Month: November 2021

Aimee Hannan’s new single ‘Brighter Side’ was co-written with nine-time Golden Guitar winner Lyn Bowtell. Aimee has drawn upon her own life experiences to deliver the essence of the song as well as her observations of the world around her during the current pandemic. Life has been difficult for many, with people experiencing mental health issues, missing family, and all of the associated problems we have been sharing.

Now is the time we can look on the ‘Brighter Side’ with this bubbly upbeat song speaking of letting go of the negative and enjoying the positive things in life. Produced by Rod Motbey at his Tracking Dog Studios, Aimee will have you singing and dancing along with her as she heads into this celebration of life.

Aimee found her love of country music at age ten, joining the local country music club. She was soon selected to open Lee Kernaghan’s Hat Town tour in Queensland. Aimee then travelled the countryside competing in many festivals throughout Queensland and NSW with great success, as well as graduating from both the Junior and Senior programs at the CMAA Academy of Country Music.

Singing is a major part of Aimee’s life however it became increasingly difficult to perform as she was struggling with a rare medical condition that was causing her heart to fail, and it became necessary for Aimee to have her leg amputated. Staying true to herself, Aimee was back on stage months later performing from her wheelchair until her prosthetic was made. Nothing could stop her.

After competing in Today’s Country Brand New Star competition, she connected with fellow artists Gina Jeffreys and Max Jackson and with their help co-wrote a collection of songs, some of which Aimee recorded on her debut album ‘Stronger’, recorded at Hillbilly Hut Studios with Simon Johnson.

A multiple JUNO & CCMA Award winning entertainer, Dallas Smith is one of the most celebrated artists in Canadian Country music history, amassing 18 Canadian gold-certified single, 3 Canadian gold-certified albums, and 4 Canadian platinum-certified singles, including “Timeless”, “Drop”, and ” Trippin’ Point & Wastin Gas”.

Smith is the first and only Canadian Country artist to have 11 #1 singles , and the first to have 22 consecutive Top 10 singles. He has received 35 CCMA Award Nominations, and 11 CCMA wins, along with 5 Juno Award Nominations and 2 JUNO wins. His CCMA Award wins include, Album of The Year, Male Artist of The Year, Single of The Year, and he is reigning CCMA Entertainer of the year, two years running.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Dallas to premiere his new single “Hide From A Broken Heart” exclusively on the 2021 CCMA Awards (11/29

• 2022 National headlining tour to be announced 11/22, in tandem with “Hide From A Broken Heart” single announce + pre-add/pre-save launch.

• 11 career country #1 singles and half a BILLION combined streams to date

• 5 CCMA Nominations (2021), including: Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year, Fan’s

Choice, Album of the Year & Male Artist of the Year.

• 35 career CCNA Nominations and 11 CCMA wins, including: Entertainer of the Year (2020/2019), Top Selling Country Album (2020/2017), Male Artist of the Year (2019), Album of the Year (2017), and Single of the Year (2017).

• 5 JUNO Award Nominations & 2 JUNO Award wins, including the award for JUNO Country Album of the Year (Lifted).

• 3 Gold albums, 1B Gold singles and 4 Platinum singles (Music Canada)

• Dallas co-hosted the 2019 Canadian Country Music Awards with Billy Ray Cyrus.

• #1 Most Played solo Canadian Country artist of 2020 (MediaBase)

• The only Canadian Artist to have 22 consecutive Top 10 singles

• The most #1 songs by a Canadian Country artist ever, in the NielsenBDS era, surpassing Shania Twain.

• Past festival tour dates include Faster Horses, Watershed, Big Valley Jamboree, Country Thunder, Boots & Hearts, Calgary Stampede, Cavendish Music Fest

• Most recent headlining tour was “Friends Don’t Let Friends Tour Alone” (Fall 2019) with Dean Brody and MacKenzie Porter.

• 500,000 concert tickets sold as a country artist.

• Smith is the creator of the charitable organization, Lifted, which is a non-profit committed to ensuring mental health services are accessible to anyone in need.

Sharing music from the release of his debut country solo album at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Andrew Farriss now has lots more to celebrate with a nomination in the 2022 Golden Guitar awards for Heritage Song Of The Year. The track that earned the nomination, the gun-slinging “With The Kelly Gang” paints a vivid picture of Australian history.

Releasing “With The Kelly Gang” to radio in the lead-up to the 2022 Tamworth Country Music Festival, the song is an important part of the new musical direction that Andrew is heading in. When he was writing and recording his self-titled solo album, he knew from the start that he wanted to tell the story of an Australian outlaw, to bring the album full circle from its tales of international cultural spirituality, back to home.

Andrew said “The legend of the Ned Kelly and his gang has fascinated generations I’ve always been interested in Australia’s history, and I’ve since learned both sides of the Ned Kelly Story. This song captures a moment of Australian culture that felt right with the outlaw theme of my album, and I really enjoyed writing it with Mark and Jay O’shea”.

Andrew specifically chose to keep the instrumentation in the song ‘old-school’, using acoustic instruments, Irish flute, harmonica and mandolin, instead of loops, samples and drum machines, to enhance the historic feel of the track. The result is a song that centers the listener in a place and time, contemplating another side of an infamous outlaw.

With even more energy than before, Brock Colley is back with his brand new single ‘Rush’. With rock and roll ganjos creating vibey hooks and huge sounding choruses, ‘Rush’ sets the scene for couples that have true passion for one another. High energy, high passion and high excitement.

Armed with his new single ‘Rush’ and an upcoming EP, Brock Colley is back and ready to hit the road again. Following on from his early 2021 charting single ‘No Mascara’, Brock has brought an even more energetic approach to his latest creation. In between writing for other artists and juggling the touring world, he is still finding time to delve deeper into his own recording career and sound.

In his own words, 2022 is going to be a year that is more festival and tour focused, and Brock’s love for being around people will be at the forefront of what this next season entails.

“Love your neighbour as yourself” is easier said than done. Steve Cheers has worked in many helping environments over the years with people whose stated goal was to live up to these lofty ideals. Consequently, he has reflected on them a lot, because they’ve always seemed difficult to live up to in reality. Still, Steve has known some truly wonderful, selfless people who have come close. Being nice to those we like is easy, but doing the same for people who rub us the wrong way, not so easy. The people who can are amongst those we should respect the most.

Steve Cheers hails from the NSW Southern Highlands, where he worked in and on the regions entertainment industry for 25 years. Apart from releasing and performing his own music and that of his former band ‘Cowpoke’, he has also worked as an artist manager, promoter, theatrical actor producer and director, and with his wife Geralyn runs the local Music Centre which has educated many thousands of students over the years.

Entertainment has run in the bloodlines of Steve’s family for generations, and continues with members of his own family engaging in music teaching, composing and performers and other artistic endeavors.

Rising country artist, Hudson Rose makes a welcome return in late 2021, offering a brand new single ‘Drivin’ To You’. Co-written and produced by Michael Paynter and Michael Delorenzis, from the famed MSquared Team, this confident country pop track with an outlaw vibe, displays infectious and energetic hooks and a strong kick throughout the song.

Torn between what you know you should do and what you’re pulled towards? ‘Driving To You’ is about exactly this, trying to stop yourself from getting in the car to go somewhere you know you shouldn’t go and the inner struggles that go with that – in this case it’s being drawn to the classic ‘bad boy’.

“The idea for this song came from a short video I saw where a girl said the only thing that could stop her from going to see a guy was having a drink, because then she can’t drive. I could relate to this as we all have things, we know we shouldn’t do or places we shouldn’t go, but for some reason we are drawn to still do it. I developed the idea lyrically, put a strum pattern to it and presented it as an idea to Michael Paynter and Michael Delorenzis from MSquared. Working with MSquared was a great experience and definitely a relationship that I would like to pursue in the future”.

Hudson is continuously discovering ways to reinvent herself, and with each release showcases a different side to her personality, always delivering a confident message. Previous hits ‘Never See Me Cry’ (2020) and ‘One More Kiss’ (2021) both received chart success and solid airplay with high rotation adds on major stations KIX Country, Triple M Country, ABC Country and Australian Country Radio as well as Spotify and Apple Music playlist additions and music clips added to CMT Australia. 2021 also saw Hudson win the Maureen Wagner Memorial Award for Most Promising Young Artist in Australian Country Music and was included on the line-up in the inaugural Road to Roma Country Music Festival in March.

Hailing from NSW’s mid north coast, Hudson Rose has captivated audiences in her local area and went on to impress judges at the 2018 Tamworth Country Music Festival’s busking competition, where she was chosen out of hundreds to perform on the festival’s main stage as part of their Top 10. She returned the following year, to perform across various venues, gained a supporting spot with Homegrown and has continued to perform in her local area before the Covid19 pandemic forced the music industry to shut down. As the country now opens up and the live music scene comes back to life, Hudson is looking forward to Tamworth Country Music Festival and the new year ahead.

There is something distinctly refreshing about Hudson Rose’s gift of storytelling. Together with a vibrant, down to earth personality, unquestionable star quality and at just 19 years of age, Hudson Rose in an impressive new voice on the country music scene in Australia and one to watch as her story unfolds.

Adam Brand bounces back into the spotlight today with the release of his glorious new single ‘Still the One’. Through his heartfelt and engaging lyrics, Adam delivers an irresistible reflection on sustaining connection in the face of adversity.

Across more than two decades in music, soulful country songsmith Adam Brand has made a close study of love in its every facet.

“These two people have been through a crazy, difficult time”, Adam says of the couple at the heart of “Still the One”, “just like every relationship does. Just like we, as a country and world, are going through right now. But no matter what happened in the past or what will happen, they’re saying, you’re still the one. We’ll stick together through thick and thin.”

It’s a timely message of hope, confirming Adam’s gift for unearthing those shared experiences that bind people from all walks of life together: from connecting over the wobbly table at a café to weathering the pang of physical separation.

“Even though it’s a love song between two people, there are so many relationships that are under duress at the moment,” Adam reflects. “There’s a lot of separation in the world because of borders. I hope everyone has somebody they can look in the eye and say, whatever happens, no matter what comes our way, we’re sticking through this.”

Combining irresistible pop production, a dancefloor-ready beat, and Adam’s own earthy brand of heartland country soul, “Still the One” finds Adam exploring new vistas in sound.

Since bursting onto the scene with his celebrated self-titled debut album in 1998, Adam Brand has taken home 12 CMAA Golden Guitar Awards and netted 6 ARIA Award nominations. Across 15 studio albums, Adam has celebrated three platinum and five gold album certifications. Confirming Adam’s incomparable power as a fan favourite performer Australia wide, the world-beating artist has taken out seven CMC Oz Artist of the Year Awards – more than any other artist in the awards’ history.

Starting with the high-octane “Built for Speed” in 2002, Adam has enjoyed an unbroken string of No.1-charting ARIA Country Albums. 2020’s “Speed of Life” took out the No.6 spot on the overall ARIA Albums Chart, marking Adam’s sixth studio album to make the Top

10. As dozens of No.1 hit singles confirm, Adam ranks among the most successful Australian artists of all time.

A heartfelt love song for troubled times, “Still the One” is Adam Brand at his insightful, articulate best. It’s a healing balm, and a joyous celebration of constancy and resilience.

The singer-songwriter has always been blessed with ample helpings of the perfect combination of beach and bush in Port Macquarie to inspire his musical output and the new single is the perfect summer ode to home.

“Hometown is inspired by my time living in Sydney and that feeling of excitement and longing to get on the road back home,” said Chris Rose. “It talks about all my favourite things. Parties on the sand with my mates, summer nights in late December, surfing, camping and more. Although it’s an upbeat/uplifting track, there’s a little nostalgic sadness buried in there.”

It’s the perfect time for nostalgia, especially with borders opening and Australians getting to visit home or see loved ones, many for the first time in over a year. Rose’s love for his home will be mirrored across the country’s highways and airports right around Australia this holiday season and this track will become the anthem we didn’t expect to need in 2021.

Despite being a relative newcomer to country radio, Chris has been a stalwart of the live music scene, getting his break as part of the TDP (Talent Development Program) which has helped shape the early careers of artists including Morgan Evans, Brad Cox and Tom Jordan (Seaforth). He supported some of Aussie music’s most iconic artists like The McClymonths, Black Sorrows and Daryl Braithwaite and is now stepping out to do his own shows, including his ‘Hometown’ launch party on December 3 at ‘Hello Sailor’, Port Macquarie.

Mercury Nashville rising star Priscilla Block has released her latest song ‘Peaked In High School’ for all of those who feel more grateful the school years are over than thanks for the good time. Written by Block with Sarah Jones, Josh Beale and Kate Hasting, Block taps into her high school years, feeling on the outside and coming to grips with friends who turned “too cool” – but Block executes the song with her playful, signature wink.

“I was the girl that had no interest in doing things how everybody else did them,” Block shares with PEOPLE. “This song kinda just goes out to anybody that that’s ever made me feel not enough. And to any young people out there, people tell you that high school will be some of the best years of your life. I am living proof that it is not. I wish I knew that back in the day. I would have saved so many fricking tears.”

Known for her relatable, candid lyrics, Block continues to prove to that her best years are still ahead. She released her self-titled major label debut earlier this year and is currently one of CMT’s Next Women of Country, is November’s Opry NextStage featured artist, has her smash single ‘Just About Over You’ climbing US country radio airplay charts, and earned critical praise including American Songwriter which notes, “Priscilla’s songs emanate authenticity, making others feel they have a place at the table, and someone new to relate to.” Block has toured with Ashley McBryde, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi and more.

About Priscilla Block

Country artist Priscilla Block draws listeners in with her unfiltered, relatable songwriting and catchy melodies. Pegged as a 2021 Artist to Watch by Amazon Music, PANDORA, Spotify, CMT, The Boot, MusicRow, HITS, Sounds Like Nashville, Country Now, Music Mayhem and more, Priscilla’s honest and upfront approach promotes self-love, empowerment, and acceptance through her own blend of country pop and southern rock, dubbed the Block Party sound.

In early 2020, Priscilla was struggling to make ends meet after losing her job and her apartment. Unable to get out and play in person due to Covid-19, Priscilla began experimenting on TikTok and quickly developed a rabid fanbase with songs like ‘Thick Thighs,’ ‘PMS’ and ‘Just About Over You’. Fans rallied together to independently fund Priscilla’s recording and since its release, ‘Just About Over You’ peaked both the iTunes Country and All-Genre song charts, the song was named one of The New York Times Best Songs of 2020, and it is now Top 20 on US country radio. ‘Just About Over You’ along with ‘Wish You Were the Whiskey’, ‘I Bet You Wanna Know’ and three more originals written by the young star comprise Priscilla’s self-titled major label debut EP released April 30.

Originally from Raleigh, NC, Priscilla moved to Nashville to pursue music shortly after high school. In Nashville, the affable, hardworking, student of life worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, then a chance encounter with her idol – Taylor Swift – was the sign she needed to dive all the way in on her music. Priscilla is a seasoned performer sharing the stage and opening for artists including Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Kelsea Ballerini, Rodney Atkins and more. She is currently on the road with Ashley McBryde.

Multi award winning performer, Darren Coggan and his daughter, seventeen-year-old singer/songwriter Olivia Coggan, collaborate to release a stunning collection of songs celebrating family, hope and home on their debut EP, ‘Dear August’.

The seven songs that feature on the EP are uplifting affirmations of the universal values we all hold true. In the world we live in today, being reminded that life is beautiful and to love one another is a mantra we all need.

The first single and title track of the EP, ‘Dear August’, is a song that will resonate with so many, a prayer for the sun to break through to a new day.

“During the endless months of lockdown throughout 2021, my version of ‘home schooling’ was to record this EP of some of our favourite songs that Olivia and I have naturally gravitated towards over the years. I am incredibly proud of Olivia and what we have captured and I hope that the songs bring joy to the listeners” commented Darren.

“Singing together is something that Dad and I have always done for as long as I can remember. In fact, there is a bonus track on the EP of a recording of Dad and I singing the Kasey Chambers song ‘Dad Do You Remember?’, when I was 8 years old, it’s pretty cute and a nice little time capsule to reflect upon” says Olivia

Olivia Coggan is emerging as a fabulous young singer/songwriter, gathering high praise from some of the music industry’s most respected performers including Kasey Chambers, Felicity Urquhart and Emma Pask. Olivia is currently writing songs for her debut release scheduled for 2022.

Darren Coggan is one of Australia’s most exciting and diverse artists – a masterful storyteller who has carved an impressive career in the Australian country music industry. Darren is equally at home in musicals and on screen, currently presenting the lifestyle TV program Sydney Weekender, but is probably best known for his critically acclaimed portrait of Cat Stevens, which has inspired audiences in the most prestigious theatres around the world, including sold out performances at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and Liverpool Philharmonic.

Going Home For Christmas features Johnny Dan on vocals along with world famous musicians Matt Bissonnette (Elton John, David Lee Roth), Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr, David Lee Roth), Paul Bushnell (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill), Matt Laug (Alanis Morrisette, Slash), Bob “Boo” Bernstein (Dwight Yoakam, Tanya Tucker) and was mixed by LA legend and Grammy Winner Tom Weir at Studio City Sound and Mastered by Grammy winner Gavin Lurssen.

Kaylee Bell is ecstatic to announce her next single “Living Free”, a collaboration with US superstar Lindsay Ell, will be out from November 5. “Living Free” is an anthemic single about living in the moment.

Living Free was written in Nashville by Bell along with Sam Sumser (produced Lizzo and Keith Urban), Michael Lotten and produced by Grammy nominated Lindsay Rimes and Simon Oscroft (Midnight Youth, Disney USA Producer).

Bell comments, “It was an honour to team up with Lindsay on this track, despite the global pandemic we were still able to work together from opposite sides of the world. This song is message of empowerment, and we can’t wait to play live together! I hope it’s a positive reminder for us all right now to focus on what really matters.”

Following the release of “Living Free”, Bell will also be releasing her next album “SILVER LININGS” on November 26, featuring collaborations with artists such as Lindsay Ell, The McClymonts, Josh Mirenda and more.

Bell was recently selected by Spotify to represent New Zealand Australians artists as the face of EQUAL Global Music Program, profiled on a massive billboard in Times Square New York. Bell’s single “Keith”, written as a tribute to Keith Urban, recently passed 5 million streams on all platforms making Bell the first Australasian artist since Kasey Chambers to pass five million of a song, an amazing achievement for a self-funded and self-managed independent artist.

Bell’s recent single “That Summer” was the most added song to mainstream radio in New Zealand for the month of May and Bell continues to reign as the Most Streamed Female Artist for Australasia.

www.kayleebellmusic.com

Courtney Keil continues her ascendancy as one of the best new talents on the Australian country scene with her latest single ‘Little Heartbreak’. The Melbourne based singer / songwriter has seen her previous three singles ‘Where Does All The Love Go’, ‘Hummingbird’, and ‘I Just Wanna Hold You’ all hit No.1 on the iTunes Country Singles charts, with the latter also peaking at #15 on TMN CountryTown Hot 50 airplay chart and earning a semi-finalist spot in the 2020 International Songwriters Competition.

‘Little Heartbreak’ is a song that adds to the rich, time-honoured tradition of lovelorn breakup songs in Country music. “This song is inspired by the challenges of dating and facing ‘little heartbreaks’. Events build on each other: the ‘what if’s,’ first date failures, falling for someone then being rejected”, Keil says. “Our main focus can be on major losses, long term relationship breakdown, and divorce which can underscore the pain and heartache of an ongoing dating cycle.”

Working with Rod McCormack at his Music Cellar studio on the NSW Central Coast, Keil took inspiration from one of the greats of 90s Country and worked with a few legends to bring the track to fruition. “I had the pleasure of writing this with Gina Jeffreys, Rod McCormack, Sam Gay and Templeton Thompson. We were musically inspired by Lee Ann Womack’s 1997 release ‘Man With 18 Wheels’.”

‘Little Heartbreak’ is a bouncy and upbeat song that cleverly hides the pain within the lyric. As Keil sings “I know paper cuts aren’t deep, they still sting and bleed,” this is a song to be uplifted with, after an emotional knock-down. “I hope this song gives the listener space to process the ‘little heartbreaks’ and to honour the pain that comes with them, even if not as outwardly noticeable as the big breaks!” she says.

Keil is set to kick off 2022 in a big way as part of the ‘Country Girls’ Night Out’ tour playing with Gina Jeffreys and Tania Kernaghan, which commences in January at the 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival. She has also been playing the role of June Carter Cash alongside Daniel Thompson in “Johnny Cash: The Concert” throughout 2021 (pre-lockdown) which will be continuing in 2022.

Courtney Keil is well on her way to making an indelible mark on Australia’s country music landscape. ‘Little Heartbreak’ is the latest in a string of singles that has enchanted the hearts of fans everywhere and is set to find and even bigger audience. She is that rare talent to make sunshine out of rain, and that magic is why she is one of the most remarkable up-and-coming talents in Australia right now.

Hello, you’ve heard MICHAEL JAY HUGHES’ hard-hitting song “Dirt Road Whiskey”….But you haven’t heard his two recently released singles….until now, and they are getting international attention. Check out new originals from MJH “Playing With Fire” and “Keith Whitley Songs”.
Additionally, Michael Jay sat down recently and answered some questions with Nashville Voyager Magazine. More to come and more music coming soon!!

“The Ring A Ting Song” opens with Amy Jack’s lush vocals, accompanied by beautiful bells and a steady drum beat, drawing the listener in. Not only does the song have a catchy melody, but the lyrics spread joy and peacefulness around the world. “The Ring A Ting Song” has all the makings of an instant holiday classic.