Country singer-songwriter Jimbo Stokes has stepped out of the corporate world and onto the stage with debut single, “Atlas”.
Born and raised on a sheep and cattle station near Tamworth, Jimbo returned to the Hunter New England region at the beginning of the 2022 after many years working, studying and playing rugby in Sydney. Despite holding a Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Economics from Sydney University, Jimbo is now a full-time creative, balancing his time between music and visual arts and has also strapped on the boots to play for his local rugby club, the Scone Brumbies.
Jimbo wrote the song in covid times then teamed up with award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist, Rod McCormack. “Atlas” is a raw and honest tribute to Jimbo’s mum, Dr Bronwyn Stokes OAM, a hard-working regional GP.
Dr Stokes OAM was a beloved family practice GP in the Tamworth and Merriwa regions, who was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her services to regional medicine, in the field of nutrition.
“I think Atlas is a good metaphor to describe mum; someone who held so much on her shoulders but was selfless and had immense courage all the way to the end,” Jimbo said.
The song tells the story of Jimbo’s time living in the city and dealing with the loss of his mother while trying to stay on track in the present, juggling memories of the past whilst dealing with the day-to-day grind of the corporate world.
To bring the single video to life, Jimbo worked with Southern Highlands-based videographer Steph Hunter. “I knew Steph was great at capturing people and stories so I was confident she’d be the perfect collaborator,” he said.
Country hasn’t always been Jimbo’s musical home, having trained as an operatic tenor under Christine Douglas (Director/Founder – Pacific Opera), but he returned to his first love during COVID-19 times.