BILLIE-JO PORTER AND ANDREW SWIFT RELEASE DUET ‘THIS IS US HERE’
Her recent single ‘Howl at the Moon’, hit #18 on the Country Songs Top 40 Australian airplay chart and received additions to Apple Music’s ‘Back Porch Country’, ‘New Music Daily’ and ‘Aussie Country’ editorial playlists. Now Billie-Jo Porter teams up with Andrew Swift to unveil the freewheeling rocker, ‘This is Us Here’.
From its rolling bass line and cosmic guitars to Billie-Jo and Andrew’s carefree vocals, ‘This is Us Here’ shouts four-wheel freedom. It’s got the kind of groove that makes you want to keep hitting repeat.
The song was inspired by an epic road trip. “Everything in the song actually happened”, says Billie-Jo. “While living in Canada my partner Kyle and I decided to go on a road trip to meet some friends rock climbing in the USA. The total trip was meant to be for two weeks, but we were having so much fun that we decided to quit our jobs and just keep going.”
When Billie-Jo shared her experience with a group of writers at the Gympie Song Muster in 2023 the lyrics were born. “It was an epic trip. We had so many unreal experiences to celebrate, but I also had to dig deep and work on myself and our relationship. I’m scared of heights, so although the rock climbing was exciting to begin with, after months and months of living in a tent and rock climbing, I was over it.”
When the winter snow began to fall, she made the tough decision to call it quits, ditch the rock climbing and head down to the warmer weather in Central America to get lessons in Spanish. It took a bit of convincing to get Kyle on board, but from one whirlwind experience to another, they went for it and held no regrets. “We look back on that trip and smile, because we could have turned back but we went up a gear.”
Andrew Swift entered the equation after a proposition from producer, Shane Nicholson. “He suggested that we make it a duet. I started thinking about who would be great on this song and thought of Andrew Swift right away.”
Shane’s production feels timeless but fresh; reminiscent of open road country rock à la The Eagles or Tom Petty but grounded to Billie-Jo’s distinctive sound. Having worked on the singer-songwriter’s self-titled #4 ARIA debut album, he’s well versed in nuances of Billie-Jo’s music, and this feels like a natural next step.
Andrew Swift’s vocal certainly kicks the song into another gear. “Swifty’s vocals take this song to the next level, so glad that he jumped on board.” The pair sound as though they’ve sung together for years; their voices intertwining effortlessly in soaring harmony.
Proving she’s still got that gypsy soul, Billie-Jo has spent much of 2024 on the road. She’s notched appearances at a slew of festivals around the country, including Gympie Music Muster, Meatstock Sydney, Meatstock Toowoomba, Barra & Boots Music Festival and Tamworth Country Music Festival.
And the shows roll on. Over the coming months she’ll cruise her fun-loving repertoire up and down the east coast, including a date at the 2025 Tamworth Country Music Festival, Camp For a Cure, and a performance alongside her duet partner in Noojee, Vic.
With ‘This is Us Here’, Billie-Jo Porter showcases not just her storytelling prowess but also her dedication to music that resonates with real-life experiences. The delightful combination of her soulful vocals with Andrew Swift’s dynamic energy brings a new edge to her music.