Sunburnt Country Music

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.

Each time I interview Tom Curtain I learn something new, which is probably not surprising, given the scope of his life: running the Katherine Outback Experience in the dry season, at his home in the Northern Territory, then taking it literally on the road during the wet season, with horses and dogs and humans in tow. This is all while he writes, records and releases music, and is involved with organisations Dolly’s Dream and Farm Angels.The reason for this latest conversation was his latest single ‘Here’s to You’, the title track of his new album, which he recorded with Laura Frank, who is part of Curtain’s tour. We talked about how Frank came to join the tour a couple of years ago, and why she and Curtain recorded the song together (Frank also made the video, with partner Nick Morrissey, who is also on tour with Curtain). Then I asked Curtain about his work with Dolly’s Dream and Farm Angels, and that’s when I discovered another element of his life: how he also takes on young people who need a break, to work with him in Katherine. He believes in giving horses, dogs and people a second chance, and has folded that into the enterprise he now runs. This is not something he advertises, but it’s work that has an impact. Curtain is certainly someone who makes the most of every single day of his life, and his songs reflect a life well lived, and lived on the land, and he has found fans all across Australia because of them. He’ll be playing those songs on tour, which kicks off in October. Tickets on sale now and available via: https://www.tomcurtain.com.au/all-tours/heres-to-you-tour/Listen to Here’s to You on Apple MusicListen to Here’s to You on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The only time I have seen Mitchell Steele perform live was over a decade ago, upstairs at the Tudor Hotel in Tamworth during the Country Music Festival. Clearly it made an impression because I remember it clearly: the crowd in that hot room in January, his voice, the way he held our attention, and how he did not shy away from what was a very close audience connection in that space. He did not release music at that time. Occasionally I would wonder what had happened to him and if he would resurface in the country music space. Then I saw that he was at this year’s Senior Academy of Country Music and that was the signal that he was back. Then I heard he was working on music and that a single was on its way, and I was, at the very least, curious as to what it might be. When I finally heard the single, ‘Worn Out West’, it was worth waiting for. A decade worth waiting for? Yes. Steele’s voice is wonderful, and so is the story in this song, which he wrote with Kasey Chambers and Brandon Dodd and which they produced, as they did Steele’s album, which does not yet have a release date but suffice to say that there’s a good chance it too will be worth the wait.I interviewed Steele about the song and his story, and he has had – still has – quite the life. He grew up in a musical family, on the land, working hard as country people have to because it’s a seven-day-a-week job, being on the land. He left school at fifteen to become a stockman, then found work in music on the Gold Coast. He’s mostly been moving between music and the land, between inland and seaside, since.Steele is fully engaged in all parts of his life, and it is always a privilege to speak to someone who is passionate about what they do. It was clear to me – as it will hopefully be to you when you watch or listen to the interview – that in the years since I saw him perform in Tamworth he’s been forming himself as an artist, understanding both himself and the world better, and figuring out what sort of artist he wants to be. That’s why this one song is so good. That’s why the album is likely to be great. I hope you enjoy getting to know Mitchell Steele in this chat. I certainly did!Listen to ‘Worn Out West’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Worn Out West’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something is in the water in the Victorian town of Castlemaine, in an artistic sense. That’s the impression I had from talking to Al Carr and Pete Daly, two of the four members of Castlemaine band Bad Debts. Carr, Daly and the two other members, Mitch Dillon and Al Stanley, are locals whose proximity has led to the creation of an endeavour that none of them was really seeking or expecting. As I found out when interviewing them about Bad Debts’ debut album, Under Kalimna Skies, Carr and Daly met because they have children going to the same school, not through music circles, although Carr has released three solo albums, amongst other things, and Daly was previously in Melbourne band Blueriver. The collaboration began as the two of them jamming together, then added Dillon and Stanley, who have also been creating music (separately) for years.‘We were kind of having a bit of fun,’ Carr says, ‘then it got serious all of a sudden!’ It got serious in the form of 13 songs, with the writing shared amongst Carr, Daly and Dillon, making one album, recorded in Castlemaine, and it’s remained serious because, as I found out, they are already well into making their second album.Part of what I found so interesting about the conversation is that Carr and Daly were well established in their lives at the time they met and became friends. The easier path would have been for Carr to keep making his music and not take up Carr’s suggestion that they jam in his shed. He wasn’t looking for a new musical enterprise.All four men, however, have embraced newness and the result is a whole body of work that wouldn’t have existed without each of them taking the sort of chance that seems effortless when you’re in your twenties and somehow so much harder when you have kids at school and homes to run. They probably don’t think of it as inspiring but it is – if nothing else, it’s a reminder that if we don’t take chances we never find out what may come of them, whom we may meet and what we may create. Bad Debts turned out to be a safe bet, and they intend to keep backing it.A note on the audio: sometimes Daly’s wifi dropped out, so things were a little patchy. But that’s podcasting in real life and not in a studio! Occasionally the internet goes wonky. Listen to Under Kalimna Skies on Apple MusicListen to Under Kalimna Skies on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve ever seen Christie Lamb play live you’ll know just how compelling a musical presence she is, with her powerful vocals and inherent musicality. She’s played in all sorts of places, from private events to arena tours, and each step of her career has seen her develop further as an artist. Her artistry has also been developed through tertiary studies, and music is now part of who she is.Lamb’s latest album, Dare, is the natural follow-up to Truth from 2022, and also an evolution in sound and storytelling. As Lamb is now a mother to Charlotte, with husband and longtime musical collaborator Jonathan English, the new album reflects the family side of her life as well as the fact that motherhood has not meant that she wants to stay home all the time. She’s a working artist, with the atypical lifestyle that brings, and she her songs reflect her reality as well as being relatable to anyone not only balancing work and family life but looking for meaning in both.Some of the songs on the album were, she tells me during this interview, developed with specific themes in mind while others developed organically. ‘You kind of let the song dictate to you in a way,’ she says, ‘whether it's from a title or a concept or just a feel of a song.’Lamb clearly approaches the creative process with an open mind and sense of adventure. As she says, ‘Dare to suck. Throw ideas out there [even] if it sounds cheesy or you think it's a bit cringe.’ It’s safe to say, however, that none of the songs on Dare are even remotely cringe! They are, in fact, incredibly earwormy, and you will find yourself being kept company by them, in a great way, for a long time to come.Listen to Dare on Apple MusicListen to Dare on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Resch was introduced to Australian country music audiences as a member of country-pop four-piece Darlinghurst, who topped charts and won awards for their songs including ‘Pretty Doesn’t Make You Good’.Resch’s life in music started well before then, however: on a toy piano in childhood, as he told me during our interview, before he moved on to other instruments. He played in a band from the age of thirteen until he was seventeen, and that led directly to him leaving Australia to move to the United Kingdom at the age of eighteen, to write songs for production company Xenomania. He has written songs for Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys, with his songs achieving chart success around the world.After the UK, Resch moved to Nashville for a while, mainly to write songs, and because he was drawn to country music. Given his background we talked quite a lot about songwriting, and Resch mentioned how he doesn’t want to write ‘sugar rush songs’ which feel good initially but don’t have lasting impact – I hadn’t heard the concept expressed like that before, and it’s memorable! We then talked in depth about his songwriting, including the fact that he writes daily. And he means daily – as he said in the chat, he tried to take a holiday once! After years of writing for others, and for Darlinghurst, Resch is now releasing his first solo single, the immediately infectious ‘Talk of the Town’, which he wrote with Michael Paynter and Michael DeLorenzis of MSquared in Melbourne, who also produced the track. Hopefully it will be the first of many solo songs.Resch was so interesting to talk to, partly for the history of his career and also because of the detail about songwriting. I hope you find him just as interesting to listen to!Listen to ‘Talk of the Town’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Talk of the Town’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chloe Marks grew up in Innisfail in Far North Queensland and she now lives in Brisbane. She has been releasing music in various guises since 2015 and now, as Chloe Marks & The Mayhem, she has released two singles this year. The latest is ‘Skip September’.It was clear during our interview that Marks is an artist who tends to say ‘yes’ to things – and also clear that those yeses have taken her to incredibly interesting places, including the life she has now, creating music and engaged in several different music communities. It takes courage to say yes, not knowing if it will be the right decision, so my impression of her is that she is courageous, and inspiring accordingly. Marks taught herself guitar at the age of eight and that was the accelerant on what was clearly a burgeoning musical talent that took off in her teenage years, when she joined marching and jazz bands, then began singing.Studying a Bachelor of Music at university in Brisbane, Marks focused on performance and production, and gained practical experience in recording studios. These are skills she still applies, although not as frequently as she would like, as she tells me in this interview. Marks formed the blues rock band Scotch and Cider in 2013, going on to rediscover country music through a bandmate, which is what has led her to release music in the country genre, including ‘Skip September’. Apart from her own bands, Marks plays drums for other artists. She’s also released music as a solo artist. This full embrace of a musical life includes songwriting, and Marks has written over 400 songs. In this conversation we discuss her (longhand) songwriting process along with her other creative endeavours, which include extreme sports photography.Listen to ‘Skip September’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Skip September’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mack & Cook are Lizzie Mack and Murray Cook are two members of The Soul Movers, who have released several albums and are festival favourites. They are now creating music as a duo and recently released their first single, the slow burn ‘Time Goes By’.What goes into this single is the experience of two of Australia’s most established and respected musical artists. Murray Cook is a founding member of The Wiggles, and a passionate music fan – I have seen at gigs of various types around Sydney, and can attest that he has eclectic taste – who continues to evolve what he’s offering as an artist.Lizzie Mack is a singer with a phenomenal instrument, a gutsy, warm voice that has graced soul and blues songs and is now very well suited to country music.This interview was a chance to not only talk to them about their history as collaborators, including the story of the Soul Movers, but to find out about their lives in music in general. I could not, of course, have ignored Cook’s involvement with The Wiggles and it was fascinating to find out about their work practices and ethic, and also not hard to see that Cook is still working consistently at his craft, as is Cook, who is just as interesting! The song ‘Time Goes By’ is about having a lot more to give as people and artists – there is, of course, a cultural focus on young artists, but certainly the audience for any genre is not entirely composed of young people, and those who have lived longer lives tend to have more stories to tell. That is definitely the case with Mack & Cook, and hopefully they’ll continue to bring those stories to us. Listen to ‘Time Goes By’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Time Goes By’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Catania is a singer-songwriter from Melbourne who released her first single, ‘Venus and Mars’, in 2022 and she’s been steadily releasing singles since then, the latest being the anthemic ‘Front Row’.  A graduate of the CMAA Academy of Country Music, Catania not only made connections with other Academy graduates but returned this year as an intern, an intensive position that also gave her the opportunity to meet Heath Milner, with whom she wrote ‘Front Row’. The song is about having the self-belief to move into the ‘front row’. ‘I've always been quite a confident being,’ she says. ‘So I think “Front Row” kind of embodies those traits that I have as well … I wanted something that could be like a hype song for the girlies because they're the songs that I really am drawn to. And I like putting on in the morning, make myself feel good, get the day started on the right foot.’Catania has been playing live regularly over the past few years, and her voice has evolved along with her songs.‘Everything changes all the time,’ she says. ‘Even if I'll watch a video of me performing last year compared to now, I feel like I've changed heaps. It's like this never-ending evolvement and development, which is cool … I can't be anything except myself. I think I'm way too loud and outspoken. If I was trying to fit a mould, you'd know, you could tell.’Catania currently manages quite a packed schedule – with the aid of a colour-coded Google Calendar, which we discuss! Along with the making of the song and other things, including the video for the song, which features a surprise leading man.Catania will be performing at the Gympie Muster pre-muster event on 23 August and you’ll also find her at Bridge Hotel in Werribee this Friday, 15 August. She’s also working on a new single release. Listen to ‘Front Row’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Front Row’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I saw Melbourne band Elly McK & The Unbelievers play in Sydney last year, it was one of the most entertaining shows I’d ever attended. The band had this groove between them that meant they could fly free within the structures of their songs, and it was evident that they all really liked each other. That is such a great treat for a live music fan, to see the artists having fun, looking like they could play all night if they were allowed to.The songs have to be there, of course, in order to provide the band with that foundation that allows creativity to flow, and in this new interview Elly and I talk about the songwriting process in the band, which starts with her but invariably involves the other members, Sam Price on drums, Jordy Hickey on double bass, and Monty Price on guitar.We spoke in depth about live performance and what it means to Elly and the band, and also how it was affected during the pandemic – because although some of us may think that’s all in the past and we should leave it there, for Melburnian musicians it cause a seismic shift in not only their daily lives but their art and how they practise it. Musical acts disbanded or changed shape, and Elly McK & The Unbelievers was a result of that. Their new single ‘Hold On’ was, as Elly tells me in the interview, written during that time and recently recorded live in studio, with an emotional vocal.If you’re in Newcastle, Kiama or Sydney you can hear that single live and I recommend you do so! As the saying goes, do yourself a favour.Tour dates:14 August – Coal & Cedar, Newcastle15 August – Butcher’s Brew, Dulwich Hill (Sydney)16 August – Kiama Bowls Club   Listen to Elly McK & The Unbelievers on Apple MusicListen to Elly McK & The Unbelievers on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Central Coast, NSW artist Chelsea Berman released her debut EP, Better Than Ever, in 2018 and since then she’s been steadily releasing catchy country-pop tunes and some heartbreakers too, since as ‘Your Call’ from 2020 (which has a standout vocal and lyric). Her second EP, Can You Just Not, was released in 2021. Now her third, Like Me Better, is out in the world and it’s a six-song cycle that starts with ‘Twenty Something’ and the mixed-up expectations and emotions of that time of life, moving through the devastation of ‘Hurt Like This?’ and on towards the final, and title, track. It was clear on first listening that there was an arc to these songs and I was interested to talk to Berman about it, and also mindful that the subject matter in ‘Hurt Like This?’, in particular, deserved a conversation if she was up for it. It can’t have been easy for her to talk about but I thank her for discussing it, as the song – and, perhaps, what she has to say about it – will no doubt touch many people.Our interview mainly takes the form of going through track by track, as I wanted to find out the story behind each song, and although this isn’t an album it feels like a definitive work for Berman, marking both the end of one part of her life and the start of another.Artists often draw on their own lives for songs (or any art form), which is as it should be: the stories and emotions are right there. Not all artists can make those stories connect with others, and it’s that connection which gives them power. Berman has created six songs that are authentic to her life and which also connect with listeners. That connection also requires courage on the part of the artist, because once they set out to make it they don’t know if it will work – if the audience will be there for them. The audience should be there for Berman with this EP, and her back catalogue, because she deserves them to be. Listen to Like Me Better on Apple MusicListen to Like Me Better on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The night before I was due to interview Liam Maihi, who was a Grand Finalist in The Voice Australia before taking time away from music to raise his young family, I was was watching a TikTok Live hosted by Nathan Lamont. Every now and again Nathan will host these lives and bring in musicians to talk, mainly, about their craft and also play a few songs. This live also turned into a songwriting session as Liam offered a new song idea and asked for some input. At one point Nathan invited me to join the live as a guest, but mainly I was a passenger! And I was also, of course, gathering intel for the interview … It was a serendipitous encounter for, while I’d already done some research, being able to see Liam sing on the live gave me a better understanding of him as an artist.When we spoke the next evening, therefore, it was within the context of me having an appreciation of his voice as well as his collaborative nature, and you’ll hear us talk a little about that in the interview. We also talk about the break he took from music after his success on The Voice and how he came to write and record his new single, ‘Whiskey and You’. We talk about Maihi’s cowriting with Robbie Mortimer, amongst others, and how he is clearly now within a community of artists that are not only creating songs together but supporting each other. It was an aspect of his artistry that might have emerged in the conversation anyway, but I’d also seen in on the Tiktok Live. Maihi might be new to audiences but he’s clearly not new to the musicians he’s now in community with. Those associations promise much – and once you watch this interview and hear Maihi’s song (if you haven’t already), you’ll be looking forward with impatience to what he makes next.Listen to ‘Whiskey and You’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Whiskey and You’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coral Renee is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from New South Wales who is already a graduate of the CMAA Junior Academy and of the Talent Development Project. She was a Top 5 Finalist in 2TM Discovered 2025 and last year won the open section in the Australian National Busking Championship Heats at The Entrance. She has released several singles and the latest is 'The Devil Wears Cowgirl Boots'. One of the things I love about Australian country music is that artists can emerge at any age, and that there are several young artists who are so accomplished and astute, as well as passionate about music. Coral is one of those: deeply musical and also aware of all the elements that go into a modern music career, including how to create an individual identity that is not only recognisable to fans but which can connect with them.Her single ‘The Devil Wears Cowgirl Boots’ is a progression, as it should be for an emerging artist, and she has committed to the world of the song in the video too. It was great to chat to her about her music and her artistry, and to find out about what’s coming up, including a possible EP release and some festival appearances.This may well be your first encounter with Coral Renee, so I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I did.Listen to Coral Renee on Apple MusicListen to Coral Renee on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last time I spoke to Eloise Rayner – around the time she released the song ‘Can You Still Feel Me Loving You’ – she was living in Sydney. Now she has a new song and a new home state: Queensland, where she has moved for her work as a speech pathologist. Her new single is ‘There Goes My Heart’ and it is like a gentle counterpart to ‘Can You Still Feel Me Loving You’, with whimsy soaked through it. Rayner is a dedicated songwriter, participating in a weekly Zoom writing session. In this interview she says of her writing: ‘I do use it like a journal a lot of the time to just write out those feelings. But, you know, I also sometimes don't write from my own experience and I write from a concept …I guess my lyrics is like where my heart is with songwriting. They capture emotions that are maybe a bit harder to talk about, or emotions that you haven't realised you felt until you've heard that song.’Matters of the heart have been a theme of not only these two solo singles but her very first single, which was the light-hearted ‘Fallin’ for a Cowboy’, recorded with good friend Zara Lindeman. The songs are just part of her creative output, though, as we discuss – although music is her priority. Rayner has embraced life in the rural community where she now lives, saying it’s provided opportunities for her music career, including performing at events and connecting with other musicians. Although there may be something that brings her south again: her producer, Simon Johnson at Hillbilly Hut, is located much closer to Sydney! Hopefully there are some tunes banked, waiting for release, to add to her impressive singles released to date.Listen to Eloise Rayner on Apple MusicListen to Eloise Rayner on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan Mead is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and former marching band member from the Sutherland Shire in Sydney. He released his debut single, ‘Tangled Up in Wranglers’, last year and was playing a lot in his home town. Then he moved to Boston, where he attends Berklee College of Music, and that has led to him playing festivals in the US, and playing a lot in general. Live music is Mead’s natural habitat, and he is great at it – so happily he is now back in Australia for a few weeks and playing a tonne of shows, several of which are at Jolene’s in Sydney’s CBD, where he was a regular before he went overseas. He’ll also be heading to Queensland for a handful of dates.It was great to have a chat to Mead about what his first year at Berklee has been like, and about those US festival appearances, as well as his plans for his home shows. He is a highly entertaining live performer and will be performing in various permutations while he’s here: solo, in a duo and with his band (which features his dad on drums). Each show is evidence of Mead’s joy in playing live as well as his determination to put on a great show for the audience – so I’m planning to see him play more than once while he’s back!To see his full run of dates, go to https://ryanmeadmusic.com/showsListen to ‘Tangled Up in Wranglers’ on Apple MusicListen to ‘Tangled Up in Wranglers’ on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.