ZFM Country

Mackenzie Carpenter is channelling her inner Cyndi Lauper with the release of “Country Girls (Just Wanna Have Fun)” available now via The Valory Music Co. Almost 40 years to the day since its release (September 6th in 1983), Carpenter has reimagined the lyrics and added a fresh Country spin to the iconic ’80s anthem. True to the young songwriter’s style, the new version aims to sprinkle just enough cleverality and amusement to create a fun tune that can be cranked up and danced to.

“I showed up to a write one day saying I wanted to write the country version of ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and next thing you know we started ad-libbing and ended up re-writing the ’80s classic…but with a whole lot of country flair,” shared Carpenter. “It all came together in a really fun, colorful way and I hope people feel like they can crank it up and have some fun-the boys too!”

Paying homage to the harmless rebellion in the original tune, “Country Girls (Just Wanna Have Fun)” brings everything a fun night out honky tonking could need, neon lights, whiskey, a cowboy, and of course, the girls. “Want a cowboy to take my hand and boot scoot and two-step me to a cover band,” sings Carpenter. “I’ll whiskey wink, he’ll think that he stands a chance, and kiss him just because country girls just wanna have fun.”

Despite the ability to write a vulnerable heartbreaker like “Jesus I’m Jealous,” Carpenter’s knack for cheeky lyrics accompanied by a healthy dose of sass shines bright across her self-titled debut EP in tracks like the TikTok-viral, “Huntin’ Season,” and her advisory “Don’t Mess With Exes.” This next release is no exception and is meant to be a soundtrack to going out and having a blast with friends.

Fueled by an upbringing consisting of a rowdy support system, back porch hootenannies and juicy drama that feeds any plot, the affable and kind Carpenter continues to embrace the crazy and “tacky” aspects that make life a little more fun. Since signing her record deal with The Valory Music Co. last year, Mackenzie is recognized in Country music as an artist to watch, being included in several spotlight programs including the CMT Next Women of Country class of 2023 and Nashville Briefing’s Artists To Watch 2023. This summer, she took the stage at major events like CMA Fest, Country Thunder, Tortuga Music Festival, Stagecoach and also made her Grand Ole Opry debut June 20th

Canadian Country Trio Petric Join Up With Powerhouse Vocalist Christie Lamb To Release ‘Single Problem’ And Get Set To Tour Australia.

Multi award-winning Canadian act Petric are gearing up to bring their special blend of Canadian pop country to Australian audiences. To celebrate in the lead up to their first Australian tour, the three-piece outfit is set to release ‘Single Problem’, a catchy country pop track which features Australia’s powerhouse vocalist, Golden Guitar and CMC Award winner, Christie Lamb.

“‘Single Problem’ has always had a special place in our hearts. It was one of our biggest charting hits in Canada, a couple of years ago. Having the opportunity to take a fresh approach to the song and collaborate with Christie has felt really great. Her voice is beautiful, and we love the way this track has turned out.” Jason Petric

The Manitoba based act have released a succession of successful singles in Australia including ‘Déjà Vu, ‘KIDS’, “White Lyin’, ‘Night Up’, ‘Beach Please’ and the Australian Top 23 chart-topping single ‘Flirtin’ . (with Hayley Jensen). They are excited for their upcoming Australian tour which will see them performing their catchy hook-driven tracks to Australian fans. With shows in Brisbane and Sydney, Petric then board the 7-night Royal Caribbean Country Music Cruise, Cruisin’ Country which features Australian Country Music heavyweights such as The Wolfe Brothers, James Johnston, Casey Barnes, Beccy Cole, Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont, McAlister Kemp, Amber Lawrence, Hayley Jensen and Australian born, Canadian raised Gord Bamford and more.

Meanwhile Australia’s very own Christie Lamb is excited to be collaborating with Petric on this single.

“I am so excited for you all to hear my brand new single ‘Single Problem’. I loved working on this track with the guys from Petric. It’s such a cute, fun, and fresh track about how good it feels when you find the one.” Christie Lamb.

The vibrant multi-instrumental award-winning singer has performed at high profile and iconic events such as CMC Rocks, Gympie Music Muster, The Big Red Bash, Groundwater Country Music Festival, NQ’s Rockin’ Country, Savannah in the Round, Cruisin’ Country, Country Rocks Festival and more and is known as one of Australia’s leading female country music entertainers.

Passion, and persistence, combined with raw talent and high expectations, has been the formula for success for Petric. The band have accumulated over 15 million worldwide online streams, 10 charting singles, and 3 Top 20 hits. Petric’s latest album ‘Flashbacks’ alone has accumulated 3 million online streams and has opened doors to multiple international markets including Australia.

Petric and Christie Lamb’s new single ‘Simple Problem’ is out at radio on Monday 4th September and all digital services on Friday 8th September.

Jake Whittaker shows a different side to his music with his new single, ‘Later’.

Written with best mate and producer, Jared Adlam, ‘Later’ was inspired by how the two friends met their respective partners.

“The first verse is about how I met my fiancée, as we sat out under the stars and chatted on the concrete water tank at the back of the property,” Jake said.

“‘Later’ was the first word we came up with for the song, then pulled the inspiration from that. We wanted a song with some depth to show that there’s more to me than just the mullet, moustache, and party song.”

Following on from singles, ‘Round Here’ and ‘Drink To That’, ‘Later’ shows a more lyrical and storytelling side to Jake’s music.

The radio-friendly single has also aided in Jake getting ‘brownie points’ with his fiancée, Nicole. “She loves it,” he said.

As with the previous singles, Jake wants to keep bringing music to his listeners that they can enjoy, while building his audience.

“The reaction to ‘Round Here’ and ‘Drink To That’ has been pretty spectacular; the country community has welcomed me with open arms,” he said.

“The country scene is full of great people from the fans to the industry people.”

Casey Barnes releases his brand new single, “Never Give Up On A Good Time”, as he prepares to the hit the road for the CITY NIGHTS TOUR in Sydney (Sept 8), Brisbane (Sept 16) & Melbourne (Sept 21). “Never Give Up On A Good Time” is the follow-up to “Boys Like Me” which peaked at #1 on the CountryTown Country Airplay chart; his seventh #1 single in just over two years.

“Never Give Up On A Good Time”, is the third single from a brand-new studio album to be released in early 2024 and was co-written by Casey with Nashville based hit-maker, Eric Paslay (co-writer of hits for Keith Urban, Lady A, Jake Owen and many more). These new tracks follow the huge success of previous studio album “Light It Up” (released February 2022), for which Casey received the 2022 ARIA Award for Best Country Album, 2023 Golden Guitar Awards for Toyota Album of the Year and Top Selling Album of the Year and the 2023 APRA Award for Most Performed Country Work (for God Took His Time On You).

Casey commented on the song, “I’ve been a massive Eric Paslay fan since meeting when we both performed at C2C Festival back in 2019. We finally had the chance to re-connect again in October last year when I was over in Nashville writing for the new album and playing some shows and that’s when we co-wrote this new one ‘Never Give Up On A Good Time’. I’ve always loved his writing and had a feeling we’d come away with really something special. This song’s all about chasing that ultimate night out, good time and bringing your friends along for the ride! It’s also going to be a great song to add into our live set too. Really excited to have this one out there!”

It is going to be a busy end to 2023 for Casey with the CITY NIGHTS TOUR, a massive run of festivals and finishing off his next album. Wherever Casey goes, the good time is sure to follow.

The reigning Female Artist of the Year, Amber Lawrence is back with a brand-new song for release, “Live A Country Song”. After releasing the ARIA and Golden Guitar nominated album “Living for the Highlights” in 2022, Amber is back with a new stand-alone single.

With its familiar Amber Lawrence melodies and soaring vocals, this is an energetic and fresh sound for the singer/songwriter and is definitely a song that will sit well on the festival stages throughout spring and summer this year.

“Live a Country Song” was co-written with Nick and Tom of The Wolfe Brothers, after a discussion about why popular country songs often tread the same well-worn themes and paths. The answer eventually
being addressed in this song – because we love everything about it, we live and breathe it, we write it & we sing about it, and we hope you get to live your very own country song!

The song is already proving to be a fan favourite when performed live, it’s a song that embraces all that we love about the genre, and celebrates it, and with the strong state of country music in Australia right now – what a time to celebrate! Amber is touring far and wide in 2023, and will commence 2024 in Tamworth with her ‘Live a Country Song Tour’.

Country artist Benn Gunn is releasing his new single, ‘Let Their Voice Be Heard’, and urging Australians to vote yes in the upcoming referendum.

“It’s long overdue that we are proud of our indigenous Australians. They’re the longest surviving culture on earth which makes them the greatest survivors in human history.”

Indigenous Australians developed their own society, culture, and strategies that helped them survive and thrive in some of the most hostile environments on earth for over 60,000 years.

But that survival was threatened during colonization. From the late 1700s right up to the 1920s, State Governments in Australia sanctioned the hunting down and killing of Indigenous Australian men, women and children.

If you Google “aboriginal massacres” you’ll find over 270 cases where Indigenous Australians were murdered in large groups, over 140 years of colonization. And those are just the documented cases. Then we had systemic racism, the stolen generation, stolen wages … the list of injustices done to Indigenous Australians goes on and on.

Even their history has been stolen. We know from the early explorers there were yam fields that stretched to the horizon with soil so deeply cultivated you could put your arm in it up to the elbow. There were yam pits dug so deep a man could stand in them and there was real danger a horse might fall into them.

Calling Indigenous Australians hunters and gathers doesn’t even begin to describe the huge diversity of different cultures that were here before colonization, all the way from Islanders who grew their own food, to the desert people who were mostly nomadic.

In 2017, 250 Aboriginal and Islander delegates from all over Australia gathered at Uluru and gifted us with the Uluru Statement, From The Heart, a document that outlines a process to bring all Australians together, and bring pride and self determination to Indigenous Australians.

The first part of that statement is a voice to Parliament … a body of Indigenous Australians elected by their local communities who can consult with the executive of the Australian Government and give them feedback on legislation that affects Indigenous Australians. It doesn’t give them any special powers, just the right to give feedback.

Just a little feedback has the potential to save Australians hundreds of millions of dollars.

Most Indigenous Australians today have family stories of their ancestors being killed or taken away by the Government. Many are still alive today who experienced or witnessed it. Understandably, most have some distrust towards Governments at all levels.

Federal Government spending on Indigenous Australians, including health and other essential services, is currently approximately $4.5 billion dollars a year. That distrust means government programs with excellent intentions can struggle to find wide acceptance among Indigenous People.

With Indigenous Elders giving feedback on programs and policies, their acceptance and their implementation is likely to improve substantially. Even if outcomes on Indigenous spending improved by just 10%, that’s a saving of $450 million dollars a year for our Federal Government.

The second verse of Benn’s song, ‘Let Their Voice Be Heard’, powers into an up-tempo, celebratory mood. He sings “With our generations reconciled the day can finally come, where our whole nation stands with pride, and we all walk as one.”

With the referendum we have an historic chance to recognize Indigenous Australians in our constitution and give them that voice of representatives they elect from their own communities.

“It’s time to come together and make a brand new start.” – Benn Gunn

“This is the song of the summer for that person you’re sweet on” – Ashleigh Dallas

Ashleigh Dallas’ new single, ‘Sweet For You’, sees the multi-award winner get in touch with her romantic side.

Stemming from an afternoon of banjo and fiddle practice, ‘Sweet For You’, celebrates the happy chapter she is in, in her life.

“I wrote this in 2022 and the idea came to me as a fiddle melody that worked with the lyrics,” Ashleigh said.

“I sat on the chorus for a week before I finished it. The theme of the song is about having your head up in the clouds and all the good things in life.”

“It is dedicated to my husband, Chris, but I’m not one to often write a lot of love songs, but I am in a great chapter of life and we’ve got the girls (daughters Harriet and Lillian). This is a song that is really relishing in all of those happy, feelgood vibes.”

‘Sweet For You’ also harks back to ’90’s country with a nostalgic, Cajun feel.

“I’d love my listeners to get a euphoric joy from this song, from the mix of instruments and the whole concept of the song because it’s a song that embraces all the joy and the good things in life,” Ashleigh said.

Ashleigh said she’s no matchmaker, but agreed that this could be the song to send to someone you’re sweet on that you’d like to share the love and joy with.

Launched at the Gympie Music Muster, ‘Sweet for You’ is released on August 25.

“To be heading back to the Gympie Music Muster, where it’s been many years since I’ve played, I’m very excited to be launching this at the festival,” Ashleigh said.

“The Muster is one of our most cherished festivals and, as a young kid wanting to have country music as a career, it was a bucket list festival to play, so it’s humbling to be involved in it and a festival you want to do your best at.

“It means so much as an artist, but it means a lot to the country music lover to be there, too. I feel this is that perfect song for a crowd to engage with and have a dance.”

Ashleigh showcases her musical talents throughout ‘Sweet For You’, featuring on fiddle, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and banjo with electric guitar and other colour instruments played by her dad and producer Brett Dallas. In the engine room of the rhythm section is brother Lindsay Dallas on bass and Adam McCann on drums.

Three-time Grammy® Award-winning country superstar Tim McGraw has released his highly anticipated new album Standing Room Only on August 25, 2023 via Big Machine Records. Standing Room Only features 13 brand-new tracks and was produced by McGraw and his longtime producing partner Byron Gallimore.

The new album marks McGraw’s first new record since 2020’s Here On Earth, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Chart. On Standing Room Only, fans can expect an album full of McGraw’s enduring Country sound, distinguished vocals and meaningful songs.

“As an artist, I always want to dig deeper and get better every time I make a new record – it’s a big part of what drives me, and I really believe this is one of the best projects we’ve made. I’ve been working on this album since 2020, and this collection of songs are some of the most emotional, thought-provoking, and life-affirming music I’ve ever recorded,” McGraw shares.

Throughout his career, McGraw has amassed 68 Top 10s and holds the Mediabase record for the most weeks at #1 with all titles, totalling 73 weeks, and holds the record for second-most #1 albums in the U.S. just behind George Strait.

Acclaimed husband-and-wife duo, Mark and Jay O’Shea (O’Shea), are set to unveil their latest single, ‘Everything Means Nothing,’ on August 25th, 2023. This evocative track promises a rollercoaster of emotions, mirroring their personal life’s unpredictable adventure.

Crafted with lyrics that resound with visceral honesty, the song starts with a candid recounting of a less-than-perfect proposal: “I proposed in Sydney at a fancy restaurant right there on the harbour … But instead of screaming out ‘Yes’, she just managed an ‘Ok, then’,” sings Mark, inviting listeners into the couple’s romantic journey from the opening verse.

‘Everything Means Nothing’ pulls at the heartstrings as it navigates the peaks and troughs of their journey. From “singin’ for our supper in upper Manhattan” to the harsh reality that “you don’t get paid to play music in Music City,” the duo’s experiences, both high and low, underscore a poignant truth: “Everything Means Nothing, without you.”

O’Shea have perfectly captured a universal theme, brilliantly weaving their unique narrative into the shared human experience of love. “Oh the places we will go. And all the things, we didn’t know, we didn’t know” they sing to each other, setting the stage for a love story that’s as exhilarating as it is heartfelt.

Mark and Jay O’Shea continue to stake their claim as world class songwriters and performers winning over crowds from Dubai, UAE to Dalby, QLD, from the Grand Ole Opry to the Sydney Opera House. Their live shows have earned a reputation for being an emotional work-out, and Jay’s iconic vocal’s need to be heard to be believed.

When the couple aren’t adding to the seven Australian Country Music Awards (Golden Guitars) on the mantle, their swag full of number 1 singles and ARIA chart topping albums, they spend their spare time serving as ambassadors for charitable organizations like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and HeartKids Australia.

‘Pour Me A Drink’ from The Scott Howarth Band is the latest country hit that’s about to become your new favorite. With it’s catchy melody and relatable lyrics, this song is all about taking a break from the stresses of life and enjoying a little bit of liquid therapy. Wheather you’re sipping on a beer at the local pub or pouring yourself a whiskey at home, ‘Pour Me A Drink’ is the perfect soundtrack to your next happy hour. So grab a cold one and turn up the colume, because this song is about to become your new anthem. Cheer!!