is what Urquhart and Cunningham bring to people, so this seems fitting. Having seen them play live several times, it is certainly what they offer to audiences, mainly because it’s what they embody on stage. Urquhart has had a flourishing solo career, and two albums with Kevin Bennett and Lyn Bowtell as Bennett Bowtell & Urquhart, and Cunningham is a member of beloved trio The Waifs. So they were experts before they ever united in music and in life to create something that is different to their other endeavours, because they have allowed it to take its own shape. From their first album, The Song Club, there has never been a sense that they have forced anything to do with this joint enterprise. Which doesn’t mean it’s so easy that it comes without work. It’s work they are both prepared to do, though, which is why they can create new music at a stiff pace while also touring and raising two children (who have their own musical enterprise, The Meadows). ‘Joy Roller’ is the first single from the album Urquhart and Cunningham are working on – not yet fully recorded – and once more sounds like they are riding creative currents together. They really are the best kind of musical treat: accomplished, self-aware, big-hearted and able to create melodically lovely, lyrically inspiring songs. Let’s hope they keep this kind of joy rolling for as long as possible. See Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham live: Monday 28th April – _QLD Music Trails: Ballads & Bush Yarns – _Cunnamulla, QLD Saturday 12th - Sunday 13th July – _Mullum Roots Festival – _Mullumbimby, NSW Listen to ‘Joy Roller’ on Apple Music Listen to ‘Joy Roller’ on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| New releases 23 March 2025 | 23 Mar 2025 | 00:21:40 | |
**NB: I called the Vixens of Fall single ‘Sinkin’ Ships’ instead of ‘Sinkin’ Spirits’ but I’d already tried to record the episode so many times that I ran out of time to do it again! Songs covered - audio included: Brad Cox – ‘I’m a Boxer’ The Buckleys - 'See Your Folks Again' Vixens of Fall - 'Sinkin' Spirits' Roger Knox - 'Prison Wall' Mentions: McCusker Gill - 'Holy Rose Hotel' Olivia Foy - 'Cruise Control' Listen to all the March new releases on the Sunburnt Country Music Spotify playlist. Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Deep Dive: Nathan Lamont | 21 Mar 2025 | 02:09:09 | |
A few weeks ago I interviewed Nathan Lamont, a three-time Star Maker Grand Finalist from Wagga Wagga, NSW whose popularity is growing both on streaming and as a performer, about his latest country-pop release, ‘Bigger Things’. I’ve interviewed Nathan a few times and it’s always been a great pleasure to talk to him – plus each time it seemed to be longer than the time before! Fluid conversation is never a given, but he’s always made it easy to interview him, hence why the chats get longer. However, there tend to be limits to what can be discussed in an interview tied to a release – we focus on the music, with good reason, even when the artist has an extraordinary story to tell. I knew Nathan did have such a story and after that ‘Bigger Things’ interview we discussed doing a much longer interview in which he could go into detail. It wasn’t necessarily an easy decision – at the start of this new interview he says he feels vulnerable even though he wants to talk – but in sharing his story he hopes to help others who may have had similar experiences. While this chat isn’t about a specific release, it relates to music in that every artist is partly forged by their experiences, and from my perspective great artists let that happen. They don’t stand in the way of being themselves. They may hesitate at times, and wonder if they should really show everyone else who they are, but ultimately they do show us. The singing voice in particular tells us a lot. We can hear when the singer wants to truly connect, and that connection has to come from a deep place, and I heard that from the start in Nathan’s songs. March the 22nd is Nathan’s birthday, as he told me during the interview, and I wanted to post the interview in time for it to honour the work he has done to even be in the world, let alone becoming someone who strives to create joyful experiences for others. We spoke for over two hours and every minute of that is worth your time to find out more about him. And the name of this mini series of interviews – if there turn out to be more – was one that he suggested: ‘Deep Dive’. So, I hope you find the first Deep Dive interview to be as compelling as I did, and I thank Nathan for showing up with his history and his whole heart, and for having the courage to do so. Listen to Nathan Lamont on Apple Music Listen to Nathan Lamont on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Rising star Camille Trail writes us a ‘Postcard’ | 31 Mar 2026 | 00:24:31 | |
Camille Trail released her debut album River of Sins in 2021 and the EP Magic Trick in 2024. She is known for her thoughtful, articulate and often unflinching lyrics, delivered in a warm, distinctive voice. Her new single 'Postcard' marks a deliberate shift in direction while still being distinctively her. After a big 2024 that included a UK tour and appearances at Folk Alliance in the United States, Trail spent last year recharging and writing. Personal changes fed into creative ones, and she found herself drawn toward something different – brighter, more energetic, more fun. ‘I love writing my vulnerable, sad songs,’ she says in this new interview, ‘but most of my songs are sad and vulnerable, and it was exhausting. Every night I just wanted to have fun, dance on stage.’ Her latest single, 'Postcard', was written and recorded with producer Garrett Kato across three days in the studio, emerging on the final day when Trail arrived with a verse idea she'd developed the night before. It's not a country tune – but I’m never that strict about such things, especially when I’ve covered an artist before for their country music and I’m interested in whatever they do next. Instead of being country, ‘Postcard’ is an upbeat, indie-pop flavoured track with the characteristic Camille Trail sleight of hand: there’s a melody that makes you want to move, then you notice that the lyrics are doing something more searching. ‘I'm scared to be alone’ sits in the middle of what sounds, on first listen, like a carefree summer song. ‘I'm such a sucker for juxtaposition,’ says Trail. ‘That's the whole metaphor of life.’ Trail grew up on a farm in Queensland and still keeps cattle – an arrangement that has, on more than one occasion, served as emergency music funding (as she says: ‘I’ll sell a cow’). That grounding in the physical world informs how she writes: melodies come first, words follow in something close to stream of consciousness, often arriving most freely in the car. Two further songs recorded with Kato are due for release later this year, both in the same fresh, forward-facing direction as 'Postcard'. ‘Postcard’ is out now. Listen to Camille Trail on Apple Music Listen to Camille Trail on Spotify Listen to Camille Trail on YouTube For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Adele Oliver on Home and Heartbreak | 18 Mar 2025 | 00:27:28 | |
I’ve spoken to Broome, WA artist Adele Oliver about her singles ‘Wiley Blue’ and ‘Angel’ and each time found her thoughtful and interesting and offering a unique perspective on making music. This was no different with our latest chat, for her EP To Home & Heartbreak, which collects previous releases and contains the new single ‘Home Tonight’. Oliver is currently away from home, touring Western Australia, and when I spoke to her she was about to play the Nannup Music Festival, and she was in the local library – which seemed appropriate, given the richness of stories in her songs. We spoke about her trip to the Tamworth Country Music Festival – always a big commitment for a WA artist – and about the town of Fitzroy Crossing, where she was living when she wrote ‘Home Tonight’, as well as her decision to go on the road for several months. If you’d like to see Adele Oliver live, she’s in the Perth area next week, with other dates to follow: Mar 27 Kidogo House, Fremantle WA Mar 30 The Moon, Perth WA Apr 4 Settler’s House, York WA Apr 5 Wessy on the Green, Westonia WA April 12 Carnarvon Hotel, Carnarvon WA Apr 13 Whalebone brewing, Exmouth WA Apr 28 Northwest Brewing, Karratha WA May 2 Divers Tavern, Broome WA Listen to Adele Oliver on Apple Music Listen to Adele Oliver on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| KEZRA on her first country single ‘Another Life’ | 15 Mar 2025 | 00:33:08 | |
Melbourne artist KEZRA has established a career in indie pop that has seen her releasing the EP Fortress in 2023 and singles leading up to that, which all had airplay on triple j and community radio. She’s appeared in Atwood Magazine (USA), Backseat Mafia (UK/AUS), Pilerats, Music Feeds, The Music, The AU Review, Forte Mag, Eat This Music and AAA Backstage, and her music videos have also seen support from MTV Upload. KEZRA’s pop releases revealed her facility for writing great hooks as well as her fantastic voice – and now she’s taken those talents into country music, with the release of the single ‘Another Life’ (which comes with a big earworm warning). The song is about meeting someone you connect with but aren’t destined to be with, and while that set-up has hints of sadness baked in, the song is ultimately uplifting. It was a pleasure to chat to KEZRA about the song, and much more, including her musical background, and to find out what drew her towards country music for this release. I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting KEZRA via this interview, if you weren’t aware of her before, and let’s hope it’s not her last foray into this genre. Mind you, I haven’t been able to stop listening to ‘Another Life’ so it’s entirely possibly I’ll still be listening to it when she releases her next song … Listen to ‘Another Life’ on Apple Music Listen to ‘Another Life’ on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Up-and-coming artist Hayden Phillis on his new single ‘Lies’ | 13 Mar 2025 | 00:29:44 | |
**LIsten to 'Lies' after the interview** My first encounter with emerging Sydney artist Hayden Phillis was at the Junior Academy of Country Music in Tamworth, NSW, in July 2023. I was invited to talk to the students about interview skills and asked if I would interview a student, or students, on the spot. Hayden was the only student who volunteered! And he was great at it. It turned out that was his first interview, ever – because he told me so when I interviewed him again this year after the release of his second single, ‘Lies’. ‘Lies’was the result of Hayden workshopping ideas with mentor Kevin Welch, and it was co-written with Michelle Cashman. As he told me, ‘I really love being able to find new people who I don't know or I haven't co-written with before and learn a bit more about them and their music.’ Hayden has returned to Academy twice since 2023, including this year for his first stint at Senior Academy, so we talked about the impact Academy has had on his life, as well as about ‘Lies’ and other things he’s been up to. He’s a talented and committed musician and singer-songwriter who has not wasted any time releasing original music – his first single, ‘Broken Angel’, was released last year – despite being not long out of school. As he says in the interview, ‘I do like to try and throw myself into things like that and put my best foot forward and try and learn what I can.’ Hayden is certainly an artist to watch – someone with a completely open mind about creative projects, curious as to what’s possible and very much enjoying every moment of it. As he says, ‘I find you get special moments within each of the little things... when different projects you're working on or different performances you're doing really come together.’ Listen to Hayden Phillis on Apple Music Listen to Hayden Phillis on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Tori Darke and Jay Santilli get into Trouble | 10 Mar 2025 | 00:37:22 | |
Tori Darke and Jay Santilli have their own, distinct careers in country music - Santilli with her moving, emotional songs that saw her become a 2024 Star Maker Grand Finalist, and Darke with her high-energy country pop that has seen her make an impression on The Voice and elsewhere. They now have a song together, ‘Trouble’, and it’s one that makes the most of their respective vocal talents and offers a party song with substance. Recently I spoke with them about how their friendship developed and how they turned it into a songwriting then recording collaboration. It’s clear that they have great respect for each other, which is no doubt one of the reasons why their first release together is so strong. We also talked about them working with producers MSquared and how that experience pushed them both as artists, in a good way. We also chatted about the music video for ‘Trouble’, which not only looks like fun but, as it turns out, was fun to make too. Darke is on tour with her The Voice co-star Brad Butcher (dates below) and Santilli also has some shows coming up – including one in Rome! Tori Darke tour dates Friday 28th March - Old Bundy Tavern – Bundaberg, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher) Saturday 29th March - Junction Cafe – Toondoon, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher) Sunday 30th March - Great Western hotel – Rockhampton, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher) Friday 4th April - Metropolitan Hotel – Mackay, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher) Saturday 5th April - Mansfield Hotel – Townsville, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher) Thursday 10th April - The Brass Monkey – Cronulla, NSW (w/ Brad Butcher) Friday 11th April - Django Bar – Marrickville, NSW (w/ Brad Butcher) Saturday 12th April - The Beer Shed – Leumeah, NSW (w/ Brad Butcher) Sunday 13th April - The Royal Hotel Queanbeyan – Queanbeyan, NSW (w/ Brad Butcher) Saturday 28th June - Country Fest – Bloomsbury, QLD Saturday 23rd August - Gympie Music Muster - Amamoor State Forest, QLD Jay Santilli tour dates Friday 4th April – Melbourne Muster (Pre-Muster) – Scoresby, VIC Saturday 10th May – Country Gals Festival – Shepparton, VIC Sunday 15th June – Sweat & Dust Country Festival – Rome, Italy Listen to ‘Trouble’ on Apple Music Listen to ‘Trouble’ on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| New releases 7 March 2025 | 07 Mar 2025 | 00:40:03 | |
These are all the songs mentioned in the podcast with a link to YouTube to listen to the song/watch the video. For the full show notes, go to the Sunburnt Country Music website. Chloe Marks & The Mayhem – ‘Carolina’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p98dAX3c67I Ben Mastwyk – ‘All the Songs I Wrote’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69cdGS7mo7c Abbie Ferris – ‘Don’t Cha Dare!’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX9-wzSW4i4 Max Jackson – ‘Grass’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPXk7Swy_I0 Dear Tommie – ‘A Man, Written by a Woman’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLwG9kr-CPw Minor Gold – ‘Way to the Sun’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuVoTQXI4d4 Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham – ‘Joy Roller’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT6AXfCaor4 KEZRA – ‘Another Life’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1LbpPUWaEY Cassidy-Rae – ‘You Make Me’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtw_YS1BLEc For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Clancy Pye talks about Days Like This | 06 Mar 2025 | 00:36:54 | |
**Listen to the end to hear the song 'Days Like This'** The first time I interviewed Central West NSW artist Clancy Pye we covered her extensive musical background, which began in childhood and involved playing in a family band – The Party Pyes (still one of the best band names ever!) – and gigging throughout her teenage years. It’s safe to say that Pye has been living and breathing music most of her life, and it shows in the songs she has released so far, including the hit ‘Heaven Can’t Wait’. That song has great emotional resonance, and it’s clear Pye is not afraid of tough topics, as evidenced by her latest single, ‘Days Like This’, which was sparked by realising that there are children going to their first day of school who may be missing a parent. Delving further into Pye’s life and experiences, we talked about her work as a physiotherapist, and it’s clear that it’s had a big influence on how she sees the world and how much sensitivity she has towards other people and what they’re going through. This enables her to be able to take a big topic such as the one she addresses in this song and have the skills necessary to find an elegant way to write about it when there are only so many verses and a chorus in which to contain her story and message. ‘Days Like This’ will get you from the first verse, so be ready. It also comes with a powerful music video, which you can see here. Listen to ‘Days Like This’ by Clancy Pye on Apple Music Listen to ‘Days Like This’ by Clancy Pye on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Gracie Jean on new EP Having & Longing | 03 Mar 2025 | 00:25:03 | |
When I first interviewed Sydney folk/alt-country artist Gracie Jean, it was in 2022 and she had released her debut album, Romance is Bad. Since then she’s had momentous changes in her life, including the death of her mother. Grief and how one survives it – and survives the what-ifs that come with it – is the bedrock of Gracie’s new EP, Having & Longing. As she is upfront about that – and I take my cues from the artists in terms of what they’re prepared to discuss – it seemed like the most appropriate place to start our conversation about the EP. So we do. There is no preamble to it, just to let you know. The substance of this EP is there in its title. Sometimes it seems that longing is out of fashion – that we should be striving and attaining instead. Longing suggests limbo – yearning for something that may never materialise. Grief is a form of longing, and so is wanting a life that takes a certain shape, and Gracie addresses that too. This is an EP for those who are not afraid to open up the veins of life and see what’s coursing there, aware that it might be dark and murky but they want to know anyway. There is so much sweetness on it too. It’s impossible not to be moved by an artist who wants so much that is going to be always out of reach, and also wants things which may yet transpire and she’s putting them on the record, literally. I appreciate Gracie Jean’s honesty in this interview and hope you find as much substance in it as I did, as a way of providing context for Having & Longing. Listen to Gracie Jean on Apple Music Listen to Gracie Jean on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Nathan Lamont moves on to Bigger Things | 24 Feb 2025 | 00:44:17 | |
Nathan Lamont is from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales and since 2023 he has been releasing unforgettable country-pop songs, starting with ‘Drink You Up’. His latest single is ‘Bigger Things’, on which he worked with producers Msquared for the first tie. Its release comes after his first headline show at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. That show was the culmination of years of having a dream about doing that very thing, and we talk about the significance of it to him. Lamont has been performing live since childhood, and was twice a Toyota Star Maker Grand Finalist before taking a break from music. Over the past couple of years he became a Grand Finalist once more, and established new songwriting and producing collaborations that have led to the creation of consistently great songs. That sort of artistry does not come from a void, which is why it’s always so interesting to talk to artists about their backgrounds, and each time Lamont and I speak there is more to talk about, as it becomes increasingly clear that the music he’s making now is the result of the years of work he put in before it, starting with his involvement in his local country music club in the Riverina, facilitated by his stepmother Milly. This conversation is a long one, but aren’t long podcast episodes the thing these days? Lamont has some shows coming up, including A Night in Nashville in Orange, which is now sold out, and a return to the Karijini Experience in Western Australia, which will be a very different affair (details below). He’s also looking ahead to what’s possible this year, and if the trajectory continues the year will, at the very least, bring more fantastic songs. See Nathan Lamont live March 1st – Country Music Night - Glenorie RSL – Glenorie, NSW March 15th – A Night In Nashville – Orange Showgrounds - Orange, NSW April 11th – 12th – Karijini Experience – Karijini National Park - Karijini, WA April 29th – The Beer Shed – Campbelltown, NSW (w/ Alex Mather) Listen to Nathan Lamont on Apple Music Listen to Nathan Lamont on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Aleyce Simmonds on things she's learned | 23 Feb 2025 | 00:37:27 | |
**Listen to the end to hear the single 'Things I've Learned' Aleyce Simmonds was the first Australian artist I interviewed when I started what became Sunburnt Country Music in late 2011. Back then it was called Jolene The Country Music Blog because I didn’t know what else to call it and I also thought no one would read it anyway, so the name didn’t matter. The blog became a regular thing for me after I was very ill in July 2011 – and if you want to hear that story you can listen to the latest episode of Tori Forsyth’s podcast In the Thick of It, as I talk about it there. I’d done a fair bit of interviewing by that time, of musicians in Canada when I lived there, and of a variety of people at the Seven Network when I worked there. That didn’t mean I was great at it, so Aleyce got a very early version of Interviewer Me. And it was also Interviewer Me in a vulnerable state, as I was still recovering. Writing about Australian country music, doing those interviews, would become a way to not only come back to myself but leap ahead. I’m sharing this story as a way of introducing this interview with Aleyce about her latest single, ‘Things I’ve Learned’, because in our interview Aleyce shares her story of being gravely unwell while pregnant with her daughter, Georgia. So unwell that she wrote the song for Georgia in case she wasn’t around any more to tell it. Aleyce was so brave telling this story. What she has to say is not only the story behind the song but the story of what it takes to survive something you aren’t sure you’ll survive, then to emerge and create art that offers great meaning to others. It goes without saying that the artist who made this song is not the same one I interviewed fourteen years ago – of course she’s not. But she’s also not the artist she was two years ago. She has not only been forged in the greatest fire of her life but forged herself and emerged a warrior with armour that is made not of steel but of dreams and hopes and determination. All that is there to hear in the song, and in this interview too. Aleyce also has some very interesting things to say about the changes in the music industry since she released her single ‘Mighty, Mighty Love’ twenty years ago, as well as pursuing her career while managing serious health conditions. A lot of ground is covered, and Aleyce was so generous with her insights. This is the story of what it means to persist – to insist, actually, on having an artistic life, a creative life, amidst enormous challenges. As she says, ‘This music life is so much more than getting out there and singing songs. It's about making people feel … We put whatever is going on in our lives behind us, and get out there and be brave.’ I thank her so much for sharing her story with me, and with you. Listen to Aleyce Simmonds on Apple Music Listen to Aleyce Simmonds on Spotify Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| New releases 22 February 2025 | 21 Feb 2025 | 00:43:34 | |
Below you'll find links to the videos for songs mentioned in this podcast. For the cumulative February New Releases playlist - which contains these songs and more - go to Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uoiJET1DCVyTnVVE5pKKn?si=b0fa79e66f9d4724 Nathan Lamont – ‘Bigger Things’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6uCIi84t7A The Wolfe Brothers & Lee Kernaghan – ‘Country Is Coming to Town’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc1nowUJejs Amy Sheppard – ‘Mr Mistake’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2c0QfgUCz0 Denvah – Valentine’s Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBFW_hyBx3U Genevieve Chadwick – ‘Wildfire’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUfBWd-f6Sg Michael Carpenter – ‘If Tomorrow Was Today’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et5ZDS9EVUc Shara Rose – ‘All I Want’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRgVx7siIy0 Tori Darke & Jay Santilli - 'Trouble' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ga8brJIgfk Clancy Pye - 'Days Like This' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJgHUgTvHis Sons of Atticus - 'Tennessee Tipsy' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbJe0Wxv8Cw For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Dylan Wright on a Golden start to the year and ‘Those Nights’ | 30 Mar 2026 | 00:26:15 | |
Dylan Wright has two musical identities that most fans will know about – as a solo artist and as one half of Golden Guitar-winning duo Sons of Atticus – and, as it turns out, a third. But more on that in a moment ... Wright’s new solo single is 'Those Nights', and he has announced an extensive Songs & Stories tour running through New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT from the start of May. The Golden Guitar, won at this year's Tamworth Country Music Festival for the track ‘Born to Roam’ with Sons of Atticus bandmate Matt Joyce, was for Bluegrass Recording of the Year. It came after seven years of the duo writing and performing together across the breadth of country's traditions. ‘We write music however we feel,’ Wright says. ‘Whatever's coming.’ And a new bluegrass recording is already in the works, as Wright tells me in this new interview. He also talks about his third musical identity: as a member of breathe., an electronic project with over 100 million streams and 850,000 monthly listeners, which recently sold out its first live shows in Turkey and toured Europe. Wright has been part of that project for a decade. ‘It's my darker, moodier self,’ he says. Wright’s latest solo single, 'Those Nights', was written in December 2023 and initially shelved when he won Australian Idol in 2024, one of around fifty songs he’s written that have been waiting for the right moment. It's a warm, nostalgic late-summer single and Wright’s vocal, as ever, lures us in and keeps us there. His talent and adaptability as singer means that there’s always something new to find in his songs, and ‘Those Nights’ offers another aspect to musicality. ‘Those Nights’ kicks off the release of between twenty and thirty songs that the prolific northern New South Wales artist has planned for release across all of his projects this year. Everything, he says, is mapped out twelve to eighteen months in advance. In amongst those releases is the Songs & Stories tour, which will see Wright performing entirely alone – just him and a guitar – for the first time. He’ll be playing songs spanning his whole career, from busking days to the present, with the stories behind them. Venues include the Brass Monkey in Cronulla, where he first played at sixteen, the Stag and Hunter in Newcastle, Brunswick Picture House in Brunswick Heads, and Odessa at Levers in Victoria. As ever, it was a pleasure to talk to Wright – he’s always thoughtful and interesting, an artist with a sense of the bigger picture who is also interested in the details. ‘Those Nights’ is out now through Sony Music Australia. Listen to Dylan Wright on Apple Music Listen to Dylan Wright on Spotify Listen to Dylan Wright on YouTube For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Lyn Bowtell and her bittersweet 'Paper Cut' | 19 Feb 2025 | 00:43:46 | |
**Listen to the end to hear the single 'Paper Cut'** There really aren’t enough superlatives to describe Lyn Bowtell as a singer, songwriter, performing artist, teacher, mentor and human. Anyone who has seen her perform live never forgets the experience of hearing her sing for the first time and every time. Nor do they forget how funny she is! Bowtell creates an experience for her audiences and everyone leaves her shows uplifted and entertained. Her recorded music also has that effect, as she moves from heartbreaking songs like ‘The Willow Tree’ on her 2014 album Heart of Sorrow to the I-know-better-now take on life in ‘I Won’t Do That Again’ from her 2022 Golden Guitar-winning album Wiser. Both of those albums were produced by the esteemed Shane Nicholson, but for her latest single, ‘Paper Cut’, Bowtell has stepped behind the desk to take on the role of producing, alongside her partner Damon Morton. ‘Paper Cut’ has Bowtell’s trademark ability to capture poignancy in song. She is an observer of the strengths and frailties of being human, and able to document them not only through lyrics but in her vocal delivery. There is always a sense that Bowtell is acutely aware that life has challenges - and she’s there to make them better by sharing her artistry. She does that too through her role as Director of the Academy of Country Music in Tamworth, where she has shepherded Junior and Senior Academy students through some of the most formative times of their lives. It is always an honour to interview Bowtell, who I refer to as a national treasure because I mean it. How lucky we are to have her in our backyard, to be proximate to such excellence. How lucky was I to be able to chat to her about music and life and songwriting and producing, and many other things in this interview. I hope you enjoy it. Listen to ‘Paper Cut’ by Lyn Bowtell on Apple Music Listen to ‘Paper Cut’ by Lyn Bowtell on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Pete Denahy is Travellin' Still | 17 Feb 2025 | 00:52:36 | |
Pete Denahy is an artist with many facets. Some know him mostly for his comedic songs, such as ‘Sort of Dunno Nothin’ and ‘Looking at My Phone’, which I tend to think of as succinct, lyrically elegant takes on communication and social interaction (or lack thereof) because they’re so well done that they seem like they could have been easy for him to write. Denahy also writes non-comedic songs and he’s just as good at those. And he is known as a preeminent fiddle player – he’s won three of his five Golden Guitars with the fiddle – and as an MC of events such as Star Maker at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. He has five albums, and a new single, ‘Photos on Your Phone’. He was also, for several years, a member of Slim Dusty’s band. As a thirteen-year-old he saw Slim play; twelve years later he was in the band, and although Slim is gone now the band plays on. Travellin’ Still is the name of the show that Slim’s band members have put together and successfully taken on the road in two states, and it now travels to Queensland [dates below]. This was the first opportunity I’ve had to interview Denahy and the chat is a long one – he’s an interesting fella! We cover his career from the time he decided at a young age that he wanted to be a country singer to his latest single and the tour he’s about to embark on. Just as entertaining in an interview as on stage, I hope you enjoy listening to or watching this. TRAVELLIN’ STILL dates: Wednesday, 26 February - Brothers Sports Club, Bundaberg Thursday, 27 February - Kingaroy Town Hall Friday, 28 February - Majestic Theatre, Pomona Saturday, 1 March - Old Museum Theatre, Brisbane Listen to Pete Denahy on Apple Music Listen to Pete Denahy on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Faith Williams: Queen of Hearts, and of debut EP releases | 10 Feb 2025 | 00:29:43 | |
**Listen to the end to hear 'Dear August' from the EP Queen of Hearts** When I first heard Queen of Hearts, the debut EP from Central Coast, NSW singer-songwriter Faith Williams, I wondered why I hadn’t heard of her before. It was because not a single had been released before the EP, so at least I hadn’t missed anything – but it was such a surprise to listen to the first, and title, track and hear this voice in it: vulnerable and also strong, and singing stories that seemed like they may be about her, or maybe not, and that mystery was part of the intrigue. The EP was produced by Brandon Dodd at The Rabbit Hole, also on the Central Coast, and when I interviewed Williams recently we talked about how she came to work with Dodd, and have both Kasey and Bill Chambers appear on the EP. Mostly we talk about those stories that have made it onto these songs, including the one in the last track, which was finished during recording. Williams is a tremendous talent, with hopefully many songs in front of her. And she’s already received an accolade, in the form of a CCMA New Songwriter of the Year award, presented during this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival, which was Williams’s first as a performer. It should be the first of many awards, and festivals, for this emerging artist who sounds like she has emerged fully formed. Listen to Queen of Hearts on Apple Music Listen to Queen of Hearts on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Andrew Swift has found Nothing Better | 08 Feb 2025 | 00:36:43 | |
**Listen to the end to hear the single 'Nothing Better'** Victorian artist Andrew Swift won his first two Golden Guitars for his first album, Call Out for the Cavalry, and his most recent was in 2023 for Male Artist of the Year. Cavalry was the first of his three albums to go to number 1 on the ARIA charts. Swift’s new single, ‘Nothing Better’, follows on from ‘Fumes and Fireworks’, which he released last year with Amber Lawrence, along with ‘This Is Us Here’ and ‘Hot Damn (It’s Been a Minute)’. It was written at the APRA Melbourne - Nashville SongHubs sessions in Nashville, Tennessee, and was the creation of Swift, Lindsay Rimes and Tyler James Bellinger. During our recent chat Swift talked about the rather intensive process of those SongHubs sessions and how ‘Nothing Better’ was the last song he wrote there. It is an expression of gratitude for life as he’s living it now, with his partner Simone and new baby on the way. Simone makes an appearance in the music video for the song, which was created by Jeremy Minett of Eyes and Ears Creative. ‘Nothing Better’ was produced by Matt Fell, with whom Swift has worked on all three of his albums. He mentions that he has about half an album recorded with Fell, and will be working to find time to record the rest, amongst the arrival of the baby and his current five-state tour (dates below). Swift loves playing live and his tour schedule attests to that love of the road – and he’ll also be appearing at two festivals in August, on Norfolk Island and at Gympie. Tour dates: Sunday 23rd February - TumbaFest, Tumbarumba NSW Friday 28th February - Altar Bar, Hobart TAS Saturday 1st March - Little Sisters General Store, TAS Sunday 2nd March - Wilder, Gowrie Park TAS Friday 21st March - Commercial Hotel, South Morang VIC Saturday 22nd March - RegFest, Horsham VIC Friday 4th April - The Duke of George, Fremantle WA Saturday 5th April - Gatsby’s Skyline, Manjimup WA Saturday 12th April - Arcobar, Heatherton VIC Tuesday 29th April – Oodies Café, Bundaberg QLD Wednesday 30th April - Oodies Cafe, Bundaberg QLD – SOLD OUT Thursday 1st May - Oodies Cafe, Bundaberg QLD – SOLD OUT 3-10th August - Tunes In The Tropics, Norfolk Island 28-31st August - Gympie Music Muster, Gympie QLD
**Tickets on sale now and available via www.andrewswift.com.au/tour Listen to Andrew Swift on Apple Music Listen to Andrew Swift on Spotify Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| New releases 5 February 2025 | 05 Feb 2025 | 00:32:04 | |
Well, my intention to release episodes of this 'new releases podcast' on a weekly basis went out the window immediately. So at least I'm setting low expectations! And I did come back for another episode. These are the singles released since the last episode that I reckon are worthy of closer attention - and you can listen to the songs within the episode. Faith Williams – ‘Queen of Hearts’ [NB explicit content - one word] Tom Curtain – ‘Just Give it a Crack’ Katelann Maree – ‘Australia My Home’ Jen Mize – ‘Neon & Nothin’ Else’ Andrew Swift – ‘Nothing Better’ Rachael Fahim – ‘Good Luck’ Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Seasons of Andrea Robertson | 02 Feb 2025 | 00:45:35 | |
Andrea Robertson is a singer-songwriter from the Geelong area in Victoria who released her latest album, Seasons, in 2024. She is also the founder of Americana on the Bellarine, a one-day festival which will be held on the Bellarine Peninsula, near Geelong, on 22 February this year. We had a wide-ranging chat about her development as an artist, which started when Robertson was very young, influenced by the musical environment she grew up in. ‘I've just always loved singing,’ she says. ‘As a kid I was the youngest of three girls and music was very much a part of our house.’ Seasons was originally planned as a four-volume release, although it was affected by the pandemic, during which Robertson’s songwriting suffered. ‘I think I wrote a lot of music,’ she says, ‘but just lyrically I'd really dried up so it sort of just started filtering in again.’ After she started writing again, what emerged was a full-bodied work that is about life and love in all their complexities. Something else that suffered during the pandemic was Americana on the Bellarine – the inaugural festival was due to take place in 2020. Now that it’s well underway, it has developed a reputation for bringing the finest Americana artists to the Geelong area. This year it’s headlined by Matt Joe Gow & The Dead Leaves, and features Robertson and her band, Jasmin Adria and Mojo Corner. ‘I wanted to keep it small. I didn't want it to grow too big. I felt like just keeping it as a nice, intimate, micro festival.’ The festival takes place at the Potato Shed in Drysdale. Tickets are available here. The interview is a long one but that’s because Robertson has such a rich musical life that there was a lot to talk about. Her dedication to music, to performance, to the musical community, is impressive and inspiring. And if you’re in Victoria on 22 February, you can see it in person. Listen to Andrea Robertson on Apple Music Listen to Andrea Robertson on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| James Johnston on new single 'Hell Boy' and Tamworth show | 22 Jan 2025 | 00:13:52 | |
From the first interview I did with James Johnston, a little over three years ago, it was clear he had put in the time to learn his craft as a songwriter and a performer, writing dozens of songs before even recording one, and playing at any venue that would have him even if he was just playing to bar staff. It took years, and his patience meant that when he started releasing songs he knew who he was, what the songs were about, and who they were for. As a live performer he is the same, embodying confidence without arrogance, engaging wholeheartedly with the audience, giving them songs that mean something and are also entertaining. This was most starkly clear when I saw him play support for Kip Moore in Sydney yesterday at a large venue, the ICC, where it seemed like everyone knew the words to Johnston's songs and he looked like he was having the time of his life on stage. All of that experience and that thought – and thoughtfulness – turns up in Johnston’s recorded songs. His debut album, RAISED LIKE THAT, was a full-spectrum offering of stories, and while some songs were serious they were all entertaining. Entertainment is at the core of who he is as an artist but it simply would not be effective without that intention and thought behind it. Which brings us to his new single, ‘HELL BOY’, released today, 23 January 2025, which is a song to his sons and about embracing life. It is released just after Johnston has travelled on foot from Armidale to Tamworth to raise money for Ronald McDonald House, Tamworth and ahead of his show at Tamworth Town Hall. Johnston and I spoke about all of that and it was, as ever, great to catch up with him. If you miss James Johnston in Tamworth you can see him on the following dates: APRIL 5: MELBOURNE MUSTER, Caribbean Park VIC MAY 3: QLD MUSIC TRAILS - OUTBACK SOUNDS, Charleville QLD JUNE 27: COUNTRY FEST, Bloomsbury QLD Listen to James Johnston on Apple Music Listen to James Johnston on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| New releases 19 January 2025 | 19 Jan 2025 | 00:31:24 | |
Songs mentioned in this episode – with links to listen/watch Lyn Bowtell – ‘Paper Cut’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YLu7Naws1E Kasey Chambers ft Shane Nicholson – ‘The Divorce Song’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cafdtL4Sa88 Jenny Mitchell – ‘Square & Plain’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls-0mQyVOeE
Aleyce Simmonds – ‘Things I’ve Learned’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LccnUJp_2Xw
Wade Forster with Max Jackson – ‘Denim’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JilD6V32_kA
Piper Rodrigues – ‘Heartbrakes’ https://open.spotify.com/track/0r3cJRKEc3UzXujwNk2MBt?si=902cf4fad1de4e94 Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website [No YouTube link available] For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Kunins on their enchanting new album Waiting for Lily | 05 Jan 2025 | 00:33:33 | |
**Stay tuned to the end to listen to 'Birdwatcher' from Waiting fror Lily** There’s something to be said for family harmonies. Anyone who has heard Fanny Lumsden sing live (or recorded) with her brother Tom, or who is rapt in the voices of The McClymonts, or a fan of The Buckleys, will appreciate that there’s a particular magic when family members sing together. Ken Kunin is an American musical artist who moved to Australia several years ago; he has several albums behind him as a solo artist and with the band Davis Waits, and now he makes music with his daughter Lily Maia as The Kunins. While the musical acts mentioned above all feature siblings, The Kunins’ album Waiting for Lily proves that parent-child harmonies can be just as enchanting. Waiting for Lily is their second album – and actually the second released in 2024. The first was self-titled and was, says Ken, a process of defining what our sound actually is.’ The decision to focus on a more acoustic arrangement came from their live performances, which emphasised simplicity and connection. ‘The first album was so multi-layered with genres; we realised that an acoustic setup really conveyed what we wanted in a song,’ Ken adds. Lily Maia echoes this sentiment, noting, ‘When you listen to the music, it feels like you’re in the room. You’re just a part of the music that’s being created.’ The Power of Live Performance Live performance is the key for both Kunins, and performing isn’t merely about showcasing their talents; it’s about genuine connection with the audience. ‘Music is meant to be shared,’ as Lily Maia states. Ken adds, ‘Playing live is definitely an important part of what we do … It’s fun to show what you’ve been working on with the people around you.’ Together, they create a space where listeners can engage with the music authentically. Ken explains, ‘I like the idea of renting out halls where you control the bill. It’s about creating the culture we want to bring without the distractions of a bar or a venue.’ Writing and Collaborating as a Duo In their creative process, Ken and Lily Maia often write songs individually, before merging their ideas during arrangements. ‘Sometimes we disagree,’ Ken admits, ‘but we often seem to come to the same conclusion.’ Their aligned music tastes help to guide their decision-making. While still young, Lily Maia has been writing songs for several years, and likes to push boundaries with each song. ‘When I was about 14 or 15, I started writing songs that were actually decent,’ she shares. Since then, her craft has evolved significantly, reflecting both her individuality and her shared experiences with her father. Upcoming Projects Releasing two albums in 2024 did not tire out The Kunins – to the contrary, they have plans for more projects. ‘We’ve been throwing around ideas for electric records and possibly Nashville,’ Ken says. Meanwhile they will continue doing what they love best: performing live together, at shows in their home town of Brisbane. Listen to Waiting for Lily on Apple Music Listen to Waiting for Lily on Spotify For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PepperCreek Revival on their debut album and long musical histories | 22 Dec 2024 | 00:36:39 | |
What happens when you combine the talents and experience of 2022 Blues Music Victoria Hall of Fame inductee and award winning producer / bass player Barry Hills, three other award-winning musicians in the forms of Brian Fraser on lap steel, electric and acoustic guitars, vocals; Roland Kretschmer on electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, banjo, Dobro, ukulele, vocals; and drummer and vocalist Nick Carrafa, and multiple award-winning singer/songwriter Kelly Auty? This is, of course, a leading question because the answer is, as the title of this post may suggest, PepperCreek Revival! But it was also the most efficient way to introduce the calibre of players who are on this self-titled debut album which is anything but the work of beginners.
Recently I spoke to Hills and Auty and while I wanted to find out about the band I was also keen to ask them about their individual musical histories, and it’s worth watching or listening to the interview for these alone, as they have such rich stories.
PepperCreek Revival was Hills’s idea and the nine songs that are on the album are the result of the band creating the music then taking it to Auty, who writes the lyrics then sings lead vocals. Like Hills, Auty’s background is in the blues, yet her voice is versatile and more than suits the country, folk, roots and rock styles of these songs (as well as some blues).
Given the musicians in PepperCreek Revival, this is definitely an album for music aficionados; it is also an album for those who want songs that reflect life and love, challenges and joys – which is all of us, really.
Listen to the album here: https://peppercreekrevival.com/music-video Buy the CD here: https://peppercreekrevival.com/shop Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website
For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Tom Busby goes solo for his Rockhampton Hangover | 25 Mar 2026 | 00:30:11 | |
Tom Busby is well known to Australian music fans as one half of beloved duo Busby Maru. That duo remains very much a going concern, but Busby has now released his first solo album – the warm and deeply personal Rockhampton Hangover. Busby grew up in the Queensland town of Rockhampton, and after two decades of relentless touring and recording with Busby Marou, he and bandmate Jeremy Marou made a deliberate decision to stop saying yes to everything. Part of Busby's break involved returning home to help run the family business after his father's death. It was, he reflects, exactly the kind of enforced stillness his subconscious had been waiting for. ‘It's really gutsy,’ he says of the album during our interview. ‘It's raw. It's vulnerable. I'm not trying to impress anyone.’ The record was produced by Ben Kweller in Texas, a collaboration that began over Zoom and deepened into genuine friendship before a note was recorded. When Kweller asked to produce the album, Busby initially declined – he was supposed to be spending more time at home. But his wife's response was to suggest pulling the kids out of school, loading everyone into the car and driving Route 66 to a ranch in Texas for two months. They did exactly that. Two of the album's songs – including 'Stalemate', which features Busby’s children's voices – were recorded on an iPhone in his living room and appear on the album exactly as Kweller received them, with the band wrapped around the original vocal demos. The album moves from 'Cyclone', an opener about the disorientation of going solo, through songs about Busby’s father ('Waiting for Tomorrow') and his wife ('Crazy'), to the closing celebration of 'Nothing Will Ever Be the Same'. It is, as Busby describes it, less a polished statement than a journal entry – one that happens to rhyme. Busby Marou fans may notice a shift in register, but the warmth that has always defined Tom Busby’s work is present throughout. Since returning from Texas, Busby, his wife and their four children have committed to a new way of living: full-time in a caravan, touring the country doing The Great Aussie Lap, a series of intimate solo shows. Busby Marou festival dates will be woven in alongside. Rockhampton Hangover is out now. Listen to Rockhampton Hangover on Apple Music Listen to Rockhampton Hangover on Spotify Listen to Rockhampton Hangover on YouTube For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Lullaby of a Breaking Heart: Rose Zita Falko's musical journey | 21 Dec 2024 | 00:42:15 | |
**Listen to the end to hear the song 'Lullaby of a Breaking Heart' After releasing the EP Original Son in 2018, Victorian artist Rose Zita Falko found herself in an enforced break from recording and releasing music due to the pandemic and all the upheaval it wrought. In 2022 she released the single ‘The Plan’ (which is a heartbreaker itself) and actually had another song up her sleeve – but it has only come into the world now. ‘Lullaby of a Broken Heart’ is an exceptional piece of work – as its title suggests, it has a gentle rhythm but that is overlaid with Falko’s irresistible vocal that, even if it did not intone the words ‘breaking heart’, captures the feeling of it. The song originated from a recording on Falko’s phone, a sonic improvisation that had been tucked away for years which she happened to find one day. She collaborated with her mother to refine the lyrics and structure, and the result is an unforgettable song. Voice is at the centre of Falko’s work – apart from her original music, she teaches singing and is a stage performer. So it’s no surprise to learn that singing has been at the core of her life from a very young age. Indeed, she sang before she could talk. She also comes from a rich musical heritage, with her grandmother hosting a radio show that spanned genres from classical opera to Welsh folk music and gospel. While the singing voice may come from the ether, and talent is impossible to define – or capture – in talking to Falko it became clear that there is a powerful inevitability to her life in music. It was there before she was born, through the generations before, and it’s been in her from the start. She wouldn’t be able to hold back its tide even if she tried, and thankfully for us she goes with it – and hopefully shall continue to do so for years to come. Listen to Rose Zita Falko on Apple Music Listen to Rose Zita Falko on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Explore Jack Nolan's latest album, Songs for Hemingway | 20 Dec 2024 | 00:30:36 | |
Jack Nolan is a Sydney singer and songwriter who has a storied music career which began in the 1990s – back when Sydney had a plethora of live venues around the city and audiences to go with them – has included six solo albums and one LP with The Kelly Gang in 2004. Nolan’s latest album is Songs for Hemingway, which includes the single ‘Mother of All Storms’, which had its premiere on Sunburnt Country Music earlier this year. It’s a tour de force of a song and the album delivered on its promise. The album contains tracks that are elegantly haunting, like ‘Tofino’, and some which are muscular. There is at all times a sense that Nolan pays attention – to life, to songs, to creating in general. Songs for Hemingway was made with Nashville-based collaborator/multi-instrumentalist/producer Justin Weaver (The Chicks, Wynonna Judd) and Nolan had only instruction for Weaver: no electric instruments were to be used on the record. In this interview Nolan talks about working with Weaver, and about how he came to name the album for the late Ernest Hemingway. Nolan was inspired by Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea and the idea of being ‘too far out’ that it evoked – along with pushing one’s limits. Nolan is certainly not an artist who can be said to have rested on his laurels, given that during our chat it became clear that he approaches his craft, and music generally, with an open mind and a curiosity to explore what is possible, which is how it has been since his childhood, when older friends introduced him to the guitar and the joy of playing simple chords and songs. Although the album is newly released Nolan is working on new music, as he now has time and capacity to do so. It’s almost as if the momentum that ‘Mother of All Storms’ introduced has carried on, and will keep carrying him into projected releases in 2025. But there’s still time to savour Songs for Hemingway and it is, indeed, a perfect album for slow summer afternoons when there’s a little more time to stop and pay attention, perhaps in the way Nolan does himself. Listen to Songs for Hemingway on Apple Music Listen to Songs for Hemingway on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| New album 'Home Fires': A deep dive with Small Town Romance | 18 Dec 2024 | 00:37:49 | |
The first time I interviewed Flora Smith and James Arneman, the members of Small Town Romance, I learnt a lot about their respective musical backgrounds and we also spoke about making music videos, which is Arneman’s specialty. Partners in life as well as music, the pair both grew up around instruments and performance. In Arneman’s case it was as part of an Australian country music dynasty, as the son of Anne Kirkpatrick and grandson of Joy McKean and Slim Dusty. Smith’s path was different but no less interesting and musical. The pair have different yet complementary sensibilities, which is part of what makes their songs so appealing: they know how to work with, not against, each other and they both want to make the best possible music they can. And there’s a lot of wonderful music on their new album, Home Fires, which is cool in the indefinable way that cool is: you know it when you hear it, and it’s both reassuring and unsettling and familiar and new all at once. Home Fires was released in August but we weren’t able to chat until recently, and I relished the chance to ask this talented – and highly entertaining! – pair about the songs on it. We also talked about a Christmas show which has come and gone, because I wasn’t able to publish this interview in time. But they will be at the Cygnet Folk Festival in Tasmania on 10 January and the Tamworth Country Music Festival later that month, and if their live performances are even half as good as the record they will be special. This is music that comes from deep knowledge of the craft that does not bind these artists but, rather, sets them free. Listen to Home Fires on Apple Music Listen to Home Fires on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Brittany Elise: ‘Hi, It’s Me’, all the way from Nashville | 16 Dec 2024 | 00:23:22 | |
Although I’ve interviewed Brittany Elise before, we didn’t meet in person until September this year and it was in Nashville, where the native Queenslander has been spending time writing, recording and performing. It was not only lovely to meet her but she was so generous with her insider tips about the best places to find live music in the city that is full of options for that. From her first album, 2019’s Something More, Brittany established that she’s a country music artist with melodic sensibilities that lean towards pop and a take on songwriting that is uniquely hers and which leads to songs that have a great little quirk or kick or detail that keeps you going back to them over and over. That continued on her 2022 album Just Be, which opened with the single ‘Feel the Fire’, which was all about creativity and how irresistible its fire can be. Since then Brittany has released several new singles, including ‘Lucky’ and ‘Girl in the Mirror’. Her latest is ‘Hi, It’s Me’, which is a mission statement that sprang from a particularly challenging time in her life. Brittany was a committed and successful athlete with state and national titles, and aspirations to go further, when an injury left her in danger of not even being able to walk properly again. She had to change her perception of and plans for the future, and that’s when she started to commit to music. In the years since then she’s proved as dedicated to her musical career as she was to sport, and ‘Hi, It’s Me’ is a statement of that dedication and a declaration of dreams that just happen to come true. It’s an anthem that others can find themselves in – so if you’re ready to be your own cheerleader, this is the song for you! Brittany Elise is touring Queensland and also heading for the 2025 Tamworth Country Music Festival. The dates are available at https://brittanyelisemusic.com Watch the video for ‘Hi, It’s Me’ Listen to Brittany Elise on Apple Music Listen to Brittany Elise on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Rising star Chloe Styler on ‘Little Lady’ and her big plans | 14 Dec 2024 | 00:31:16 | |
One of the benefits of being able to interview an artist more than once is that I can not only hear from them about the new things they’re up to but start to see connections between things they might have been doing a while ago and where that activity and those ideas have led them. Gold Coast rising star Chloe Styler has had a big year, taking home Breakout Artist of the Year at the Gold Coast Music Awards, charting in the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay charts and appearing in CMT’s Top 10, along with Spotify playlists ‘Fresh Country’ and ‘All New Country’. She’s also toured with Nik Kershaw and Go West, Shannon Noll and Karise Eden. This is on top of spending time in Nashville to write and record.
While it might look like a lot has happened ostensibly out of the blue, Styler has been working consistently and diligently over the past few years to create music that has an identifiable and unique style. It is country pop with whimsy and self-awareness, tender and heartfelt.
Style has also crafted a visual presence through her videos and stage attire that make her immediately recognisable.
‘I've really tried to focus on developing a strong visual identity for my music,’ Styler explains in the interview, then adds that working with her sister Amy on her videos in particular ‘has been invaluable in that process, as she has such a great eye for capturing the essence of my sound and style.’
There can be a notion that creativity just happens, that being creative means going with the flow so therefore planning and judicious assessment of your activities aren’t creative. But creativity can’t flow like a river without riverbanks to guide it and contain it, and it’s impossible to build a career without scaffolding. Styler – whether by instinct or design – knows this, and happily has the academic qualifications to support it. By putting those structures in place she can, indeed, make the most of her creative practice, and that’s what we see and hear in the music she releases.
Her latest single is ‘Little Lady’, and the lyric is delivered literally and ironically in the song. It’s about the fear of failure, which, Styler says, ‘eats her up’.
The video was made by Styler in northern New South Wales with Amy, with whom she has collaborated before. ‘Having my sister behind the camera just makes me feel so at ease,’ Styler explains. ‘We can communicate on a level that no one else can, and it allows me to really let my guard down and focus on the performance.’ So we see here too that Styler has the structure in place to let her creativity flourish, and as she continues to create music and build her profile, it will be fascinating to watch. Listen to Chloe Styler on Apple Music Listen to Chloe Styler on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Billie Rose: Slaying ghosts, making killer songs | 11 Dec 2024 | 00:30:36 | |
Over the past couple of years Queensland artist Billie Rose has been releasing alluring, swirling, sometimes mystical singles including ‘Can’t Bring Back the Dead’ and ‘Black Dress’. Her latest is ‘Slaying Ghosts’ and it’s also the name of the EP that captures those single releases and marks the conclusion of that creative chapter in her life. Themes unintentionally emerged amongst the tracks, give that the others are ‘Heartbreak Subway Train’ and ‘Label Me a Killer’ – themes of darkness and death (as ‘subway’ could be seen to suggest darkness) that are only reinforced by Billie’s voice with its lightness and clarity that suggest she is telling these stories from a perspective of distance and self-awareness. Part of the function of art is to help the audience manage times in their own lives that they may see reflected in the art itself; part of the role – and sacrifice – of the artist is to be prepared to pour their experiences into their work so that others may benefit from it. In being willing to work with darkness, Billie gives her audience the chance to also move towards light, as she has by creating these songs. Billie worked with her regular producer Garret Kato on the new track, and the pair drew inspiration from Nirvana for the production of the song, which she wrote with regular collaborator Peta-Cherae. In this interview we talk about both of those long-term associations and the benefits of working with collaborators you know well. Billie is also frank about the challenges of being an independent artist, and how she is committed to her art all the same. This is something that artists around Australia can do no doubt relate to: working in small territory, releasing music into a market that is flooded with music from overseas, trying to mark amongst it all. Her dedication to her craft, her persistence in showing up for her music, are inspiring, especially since what that is funnelled into is the work itself: making the best songs possible, then working to take them to as many people as possible. Listen to Billie Rose on Apple Music Listen to Billie Rose on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Shara Rose: Finding her way and landing on her feet | 08 Dec 2024 | 00:34:28 | |
Shara Rose is an all round entertainer who is not only a singer and songwriter, but a dancer as well. And as a result of all those skills, she is in demand, touring with Jason Owen, and Tania Kernaghan, and opening for Tones and I. She has also been releasing heartfelt country pop songs and the latest is ‘Finding My Way’. As she says in our interview, Shara was determined to release four songs this year, and she has done that, the other three being ‘Purpose in the Process’, ‘Falling’ and ‘Heart on Her Sleeve’. That’s in between her touring commitments and Dance the Night Away, the show she created and took on tour. And even then she still has a ‘day job’ as an exercise physiologist, to which she brings her experience and perspective as a performing artist. The first time we spoke, a few months ago, I was impressed with Shara’s determination to make the most of her opportunities despite some debilitating health problems, and since then she has taken on even more creative endeavours. In talking to her it’s clear that she couldn’t leave any other way because she is passionate about music and performance, as well as connecting with audiences. Her latest single, ‘Finding My Way’, is a personal story and a mission statement of sorts, and it’s no doubt a reminder that as much as she seems to have very much found the path that is best for her, she can also remind herself that she is, as the refrain goes, ‘happy, free and beautiful and finding my way’. It is upbeat and motivational, where ‘Purpose in the Process’ was much more contemplative. Yet both that song and ‘Finding My Way’ are an acknowledgement that the work of coming into being – as a person, as an artist – is never complete. Working as an independent artist, Shara Rose has built a team around her to help her achieve her goals and is working towards them mindfully and purposefully. Given what she’s achieved this year alone, it will be worth following her next year to see what she can bring into being. Listen to Shara Rose on Apple Music Listen to Shara Rose on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Tammy Moxon on her new single ‘What Am I To Do’ | 06 Dec 2024 | 00:38:23 | |
Some songs arrive quickly; others take years to gestate, waiting for the songwriter to find the right moment to bring them fully to life. For her latest album, Fighting Chance, Townsville artist Tammy Moxon wrote several new songs, but in the case of her new single, ‘What Am I To Do’, she discovered a song she wrote a decade before, in the wake of her first break-up, in some old notebooks. As we discuss in this new interview, the song was quite different then. Under the stewardship of producer Shane Nicholson, however, it became an up-tempo number that embodies Moxon’s love of Patsy Cline, on whose music Moxon was raised, which gives it an old-school swing and turns what could be a song of disappointment and frustration into something far more hopeful. In this way the song matches Moxon’s own outlook on life and music. While there is darkness on Fighting Chance, overall it is an album about finding out who you are and setting out to have the life you want and deserve. Moxon has put in the work to create that life and it is clear that music plays a huge role in that. Moxon recorded the album around lockdowns – with Nicholson in New South Wales, this was not straightforward – and also around her full schedule as a performing artist in Townsville. She plays several gigs a week, often of several sets each, and that’s not only because she’s in demand but because Townsville has the venues to support that much live music. So we chatted about that as well – especially about the fact that her career as a live performer was in doubt for a while. Moxon had problems with her vocal cords, eventually diagnosed as reflux and granulomas. Happily she has learnt to manage these conditions now, and she’s back to full performing strength. So if you’re in Townsville you’ll no doubt find her performing most weeks of the year – apart from one week in January next year when she will be playing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival on these dates: 20th January – Tamworth Services Club – Tamworth, NSW (w/ Midwest Molly & Cameron Cusack) 20th January – Tamworth Shopping World – Tamworth, NSW 21st January – The Welders Dog – Tamworth, NSW Listen to Tammy Moxon on Apple Music Listen to Tammy Moxon on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Sibling duo Mak & Shar on their latest single ‘Untamed Heart’ and creative partnership | 04 Dec 2024 | 00:45:56 | |
After releasing their singles ‘Best Thing’ and ‘Leap of Faith’ earlier this year, brothers Mak & Shar have done what they most love to do: made new music, and this time, with new single ‘Untamed Heart’, they are paying tribute to their late father, who died when they were young. ‘Dad was a performer,’ they say. ‘He played Dodger in Lionel Bart's Oliver when he was younger, on the West End of London, which is really, really cool. So he was a performer and a musician and he played guitar. And I remember actually not that long ago, it's probably two years ago, we found … a little notebook and it had all of these chords and lyrics written on it. And it was just songs that he'd written. And then also with that was this record of just him singing with a guitar and these songs that he'd written.’ Clearly music is in the brothers’ lineage – indeed, as Brothers 3, with third brother Tayzin, they grew up as performers themselves, and each has followed separately yet complementary musical paths since. They each have a Bachelor of Music; Shar has toured in musical theatre productions and Mak is a producer, with the production of the duo’s songs ultimately in his hands. The brothers work closely together on their songs, although no two are created in the same way. They have a form of push-and-pull that means they bring out the best in each other, and that’s as true in an interview as it is in the creation of music. They are thoughtful and interesting, and it’s a pleasure to talk to two people who have a high regard for each other and who can speak articulately about their work. Mak & Shar’s love for their craft is as strong as their respect for each other, and ultimately they want the same thing: to make great songs. In ‘Untamed Heart’ they not only have a song that honours their father but also that lineage he gave them, with no doubt much more to come. Listen to Mak & Shar on Apple Music Listen to Mak & Shar on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Country music icon Sara Storer on her powerful new anthem ‘Layers’ | 26 Nov 2024 | 00:33:47 | |
Here’s the thing about 22-time Golden Guitar winner Sara Storer: she is both a country music icon – and she has been since she released her debut album, Buffalo Bill, in 2000 and impressed audiences with her unique stories and clear-eyed view of humanity – and she’s an artist who is constantly in search of the next turn in the creative road, not so much restless with what she’s achieved but curious about what else is out there to be captured in song (or, as is the case for her now, in paintings). Interviewing her, as I’ve now done several times, there is absolutely no sense that resting on her laurels has ever been an option. Life is too interesting, she is too inherently creative, for that to happen. Storer’s last solo album was Raindance in 2019; in 2023 she released SToReR with brother Greg and they won a Golden Guitar for their song ‘Dust Kid’. Earlier this year came her latest solo single, ‘Under Darwin Stars’, which captured what she loves about her Top End home. Now she has a new song, ‘Layers’, which has quite a different story and is the reason for our latest interview. As an interviewee Storer is a delight, that curiosity of hers making her vibrant and funny, and she’s also self-aware in a way that makes her a great artist: able to draw on her own experiences to inspire or enhance a story, also able to step back when she needs to. In ‘Layers’ she takes on the persona of a teenage girl living in the digital age, when social media piles on the pressure. The song arose from Storer’s conversations with friends and family members who shared their concerns about the impact of social media on their girls. ‘I just wrote down what I thought and I just wanted to come back to the chorus and make sure it was a very positive message,’ she explains. That chorus encourages listeners to look beyond the surface and see the unique, beautiful, and perfect individual beneath the ‘layers’. ‘I just wanted to sing for the girls and I want you in that moment to just go, hey, you know, let's think about who we are underneath all these layers. We're one of a kind, we're unique, we're perfect, we're beautiful.’ As the parent of four school-age boys, Storer certainly has a perspective on the challenges facing young people, and she hopes that her music can provide a source of encouragement and empowerment. That comes through in the interview as well, when Storer reinforces the message for the young people who may hear her song: ‘You are unique. You're beautiful, you're you. And believe in yourself, because we do.’ Part of Storer’s power as an artist is that she also believes in herself and her work – and that conviction allows the audience to go with her, because we know she won’t let us down. And she’ll take us there with humour, because while she takes her work seriously, she doesn’t take herself too seriously. It’s part of the reason why she’s always so entertaining to talk to and, hopefully, for you to listen to or watch. Listen to ‘Layers’ on Apple Music Listen to ‘Layers’ on Spotify For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Lindsay Waddington pays tribute to a great in latest single ‘Something of a Privilege’ | 23 Mar 2026 | 00:29:16 | |
Lindsay Waddington has a career spanning more than three decades as a singer, songwriter, producer and renowned instrumentalist. He has released thirteen solo albums, won a Golden Guitar, and built a YouTube channel with almost nineteen million views. His latest release, 'Something of a Privilege', is a tribute to Australian music legend John Williamson. The song began as a birthday present. When Williamson turned 80, Waddington – who has become close to Williamson over the past seven or eight years, and they’ve recorded together at Waddington’s studio in Queensland – sat down and wrote him a song. ‘What do you give a bloke who's achieved everything? I’ll write him a song,’ he says in this new interview. Waddington sent the song to Williamson, then spent four anxious hours waiting for a response. When Williamson finally called, he was moved – and told Waddington the song was too good to save for his funeral! With the family's blessing, Waddington decided to release it, directing all proceeds to Williamson's Variety Bash car and the children it supports. Brendan Radford, with whom Waddington won the 2020 Golden Guitar for Instrumental of the Year, features on the track – a pairing that has become a natural creative partnership. The two spend at least a day a week in the studio together, and Radford's contribution, Waddington says, simply made the song better. The release sits alongside a remarkably busy creative operation. Waddington's studio has become a hub for Australian country music, with artists including John Williamson, Brian Cadd, Russell Morris and emerging talent William Alexander all recording there. Waddington’s YouTube channel – built largely around studio sessions and instrumental performances – has attracted a global following, with viewers from Ukraine, the Philippines and Japan. As Waddington notes, ‘There's no language barrier with instrumentals – if you can come up with tones and sounds they like to hear, that could be it.’ His eldest daughter, Madison, handles the videography and editing; the whole enterprise has become a family operation. A further collaboration is already in the works: a song called 'Talking to a Drover', on which Williamson has contributed harmonies after hearing a work-in-progress version during a studio visit. An instrumental release is also planned for later in 2026. For an artist who admits he can sometimes deprioritise his own music in favour of others', there is clearly no shortage of things worth making. ‘Something of a Privilege’ is out now. Listen to Lindsay Waddington on Apple Music Listen to Lindsay Waddington on Spotify Lindsay Waddington on YouTube For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Laura Frank: On the Road with ‘We Won’t Stop Runnin’’ | 23 Nov 2024 | 00:40:26 | |
Laura Frank is a multifaceted artist – singer, songwriter, performer videographer and much more besides – who lives in Queensland’s Scenic Rim area when she’s not on the road with Tom Curtain and his Katherine Outback Experience. Curtain’s tour goes for several months across the wet season (so he’s not in the Northern Territory then) so Frank was on the road when we spoke recently about her latest single, ‘We Won’t Stop Runnin’’ as well as the music video she made for the single with Nick Morrissey, her partner and collaborator. The song was inspired by experiences within Frank and Morrissey’s relationship, and was a live favourite that Frank then decided to record with her regular producer Jordan Power. The video captures the energy of the song and was made on the couple’s property before they set out on tour. Frank regularly makes her own videos, so there’s quite an archive on YouTube to explore. We also discuss the touring life – which involves Frank’s animals coming along to join Curtain’s – and it turns out Frank is doing a lot more than performing as Curtain’s opening act: she’s taking photos and video of the show, then working to post them on social media. It’s turned the Outback Experience tour into an all-day-and-night event, but it seems like Frank wouldn’t have it any other way. Frank’s commitment to living a creative life is motivating and inspiring, partly because it’s clear she thinks that no task is too big or too small to attempt, and that if she’s interested in something she will pursue it without wanting to know where it might get her. Curiosity and passion underpin all her endeavours, and especially her music, so it’s great to learn that she has recorded more than one song with Power, which means there will be another single along in due course. Meanwhile, she’ll be on the road with Curtain for a while, and you can find those dates on her website: https://www.laurafrank.com.au Listen to Laura Frank on Apple Music Listen to Laura Frank on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Adele Oliver unveils new single ‘Angel’ | 19 Nov 2024 | 00:29:37 | |
Well before the release of her previous single, ‘Wiley Blue’, Adele Oliver had established herself in the music scene in the beautiful Western Australian coastal town of Broome, playing her own shows and supporting touring artists. After the release of that single she supported Troy Cassar-Daley on his recent national tour, and we talk about that in this new interview, along with her latest single, ‘Angel’. ‘That song in one afternoon, I think, came out,’ says Oliver of the song. ‘It was one of those ones where I [thought], okay, this one's ready to come out now.’ ‘Angel’ is about Oliver finding herself unwittingly placed on a pedestal in a relationship, then held to standards that the man in question was not holding himself to. And even though the song flowed out of her, she wasn’t happy with the second verse and changed it once she was in the studio with producer James Newhouse, who is based in Bunbury, WA. ‘Angel’ is a song that is tinged with regret, not in the lyrics but in the way it’s sung, and we also talk about the decisions Oliver made as a singer while recording. Oliver is an artist in tune with the outer, natural world and her inner life, and she works with them both to create music, having learnt to not get in the way of her creativity when it’s happening. ‘Songs all come about so differently,’ she says. ‘They'll all find their way to you. Sometimes it is sitting down and going, I have this thing I want to say and I'm going to say it like this. But I really love the times when they land on you and you feel like you're a bit of a vessel in that moment. Or it's your subconscious ruminating over something that is now ready to be talked about. It kind of feels a bit magical in a way.’ Oliver is also passionate about the environment, especially the beautiful Kimberley area close to home. By day she’s a support worker, and that combined with her connection to the world around her bespeaks an artist who has an expansive worldview and one who strives for connection, drawing inspiration from the perspectives of others and weaving them into her songwriting. Oliver has been recording other tracks with producer Newhouse and an EP is on the horizon. In the meantime she has plans to head for the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January, and no doubt to pop up on Broome’s stages as well. Listen to 'Angel' on Apple Music Listen to 'Angel' on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Suzie So Blue: From childhood cornet to a cornucopia of instruments and creativity | 17 Nov 2024 | 00:42:21 | |
No two interviews are the same and if I haven’t interviewed an artist before I never know quite what to expect, even though I do my research. There was absolutely no evidence in my research on Melbourne artist Suzie So Blue – who has new singles ‘Bend’ and ‘Fall in Love’ – that indicated quite what an amazing life in music she’s had since her childhood. From playing cornet in polka and Czech folk bands with her father and sister to flute in high school (because it was more portable) to stringed instruments in bossa nova bands in Canberra (because you can’t sing and play flute at the same time) to the world she inhabits now in Melbourne, she lives and breathes music. Suzie’s creative life doesn’t begin and end with music, though: she’s also a well-established fashion designer with her label SZN. This part of her story did not emerge until towards the end of our conversation, which took in a range of subjects including taking up space and claiming the right to perform, to her first forays into songwriting. Recently Suzie released two singles at once. ‘Bend’ was inspired by a conversation she had with a Japanese friend while on a trip to Japan, where they discussed the manipulation of nature and the idea of bending like a tree in the wind. This resonated with Suzie's own journey as an artist, navigating the challenges and sacrifices that come with pursuing a creative path. The other single, ‘Fall in Love’, was written with a friend and drew on their shared experiences and conversations about past relationships. Suzie’s musical influences are vast, as her background suggests, from the blues and country she grew up listening to, to the reggae, funk, and soul that have shaped her soulful vocals and playing style. It was also clear from our chat that Suzie loves playing live, and she gigs regularly around Melbourne. Her next show is Spring Acoustica at Wesley Anne in Northcote, Vic., on 24 November. Tickets available here. I could have asked Suzie many more questions as it felt almost like I was only at the tip of her creative iceberg, but hopefully there will be more songs soon, and perhaps the chance to chat again with this inspiring artist. Listen to Suzie So Blue on Apple Music Listen to Suzie So Blue on Spotify Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Instagram Follow Sunburnt Country Music on Facebook Sunburnt Country Music website For more Sunburnt Country Music: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||