It’s been a busy year for the Tasmanian country-rock band, The Wolfe Brothers – with the release of their highly-anticipated fourth studio album Country Heart in March, its two chart-topping singles ‘Ain’t Seen It Yet’ and ‘No Sad Song’, as well as an accompanying national tour. The album debuted on the ARIA Country Chart at #2 and the ARIA Charts at #9, beating their last album, This Crazy Life, which came in at #10 on release in June 2016.
Country music artist Hayley Marsten hails from Gladstone, Queensland. Her previous singles, off her latest EP Lonestar, are a tongue-and-cheek representation of her fun, flirty and quirky sides. The newly-released Coming Home, however, is an emotional punch-to-the-gut depiction of her parent’s divorce when she was just 13-years-old.
We were lucky enough to exclusively premiere the music video for you this morning, and now we share our interview with Hayley discussing emotional song-writing, new music and fun on the road.
Morgan Evans has been dubbed as an artist to watch. His debut US single Kiss Somebody recently topped the US country charts, making him only the fourth Australian to reach such momentous feat. The Newcastle born singer-songwriter now lives in Nashville with his pop-country superstar wife, Kelsea Ballerini, and is currently back in Australia on a short promotional tour of his latest self-titled EP.
I first you saw perform at CMC Rocks The Snowys in 2009. I’ve listened from the early days of your debut EP Blue Skies all the way through to your self-titled album release in 2014. So, for those of us who have been following your career, it seems like you’ve been constantly working at it, but to many others it may appear like you were an overnight success. Do you feel like everything has fallen into place and you’re only now just starting to gain some momentum and traction?
For me, it definitely feels like I’ve been doing this a long time, but, at the same time, it also feels like there’s been moments where I [thought] this is the start of something great. I think the first real moment of that here in the US, was when I met my producer Chris DeStefano.
On July 13th, 1998, Adam Brand released his debut album. Fast forward to 2018, and he’s done what a lot of artists have failed to do before him – and that’s last 20 years in the competitive music industry. Celebrating his two-CD release Milestones…20 years, after a nation-wide call out for unique venues, he’s taking his current tour to big cities, small towns and places he’s never been.
Your latest release Milestones…20 years was released twenty years to the day (on July 13th, 2018) featuring all your greatest hits, like The Anzac, Good Friends, Get Loud, Hell of a Ride and many more. Do you ever get sick of performing these songs?
You hear artists talking about their first songs and singles, and, then, later in a career, they don’t want to play them anymore. They want to play their newer stuff, because they’re sick of playing the old songs. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve played ‘Dirt Track Cowboys’, ‘Good Friends’ or ‘Last Man Standing’, I could buy a bigger house! [laughs] but those songs are the reason why I’m sitting here today, so, I’m quite the opposite. I don’t get sick of singing those songs; I’m thankful. I count my blessings.
Ry and Wil form the electronic duo, Earthlings. Just recently having supported Pendulum during their Australian sell-out tour; their latest single Runaway was self-produced in their home studio in Brisbane. I spoke to Ry about touring, on-set stories, Keanu Reeves and plans for the band’s future.
You recently joined electronic rock band Pendulum on their first Australian live tour in eight years last June and July respectively. What was the experience like and how did the opportunity come about?
It’s been a super fun one! We really appreciate Pendulum for throwing us a bone and sharing their tour with us. Essentially our job was to warm up the crowd, put smiles on faces and hands in the air. The tour was already sold out before we jumped on, so we had the easiest job in the world! There’s a large part of the Earthlings show that does invite people in to make them feel as comfortable as possible. I feel as though everyone had a good time, we made some new friends and hopefully significantly fewer enemies.
Fulfilling a dream of recording in the US, Adam Harvey’s tenth studio album The Nashville Tapes is inspired by country music of the 1970s and its icons. Off the back of last year’s tour of The Great Country Songbook Volume II alongside Beccy Cole, the eight-time Golden Guitar winner is again on the road, this time with support from The Voice Australia 2017 winner Judah Kelly.
Last time we spoke you were about to begin The Great Country Songbook Volume II tour alongside Beccy Cole, how did that tour go?
[It went] pretty good. We all survived … just. My mental health has recovered [but] my liver probably hasn’t yet! One thing about Bec is she loves a party. She’s a wild girl. We love her. She’s always great onstage. We tend to go on tour for a while, then we stay apart for a few years and forget one another’s bad habits, and then we get back together again.
Since her last release Boneshaker in 2015, Catherine Britt has gotten married, given birth to her first child, won a battle with breast cancer and released her seventh studio album, Catherine Britt and the Cold Cold Hearts, alongside Michael Muchow and Andy Toombs. Recorded in her own backyard studio with engineer Jeff McCormack, this release, she says, makes a new chapter and return to her organic, country roots.
What is the concept behind the collaboration between you, Michael Muchow and Andy Toombs on the album Catherine Britt and the Cold Cold Hearts?
The concept behind the band is basically like Ryan Adams and the Cardinals or Bob Dylan and the band; not a side project but like an extension of themselves. They’re doing their songs with a specific band that they record with and then tour with. We’ve already started the tour and the boys will be with me the whole way through. We did the record together, we produced it together, we worked out all the parts, harmonies and instrumentation as a team, like a real band, and now we get to tour it as well.
He’s an award-winning singer, songwriter and accomplished author and now, Damien Leith can add app designer to his ever-expanding list of impressive achievements. Released late February this year, Damien LeithStorytime! is designed for children aged four-and-up and features a wide range of stories all told in his voice, with appearances by his three children.
To celebrate Disney on Ice’s latest show, Disney on Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic, the young and the young at heart (many in costume) were treated to an afternoon of fun at O’Brien Group Arena.
Hosted by brand ambassador, Shelley Craft, guests were invited to a special afternoon tea filled with all the fairy bread, fruits, sushi, party pies, antipasto platters and more you could eat!
There was also a photographer capturing memories with Mickey Mouse, as well as colouring-in and free skating demonstrations and lessons from some principal skaters, as well as professional ice-skater, Nicholas Fernandez. Children were also given souvenir Mickey Mouse crowns and bookmarks to take home.
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 