Sunburnt Country Music

Newcastle, NSW artist Sandy Louise started her musical life on flute and picked up guitar at the age of eighteen, which is also when she started writing songs – and songwriting has become a passion of hers.Influenced by Kasey Chambers, The Cranberries and Alanis Morissette, Sandy has been writing songs ever since and is now an integral member of the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA), acting as the regional coordinator in her area. In that capacity she organises open-mic nights – and it was at a different open-mic night that she met Bill Chambers, father of Kasey.Chambers subsequently became Sandy’s producer and is the co-writer of her latest single, ‘Tears in the Driveway’. Inspired by what actually happened at the end of a visit by Sandy to her sister in South Australia, it’s about leaving behind love ones and how we manage that distance when those we hold dear are so far away.Sandy has released four albums, and she’s currently working towards a fifth. She runs her musical life in tandem with full-time work and family life. Although it can be hard to fit creativity in and around those sorts of demands, it was clear during our interview that the music side of her life is not negotiable. If you’re in the Newcastle area and would like to participate in one of the open-mic nights run by Sandy, she talks about those in the interview. You can also go to the ASA website.Listen to Sandy Louise on Apple MusicListen to Sandy Louise on Spotify

Australians of a certain age who grew up in certain locations will remember El Caballo Blanco. It was a show featuring dancing white horses – hence the name – and as I grew up in Sydney, one of two Australian sites for El Caballo Blanco, I remember the TV ad, despite the fact I was only allowed to watch half an hour of television a day. That’s how effective the marketing machine of Western Australian artist Olive Mae’s grandfather was. Her grandfather was a remarkable entrepreneur who founded several businesses apart from El Caballo Blanco. He died before Mae was born but, intrigued by his story, she wrote a song about it with esteemed artist Gretta Ziller, and has now released the single, entitled ‘El Caballo Blanco’, which was produced by Matt Fell. Mae met Ziller at one of the SHE Songwriting Retreats run by Lyn Bowtell – you can find Bowtell talking about these in my recent interviews with her (as referenced by Mae in our own interview!) – but they didn’t write the song until later. Mae then went on to attend the Academy of Country Music – of which Bowtell is the director – and found it a valuable experience, not least because she is in WA and, as she says, while there several country music artists in that state, they’re all spread out, and Academy is an opportunity to form connections with other artists. The first time I interviewed Mae, a little while ago now, I found her a hoot and the experience was repeated this time. She’s also a really thoughtful and interesting artist, and it sounds like there are more songs on the near horizon, so stay tuned for more great stories from Olive Mae. Listen to Olive Mae on Apple MusicListen to Olive Mae on Spotify

If Sydney-area country music artist Sara Berki had only released her EP In the Neon earlier in the year, played her first headline tour – which was a two-set affair – as well as major festivals, and the NRLW Grand Final, as well as two Golden Guitar nominations (for New Talent and Female Artist of the Year) that would be a year in which she could put her feet up by now and have earnt a rest. Instead, she has just released another EP, Outrun, which is moving and memorable, offering a different musical treatment to In the Neon although still very much complementary to it.When we spoke about the EP, I wanted to ask about individual songs, as they cannot be taken as a group. The single, ‘Porch Light’, which was released first, has quite a story behind it, as Berki tells me in this interview. ‘Happy House’ needed a separate conversation – you will understand why when you watch or listen to the interview – and the title track felt like an origin story, so it was great to discover the context for it. The last two tracks, ‘Lily of the Valley’ and ‘Heaven & Hell’, see Berki in storyteller mode. Berki wrote four of the tracks alone – which is how she has mostly worked – and ‘Lily of the Valley’ with Nashville songwriters Brand Hood and Billy Montana. Since her first single she’s always demonstrated that she’s an exceptional songwriter; this EP is her taking those skills and adding (even more) courage as she shows us more of herself, telling more of her story. Although I’ve interviewed Berki several times, there’s always more to discover, and so it was in this conversation too.Listen to Outrun on Apple MusicListen to Outrun on Spotify

Tate Cole grew up on a small family farm in south-east Queensland, heavily involved in the rodeo scene from a young age, following the lead of his father. At the same time as he was taking his chances on horses and cattle, he was developing his musical talents. His mother encouraged him and his brother to learn piano even before they’d started school, and while he was still in primary school Cole asked if he could learn guitar. Growing up, he heard country tunes in the family car on the long drives that will be familiar to anyone who has lived in or spent time in the country, and he would sing along – so those songs shaped his taste as well as his voice. Once he started to write music of his own, he found that he has ‘a tendency to write sad lyrics to upbeat songs’, and that was how his first single, ‘Purgatory’, came to be.His second single is ‘Whiskey River’, penned by Cole with Kane Vincent and Cody Walker (contacts he made through the Academy of Country Music), whom he’s known for a couple of years, in a serendipitous fashion, and produced by Jared Adlam, who also works with James Johnston, amongst others. Cole plays regularly in Brisbane, and you can find the dates on his website. And a note about the sound in this interview: there were some wifi issues in the second half, so you’ll hear a slight delay in his responses. I could edit it out but, hey, I tend to like these conversations to be presented to you as they happened.Listen to Tate Cole on Apple MusicListen to Tate Cole on Spotify

Mak & Shar are a duo and they are also brothers. They have been making music together since childhood, as two-thirds of Brothers3, and also pursued music and musical studies individually. So they have already achieved a lot, and they’ve also been through a lot, which we have discussed in previous interviews and they elaborate on it in this one. Their debut album together is called New Problems but both the song and the album are uplifting – the new problems are not big problems. As Shar says during the interview, ‘With our family, I don’t think you’re allowed to be really upset too often’ – and when you learn the context for that, and know what the brothers have experienced, this statement is all the more extraordinary. They could so easily make music that is heavy, and no one would question that. Instead they choose to pursue open heartedness and joy – and making music together, despite naysayers. As Mak says, ‘It’s really important to look at the positives in life and keep on grinding.’The latest single from New Problems is ‘Simple Things’, written with Robbie Mortimer, and I ask each of them about the simple things that bring them joy – and they have great answers for that. I also ask Mak about ‘Amara’s Song’, which was written for his eldest daughter at the time she was an only child … He now has another daughter, so obviously needs to write a song for her!Each time I’ve interviewed Mak and Shar I have very much enjoyed how they interact with each other – because they genuinely like each other, quite apart from being brothers – and admired how they have made a commitment to continuing to make music together, and the processes they follow to do that. They are musical artists to their cores, and I think that shines through in this chat.Listen to New Problems on Apple MusicListen to New Problems on Spotify

There will never not be a lot for me to talk to Fanny Lumsden about. The two-time ARIA and multiple Golden Guitar-winning singer, songwriter, videographer, tour specialist and joy bringer from the Upper Murray region of New South Wales has a full life that has this year seen her tour the United Kingdom and Ireland, supported Paul Kelly on his European and Australian tours, record new songs and release the single ‘Look At Me Now’ and its accompanying video, which features moments from Lumsden’s whole career and was made by her husband, bandmate and collaborator, Dan Stanley Freeman. This is combined with raising two children, being a mentor for others in the music industry and general and specific fabulousness. So this is not a quick chat that I had with Lumsden. I’ve been a fan since her debut EP – which I mention in this interview – and that was for her music first. Lumsden is a fantastic songwriter, telling stories that are evocative, inspiring and also relatable. It was her songs I loved first – and then I started seeing her play live. The live enterprise that is Fanny Lumsden and her band, the Prawnstars, has taken her around Australia multiple times, building her audience through the Country Halls Tours, as well as to the Glastonbury Festival, which in turn spurred her UK tours. Her upcoming Australian capital cities tour is the reason for this interview but it’s by far the only topic we cover. I will say this, though: I will never be unbiased on the subject of Lumsden, her music and her shows. She is one of the most powerful forces for good in the Australian culture, leading by example and excellence, always pushing herself to create work that is more exciting, more insightful, more uplifting, more entertaining. For a fan, what could be more exciting? So that’s why I go to every single show she puts on in my home town (Sydney) and I encourage you to see her play live too. There will be laughter and playfulness and unexpected moments – and always, always there will be the songs and the harmonies and the excellent band. The dates to see Fanny Lumsden live are listed below.Tickets available at https://www.fannylumsden.net/tourdatesFriday February 6 - Rosemount Hotel, Perth, WASaturday February 7 - Lion Arts Centre, Adelaide, SAFriday February 13 - Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne, VicSaturday February 14 - The Triffid, Brisbane, QldFriday February 20 - Factory Theatre, Sydney, NSWSaturday February 21  - UC Hub, Canberra, ACTListen to Fanny Lumsden on Apple MusicListen to Fanny Lumsden on Spotify

‘Lyrics first. Lyrics always first. I’m a lyrics guy beyond anything.’Wade Forster says this early on in our interview about his latest album, Gooseneck Party, and what then followed was a discussion about his songwriting process – he writes almost exclusively on his own. He mentions that in the last two or three years he’s written upwards of 70 or 80 songs on his own, and the tracks on the album are ‘just twenty-two of the better ones.’ Forster has rich material to draw from. As he says in this chat, ‘I’ve lived a hell of a life … I’ve got a lot of stories from a lot of different towns.’ He’s had a variety of jobs, from fridge mechanic to rodeo rider and a lot else in between. He also mentions in the interview that he gives 110% to his shows because he knows what it’s like to save up money to go to a show, and he wants to make sure his audience has a great experience accordingly. Having seem him play live I can attest that this is a case. Forster is a showman, and one with substance.This was my first time interviewing Forster and I didn’t know what to expect. What I found was a thoughtful, well-rounded artist who puts a lot of time and attention into making his songs the best they can be, then curating the best selection for the album or show, not only to tell the whole story he wants to tell but to create something unique and memorable for his audience. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting conversation, and I hope you find it the same!SEE WADE FORSTER LIVE Nov 15 – Townsville, Otherwise QLDNov 20 – Geelong, Barwon Club VICNov 21 – Melbourne, Howler VIC SOLD OUTNov 22 – Adelaide, Jive SA SOLD OUTNov 27 – Katoomba, Baroque Bar NSWNov 28 – Sydney, The Lansdowne NSWJan 19 – Tamworth, The Longyard NSWListen to Gooseneck Party on Apple MusicListen to Gooseneck Party on Spotify

Since multiple award-winning and -nominated country music artist James Johnston started releasing singles, I’ve interviewed him several times. Although we’d met in person none of those interviews have been in person before now, and it was wonderful to have the chance to chat to Johnston about his second album, WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME, the follow-up to his smash-hit debut RAISED LIKE THAT. Because we filmed this in person and I don’t have a whiz-bang multi-camera studio, you’ll see only him on camera – although I did have nice microphones on us both!There have already been several hit singles from WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME, including ‘Hell Boy’ and ‘Good For Me’, but as with RAISED LIKE THAT Johnston held some things back for the album. In the sixteen tracks we hear his stories, yes, but my impression was that this album seems more structured around themes, such as loyalty, love, dedication to family, appreciation of friends, hard work and very much not taking anything for granted. I put this to Johnston in the interview, and you can watch/listen to hear his response!Johnston wrote dozens of songs before he recorded his first single, and his dedication not only to creating but to editing his output means that his albums are curated to offer an experience to the listener. Even a song that looks like a party song from the outside – such as ‘I Oughta Know Better’- offers details that build a world, rather than relying on cliché.There’s also a special song called ‘Can I Keep Talking to You’, which I saw Johnston perform live ahead of the album release and immediately noted. It was lovely to hear the story behind that too.I’ve never been shy about my admiration of Johnston, who not only has the talent and application but professionalism to match. His rapid rise was many years in the making, and he has consolidated the success of his first releases with a second album that will deepen his connection with fans, and no doubt bring in new fans too.Listen to WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME on Apple MusicListen to WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME on Spotify