Sunburnt Country Music

While Loretta Miller has extensive experience in both recorded and live music, as the frontwoman of Melbourne band JAZZPARTY amongst other things, she hasn’t released country music before – so this is the first time I’ve interviewed her, and it was to talk about her debut album, Loretta. This turned out to be a long conversation because Miller has had such an interesting life, growing up in a family of musical artists (including her aunt, Lisa Miller) and painters, that there was a lot to talk about. What became clear is that Miller takes chances – in music, in life – and is prepared to risk something not working out, which has had the effect of her having rich, varied experiences. Her world view is expansive – a case of ‘what else is out there?’ not ‘I am satisfied with what’s in here’ – and whether that is the reason why she takes chances or is a result of it, the effect is the same: she has a big life and she embraces all of it.We do talk about the album, of course, which includes great songs like ‘Dog’ and ‘Passenger Side’, and about why she is drawn to country music as a style and genre (hint: she grew up with it). If you’re watching this interview rather than listening to it you’ll see the light around me fading, but there’s really no good time to say ‘I’m just going to put a light on’ so I went with it – Miller is the focus, after all, and it’s worth listening to this entire chat to find out more about her. Listen to Loretta on Apple MusicListen to Loretta on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Central Coast country music singer-songwriter Ella Powell began this year as a Grand Finalist in the prestigious Toyota Star Maker competition, with the final held during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. It was no surprise that Powell had this recognition: since she began releasing music in 2020 she has stood out for her songwriting as well as her vocals. Last year she collected her releases in an EP, The End of the Beginning, marking the end of that chapter and the start of a new one. This next phase has begun with the single, ‘Passerby’, which we talk about in this new interview. The song is about feeling like you’ve been left behind, that life is passing you by even as you hold onto your dreams. Musically it’s a shift in direction while lyrically it is true to Powell’s intelligent, emotionally astute writing.The song was written with Ben Horsley, who was also the producer. Powell has often written on her own in the past but is evolving her songwriting practice along with her sound, writing with new people as well as having some songs co-written with Horsley in the vault. I always look forward to Powell’s new songs, as well as the opportunity to talk to her about them, as she’s an exciting young artist who has already achieved so much. She had a great beginning, and this next part of her life as an artist is already off to a wonderful start.Listen to ‘Passerby’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Passerby’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victorian country-pop artist Jade Gibson has a knack for creating infectious country-pop tunes and she has performed them in all sorts of places, from festival stages to pubs. Next year she’ll be on stage at CMC Rocks. And no doubt her latest single, ‘Perfect Crime’, would be on the set list.Written with the song’s producer, Ben Horsley, and Nashville-based songwriter Ava Suppelsa, the song is about ghosting – the ‘perfect crime’. The first song Gibson recorded with Horsley was ‘Technicolour’. As she describes in this new interview, it marked a turning point – she let go of some of the pressure she’d put on herself to achieve certain goals, and she has now been achieving some of those very goals. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t had challenges and knockbacks, and we talk about those too, as well as about her experience at Nashville Song Hubs, where she wrote ‘Bygones’, her single released earlier this year. We go into the rather tough story behind that song too. Gibson’s Instagram bio says ‘daydreaming in poetry’, and we talk about that, and several other things, including her pushing herself outside her comfort zone – and I offer some unsolicited ‘writer therapy’!Please note that I had a cold when this was recorded, so my voice sounds bad! I can’t believe Jade even understood me. Thanks to her for persevering. Listen to Jade Gibson on Apple MusicListen to Jade Gibson on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The members of Queensland country-rock duo Benson Manor, Chris Knight and Phil Behrens, have been performing together for over two decades but have only recently started to release original music, first with ‘Dirty Weekend’ and now with ‘Let’s Talk’, a song about the power of talking out problems rather than leaving them festering inside. I had no idea what to expect when interviewing the pair, as they only have the two songs out so I hadn’t interviewed them before, but this chat was a hoot and a half. It was clear to see why they’ve managed to stay on good terms for so long – they make each other laugh, which would invariably help with the long hours needed to rehearse for live shows, especially when they now live in different parts of Queensland.  Our chat takes in the way they met, why they’re playing country rock, and why they started writing and recording music. They each have plenty of other things to do in their lives, but playing music together has clearly taken priority for a long time, and that suggests that there is an important ingredient to what they’re doing: fun.  Having said that, ‘Let’s Talk’ is a serious song with an intention to prompt people to talk about what’s troubling them, and it was inspired by what Knight and Behrens were seeing around them. A note on the audio: firstly, I had a cold at the time so my voice is scratchy, and there were some wifi issues for Phil, and about halfway through a volume issue for Chris – but we persevered!  Listen to Benson Manor on Apple MusicListen to Benson Manor on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trinity Woodhouse started singing at a very young age. As she tells me in our recent interview, she was playing every sport imaginable and singing while doing it – including while swimming which, as she says, takes some doing! When she was eight her parents suggested she have some vocal lessons, although she didn’t agree to them until she was eleven. She started performing at twelve, and took up guitar initially so she wouldn’t fidget on stage – but she fell in love with it. She attended her first Tamworth Country Music Festival at the age of thirteen and by the following year was attending the Junior Academy of Country Music. Seven years later she attended the Senior Academy. Her first single, ‘Bouquet’, was released in 2020. There have been three since, ‘Don’t You Know’ and ‘Colourblind’, and the latest, ‘Pills’.‘Pills’ is an audacious song lyrically because Woodhouse is sharing her mental health story, and while authenticity is a hallmark of country music there are, of course, some subjects that are very hard to talk about – or sing about. The way Woodhouse’s vocal sounds in the song is also part of the story – and I asked her if this had something to do with the fact that she’s recorded with the producer, Josh Schuberth, several times now. (You’ll have to watch or listen to the interview to find out what she says.)This is a story about the power of music in so many ways – both for Woodhouse and for the audience, in that we can receive these stories in song and take them into our own lives. No doubt ‘Pills’ will have a great impact on many people who hear it, and so will Woodhouse’s story. Listen to ‘Pills’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Pills’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sally Jane is an emerging country music artist from Serpentine in Western Australia who started singing in early childhood – often in paddocks, as she told me in this interview! – and who has already played in many venues and around the country. Indeed, she has crossed the Nullarbor Plain eleven times to play the east coast of Australia.  Last year Sally released two singles, one of which was ‘Bombs & Bullets’, written and recorded with Luke O’Shea. The song is about the military, and I asked Sally about this. Her father was in the Royal Australian Navy for over two decades, and that has influenced Sally’s interest in telling stories about the military. (She said he is now her ‘dadager’ – and she means this lovingly!) The song was written at the Dag Sheep Station in Nundle, NSW – one of many great songs that have emerged from the songwriting retreat held there – and her attendance there has a special story attached, which she tells me in the interview.  This year Sally Jane has released a new single, ‘Two Feet’. The song is about her as a young adult learning to stand on her own two feet. She has very supportive parents, as she tells me, but also wants to be able to do things for herself and figure out how to make her way in the world. While she certainly seems more than capable, I appreciated her perspective on what it’s like to be a young person today. A big part of making her way in the world is making her way with her music, and as she has already released some lovely songs and is dedicated to continuing to improve her craft, play more, connect with more people, there are no doubt other great stories to come. I had a lovely time chatting to Sally Jane – she’s one of those young people who make you believe that humanity is in good hands.   Listen to Sally Jane on Apple Music  Listen to Sally Jane on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest single from Central Coast NSW artist Jasmine Sparkes is ‘Sparkes Road’ – based on a real Sparks Road that she travels often, the spelling has been altered slightly to reflect the metaphorical and literal journey Sparkes has taken through her musical life, which began with learning piano in childhood and takes in classical training and musical theatre. Growing up on the land, and still passionate about living in the country today, Sparkes balances her live schedule – travelling to and from her home, down country roads – with her burgeoning songwriting and recording activities. ‘Sparkes Road’ is her third song, following ‘Country to Coast’ and ‘6 Dinners’.In this wide-ranging conversation we cover not only the songs but Sparkes’s interesting and unusual upbringing – her late father was the Australian radio presenter and television personality Ken Sparkes, and Jasmine spent time at the Channel Nine TV studios while growing up. Her father gave her a wholistic perspective on music, she says, and he would appreciate her being a country music artist, since that genre focuses on storytelling. We also talk about the different facets of her live shows, which include her in-demand country covers band. Being an entertainer, Sparkes says, is about keeping people happy, and she clearly loves her work. Increasingly Sparkes plans to balance the original music with the covers, so the three singles are just the start – and it was great to find out about everything that has taken her down Sparkes Road. Listen to ‘Sparkes Road’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Sparkes Road’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corey Colum emerged into the Australian country music scene in 2009, when he won the Telstra Road to Tamworth competition. He released his debut self-titled album in 2012 – and then we didn’t hear from him for a good long while. Colum didn’t step away from music so much as releasing music. He’s still been very much playing, and writing. But he also had some other – rather important – things to do like raising a family, and just living life. Colum has a variety of skills in addition to his musical prowess – he’s worked as a truck driver and machine operator, and he’s also a plumber. So while he hasn’t been idle, he’s also looked for the balance in life that has seen him move to Onslow in Western Australia, and it’s this place that inspired his latest single, ‘Get Livin’’ from his second album, Patience, which is out now.Patience is a portrait of a balanced, interesting life, and includes the song ‘Reasons’, written with Drew McAlister, as well as the title track, which probably speaks for itself! The songs on the album are in the country-rock genre and while they’re the sorts of songs you could cheerfully play at a summer barbecue, they’re also worth a closer listen as Colum gives us those pointers towards how we can, well, get livin’. It’s easy to hear in Colum’s voice on these tracks that he is right where he wants to be, and that also makes for easy listening.Listen to Patience on Apple Music      Listen to Patience on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s fair to say that Lyn Bowtell is a doyenne of Australian music, and not only because she’s the director of the Academy of Country Music, overseeing the Junior Academy each July and Senior Academy each January and everything in between – although that would be qualification enough. So it is that but it is also this: she has this glorious voice that can prompt tears and break hearts in one phrase, and she writes these songs that speak straight to whomever is listening, and when she delivers the lyrics in that glorious voice they’re somehow more devastating or more uplifting or whatever her intention is, they are more. She’s also a wonderful multi-instrumentalist. And she’s funny on stage, to the point of bending an audience member double with laughter. There is no one like her, which is another reason for that doyenne status.Thus there is no one better qualified than Bowtell, really, to be in charge of her own music – that is, to be the producer of her own songs. So it’s past high time that she took charge of an album, and she has done that with her latest, Paper Cuts, which she produced with her partner and collaborator Damon Morton. In our latest interview we talk about why she hasn’t produced before and what the experience was like. We also talk about some of the songs on the album, especially the latest single, ‘Scene of the Crime’, which is about violence directed at Bowtell and is also her way of working through it. If I tell you that I saw her play it live several weeks before it was released and she cried, and the audience cried with her, then we gave her a standing ovation, you’ll have a sense of the power of that song. But all of Bowtell’s songs are powerful because they come from this place of deep musicality and pure connection. It is a joy to have a new album from her, and also to speak to her about it. And she is really something live, so do try to catch one of her shows if you can – you’ll find them here and also below. Listen to Paper Cuts on Apple Musichttps://apple.co/42JwYLfListen to Paper Cuts on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/album/5SLdYH1fi3ij8iRwes9dmK?si=jF5j7vIBTyK6SWkNqR0E9wLYN BOWTELL TOUR DATES 2025Friday, October 24: Mantra - Yarraville, VictoriaSaturday, October 25: Noojee Hotel, Noojee, VictoriaSunday, October 26: The Shed Theatre @ The Pig & Whistle, Main Ridge, VictoriaSaturday, November 1: Trinity Sessions, Clarence Park, South AustraliaSunday, November 2: Walloway Farm, Walloway South AustraliaFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During this interview with Tamworth-based country music artist Aleyce Simmonds you’ll occasionally hear her talking to her young daughter, Georgia, who was nearby during the chat, and, towards the end, her husband. I could have edited out these lines, but for what reason? To pretend that Simmonds wasn’t at home, doing the interview near her garden, with the setting sun and birds nearby and her beloved child at her feet? This is life – it is her life – and she has gone through great challenges to build it. Her experiences, her triumphs, her grief, her determination, all go into her artistry as well as into that life. So it was a fitting context for our conversation about the twentieth-anniversary release of her hit single ‘Mighty Mighty Love’.Simmonds has rerecorded this track, which 20 years ago became the most played country song on commercial radio in Australian history and changed her life forever by opening up opportunities to the young artist she then was. We talk about what happened at that time, and what’s happened since, and about the new recording. We also talk about her involvement with the Academy of Country Music, where she’s been an integral part of the Junior course for several years. At her Tamworth Country Music Festival show on 18 January at the Tamworth Hotel, Junior Course students that she mentored in July this year will open the show. Five dollars from every ticket to her Tamworth Country Music Festival show will be donated to CanAssist, and we talk about why she has chosen CanAssist.‘Mighty Mighty Love’ is the title of Simmonds’s song but it could also be a statement about how she lives – fully immersed, not shying away from emotions even when they’re hard, and open hearted. You can hear all of that in the recording and also in this interview. Tickets for Aleyce Simmonds at TCMF can be bought here.Listen to ‘Mighty Mighty Love’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Mighty Mighty Love’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first time I interviewed Sydney singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Michael Carpenter, I found out how he organises his time so well (hint: it’s a simple to-do list and actually remembering to look at it), although I also think he marries that organisation with a sense of living in constant creative flow. The output of his own music, whether that’s solo, with The April Family or with the Banks Brothers (with whom he’s won several Golden Guitars), would be enough to keep him occupied year round, but he also fits in production for many other artists. He has also this year released a new solo album, The Start of Being.The last time Carpenter released a solo album it was in 2016, and the genre was power pop (in which he is a specialist). He thought he wouldn’t release solo music again, so part of our conversation in this recent interview is about why that changed and also how his music has changed. Because he’s been so involved with country music for the past decade, in his musical projects and as a producer, it’s influenced the solo work – although the power pop is still there, and we have a brief digression into Canadian East Coast power pop, of which I’m also a fan.If I were to stand back from Carpenter’s work and try to offer one focused perspective on it, I’d say that he leads with his heart then applies his brain and the skills therein to expressing what’s in that heart. In other words: if he doesn’t feel it, he doesn’t do it. It’s the feeling that imbues his songs with an irresistible warmth, and his singing voice is part of that. It’s well suited to pop and also offers something different to country, and above all it delivers the melodies that he’s so very good at writing.As ever, he’s a very interesting man to chat to and I hope you enjoy our conversation.Listen to The Start of Being on Apple Music   Listen to The Start of Being on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many musical artists immerse themselves in their work, embracing many facets of it, sometimes as singing or instrument teachers, or writing songs for other artists to perform, making videos or producing. Victorian artist Hazel – who performs with her band, The Thief – runs a popular venue, The Pig & Whistle in Main Ridge, scheduling more than 100 shows a year, which in and of itself would be enough to keep her quite occupied! So she is a vital part of the live music community in Victoria and, by extension, Australia. While looking after that side of her musical life, she has also studied music, and is writing, recording and performing her own songs. This year she also attended the Academy of Country Music in Tamworth. Hazel recently released her debut album, Wildflowers in Concrete. Produced by Matt Fell, it has themes of a love of nature, figuring out how to be with others, a strong sense of community, care and regard for others. While these are Hazel’s stories, they have much to offer others, and while this is her debut album, it is the work of a developed artist who has a clear sense of the stories she wants to tell. This has no doubt come about because she has found herself in challenging situations, which she talks about in this interview, and music has been her way of navigating through and past them. For many people who not only create but love music as listeners, this is a reminder of the power even one song has to provide reassurance or refuge, to motivate and inspire. Hazel is herself inspiring, and I hope you enjoy listening to or watching this interview with her. Listen to Wildflowers in Concrete on Apple MusicListen to Wildflowers in Concrete on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Everything is a song. Life is a song. Books are a song.’ That’s what Victoria-born Queensland resident Kaitlyn Thomas told me when I asked about her songwriting process in our recent chat about her latest single, ‘Mississippi Lies’, which she recorded with in-demand Gold Coast producer Jared Adlam. Thomas was talking about how she’d had the title of the song in a songbook for a while and brought it to life with other songwriters at a SHE Songwriting Retreat run by Lyn Bowtell. And to find out more about the song you’ll need to watch/listen to the interview!Our conversation didn’t start where I’d planned as when Thomas appeared on screen I could see guitars and boots behind her, so I started to ask about those. (She has a boot sponsor who is mentioned – there was no other way for her to explain how she came to have those turquoise boots! – but this is not a sponsored post.) That led to us talking about costume and guitar selection, so there’s a bit of that before we get into what Thomas has been up to this year, which includes being a Toyota Star Maker Grand Finalist and a finalist in the Gympie Muster Mothertone Talent Search.Thomas is always vivacious and candid in our interviews. She’s been releasing music since she was child – and went to the Junior Academy of Country Music before later attending Senior Academy – so music is very much part of her fibre. And so is fun, in that she clearly loves what she does and makes the most of it. She takes the work seriously and herself not so much. That makes for easy conversation with depth, and that’s what you’ll find in this interview.Listen to ‘Mississippi Lies’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Mississippi Lies’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While I enjoy interviewing artists for the second, third or fourth (sometimes more!) time, it’s always lovely to meet someone new and find out about their life in music. Emily Joy is a country-pop artist from Western Australia whom I knew had studied music extensively, but there’s only so much you can glean from research online – which is at least one of the reasons why it’s good to have these in-depth chats. In this interview, which was prompted by the release of her latest single ‘Give Me a Shot or Two’, Joy talks about how she played violin from the age of a seven and lasted a decade with it even though, as she said, she ‘made the violin cry’! But that early training stood her in great stead as she learnt to sing then picked up guitar.  What followed was time studying at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts), Berklee College of Music and the Academy of Country Music in Tamworth. She released her first single, ‘Barricade’, in 2016 then a self-titled EP in 2016.  A change in her circumstances – namely, the end of a relationship which also meant losing her guitarist and business partner – saw her taking a break from music and then, as she told me, feeling anxious about releasing music again. She kept writing, though, which means she has songs in the bank. And last year Joy released her first new music in eight years, the single ‘A Little Part of Me’. This year she has returned with ‘Give Me a Shot or Two’, a song about taking a shot at love. And while the song can more than speak for itself, Joy has also undertaken some audacious activities in support of it, including playing at traffic lights in between them turning red and going green! So of course I had to ask her about that. Joy is still young but she has the steadiness that comes from an artist who has spent time finding out who they are and what they want to convey. It was great to get to know her in this interview and I hope you enjoy it too.  Listen to Emily Joy on Apple MusicListen to Emily Joy on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Early on in my interview with award-winning, chart-topping country music artist Kaylee Bell, I discovered that she has a background in sport – this was not something I’d found in my research but I always like exploring this angle when it comes up with musical artists because to me, at least, there are commonalities in both pursuits. Both require an understanding that most of one’s time will be spent in preparation: practising, practising, practising for the moments of performance (sporting competitions are also performances in their own way, as are recording sessions). That in turn implies a tolerance for the mundane things that go into playing sport or being a musical artist – the admin of it all, whether that’s getting to a sports ground or concert venue, warming up, setting up, packing down. And it also means being prepared to chase something that is elusive, whether it’s a goal, a victory, audience response or a hit song. Seen in that context, it is no surprise that Bell – who grew up in Aotearoa New Zealand and spent several years in Australia – has been so successful, because she essentially has been and keeps training to be the best she can be in her chosen endeavour. That absolutely does not mean, however, that the success she has built on with release after release, tour after tour, is a foregone conclusion. She can have all the talent in the world and apply herself diligently to making something of it, but so often there needs to be a little bit of magic. The magic comes from being prepared to embrace the frailty and joy of being human, and in the case of a musical artist, also being prepared to offer that back to the audience. Bell has had great triumphs, such as winning the 2023 Global Artist Of The Year at the CMA Awards in Nashville, and great challenges, with her health in particular, including during her recent pregnancy. Frailty and joy is in ‘Heartbeat’, the final track of her new album, Cowboy Up, and they’re both there to find in the seven other tracks on this impressive, memorable album. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to her about the album and hope you enjoy listening to or watching the interview. Kaylee Bell will be performing at Tailem Bend Classic and Strummingbird Festival in Australia at the end of this month, then touring New Zealand. Details at: https://kayleebellmusic.com/pages/tourCowboy Up is out now through Sony Music Australia.Listen to Cowboy Up on Apple MusicListen to Cowboy Up on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It can never be said that Jindabyne local now Queensland resident Brad Cox has rested on his laurels. From his debut self-titled album, released in 2018, through second album My Mind’s Projection in 2020 and Acresin 2023, he has evolved his sound while building his audience, often through touring his own shows and playing festivals. His voice is big, and so are the stories and themes in his songs. Cox has never been an artist who has lived by the maxim ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. It may be fair to say that he is, indeed, an artist who sets out to break things, musically speaking, because that will create change, and he wants to pursue that change and see where it leads him.That may well be how he arrived at his latest album, Endemic Intelligence in Multiple Dimensions. From the second track, ‘Sunset Psalm’, which is preceded by a short instrumental track, in which he sings ‘I saw the light and I’m running’, we are off and running towards the light he is holding up, leading us into and through that musical change he is pursuing. There are tracks on this album that are very much not country music and still also very much Brad Cox, as we discuss in this new interview. There are others that are country music but not in the way anyone else could make it. That’s because Cox has a clear sense of the songs he wants to write and record and release, and he has the talent to back that up. Which is not to say that he works alone – in one part of this interview he talks about the role A&R from his label, Warner Music Australia, played in the formation of the album. He also has a red-hot band (as anyone who has seen him play live can attest). But it all stems from him and the extent to which he is prepared to move through those multiple dimensions of potential, and of his artistry, to find not only what works but what is necessary and strong and right.There is audacity in pursuing the creative path you want as opposed to what may work better for others, because you need to hold your nerve. And holding one’s nerve takes more courage than ever appears to the naked eye. When there’s an audience, and radio stations, and a record company waiting to see what you come up with, it would be normal to waver. But if Cox ever wavered in making this album, there’s no sign of it. This is a panoramic, brightly hued work, and we’re all the better for it. It was, therefore, wonderful to have the chance to talk to him about it. And as he says towards the end of the chat: ‘I’m very thankful for all of it – the ebbs, the flows, the highs, the lows. It’s all about experience.’Endemic Intelligence in Multiple Dimensions is out now through Warner Music Australia.Listen to Endemic Intelligence in Multiple Dimensions on Apple Musichttps://apple.co/4nAzHz5Listen to Endemic Intelligence in Multiple Dimensions on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/album/1N2LHCJgUEy8GzXItAuNKg?si=pXYX7Wm3QxmM3AhW-dbFyw[PHOTO CREDIT: ROCKET WEIJERS]For more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sara Berki is a country music artist from the greater Sydney area who impressed audiences from her very first single, ‘Fallin’ Off the Heartline’, and has kept releasing songs that not only consolidate those early impressions but shift her as an artist into new territory while also being identifiably her sound, as evidenced on her recent second EP, In the Neon.Berki performed at the inaugural Ridin’ Hearts festival in 2023 and this year she returns as the festival goes to Sydney Showgrounds at Homebush on Saturday 25 October and Caribbean Gardens in Melbourne on 25 October. Berki appears alongside Australians Briana Dinsdale, Lewis Love, Lane Pittman, and Ridin’ Starts winner Ruby Jane, and Americans Megan Moroney, Nate Smith, Avery Anna, Waylon Wyatt and Karley Scott Collins.Berki is such a versatile live performer that she will no doubt win more fans at the festival. We talk about her plans for her set and about her live performance generally – having seen her play live earlier this year on a couple of occasions, each quite different, as well as in 2022 in Tamworth, I know what a great live performer she is, able to adapt to venue and audience, and to being a front woman or playing solo acoustic. Ahead of Ridin’ Hearts I caught up with Berki about what it’s like to return to the festival as well as her other big performance this month: singing at the NRLW final on 5 October. As I discovered, she is from an NRL family and absolutely loves the sport, so there couldn’t be a more perfect pairing of artist and event. For all the information about Ridin’ Hearts, go to https://www.ridinhearts.com[PHOTO CREDIT: GRACIE STEINDL]Listen to Sara Berki on Apple MusicListen to Sara Berki on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake Davey is one of those multi-talented artists who must have an incredibly well-organised diary because he moves so regularly between making videos and producing music for other artists as well as writing and recording his own songs, and playing live. Two years ago, however, it seemed there was little prospect of any of that when Davey was given a diagnosis of cauda equina syndrome, which meant he was told he may not walk again or have children. ‘I think everyone gets knocked down in life,’ he says in our new interview, ‘but it’s how you get back up and how many times you get back up. That’s definitely what I felt when it happened to me and [I thought], Okay – this isn’t going to define who I am. I can let it, but I’m not going to.’Davey also says that he would have been recording music and writing and doing other things in a wheelchair – but his determination and the work he’s done and continues to do has meant he doesn’t need to. ‘You can try and hold me down,’ he says, laughing, ‘but it’s not going to work out too well.’This is context for the song that Davey has just released, ‘Got It All’, which is a feel-good anthem that is about embracing and celebrating what you have. And context does matter: this song is anchored in his lived experience. The video clip, filmed by his good friend Jackson James, backs up the message in the song (and I did have a question about why Davey didn’t make his own video!) and was made when James was visiting from his new home in Nashville for Davey’s wedding.Davey may have to put his activities on pause or, at least, slow for a little while as he’s due to become a father soon. No doubt his song will take on new meaning, and he will likely take on fatherhood the way he’s taken on every other endeavour – and he’ll keep making music while he’s doing it.Watch the video on YouTubeListen to ‘Got It All’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Got It All’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copperline are a four-piece alt-country band fronted by Brad Christmas, who is also an in-demand musician who has played with acts such as Boney M and Steve Kilbey in between writing songs and also writing books – his first book for young people, Saltwater Boy, has had award acclaim and Christmas is now at work on his second.Copperline’s new single, ‘Sleepwalking’, was produced by Shane Nicholson, with whom they have worked on their two albums thus far. Nicholson is now working out of a studio in Melbourne where he shares space with Damian Cafarella and Clint Wilson, so it was interesting to find out about that in the interview! ‘Sleepwalking’ is Copperline’s first release since 2022’s ‘Lucinda’, from their second album Borrowed, Broken & Blue, written for Christmas’s late daughter. It achieved chart success and won Ballad of the Year at the 2023 Australian Songwriters Association Awards, one of five nominations the band has had for those particular awards.I’ve had a few chats with Christmas now, so you’ll hear some familiarity – plus we both live in Sydney and have seen each other at gigs. I also work in book publishing by day and therefore have quite an interest in his parallel life as an author, so there’s some discussion of that in this interview.Copperline have two shows left this year before they head to Tamworth in January:Saturday 4th October – Tourist Hotel, Queanbeyan NSW Sunday 30th November – Link and Pin, Woy Woy NSW  Listen to ‘Sleepwalking’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Sleepwalking’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brooke Schubert is a country rock artist living in Brisbane, Queensland. She is in a musical lineage that includes her great-grandmother, Iris Atkinson, who was the first woman in Australia to produce a vinyl recording, her aunt Karyn, an opera singer, and her mother, Susan, who performed at the first Gympie Muster and was also a professional golfer. Both music and sport have been prominent in Schubert’s life – she has represented Queensland in hockey and swimming, and has also been performing most of her life and releasing music since 2013. She now has a debut album, After Midnight, and at the time we spoke she was fresh from performing at the Gympie Muster. It was at the Muster, at the age of ten, that Schubert sang on stage for the first time, so it was a special place for her to return to with her album. The album draws on a range of her musical influences and also contains a song written by family friend Graeme Connors, which was recorded in the wake of a heartbreaking event that affected Schubert deeply – something we can hear in her vocal. Schubert’s voice is a glorious instrument and the variety of songs on After Midnight gives her the opportunity to use it to full effect. Her passion for music is apparent in these songs, and also in conversation – she lives and breathes music.Schubert has played live in all sorts of venues and continues to do so regularly in Brisbane. She’s also going to take her new album on the road in Queensland in October – you can find details of those shows and her Brisbane gigs at https://brookeschubert.com/pages/shows-1Listen to After Midnight on Apple MusicListen to After Midnight on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.