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An Interview with Paddy McHugh

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Brisbane-based Paddy McHugh‘s music and songwriting is raw, honest and authentic. His latest album City Bound Trains, depicts tales of a life in Australia and touches on many topics of interest – indigenous culture, same-sex marriage, equality and more.

You toured and released your second album, City Bound Trains back in October. What was the response like to those shows?

Fantastic! It was good to get out with a full band; I hadn’t done that in quite awhile. We had a great response to the shows particularly as the album had a bit more time to be heard, get out there and get a bit of love. It sort of grew and by the end of it, we finished up here in Brisbane, which is my hometown, we had a fantastic show. It was really great to be on the road and with a full band.

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An Interview with Casey Barnes

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It feels like only yesterday I was talking to Australian country-pop, singer/songwriter Casey Barnes about his latest release – but here we are again. His latest single, the catchy Keep Me Coming Back was written with MSquared Productions’ Michael Payter and Michael Delorenza; the team behind his two previous hit singles – Just Like Magic and The Way We Ride. We spoke about the new music, performing at the Gympie Music Muster and celebrating his wedding anniversary.

“The Way We Ride” and “Keep Me Coming Back” have been released within months of each other, which is quite a short time between singles. Do you have a favourite between the two?

It’s funny; I use my kids as a barometer [and my daughters] both like Keep Me Coming Back because it crosses over a little more from Country into Pop. I love both! I love performing The Way We Ride but I think Keep Me Coming Back might have that crossover sound a little more than the other. We played both of those songs up in Gympie at the Muster and that was incredible! Keep Me Coming Back [has] just been added to the iTunes Hot Tracks chart in America, which I’ve never done before – which is absolutely huge!

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An Interview with Casey Donovan

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Earlier this year, 2004 Australian Idol winner, Casey Donovan survived the jungle in I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! Now she’s released her crowd-funded EP, Off the Grid & Somewhere in Between and its singles Lonely (her first in seven years) and The Villain, and is later set to tour this October.

What can you tell me about the new EP, Off the Grid & Somewhere in Between?

I used Kickstarter, so it was crowd-funded to cover recording costs. It has been such a great experience. The whole reason and premise behind crowd funding was to see if people really wanted to hear my music. I love writing original music and I was doing so many cover gigs that I was like, “Why can’t I sing my stuff?” (laughs)

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An Interview with Drew McAlister

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Drew McAlister has long been recognised as one of the nation’s premier songwriters and performers. A singer from the age of 7, he’s worked as a commercial composer for TV and radio, performer, recording artist and songwriter.

As a teenager, he travelled the country with the cast of the Broadway hit, Jesus Christ Superstar, alongside John Farnham, Jon Stevens and Kate Ceberano in the principal roles. He later performed as part of Johnny Cash tribute show, Aussies Walk the Line and with various bands over the years. Originally being signed as a pop-soul artist with EMI, a trip to Nashville shifted his focus, steering him towards his home-grown roots in country.

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The Broadbeach Country Music Festival Files – An Interview with Troy Cassar-Daley

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Troy Cassar-Daley has had a mammoth year! Continuing the success of his 2016 release, Things I Carry Around and the autobiographical book of the same name; he took home the Golden Guitar for Album of the Year and was named the 50th inductee into the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown, Australian Country Music’s highest honour. With over 20 years in the industry, he’s headlining alongside one of the band’s he used to open for at the Broadbeach Country Music Festival.

You’re playing at Broadbeach Country Music Festival on July 28th-30th, 2017. What makes the festival so special and unique?

The best thing is – it’s free. It’s got something special going on there. They set this festival up so that it’s accessible for everyone. It’s really important to show everyone where country music is. You can see the whole broad spectrum of where the genre sits. I’m very excited, not only to be a part of that, but it gives people a good introduction of our music. If you’re going to get people to come along, and experiment with your music and with our genre; if it’s free, what a great way to get people to a show to start with!

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An Interview with Casey Marie

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Growing up in the mining town of Moranbah in Central Queensland, 19 year old Casey Marie has released the heartfelt single and video for Demons off her 2016 EP of the same name. Through her music and songwriting, she is an advocate for creating more awareness of social issues such as domestic violence, anxiety disorders and depression. She gained success in 2014 with the release of her debut EP When A Man Brings You Down and is set to tour later this year.

What was the inspiration/motivation behind Demons?

Demons was written as kind of a coping mechanism when I was going through the darkest times battling anxiety and depression.

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