It’s been a long time, way too long, since Welch and Rawlings last toured Australia in November 2004. Finally the good folk at Love Police have managed to hook up a comprehensive tour that will see not one but two tours happening back to back. Starting in Perth the duo (plus 3-piece band) will drive … Continue reading
Papa Pilko & The Binrats come charging out of the gate with ‘On Your Own’ and lay down a rip-roaring swampy blues-funk testimonial that sets the scene for the rest of their debut album. Tried and true influences are at play but the way the band combines them is a winning formula. John Lee Hooker, Tom … Continue reading
Small towns and the escape from them or retreat to them are often the subject of songs in country music. In recent times we’ve had Jenny Queen (Small Town Misfits) and Hurray For The Riff Raff (Small Town Heroes) address the topic in their album titles and now NSW songstress Fanny Lumsden has dug into … Continue reading
Lost Highway Records continue to showcase the best new and established acts spanning folk, alt. country and rock n roll. William Crighton and his band the Circus Men had opening honours and filled the room with their soulful and ragged country rock. There was a nod to one of the genre’s icons with their cover … Continue reading
This is the first album of new material since Nicholson’s marriage break-up with Kasey Chambers who he’d recorded his two preceding albums with. In that sense this is a new start and it’s a quietly confident one that reflects on the personal attrition of such a traumatic experience as well as geographical locations and depression. … Continue reading
Ferrier’s sophomore album finds her with a full band, recording the instrumental tracks live to tape in two days. As a result there’s an immediacy and presence to her emotionally rich songs of relationships – good and bad. Ferrier’s voice is an easy fit with her folk and country-styled compositions, able to swing sweet and … Continue reading
Mark Lucas normally fronts the Dead Setters but here he steps out on his own with a collection of intimate and restrained songs. Lucas has decorated his compositions with fiddle, banjo, piano and even tuba without ever distracting from the personal and sometimes socio-political content of his lyrics. ‘Stranger’ possesses a beautiful, lilting melody, ‘Small … Continue reading
On their second album Raised By Eagles eschew some of the ragged country rock moves of their debut and head for classic songwriting territory with excursions into power pop and acoustic balladry. The intimate and explicitly emotional storytelling of ‘Sugar Cane’ and the warm breezy sway of ‘Honey’ act as counterpoints to Window Seat’s Ryan … Continue reading
Queensland songwriter Brad Butcher certainly doesn’t take too many risks, nor does he hit too many emotional highs on Jamestown. His style is a calm and measured approach to his music but too often that is a recipe for songs blending together without enough dynamism across the eleven tracks. Occasionally his songs do excel, particularly … Continue reading
Mark Lucas is taking a detour from his work with band The Dead Setters to release his new solo album Little Town Blues on Laughing Outlaw Records. The first taste of the album is the song and video for ‘Tell The DJ’, a plea to the DJ from a heartbroken soul featuring Brielle Davis on backing vocals … Continue reading
Currently on tour with Tony Joe White and fresh from her support slot with Shovels & Rope, Ruby Boots is gaining momentum in the run up to her debut album Solitude which comes out on April 27th via Lost Highway Records. ‘Wrap Me In A Fever’ is the second single from the new record and … Continue reading
I had the pleasure of seeing Gretta Ziller perform live and solo last night and she exceeded my expectations with a wonderful mix of originals and a couple of covers. Now she has released her brand new single ‘Kind Of Habit’ with a fun accompanying video. The song comes from Ziller’s EP Hell’s Half Acre … Continue reading
Sydney’s Roland Kay-Smith has already kicked off the year with the release of his debut solo LP Sailing By The Stars and now he’s heading out for a run of dates along the East Coast of Australia with Melbourne reprobates Skyscraper Stan and the Commission Flats performing at some shows and M.E. Baird at others. TOUR … Continue reading
Fraser A. Gorman has been on the radar for a while now with a run of singles and plenty of live shows across the country. Now he has finally announced his debut album will be released in June on Milk! Records/Caroline. ‘Broken Hands’ is the first single from it, swaying with a carefree and soulful country haze … Continue reading
Nicholson has become something of a lighthouse on the Australian country music scene, bridging both the mainstream and alt-country scenes with his solo releases, albums with Kasey Chambers and production work. Now signed with Lost Highway as an artist and Staff Producer (incl. A&R), this solo acoustic live set is the precursor to a new … Continue reading
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