Sunburnt Country Music

Roo Arcus became a singer unintentionally – he didn’t know he could sing until he was somewhat strong-armed into it in a group setting. The cattle farmer from the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales has been on the land all of his life and spent his formative years listening to what he calls ‘the golden era’ of country music.Arcus spends a lot of time in the United States of America where he’s asked, ‘How can you talk like an Aussie and sing like a Texan?’ His singing voice developed, he says, due to what he was listening to and singing along to when he was younger. His first album was called Station Boy and it’s not available on streaming services, although the albums since are – including his fifth, The Man I Am, which was created in the wake of a devastating fire on his property, which destroyed not only farm vehicles and equipment but instruments and his children’s belongings. (This is captured in the song ‘Just an Old Shed’ on the album.)The recording of the album in Texas was booked, however, and Arcus pressed ahead with it despite not having all the songs ready. What emerged was, perhaps, the truest expression of where he was in his life because he didn’t have time to think about it much or try to edit himself. The resulting album is not raw so much as honest, and Arcus too is honest about the impact of that time in this interview.We also talk about his longtime affection for the US, where he travels several times a year, and especially for Texas, which is his second home. Even after three decades in music, Arcus says he still feels like ‘a cattleman that sings … I don’t know how I ended up in this business.’ While that may be true, he’s stayed in it because he writes songs that reflect his experiences and they connect with people, as does his voice, and you’ll find out all about the development of both in this chat. Listen to The Man I Am on Apple MusicListen to The Man I Am on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Songs can become our best friend. And sometimes songs can save a life.’Laura T Davis, a singer-songwriter from northern New South Wales, says this a fair way into our interview. The reason for the interview was her latest single, ‘Not Your Fault’, and the story behind that song is that Davis is a victim-survivor of extreme sexual violence perpetrated upon her in her teens. So when she talks about songs saving a life, she’s talking about what songs have meant to her and also what writing this song has done for her. We talk at length about this part of her story, in particular, and also the other parts of her life, such as her beloved animals – horses and dogs – who are, she says, ‘part of my healing’. We talk about her musical background, being classically trained in piano and voice, and the time she spent performing for hours each day on ships on Sydney Harbour. About how, she says, there is a calling for music in her heart.Davis released a single in 2020 called ‘Make It Till Christmas’, which was partly about how people on the land will hold on – to make it to Christmas, for example. It was inspired by what she saw around her, in the region she lives in, which is also an area that has been so badly affected by floods. By these acts of God that have been visited upon the residents. Acts that are not their fault any more than what happened to Davis was hers.‘You have to tell yourself it’s not your fault,’ she says of the realisation she came to after years spent in the aftermath of the violence done to her. ‘You have to forgive yourself … That was the catalyst for this [song]. It was probably the only way that I could heal ... I didn’t want to suffer in silence any more.’Davis is no longer suffering in silence but she is also incredibly self-aware and articulate about what it has taken for her to arrive at the place where she could not only write this song but record it and release it. For anyone who has been through a similar experience – and I sincerely hope you have not – I believe her story will give you heart. For anyone who has not, I hope you will listen to her with an open heart. That’s what she is offering to the world, when we have no right to expect it of her.Listen to ‘Not Your Fault’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Not Your Fault’ on SpotifyListen to ‘Not Your Fault’ on YouTubeFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each interview I do is, obviously, different because each artist is different – they have unique backgrounds, sounds and stories. Some of them turn out to be packed with lots of interesting elements – subjects I could have pursued for much longer conversations, except I’m mindful of trying to keep the chats relatively short and focused on music. This interview with Jo Page, a country music artist from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was one of those. I start off asking Page about Port Lincoln – which is Australia’s seafood capital, which I didn’t previously know. Page also mentions that she won Port Lincoln’s Got Talent as part of Tunarama at the age of 20 – and, well, I had to ask her about something called Tunarama! You’ll have to watch/listen to find out what she said …Page has been performing live since that time, although, as she says, at school she was ‘always the nerdy choir chick that would give up lunchtimes to do music stuff’. But it was the competition which led to her being introduced to a local producer with whom she formed a duo and then a band. She has only recently started writing songs, however, because she only started playing guitar three years ago. Now she’s written hundreds – as she says, you need to write a lot in order to find the gems – and one of those is ‘Fire In His Eyes’, which she wrote with Kevin Bennett and recorded with Matt Fell at Wilder in Tasmania. The character in the song, says Page in the interview, is based on how she envisages her grandfather, who was a cowboy – and there’s more to it but, again, you’ll need to watch/listen to find out!Page is pursuing her music while also being a frontline domestic violence worker and mental health advocate. We talk about how she takes care of her own mental health, and a lot more besides. Maybe next time I’ll get to pursue those other subjects in more detail, but I certainly enjoyed this chat and hope you do too. Listen to ‘Fire In His Eyes’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Fire In His Eyes’ on SpotifyWatch/listen to the song on YouTubeFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Tom Nethersole released a country single, ‘Ardmona Rd’. I hadn’t heard of Nethersole before that – his previous releases were mainly pop songs – but I loved the song and therefore was happy to chat to him about it. It was a great pleasure to interview him, so when he told me that he had a new folk-tinged song, ‘Holiday Spirit’, written and recorded with fellow Victorian Kye Arnot, of course I wanted to talk to them both.Arnot has developed quite a following on TikTok, and we talk about that aspect of being an artist these days, as well as his single ‘Common Things’. Nethersole has also released an EP, Father, Son & the space in between, since we last spoke and it’s been on high rotation for me, because he has a certain way with melody and words so that his songs don’t let you go. ‘Holiday Spirit’ is no exception. It’s an ode to loved ones lost, and how that loss affects what is supposedly a festive season. In our interview Nethersole and Arnot talk about how they came to write together, and how the recording worked – and they reveal that there is, in fact, another recorded version of the song in existence, which frankly I would very much like to hear!While there is nothing at all country-music about ‘Holiday Spirit’, one of the benefits of Sunburnt Country Music being an independent enterprise, and me being the only person here, is that I can cover what I like if I think it’s worth telling you about. I value your time and attention, and this enterprise keeps growing – across multiple platforms – because of it. These two artists are special, I think, and they’ve made something special together. I hope you enjoy meeting them, and listening to their song.Listen to ‘Holiday Spirit’ on Apple Music           Listen to ‘Holiday Spirit’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year singer-songwriter Saralyn won the Mothertone Gympie Muster Talent Search, which was a terrific achievement – but she was also working on something else significant at the same time, and it wasn’t until this year that we found out what it was.Auditioning on the hit TV show The Voice, Saralyn turned the chair of judge Ronan Keating and joined his team. Although she didn’t make it through to the finals, she cherishes the experience, as she told me in this recent interview. It turned out she applied for the show two years ago and wasn’t selected to audition; this time around she was approached instead, and it was, she says, the right time. She has in competitions from a young age, and performing in festivals for several years. The Voice offered something that allowed her to deepen her already extensive experience. Now Saralyn has released her version of ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’, a song written by Garth Brooks and very popularly covered by Keating. It’s a song that is tied to and emblematic of her time on The Voice, and now she has her own unique version of it.It was clear during our chat that Saralyn was invigorated and motivated by her experience on The Voice, ready to step even more fully into her creative life, which has included some really lovely singles, such as ‘White Butterfly’. If you hadn’t heard of her before The Voice, there are some great songs to catch up on – and, no doubt, to look forward to. Watch the video for ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ on YouTubeListen to Saralyn on Apple MusicListen to Saralyn on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Team Love are a six-piece alt-country and folk band (full list of members below) from Victoria who released their first album during the pandemic. Since then lead singer and songwriter Ruby McGrath-Lester and partner/bandmate Shaun Stolk have become parents, so they’ve had a little bit on their plate. But as I found out when I chatted with McGrath-Lester recently, they have been writing songs – and there were around two dozen which were candidates for their second album, the recently released Now Things Ain’t Coloured Rose. The band worked up all of the songs before making a decision on which to record, and the resulting eleven songs are in part McGrath-Lester showing us some fairly tender parts of herself. Being vulnerable in art usually requires not only a commitment but a leap of faith for the artist, and part of what’s great about these songs is that in acknowledging that there are some things that aren’t ‘ideal’ (depending on how that is defined), she’s not going to change them. There’s a comfort in that for the listener – a reassurance that, no, we don’t all have to fix ourselves all the time. Because maybe we actually don’t need fixing – we just don’t to be more self-accepting.The band’s tenth anniversary is looming, and there may well be some live shows in honour of it, so keep an eye on the band’s socials for news of upcoming gigs. And a note on the audio: towards the end my wi-fi connection became unstable (as Zoom likes to say) so I had to cut the part where I’m attempting to say goodbye to Ruby!Team Love are:Ruby McGrath-Lester (vocals, acoustic guitar)Ruby Cattell (violin, vocals)Monique Bricknell (keys, vocals)Shaun Stolk (guitars, vocals)Paddy McGrath-Lester (drums, vocals, guitars, percussion, mandolin)Tom Thomas (bass, additional keys)Listen to Now Things Ain’t Coloured Rose on Apple MusicListen to Now Things Ain’t Coloured Rose on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Country-pop artist Courtney Keil started her musical life in Melbourne and now lives on the Central Coast of New South Wales, where she is an integral member of what has long been an established country music community (which includes Lyn Bowtell, Kasey Chambers, Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham, and previously Beccy Cole and Shane Nicholson) and which now has more venues opening and, therefore, more opportunities for artists to perform.In our chat about her latest single, ‘Friends for Life’, I asked Keil about what’s happening with music on the coast, and we talked about the organisation Central Coast Music and Arts, which I was very pleased to learn about! We also talked about Keil’s other musical project, the duo The Midnight Black, and her next album, which she’s working towards. ‘Friends for Life’ was recorded in Nashville, with Keil’s longtime producer Rod McCormack – who, along with his wife, Gina Jeffreys, is also an important part of that coast country community. The song was written with McCormack and Sally Barris, with whom Keil has written before, and it’s all about honouring friendships – and as Keil mentions, given she had a rocky start to this year, her friends have been a great support. We also talk about her decision to record in Nashville – and it transpires it’s been five years in the making …This interview was recorded towards the start of November, and Keil already had her Christmas tree up, so of course I had to ask her about that – and it turns out she will be performing on Christmas Eve at The Entrance, so if you’re in the area make sure to pack your picnic rug and get along! And she’ll be appearing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival on 18 January at the show That’s Where the Faith Comes In – tickets available here.It's always great to chat to Courtney Keil – this interview was no exception – and if it’s your introduction to her, I hope you enjoy it and the song!Listen to ‘Friends for Life’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Friends for Life’ on SpotifyYouTubeFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Mac is a country music artist from south-east Queensland who has extensive experience as both a performing and recording artist, whose story – as I found out during this interview – has many strands to it, all of them weaving together to form the artist who is now releasing the songs he’s always wanted to bring to people, including his latest single, ‘Nomadic’.Mac was in his car when we spoke, with his guitar, Maton ECW80 cutaway, in the back seat, so I decided to start the conversation there, and he certainly had some stories to tell about it! However, Mac’s first instrument was piano, which he started playing at eight, encouraged by his mother, who was a primary school music teacher who also introduced him into musicals at school, including Grease and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The experience in musicals stands him in very good stead as a performer today, in large part because of the singing involved and the confidence to do it. As he says, ‘A lot of people can sing, they just don’t know that they can.’By his late teens, though, Mac wanted to play Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi – and also play an instrument that was of his own choosing. And ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was the first song he learned to play on guitar. Mac started playing gigs – lots of gigs – and developed his repertoire of covers, before moving into original music, and his experiences there were not straightforward. He released music in a genre other than country music, under a different name, but it wasn’t the direction he really wanted to be in. It’s only in the last couple of years that he’s started releasing country songs, and the latest of those is ‘Nomadic’, which started life as a riff Mac heard on social media – performed by a busker in Byron Bay – and became a song inspired by some of the many adventures he’s had, travelling around Australia and performing.Listen to ‘Nomadic’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Nomadic’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Newcastle, NSW artist Sandy Louise started her musical life on flute and picked up guitar at the age of eighteen, which is also when she started writing songs – and songwriting has become a passion of hers.Influenced by Kasey Chambers, The Cranberries and Alanis Morissette, Sandy has been writing songs ever since and is now an integral member of the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA), acting as the regional coordinator in her area. In that capacity she organises open-mic nights – and it was at a different open-mic night that she met Bill Chambers, father of Kasey.Chambers subsequently became Sandy’s producer and is the co-writer of her latest single, ‘Tears in the Driveway’. Inspired by what actually happened at the end of a visit by Sandy to her sister in South Australia, it’s about leaving behind love ones and how we manage that distance when those we hold dear are so far away.Sandy has released four albums, and she’s currently working towards a fifth. She runs her musical life in tandem with full-time work and family life. Although it can be hard to fit creativity in and around those sorts of demands, it was clear during our interview that the music side of her life is not negotiable. If you’re in the Newcastle area and would like to participate in one of the open-mic nights run by Sandy, she talks about those in the interview. You can also go to the ASA website.Listen to Sandy Louise on Apple MusicListen to Sandy Louise on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australians of a certain age who grew up in certain locations will remember El Caballo Blanco. It was a show featuring dancing white horses – hence the name – and as I grew up in Sydney, one of two Australian sites for El Caballo Blanco, I remember the TV ad, despite the fact I was only allowed to watch half an hour of television a day. That’s how effective the marketing machine of Western Australian artist Olive Mae’s grandfather was. Her grandfather was a remarkable entrepreneur who founded several businesses apart from El Caballo Blanco. He died before Mae was born but, intrigued by his story, she wrote a song about it with esteemed artist Gretta Ziller, and has now released the single, entitled ‘El Caballo Blanco’, which was produced by Matt Fell. Mae met Ziller at one of the SHE Songwriting Retreats run by Lyn Bowtell – you can find Bowtell talking about these in my recent interviews with her (as referenced by Mae in our own interview!) – but they didn’t write the song until later. Mae then went on to attend the Academy of Country Music – of which Bowtell is the director – and found it a valuable experience, not least because she is in WA and, as she says, while there several country music artists in that state, they’re all spread out, and Academy is an opportunity to form connections with other artists. The first time I interviewed Mae, a little while ago now, I found her a hoot and the experience was repeated this time. She’s also a really thoughtful and interesting artist, and it sounds like there are more songs on the near horizon, so stay tuned for more great stories from Olive Mae. Listen to Olive Mae on Apple MusicListen to Olive Mae on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If Sydney-area country music artist Sara Berki had only released her EP In the Neon earlier in the year, played her first headline tour – which was a two-set affair – as well as major festivals, and the NRLW Grand Final, as well as two Golden Guitar nominations (for New Talent and Female Artist of the Year) that would be a year in which she could put her feet up by now and have earnt a rest. Instead, she has just released another EP, Outrun, which is moving and memorable, offering a different musical treatment to In the Neon although still very much complementary to it.When we spoke about the EP, I wanted to ask about individual songs, as they cannot be taken as a group. The single, ‘Porch Light’, which was released first, has quite a story behind it, as Berki tells me in this interview. ‘Happy House’ needed a separate conversation – you will understand why when you watch or listen to the interview – and the title track felt like an origin story, so it was great to discover the context for it. The last two tracks, ‘Lily of the Valley’ and ‘Heaven & Hell’, see Berki in storyteller mode. Berki wrote four of the tracks alone – which is how she has mostly worked – and ‘Lily of the Valley’ with Nashville songwriters Brand Hood and Billy Montana. Since her first single she’s always demonstrated that she’s an exceptional songwriter; this EP is her taking those skills and adding (even more) courage as she shows us more of herself, telling more of her story. Although I’ve interviewed Berki several times, there’s always more to discover, and so it was in this conversation too.Listen to Outrun on Apple MusicListen to Outrun on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tate Cole grew up on a small family farm in south-east Queensland, heavily involved in the rodeo scene from a young age, following the lead of his father. At the same time as he was taking his chances on horses and cattle, he was developing his musical talents. His mother encouraged him and his brother to learn piano even before they’d started school, and while he was still in primary school Cole asked if he could learn guitar. Growing up, he heard country tunes in the family car on the long drives that will be familiar to anyone who has lived in or spent time in the country, and he would sing along – so those songs shaped his taste as well as his voice. Once he started to write music of his own, he found that he has ‘a tendency to write sad lyrics to upbeat songs’, and that was how his first single, ‘Purgatory’, came to be.His second single is ‘Whiskey River’, penned by Cole with Kane Vincent and Cody Walker (contacts he made through the Academy of Country Music), whom he’s known for a couple of years, in a serendipitous fashion, and produced by Jared Adlam, who also works with James Johnston, amongst others. Cole plays regularly in Brisbane, and you can find the dates on his website. And a note about the sound in this interview: there were some wifi issues in the second half, so you’ll hear a slight delay in his responses. I could edit it out but, hey, I tend to like these conversations to be presented to you as they happened.Listen to Tate Cole on Apple MusicListen to Tate Cole on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mak & Shar are a duo and they are also brothers. They have been making music together since childhood, as two-thirds of Brothers3, and also pursued music and musical studies individually. So they have already achieved a lot, and they’ve also been through a lot, which we have discussed in previous interviews and they elaborate on it in this one. Their debut album together is called New Problems but both the song and the album are uplifting – the new problems are not big problems. As Shar says during the interview, ‘With our family, I don’t think you’re allowed to be really upset too often’ – and when you learn the context for that, and know what the brothers have experienced, this statement is all the more extraordinary. They could so easily make music that is heavy, and no one would question that. Instead they choose to pursue open heartedness and joy – and making music together, despite naysayers. As Mak says, ‘It’s really important to look at the positives in life and keep on grinding.’The latest single from New Problems is ‘Simple Things’, written with Robbie Mortimer, and I ask each of them about the simple things that bring them joy – and they have great answers for that. I also ask Mak about ‘Amara’s Song’, which was written for his eldest daughter at the time she was an only child … He now has another daughter, so obviously needs to write a song for her!Each time I’ve interviewed Mak and Shar I have very much enjoyed how they interact with each other – because they genuinely like each other, quite apart from being brothers – and admired how they have made a commitment to continuing to make music together, and the processes they follow to do that. They are musical artists to their cores, and I think that shines through in this chat.Listen to New Problems on Apple MusicListen to New Problems on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the saying goes, luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Three-time Golden Guitar winner Andrew Swift has named his latest album Lucky Stars, and it’s his document of the last few years in his life, which have been full of personal and professional opportunity – and the album itself is testament to the ‘preparation’ part of the equation.Swift is an accomplished and astute songwriter who also loves live performance, honing his sound and his instinct on the road to ensure he presents his audience with an album that is not only memorable but clear in its communication. The themes of the album are set with opening track ‘Nothing Better’, and consolidated throughout.Swift is currently on the road and has shows and festivals booked through until March next year (dates below) and no doubt beyond. He’s also recently been to Canada, as he’s signed with a Canadian management company. In this interview we talk about that decision, as well as the newest Swift: his daughter, Valentine, for whom he and partner Simone Sordello wrote and recorded a song that appears on the album. Given everything going on in his life, Swift might be forgiven for not having time to be aware of all the good things in life, but it’s clear in this conversation that he means what he says in the album title: he counts his lucky stars. And he also takes them on the road, and into songs, for others to enjoy.SEE ANDREW SWIFT LIVE21st November - St Andrews Hotel - St Andrews VIC22nd November - Bellarine Estate - Bellarine VIC23rd November - Kindred Bandroom - Footscray VIC24th January - Blazes Showroom - Tamworth Country Music Festival NSW5th February - Mt Gambier Bowls Club - Mt Gambier SA6th February - Wheatsheaf Hotel - Adelaide SA7th February - Quorn Hall - Quorn SA8th February - Murray Delta Juke Joint - Goolwa SA14th February - Boyup Brook Country Music Muster - Boyup Brook WA28th March - Echuca Country Music Festival - Echuca VICTickets on sale now and available via www.andrewswift.com.auListen to Lucky Stars on Apple MusicListen to Lucky Stars on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There will never not be a lot for me to talk to Fanny Lumsden about. The two-time ARIA and multiple Golden Guitar-winning singer, songwriter, videographer, tour specialist and joy bringer from the Upper Murray region of New South Wales has a full life that has this year seen her tour the United Kingdom and Ireland, supported Paul Kelly on his European and Australian tours, record new songs and release the single ‘Look At Me Now’ and its accompanying video, which features moments from Lumsden’s whole career and was made by her husband, bandmate and collaborator, Dan Stanley Freeman. This is combined with raising two children, being a mentor for others in the music industry and general and specific fabulousness. So this is not a quick chat that I had with Lumsden. I’ve been a fan since her debut EP – which I mention in this interview – and that was for her music first. Lumsden is a fantastic songwriter, telling stories that are evocative, inspiring and also relatable. It was her songs I loved first – and then I started seeing her play live. The live enterprise that is Fanny Lumsden and her band, the Prawnstars, has taken her around Australia multiple times, building her audience through the Country Halls Tours, as well as to the Glastonbury Festival, which in turn spurred her UK tours. Her upcoming Australian capital cities tour is the reason for this interview but it’s by far the only topic we cover. I will say this, though: I will never be unbiased on the subject of Lumsden, her music and her shows. She is one of the most powerful forces for good in the Australian culture, leading by example and excellence, always pushing herself to create work that is more exciting, more insightful, more uplifting, more entertaining. For a fan, what could be more exciting? So that’s why I go to every single show she puts on in my home town (Sydney) and I encourage you to see her play live too. There will be laughter and playfulness and unexpected moments – and always, always there will be the songs and the harmonies and the excellent band. The dates to see Fanny Lumsden live are listed below.Tickets available at https://www.fannylumsden.net/tourdatesFriday February 6 - Rosemount Hotel, Perth, WASaturday February 7 - Lion Arts Centre, Adelaide, SAFriday February 13 - Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne, VicSaturday February 14 - The Triffid, Brisbane, QldFriday February 20 - Factory Theatre, Sydney, NSWSaturday February 21  - UC Hub, Canberra, ACTListen to Fanny Lumsden on Apple MusicListen to Fanny Lumsden on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Lyrics first. Lyrics always first. I’m a lyrics guy beyond anything.’Wade Forster says this early on in our interview about his latest album, Gooseneck Party, and what then followed was a discussion about his songwriting process – he writes almost exclusively on his own. He mentions that in the last two or three years he’s written upwards of 70 or 80 songs on his own, and the tracks on the album are ‘just twenty-two of the better ones.’ Forster has rich material to draw from. As he says in this chat, ‘I’ve lived a hell of a life … I’ve got a lot of stories from a lot of different towns.’ He’s had a variety of jobs, from fridge mechanic to rodeo rider and a lot else in between. He also mentions in the interview that he gives 110% to his shows because he knows what it’s like to save up money to go to a show, and he wants to make sure his audience has a great experience accordingly. Having seem him play live I can attest that this is a case. Forster is a showman, and one with substance.This was my first time interviewing Forster and I didn’t know what to expect. What I found was a thoughtful, well-rounded artist who puts a lot of time and attention into making his songs the best they can be, then curating the best selection for the album or show, not only to tell the whole story he wants to tell but to create something unique and memorable for his audience. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting conversation, and I hope you find it the same!SEE WADE FORSTER LIVE Nov 15 – Townsville, Otherwise QLDNov 20 – Geelong, Barwon Club VICNov 21 – Melbourne, Howler VIC SOLD OUTNov 22 – Adelaide, Jive SA SOLD OUTNov 27 – Katoomba, Baroque Bar NSWNov 28 – Sydney, The Lansdowne NSWJan 19 – Tamworth, The Longyard NSWListen to Gooseneck Party on Apple MusicListen to Gooseneck Party on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since multiple award-winning and -nominated country music artist James Johnston started releasing singles, I’ve interviewed him several times. Although we’d met in person none of those interviews have been in person before now, and it was wonderful to have the chance to chat to Johnston about his second album, WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME, the follow-up to his smash-hit debut RAISED LIKE THAT. Because we filmed this in person and I don’t have a whiz-bang multi-camera studio, you’ll see only him on camera – although I did have nice microphones on us both!There have already been several hit singles from WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME, including ‘Hell Boy’ and ‘Good For Me’, but as with RAISED LIKE THAT Johnston held some things back for the album. In the sixteen tracks we hear his stories, yes, but my impression was that this album seems more structured around themes, such as loyalty, love, dedication to family, appreciation of friends, hard work and very much not taking anything for granted. I put this to Johnston in the interview, and you can watch/listen to hear his response!Johnston wrote dozens of songs before he recorded his first single, and his dedication not only to creating but to editing his output means that his albums are curated to offer an experience to the listener. Even a song that looks like a party song from the outside – such as ‘I Oughta Know Better’- offers details that build a world, rather than relying on cliché.There’s also a special song called ‘Can I Keep Talking to You’, which I saw Johnston perform live ahead of the album release and immediately noted. It was lovely to hear the story behind that too.I’ve never been shy about my admiration of Johnston, who not only has the talent and application but professionalism to match. His rapid rise was many years in the making, and he has consolidated the success of his first releases with a second album that will deepen his connection with fans, and no doubt bring in new fans too.Listen to WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME on Apple MusicListen to WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.