Category: interview

The Mount Hunter Country Music Stampede Files – An Interview with Adam Brand

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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.

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An Interview with Ry from the band, Earthlings

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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.

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An Interview with Adam Harvey

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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.

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An Interview with Catherine Britt

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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.

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Interviews with Nicholas Fernandez and Shelley Craft on Disney on Ice

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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.

Tickets and information can be found here: www.disneyonice.com

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An Interview with Shelby J

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Shelby J is an American singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and social activist, who has toured nationally and internationally with her band Blackgypsy and as leading backing vocalist in Prince’s The New Power Generation. 

Nothing Compares 2 Prince is a celebration of Prince’s life and career, making it’s world premiere in Australia a week after the anniversary of Prince’s passing (April 21st 2016), and features twelve performers (including Shelby), musicians, singers, producers and composers who, at various times, were directly involved in Prince’s incredible career.

What more can you tell me about the Australian show? What can audiences expect?

It’s going to be everything epic, amazing, fantabulous and awesomeness personified to the one hundredth power [laughs]. We are so excited about the collective of musicians that are coming together for this, it’s like a super group and Prince is the purple thread that binds us. To have us all coming together, bringing all of those different experiences that we have with him to Australia and playing music from so many different decades – I mean the set list is crazy. I’m not supposed to say what’s on it but I can tell you this, it’s bananas because it covers so much of his repertoire.

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An Interview with Ghouls’ Benedict Goold

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UK Alt-Punk Rockers Ghouls are heading down under for their first Australian co-headline tour, sharing the run will be Australia’s own Foxblood. Starting in 2013, the band consists of Benedict Goold (Lead Vocals and Guitar), Sam Mussell (Bass), Ben Maz (Saxophone), Russel Spencer (Trombone) and Jay Swinstead (Drums).

You’re soon to be in Australia for your co-headline tour called No Better Place To Be. Looking at the schedule, you’re very lucky because the tour covers a wide part of the country, which not all local artists even get to. Meaning, you’ll get to see a lot of differences in the Australian way of life – from sand to surf to city. What are you most looking forward to seeing while you are here?

When you put it like that it makes me feel extremely lucky. It still doesn’t seem real that we are even going to Australia, let alone getting to see a whole lot of the country. This tour came about after tweet got out of hand and somehow ended up with us having a whole tour out there so it all seems surreal!

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An Interview with Brodie Rainbird from The Wolfe Brothers

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With a new album set to be released next month, a new single out and two CMC nominations, the Wolfe Brothers have much to smile about. The new single ‘Ain’t Seen It Yet’, from their upcoming fourth album Country Heart, is a celebration of home and displays a more mature sound for the band. Catching up with one-third and guitarist Brodie Rainbird, we spoke about the evolution of the Wolfe Brothers and connecting with fans.

Earlier this year, the band released the single ‘Ain’t Seen It Yet’ off the upcoming album Country Heart, sporting a different sound to what people associate with the Wolfe Brothers. How does this new single represent what we can expect of the new album?

This new album, I see it as the next evolution of the Wolfe Brothers. It’s different to what we’ve done before and it’s us pushing our boundaries. Everything we’ve done with this album has been different. The process was turned completely on its head. We wanted to get a little bit uncomfortable. We wanted to sound way more modern than we’ve sounded before. We didn’t want to do just another Wolfe Brothers album; we meant for it to be different.

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An Interview with Casey Barnes

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With the release of his catchy third single “Ain’t Coming Home”, off his upcoming new album The Good Life, Casey Barnes’s star continues to rise. Nominated for a prestigious Golden Guitar Award earlier this year, I spoke to the Tasmanian-born now Gold Coast-based country music artist about his latest release ahead of his performance at the sold-out-in-one-hour CMC Rocks Festival.

In a sense, a lot of people first came to know of you when you made the top 12 of Australian Idol in 2009. With Idol contestants Anthony Callea, Casey Donovan and current season’s Shannon Noll also competing in the reality series I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Would you ever follow in the footsteps of your fellow alumni and go on the show?

I’d love to do it, but I reckon I’d struggle with those food challenges. [Shannon] is doing great. People are getting to see a different side to him and it’s going to be a huge positive. He seems like a decent guy and I really like his latest single. I think he’s going to have a good year.

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