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**Contains the track 'Country Singer' from Faith & Sweat**
Linc Phelps hails from the country music centre of Gympie in Queensland and he has just released his debut album, Faith & Sweat, which has already produced four chart-topping singles.
The album has been a long time coming for Phelps, who has practised what he preaches in the album’s title by putting in a lot of sweat over the years to develop his music to the point where he’s ready to release this album, keeping faith in his craft all the while.
As he says, ‘There is so much in this life that's worth aspiring to and worth chasing.’
The album was produced by fellow Queenslander Gavin Carfoot, who co-wrote some of the tracks, and in fact the album was an all-Queensland affair, as it was mixed by Gold Coast resident Jared Adlam. It contains collaborations with The Wolfe Brothers on ‘Sing a Little Louder’ and Melody Moko on ‘Dear Mind’.
Faith & Sweat is a set of origin stories for Phelps, although there are still more left unrecorded and unreleased. Perhaps the most impactful story on the album is the one he wrote in memory of his daughter Denver Grace – the last track on the album, ‘Green Valley’.
In this interview we talk about ‘Green Valley’ as well as other songs on the album, and about Phelps’s rich life in music, which encompasses not only recording and performing but working with emerging artists at Song Muster and elsewhere. That faith and sweat has culminated in an album that is both meaningful and entertaining, a reward for the listener who wants a deeper layer of story to connect with while also tapping their toes in time to the music.
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Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham won three Golden Guitar Awards for their most recent album, Birdsong, but that is far from the extent of their award winning, as at last count I believe they have a bajillion – the technical term – between them for their separate endeavours. They have been touring constantly over the past couple of years and they have a brand new song, ‘Joy Roller’.
Joy is what Urquhart and Cunningham bring to people, so this seems fitting. Having seen them play live several times, it is certainly what they offer to audiences, mainly because it’s what they embody on stage. Urquhart has had a flourishing solo career, and two albums with Kevin Bennett and Lyn Bowtell as Bennett Bowtell & Urquhart, and Cunningham is a member of beloved trio The Waifs.
So they were experts before they ever united in music and in life to create something that is different to their other endeavours, because they have allowed it to take its own shape. From their first album, The Song Club, there has never been a sense that they have forced anything to do with this joint enterprise. Which doesn’t mean it’s so easy that it comes without work. It’s work they are both prepared to do, though, which is why they can create new music at a stiff pace while also touring and raising two children (who have their own musical enterprise, The Meadows).
‘Joy Roller’ is the first single from the album Urquhart and Cunningham are working on – not yet fully recorded – and once more sounds like they are riding creative currents together. They really are the best kind of musical treat: accomplished, self-aware, big-hearted and able to create melodically lovely, lyrically inspiring songs. Let’s hope they keep this kind of joy rolling for as long as possible.
See Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham live:
Monday 28th April – _QLD Music Trails: Ballads & Bush Yarns – _Cunnamulla, QLD
Saturday 12th - Sunday 13th July – _Mullum Roots Festival – _Mullumbimby, NSW
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**NB: I called the Vixens of Fall single ‘Sinkin’ Ships’ instead of ‘Sinkin’ Spirits’ but I’d already tried to record the episode so many times that I ran out of time to do it again!
Songs covered - audio included:
Brad Cox – ‘I’m a Boxer’
The Buckleys - 'See Your Folks Again'
Vixens of Fall - 'Sinkin' Spirits'
Roger Knox - 'Prison Wall'
Mentions:
McCusker Gill - 'Holy Rose Hotel'
Olivia Foy - 'Cruise Control'
Listen to all the March new releases on the Sunburnt Country Music Spotify playlist.
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A few weeks ago I interviewed Nathan Lamont, a three-time Star Maker Grand Finalist from Wagga Wagga, NSW whose popularity is growing both on streaming and as a performer, about his latest country-pop release, ‘Bigger Things’. I’ve interviewed Nathan a few times and it’s always been a great pleasure to talk to him – plus each time it seemed to be longer than the time before! Fluid conversation is never a given, but he’s always made it easy to interview him, hence why the chats get longer.
However, there tend to be limits to what can be discussed in an interview tied to a release – we focus on the music, with good reason, even when the artist has an extraordinary story to tell. I knew Nathan did have such a story and after that ‘Bigger Things’ interview we discussed doing a much longer interview in which he could go into detail. It wasn’t necessarily an easy decision – at the start of this new interview he says he feels vulnerable even though he wants to talk – but in sharing his story he hopes to help others who may have had similar experiences.
While this chat isn’t about a specific release, it relates to music in that every artist is partly forged by their experiences, and from my perspective great artists let that happen. They don’t stand in the way of being themselves. They may hesitate at times, and wonder if they should really show everyone else who they are, but ultimately they do show us. The singing voice in particular tells us a lot. We can hear when the singer wants to truly connect, and that connection has to come from a deep place, and I heard that from the start in Nathan’s songs.
March the 22nd is Nathan’s birthday, as he told me during the interview, and I wanted to post the interview in time for it to honour the work he has done to even be in the world, let alone becoming someone who strives to create joyful experiences for others. We spoke for over two hours and every minute of that is worth your time to find out more about him. And the name of this mini series of interviews – if there turn out to be more – was one that he suggested: ‘Deep Dive’. So, I hope you find the first Deep Dive interview to be as compelling as I did, and I thank Nathan for showing up with his history and his whole heart, and for having the courage to do so.
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I’ve spoken to Broome, WA artist Adele Oliver about her singles ‘Wiley Blue’ and ‘Angel’ and each time found her thoughtful and interesting and offering a unique perspective on making music. This was no different with our latest chat, for her EP To Home & Heartbreak, which collects previous releases and contains the new single ‘Home Tonight’.
Oliver is currently away from home, touring Western Australia, and when I spoke to her she was about to play the Nannup Music Festival, and she was in the local library – which seemed appropriate, given the richness of stories in her songs. We spoke about her trip to the Tamworth Country Music Festival – always a big commitment for a WA artist – and about the town of Fitzroy Crossing, where she was living when she wrote ‘Home Tonight’, as well as her decision to go on the road for several months.
If you’d like to see Adele Oliver live, she’s in the Perth area next week, with other dates to follow:
Mar 27 Kidogo House, Fremantle WA
Mar 30 The Moon, Perth WA
Apr 4 Settler’s House, York WA
Apr 5 Wessy on the Green, Westonia WA
April 12 Carnarvon Hotel, Carnarvon WA
Apr 13 Whalebone brewing, Exmouth WA
Apr 28 Northwest Brewing, Karratha WA
May 2 Divers Tavern, Broome WA
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Melbourne artist KEZRA has established a career in indie pop that has seen her releasing the EP Fortress in 2023 and singles leading up to that, which all had airplay on triple j and community radio. She’s appeared in Atwood Magazine (USA), Backseat Mafia (UK/AUS), Pilerats, Music Feeds, The Music, The AU Review, Forte Mag, Eat This Music and AAA Backstage, and her music videos have also seen support from MTV Upload.
KEZRA’s pop releases revealed her facility for writing great hooks as well as her fantastic voice – and now she’s taken those talents into country music, with the release of the single ‘Another Life’ (which comes with a big earworm warning). The song is about meeting someone you connect with but aren’t destined to be with, and while that set-up has hints of sadness baked in, the song is ultimately uplifting.
It was a pleasure to chat to KEZRA about the song, and much more, including her musical background, and to find out what drew her towards country music for this release.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting KEZRA via this interview, if you weren’t aware of her before, and let’s hope it’s not her last foray into this genre. Mind you, I haven’t been able to stop listening to ‘Another Life’ so it’s entirely possibly I’ll still be listening to it when she releases her next song …
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**LIsten to 'Lies' after the interview**
My first encounter with emerging Sydney artist Hayden Phillis was at the Junior Academy of Country Music in Tamworth, NSW, in July 2023. I was invited to talk to the students about interview skills and asked if I would interview a student, or students, on the spot. Hayden was the only student who volunteered! And he was great at it. It turned out that was his first interview, ever – because he told me so when I interviewed him again this year after the release of his second single, ‘Lies’.
‘Lies’was the result of Hayden workshopping ideas with mentor Kevin Welch, and it was co-written with Michelle Cashman. As he told me, ‘I really love being able to find new people who I don't know or I haven't co-written with before and learn a bit more about them and their music.’
Hayden has returned to Academy twice since 2023, including this year for his first stint at Senior Academy, so we talked about the impact Academy has had on his life, as well as about ‘Lies’ and other things he’s been up to. He’s a talented and committed musician and singer-songwriter who has not wasted any time releasing original music – his first single, ‘Broken Angel’, was released last year – despite being not long out of school. As he says in the interview, ‘I do like to try and throw myself into things like that and put my best foot forward and try and learn what I can.’
Hayden is certainly an artist to watch – someone with a completely open mind about creative projects, curious as to what’s possible and very much enjoying every moment of it. As he says, ‘I find you get special moments within each of the little things... when different projects you're working on or different performances you're doing really come together.’
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Tori Darke and Jay Santilli have their own, distinct careers in country music - Santilli with her moving, emotional songs that saw her become a 2024 Star Maker Grand Finalist, and Darke with her high-energy country pop that has seen her make an impression on The Voice and elsewhere. They now have a song together, ‘Trouble’, and it’s one that makes the most of their respective vocal talents and offers a party song with substance.
Recently I spoke with them about how their friendship developed and how they turned it into a songwriting then recording collaboration. It’s clear that they have great respect for each other, which is no doubt one of the reasons why their first release together is so strong. We also talked about them working with producers MSquared and how that experience pushed them both as artists, in a good way. We also chatted about the music video for ‘Trouble’, which not only looks like fun but, as it turns out, was fun to make too.
Darke is on tour with her The Voice co-star Brad Butcher (dates below) and Santilli also has some shows coming up – including one in Rome!
Tori Darke tour dates
Friday 28th March - Old Bundy Tavern – Bundaberg, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher)
Saturday 29th March - Junction Cafe – Toondoon, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher)
Sunday 30th March - Great Western hotel – Rockhampton, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher)
Friday 4th April - Metropolitan Hotel – Mackay, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher)
Saturday 5th April - Mansfield Hotel – Townsville, QLD (w/ Brad Butcher)
Thursday 10th April - The Brass Monkey – Cronulla, NSW (w/ Brad Butcher)
Friday 11th April - Django Bar – Marrickville, NSW (w/ Brad Butcher)
Saturday 12th April - The Beer Shed – Leumeah, NSW (w/ Brad Butcher)
Sunday 13th April - The Royal Hotel Queanbeyan – Queanbeyan, NSW (w/ Brad Butcher)
Saturday 28th June - Country Fest – Bloomsbury, QLD
Saturday 23rd August - Gympie Music Muster - Amamoor State Forest, QLD
Jay Santilli tour dates
Friday 4th April – Melbourne Muster (Pre-Muster) – Scoresby, VIC
Saturday 10th May – Country Gals Festival – Shepparton, VIC
Sunday 15th June – Sweat & Dust Country Festival – Rome, Italy
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These are all the songs mentioned in the podcast with a link to YouTube to listen to the song/watch the video.
For the full show notes, go to the Sunburnt Country Music website.
Chloe Marks & The Mayhem – ‘Carolina’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p98dAX3c67I
Ben Mastwyk – ‘All the Songs I Wrote’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69cdGS7mo7c
Abbie Ferris – ‘Don’t Cha Dare!’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX9-wzSW4i4
Max Jackson – ‘Grass’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPXk7Swy_I0
Dear Tommie – ‘A Man, Written by a Woman’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLwG9kr-CPw
Minor Gold – ‘Way to the Sun’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuVoTQXI4d4
Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham – ‘Joy Roller’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT6AXfCaor4
KEZRA – ‘Another Life’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1LbpPUWaEY
Cassidy-Rae – ‘You Make Me’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtw_YS1BLEc
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**Listen to the end to hear the song 'Days Like This'**
The first time I interviewed Central West NSW artist Clancy Pye we covered her extensive musical background, which began in childhood and involved playing in a family band – The Party Pyes (still one of the best band names ever!) – and gigging throughout her teenage years. It’s safe to say that Pye has been living and breathing music most of her life, and it shows in the songs she has released so far, including the hit ‘Heaven Can’t Wait’.
That song has great emotional resonance, and it’s clear Pye is not afraid of tough topics, as evidenced by her latest single, ‘Days Like This’, which was sparked by realising that there are children going to their first day of school who may be missing a parent.
Delving further into Pye’s life and experiences, we talked about her work as a physiotherapist, and it’s clear that it’s had a big influence on how she sees the world and how much sensitivity she has towards other people and what they’re going through. This enables her to be able to take a big topic such as the one she addresses in this song and have the skills necessary to find an elegant way to write about it when there are only so many verses and a chorus in which to contain her story and message.
‘Days Like This’ will get you from the first verse, so be ready. It also comes with a powerful music video, which you can see here.
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When I first interviewed Sydney folk/alt-country artist Gracie Jean, it was in 2022 and she had released her debut album, Romance is Bad. Since then she’s had momentous changes in her life, including the death of her mother.
Grief and how one survives it – and survives the what-ifs that come with it – is the bedrock of Gracie’s new EP, Having & Longing. As she is upfront about that – and I take my cues from the artists in terms of what they’re prepared to discuss – it seemed like the most appropriate place to start our conversation about the EP. So we do. There is no preamble to it, just to let you know.
The substance of this EP is there in its title. Sometimes it seems that longing is out of fashion – that we should be striving and attaining instead. Longing suggests limbo – yearning for something that may never materialise. Grief is a form of longing, and so is wanting a life that takes a certain shape, and Gracie addresses that too.
This is an EP for those who are not afraid to open up the veins of life and see what’s coursing there, aware that it might be dark and murky but they want to know anyway. There is so much sweetness on it too. It’s impossible not to be moved by an artist who wants so much that is going to be always out of reach, and also wants things which may yet transpire and she’s putting them on the record, literally.
I appreciate Gracie Jean’s honesty in this interview and hope you find as much substance in it as I did, as a way of providing context for Having & Longing.
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Nathan Lamont is from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales and since 2023 he has been releasing unforgettable country-pop songs, starting with ‘Drink You Up’. His latest single is ‘Bigger Things’, on which he worked with producers Msquared for the first tie. Its release comes after his first headline show at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. That show was the culmination of years of having a dream about doing that very thing, and we talk about the significance of it to him.
Lamont has been performing live since childhood, and was twice a Toyota Star Maker Grand Finalist before taking a break from music. Over the past couple of years he became a Grand Finalist once more, and established new songwriting and producing collaborations that have led to the creation of consistently great songs.
That sort of artistry does not come from a void, which is why it’s always so interesting to talk to artists about their backgrounds, and each time Lamont and I speak there is more to talk about, as it becomes increasingly clear that the music he’s making now is the result of the years of work he put in before it, starting with his involvement in his local country music club in the Riverina, facilitated by his stepmother Milly. This conversation is a long one, but aren’t long podcast episodes the thing these days?
Lamont has some shows coming up, including A Night in Nashville in Orange, which is now sold out, and a return to the Karijini Experience in Western Australia, which will be a very different affair (details below). He’s also looking ahead to what’s possible this year, and if the trajectory continues the year will, at the very least, bring more fantastic songs.
See Nathan Lamont live
March 1st – Country Music Night - Glenorie RSL – Glenorie, NSW
March 15th – A Night In Nashville – Orange Showgrounds - Orange, NSW
April 11th – 12th – Karijini Experience – Karijini National Park - Karijini, WA
April 29th – The Beer Shed – Campbelltown, NSW (w/ Alex Mather)
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**Listen to the end to hear the single 'Things I've Learned'
Aleyce Simmonds was the first Australian artist I interviewed when I started what became Sunburnt Country Music in late 2011. Back then it was called Jolene The Country Music Blog because I didn’t know what else to call it and I also thought no one would read it anyway, so the name didn’t matter.
The blog became a regular thing for me after I was very ill in July 2011 – and if you want to hear that story you can listen to the latest episode of Tori Forsyth’s podcast In the Thick of It, as I talk about it there. I’d done a fair bit of interviewing by that time, of musicians in Canada when I lived there, and of a variety of people at the Seven Network when I worked there. That didn’t mean I was great at it, so Aleyce got a very early version of Interviewer Me. And it was also Interviewer Me in a vulnerable state, as I was still recovering. Writing about Australian country music, doing those interviews, would become a way to not only come back to myself but leap ahead.
I’m sharing this story as a way of introducing this interview with Aleyce about her latest single, ‘Things I’ve Learned’, because in our interview Aleyce shares her story of being gravely unwell while pregnant with her daughter, Georgia. So unwell that she wrote the song for Georgia in case she wasn’t around any more to tell it.
Aleyce was so brave telling this story. What she has to say is not only the story behind the song but the story of what it takes to survive something you aren’t sure you’ll survive, then to emerge and create art that offers great meaning to others. It goes without saying that the artist who made this song is not the same one I interviewed fourteen years ago – of course she’s not. But she’s also not the artist she was two years ago. She has not only been forged in the greatest fire of her life but forged herself and emerged a warrior with armour that is made not of steel but of dreams and hopes and determination. All that is there to hear in the song, and in this interview too.
Aleyce also has some very interesting things to say about the changes in the music industry since she released her single ‘Mighty, Mighty Love’ twenty years ago, as well as pursuing her career while managing serious health conditions. A lot of ground is covered, and Aleyce was so generous with her insights. This is the story of what it means to persist – to insist, actually, on having an artistic life, a creative life, amidst enormous challenges. As she says, ‘This music life is so much more than getting out there and singing songs. It's about making people feel … We put whatever is going on in our lives behind us, and get out there and be brave.’ I thank her so much for sharing her story with me, and with you.
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Below you'll find links to the videos for songs mentioned in this podcast.
For the cumulative February New Releases playlist - which contains these songs and more - go to Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5uoiJET1DCVyTnVVE5pKKn?si=b0fa79e66f9d4724
Nathan Lamont – ‘Bigger Things’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6uCIi84t7A
The Wolfe Brothers & Lee Kernaghan – ‘Country Is Coming to Town’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc1nowUJejs
Amy Sheppard – ‘Mr Mistake’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2c0QfgUCz0
Denvah – Valentine’s Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBFW_hyBx3U
Genevieve Chadwick – ‘Wildfire’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUfBWd-f6Sg
Michael Carpenter – ‘If Tomorrow Was Today’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et5ZDS9EVUc
Shara Rose – ‘All I Want’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRgVx7siIy0
Tori Darke & Jay Santilli - 'Trouble' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ga8brJIgfk
Clancy Pye - 'Days Like This' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJgHUgTvHis
Sons of Atticus - 'Tennessee Tipsy' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbJe0Wxv8Cw
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There really aren’t enough superlatives to describe Lyn Bowtell as a singer, songwriter, performing artist, teacher, mentor and human. Anyone who has seen her perform live never forgets the experience of hearing her sing for the first time and every time. Nor do they forget how funny she is! Bowtell creates an experience for her audiences and everyone leaves her shows uplifted and entertained.
Her recorded music also has that effect, as she moves from heartbreaking songs like ‘The Willow Tree’ on her 2014 album Heart of Sorrow to the I-know-better-now take on life in ‘I Won’t Do That Again’ from her 2022 Golden Guitar-winning album Wiser. Both of those albums were produced by the esteemed Shane Nicholson, but for her latest single, ‘Paper Cut’, Bowtell has stepped behind the desk to take on the role of producing, alongside her partner Damon Morton.
‘Paper Cut’ has Bowtell’s trademark ability to capture poignancy in song. She is an observer of the strengths and frailties of being human, and able to document them not only through lyrics but in her vocal delivery. There is always a sense that Bowtell is acutely aware that life has challenges - and she’s there to make them better by sharing her artistry. She does that too through her role as Director of the Academy of Country Music in Tamworth, where she has shepherded Junior and Senior Academy students through some of the most formative times of their lives.
It is always an honour to interview Bowtell, who I refer to as a national treasure because I mean it. How lucky we are to have her in our backyard, to be proximate to such excellence. How lucky was I to be able to chat to her about music and life and songwriting and producing, and many other things in this interview. I hope you enjoy it.
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Pete Denahy is an artist with many facets. Some know him mostly for his comedic songs, such as ‘Sort of Dunno Nothin’ and ‘Looking at My Phone’, which I tend to think of as succinct, lyrically elegant takes on communication and social interaction (or lack thereof) because they’re so well done that they seem like they could have been easy for him to write.
Denahy also writes non-comedic songs and he’s just as good at those. And he is known as a preeminent fiddle player – he’s won three of his five Golden Guitars with the fiddle – and as an MC of events such as Star Maker at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. He has five albums, and a new single, ‘Photos on Your Phone’.
He was also, for several years, a member of Slim Dusty’s band. As a thirteen-year-old he saw Slim play; twelve years later he was in the band, and although Slim is gone now the band plays on. Travellin’ Still is the name of the show that Slim’s band members have put together and successfully taken on the road in two states, and it now travels to Queensland [dates below].
This was the first opportunity I’ve had to interview Denahy and the chat is a long one – he’s an interesting fella! We cover his career from the time he decided at a young age that he wanted to be a country singer to his latest single and the tour he’s about to embark on. Just as entertaining in an interview as on stage, I hope you enjoy listening to or watching this.
TRAVELLIN’ STILL dates:
Wednesday, 26 February - Brothers Sports Club, Bundaberg
Thursday, 27 February - Kingaroy Town Hall
Friday, 28 February - Majestic Theatre, Pomona
Saturday, 1 March - Old Museum Theatre, Brisbane
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When I first heard Queen of Hearts, the debut EP from Central Coast, NSW singer-songwriter Faith Williams, I wondered why I hadn’t heard of her before. It was because not a single had been released before the EP, so at least I hadn’t missed anything – but it was such a surprise to listen to the first, and title, track and hear this voice in it: vulnerable and also strong, and singing stories that seemed like they may be about her, or maybe not, and that mystery was part of the intrigue.
The EP was produced by Brandon Dodd at The Rabbit Hole, also on the Central Coast, and when I interviewed Williams recently we talked about how she came to work with Dodd, and have both Kasey and Bill Chambers appear on the EP. Mostly we talk about those stories that have made it onto these songs, including the one in the last track, which was finished during recording.
Williams is a tremendous talent, with hopefully many songs in front of her. And she’s already received an accolade, in the form of a CCMA New Songwriter of the Year award, presented during this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival, which was Williams’s first as a performer. It should be the first of many awards, and festivals, for this emerging artist who sounds like she has emerged fully formed.
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Victorian artist Andrew Swift won his first two Golden Guitars for his first album, Call Out for the Cavalry, and his most recent was in 2023 for Male Artist of the Year. Cavalry was the first of his three albums to go to number 1 on the ARIA charts.
Swift’s new single, ‘Nothing Better’, follows on from ‘Fumes and Fireworks’, which he released last year with Amber Lawrence, along with ‘This Is Us Here’ and ‘Hot Damn (It’s Been a Minute)’. It was written at the APRA Melbourne - Nashville SongHubs sessions in Nashville, Tennessee, and was the creation of Swift, Lindsay Rimes and Tyler James Bellinger.
During our recent chat Swift talked about the rather intensive process of those SongHubs sessions and how ‘Nothing Better’ was the last song he wrote there. It is an expression of gratitude for life as he’s living it now, with his partner Simone and new baby on the way. Simone makes an appearance in the music video for the song, which was created by Jeremy Minett of Eyes and Ears Creative.
‘Nothing Better’ was produced by Matt Fell, with whom Swift has worked on all three of his albums. He mentions that he has about half an album recorded with Fell, and will be working to find time to record the rest, amongst the arrival of the baby and his current five-state tour (dates below). Swift loves playing live and his tour schedule attests to that love of the road – and he’ll also be appearing at two festivals in August, on Norfolk Island and at Gympie.
Tour dates:
Sunday 23rd February - TumbaFest, Tumbarumba NSW
Friday 28th February - Altar Bar, Hobart TAS
Saturday 1st March - Little Sisters General Store, TAS
Sunday 2nd March - Wilder, Gowrie Park TAS
Friday 21st March - Commercial Hotel, South Morang VIC
Saturday 22nd March - RegFest, Horsham VIC
Friday 4th April - The Duke of George, Fremantle WA
Saturday 5th April - Gatsby’s Skyline, Manjimup WA
Saturday 12th April - Arcobar, Heatherton VIC
Tuesday 29th April – Oodies Café, Bundaberg QLD
Wednesday 30th April - Oodies Cafe, Bundaberg QLD – SOLD OUT
Thursday 1st May - Oodies Cafe, Bundaberg QLD – SOLD OUT
3-10th August - Tunes In The Tropics, Norfolk Island
28-31st August - Gympie Music Muster, Gympie QLD
**Tickets on sale now and available via www.andrewswift.com.au/tour
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Well, my intention to release episodes of this 'new releases podcast' on a weekly basis went out the window immediately. So at least I'm setting low expectations! And I did come back for another episode. These are the singles released since the last episode that I reckon are worthy of closer attention - and you can listen to the songs within the episode.
Faith Williams – ‘Queen of Hearts’ [NB explicit content - one word]
Tom Curtain – ‘Just Give it a Crack’
Katelann Maree – ‘Australia My Home’
Jen Mize – ‘Neon & Nothin’ Else’
Andrew Swift – ‘Nothing Better’
Rachael Fahim – ‘Good Luck’
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Andrea Robertson is a singer-songwriter from the Geelong area in Victoria who released her latest album, Seasons, in 2024. She is also the founder of Americana on the Bellarine, a one-day festival which will be held on the Bellarine Peninsula, near Geelong, on 22 February this year.
We had a wide-ranging chat about her development as an artist, which started when Robertson was very young, influenced by the musical environment she grew up in.
‘I've just always loved singing,’ she says. ‘As a kid I was the youngest of three girls and music was very much a part of our house.’
Seasons was originally planned as a four-volume release, although it was affected by the pandemic, during which Robertson’s songwriting suffered.
‘I think I wrote a lot of music,’ she says, ‘but just lyrically I'd really dried up so it sort of just started filtering in again.’
After she started writing again, what emerged was a full-bodied work that is about life and love in all their complexities.
Something else that suffered during the pandemic was Americana on the Bellarine – the inaugural festival was due to take place in 2020. Now that it’s well underway, it has developed a reputation for bringing the finest Americana artists to the Geelong area. This year it’s headlined by Matt Joe Gow & The Dead Leaves, and features Robertson and her band, Jasmin Adria and Mojo Corner.
‘I wanted to keep it small. I didn't want it to grow too big. I felt like just keeping it as a nice, intimate, micro festival.’
The festival takes place at the Potato Shed in Drysdale. Tickets are available here.
The interview is a long one but that’s because Robertson has such a rich musical life that there was a lot to talk about. Her dedication to music, to performance, to the musical community, is impressive and inspiring. And if you’re in Victoria on 22 February, you can see it in person.
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