ZFM Country

Today, Country Pop Artist, Kaylee Bell returns with her latest single, ‘Small Town Friday Nights’.

The new single, ‘Small Town Friday Nights’, is a follow up to her smash hit, ‘Keith’, which peaked at #1 on the Countrytown Hot 50 Country Airplay Chart, charted in the US, Canada, UK, Norway, and New Zealand and took the #1 All Genre spot in Australia for a week ahead of Harry Styles and Luke Combs. The song written as a tribute to Keith Urban, also earned Kaylee the title of the ‘Most Streamed Country Artist for Australasia’ in 2022 with ‘Keith’ being the most streamed country song of the year with over 12 million streams. In total, she boasts over 40 million global streams to date.

‘Small Town Friday Nights’ was co-written with Nashville hitmakers Lindsay Rimes (Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett) and Phil Barton (Lee Brice) who Bell collaborated with on ‘Keith’ during a recent writing trip in Nashville – her first in two years after travelling there every year for the past 12 years.

“I had the idea and song title ‘Small Town Friday Nights’ in my song bank for a while and I knew I wanted to write it that day, so I took it to Phil and Lindsay and we wrote this song super-fast,” Kaylee admits.

‘Small Town Friday Nights’ is an anthem and a call for celebration for anyone who grew up in a small town and loves to throw it down on a Friday night.

“I was raised in a small town Waimate, in the South Island of New Zealand with a population of 3000 people and some of my best memories are of Friday night’s hanging with my friends,” Kaylee says. “The whole town would go and play touch footy then head off to the pub or off to a house party or bonfire in a paddock out in the country. These were some of the best memories of growing up in a small town and I vividly remember how significant Friday nights were. They bought the town together and it didn’t matter how old you were, everyone hung out.”

The accompanying music video was shot by Brooks Barry in Leiper’s Fork, Nashville and captures that same carefree and breezy spirit of the upbeat track.

“Leiper’s Fork, a little area outside of Nashville was a place that I absolutely fell in love with while I was in the States. It reminded me so much of home,” confesses Kaylee . “I was thinking of shooting a music video in Nashville for the song while I was listening to the demo while out for a Sunday drive and I just happened to drive past the red truck on the side of the road that we ended up using in the clip. It was sitting there with a ‘for sale’ sign on it and I loved how much of a story it looked like it told and how beat up it was and I knew I wanted to have in the video.”

“I hadn’t driven in America before due to the wrong side of car and road situation, and so my first experience of driving in the US was driving this truck for my music video… of course it was,” she laughs.

Having started singing at four-years-old, Kaylee moved to Australia at age 21 to where she won the prestigious Toyota Star Maker Prize and released her debut studio album, ‘Heart First’, in 2013. Supports for The Chicks, Keith Urban and Morgan Evans followed, as well as festival slots at CMC Rocks and C2C London, and shows in New Zealand, Australia and the US.

Other accolades include being the first artist outside of the US to win the US Unsigned Only Global Grand Prize, winner of the APRA NZ ‘Best Country Song’ and winner of the prestigious Tui Award for ‘NZ Best Country Artist’ at the Aotearoa Music Awards. She was also the face of Spotify’s EQUAL campaign and saw her featured in Times Square, New York representing female in music globally.

Kaylee recently teamed up with James Johnston on ‘Same Songs’, which has over 1.4 million global streams to date and continues to climb the Countrytown Hot 50 Country Airplay Chart after having peaked at #4. She has previously collaborated with Jared Porter (‘Pieces’), Canadian country pop singer Lindsay Ell (‘Living Free’), Bastian Baker (‘A Heart Don’t Break Like That’), Australian sister trio The McClymonts (‘Before I Met You’), Josh Mirenda ( ‘That Summer’), Lepandi (‘That Summer’) and fellow 2022 The Voice Australia finalist, Finnian Johnson (‘Landslide’).

In addition to the new single, Kaylee will support US country superstar, Brad Paisley on the New Zealand leg of his current world tour alongside Morgan Evans and MacKenzie Porter and perform at Groundwater Country Music Festival on the Gold Coast on Saturday 29th October.

2022 has already been a massive year for newcomer, Brittany Elise. She took the crown at the Gympie Music Muster’s NAB Talent Search, was a grand finalist in the prestigious Toyota Star Maker competition and awarded Most Popular New Female Artist of the Year at the ICMA Awards. She’s still touring the nation off the back of her scorching single, ‘Feel The Fire’ and today her latest single ‘Like Me That Way’ arrives, just ahead of the release of her new album Just Be (out 21st October – available for pre order now).

‘Like Me That Way’ springs to life with sunny acoustic guitars, while Brittany’s vocal commands centre stage. She sings an empowered tune of self-love – “I like the way I am / This is who I am / I like me that way”.

Written alongside Lyn Bowtell, the song is Brittany’s take on a breakup anthem; “a reminder to never change who you are as a person especially if others are telling you to.” When shaping the tone for the single she drew inspiration from other Aussie females. “I took influence from two powerful artists and songs – Kasey Chambers ‘Am I Not Pretty Enough’ and Missy Higgins ‘Scar’.

As is not uncommon in these times, Brittany collaborated with her producer, Liam Quinn (Guy Sebastian, Rita Ora, James Johnston), remotely. “These vocals were recorded in my Queensland home built studio and the rest produced in Sydney, NSW,” she tells. The result is an uplifting blend of Country musicality layered with pop hooks – a sound fans have come to love from Brittany Elise.

To date, Brittany has release 5 tracks from her upcoming album. They’ve made her a common fixture on the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay chart (peak #16), earned her thousands of streams on Apple Music and Spotify playlists and received high rotation on countless national radio stations. No small feat for a new artist.

She’s opened for artists including James Johnston, Amber Lawrence and Darlinghurst and is in the midst of her own ‘Feel The Fire’ tour. The 6 month tour has seen Brittany trace the coast of QLD so far with shows in NSW, VIC and TAS still to come, as well as an appearance at the Agnes Blues and Roots festival in QLD.

Brittany Elise’s inspiring messages, set to an equally upbeat soundtrack have proven to be a much-loved recipe. With each release she gains more listeners, drawn to the honesty and relatability of her words. ‘Like Me That Way’ is yet another excellent offering from an artist who is proud to share her story.

Riding the high of their successful Pozible Campaign which concluded this week, the Vixens of Fall are keeping the good times rolling with the release of fiery new single, ‘Prove You Wrong’ this Friday the 30th of September.

“Prove You Wrong is cheeky, rebellious… a rowdy good time! It’s tongue in cheek, sprinkled with a little chaos and dash of spice. A love letter to the wild ones!”, the sister trio said of the new single. The track promises a hook that will take no prisoners on the dance floor; hot and high, energetic, and sticky-sweet. It’s a tequila fueled road-trip down a neon-lit Memphis strip.

The track follows the Vixens down their laneway of an increasingly high energy Country-Rock sound, which they say is a taste of all that’s to come on their crowd-funded Debut Album due February 2023. Fans of the Vixens have validated the girls’ evolving sonic direction, with over 145 members of their community (or ‘Skulk’, if we want to be on brand) raising over $25,000 in under 4 weeks to support the production of the girls forthcoming record.

With over 100,000 streams on their previous single (Ain’t Goin’ Home) released this July, the Vixens are taking names and commanding attention like never before. Prove You Wrong is a co-write between the Vixens’ Adrienne Whitehouse, Rod McCormack (Paul Kelly, The McClymonts, Beccy Cole) and Nashville based Sally Barris (Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack). Their relevancy and community is on the up-and-up, and not a moment out of order.

2022 has been a game-changing, gear-changing year for the sisters, who started off with a bang when they were invited to open the Main Stage at Tamworth Country Music Festival. The energy continued full tilt as the Vixens set out to get another year of touring Queensland under their belts, including performances opening for Daryl Braithwaite at the Mount Isa Street Festival, and taking Crow Bar by storm at the Gympie Music Muster, including a very special main stage moment sharing a song with friend and Australian music legend Beccy Cole .

Prove You Wrong can be enjoyed in all the usual spots; and for lovers of a good old fashioned hard-cover copy, keep an eye out for the debut Vixens of Fall album this coming February.

Award-winning Mercury Nashville duo Maddie & Tae have released their 8-song collection, Through The Madness Vol. 2. Previously sharing the heartfelt “Every Night Every Morning” and moving-on anthem “Spring Cleaning,” six additional songs are released today, each co-penned by Maddie & Tae. The confident second half of the duo’s 1-2 punch offers a harmony-drenched song cycle and a clear-eyed measure of two young women coming into their own, embracing the best of everything life hands them.

Through The Madness Vol. 2 Track List:

1. “Well In Your World” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Ryan Hurd, Jimmy Robbins)^
2. “Every Night Every Morning” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Jonathan Singleton, Brock Berryhill)^
3. “Drinking To Remember” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Benjy Davis, Daniel Ross)^
4. “Girl After My Own Heart” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Thompson)^
5. “Watching Love Leave” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Benjy Davis, Daniel Ross)^
6. “More Than Maybe” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jimmy Robbins)^
7. “These Tears” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Laura Veltz, Jon Green)*
8. “Spring Cleaning” (Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr, Josh Kerr, Tayla Parx)*

^ = Produced by Derek Wells & Jimmy Robbins

• = Produced by Derek Wells & Josh Kerr

Maddie & Tae are celebrating the release with a brand-new music video for “Watching Love Leave.” Watch the clip HERE.

In case you missed it, the pair brought “Every Night Every Morning” to NBC’s TODAY With Hoda & Jenna on Wednesday. Watch their performance of the “breezy, tuneful” (MusicRow) song HERE. The duo also opened up to Entertainment Tonight about their new project, life on the road, and Tae gave an exclusive nursery tour HERE.

About Maddie & Tae:

Award-winning duo Maddie & Tae channel their unbreakable bond, honest songwriting and “some of the tightest harmonies on Music Row” (Rolling Stone) into their new collection of songs Through The Madness Vol. 2, out now. Together as longtime friends and music collaborators, Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr co-wrote each of the project’s tracks, as well as all 8 songs on Through The Madness Vol. 1, including their most recent single, “Woman You Got,” plus fan-favorite songs “Strangers” and “Madness.” The pair drew praise for their No. 1 debuting The Way It Feels album, including the Double Platinum-certified No. 1 hit, “Die From A Broken Heart.” With “Die From A Broken Heart” topping the country airplay charts, Maddie & Tae became the first and only female twosome with multiple No. 1s.

Maddie & Tae first broke out in 2013 with their brilliant counter to bro-country, the Platinum-selling smash, “Girl In A Country Song,” which took Country radio by storm, skyrocketing to the top of the charts and establishing them as only the third female duo in 70 years to top the Country Airplay charts. They recently took home Group/Duo Video of the Year (“Woman You Got”) at the CMT Music Awards, and were nominated a seventh time for Vocal Duo of the Year at the 55th CMA Awards. They have earned trophies from the Radio Disney Music Awards and CMA Awards, along with multiple ACM, Billboard and CMT Award nominations. Maddie & Tae have received widespread praise from Associated Press, Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, The Tennessean, The Washington Post, Glamour and others. The celebrated duo has toured with country music’s hottest stars including Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, and Brad Paisley. They are currently headlining the CMT Next Women of Country Tour Presents: All Song No Static Tour in 2022,
hitting major markets coast-to-coast.

As an ARIA and 21 x Golden Guitar award winning artist, Sara Storer is well known across the great southern land for her fair dinkum, roots orientated country music. It’s been 3 years since the release of her ARIA nominated album Raindance. Today Sara returns, teaming up with sibling Greg Storer under the moniker Storer, with the release of their first single ‘Show Me’ from their forthcoming album.

The genetic bond between siblings and their offspring has often resulted in some of the most creative and successful musical collaborations in history. Neil and Tim Finn, the Gibb brothers, The Carpenters and closer to home, Nick and Tom Wolfe of the Wolfe Brothers, to name just a few. Sara and Greg have clearly tapped into that magic with their rousing single, ‘Show Me’ .

Sara’s musical journey began in 2000 with her debut album, Chasing Buffalo, while Greg was (and still is) a working farmer in Western NSW. Greg eventually showed that talent is in the Storer blood with his songwriting contributions on Sara’s second album, and the release of his solo album in 2010 which earned high praise from fans and critics alike. He’s now a permanent fixture at Sara’s shows and constant writing partner – they even shared a Golden Guitar win for their collaboration ‘When I Was a Boy’. Yet this is the first time in over 20 years of storytelling together, that the two have recorded a full album under a band name.

The up-tempo first single, ‘Show Me’, is straight shooting country stomper, centered around the age-old idiom of ‘practice what you preach’. “You tell me to walk in a straight line and I say how is that done? Show me,” they sing in the song’s emphatic chorus with a rare tone quality only heard when siblings harmonise with each other.

“The idea came to me when I heard someone was running my family down,” admits Sara. Although she claims the drama wasn’t worth the time of day it was enough to inspire her to put pen to paper. “That got the ball rolling and Greg jumped on a verse too.”

The weave of banjo and guitar that ebbs and flows beneath Sara and Greg’s vocals was constructed by long-time collaborator and first-time producer, James Gillard (Kevin Bennett). “I first met James when he recorded bass on my debut album,” recalls Sara. “Since then, he has played bass/acoustic guitar both in studio sessions or in the band for me over my 25 year career in country music. It wasn’t until I heard his production on his own EP that he and his wife Shanley made that I secretly held the idea of maybe working with James down the track, when timing was right. And this album was the perfect time for a change.”

The band name Storer extends to more than just Sara and Greg, as Greg’s daughters Pip and Bonnie featured heavily in the recording of the new material. “Bonnie and Pip jumped on a couple of songs and turned it into a bit of a family affair,” smiles Sara. Gillard also pulled together a formidable line-up of Aussie players to round out the performance, including Rod McCormack, Michael Moko and Scott Hills. “The songs were heard; the playing was heartfelt. It was a fresh change and so inspirational to be working with James in the studio.”

In addition to the new single, the Storer’s will be headed on tour in 2023. “We will be singing a bunch of new songs off the forthcoming STORER album as well as some oldies that people will know,” says Sara. The band will wind through rural and metro Australia, beginning with a show in the country capital, Tamworth, and finishing in in the Northern Territory. “We sing about our country men and women, and we know it’s important to bring our stories to these towns and regions… especially Greg, who has just jumped off a tractor himself to be there.”

Paul Kelly described Sara as a pillar of authenticity in country music; “She’s found her own restraint and steel and lets her songs do their sweet, sly work.” While music journalist Susan Jarvis said of Greg, “Greg knows and understands, and has a rare gift for conveying humour, pathos, love, and fear through his music.” These are two storytellers highly regarded in their own right, finally coming together to tell the story of their Australia.

Casey Barnes continues the momentum of his best-selling album “Light It Up” with the release of the fifth single “Small Town”. The track follows the massive success of the #1 smash hits “God Took His Time On You”, “Get To Know Ya”, “Come Turn Me On” and latest single “Kiss Me Like You Mean It”.

Co-written by Casey with the songwriting/production duo MSquared (Michael Delorenzis & Michael Paynter), the song tackles the emotional toll of a broken-down relationship, made even more complex when it happens in a small town. The song has been a favourite amongst fans since the release of “Light It Up” in February this year.

Casey has had an incredible run over the last three years with his latest album, “Light It Up” recently reaching the milestone of half a year in the Top 10 of the ARIA Australian Country Album Chart, while his 2020 album “Town of a Million Dreams” has been in the Top 40 of the chart for two years. Those albums combined have generated seven #1 country singles to date and amassed over 40 million track streams.

Casey’s brand of radio-friendly country-pop has not only lit up the airways and playlists but has graced mainstream TV, with high profile song syncs on the 2022 AFL Season Launch campaign (Light It Up) and more recently, with promo’s for the 2022 season of Farmer Wants a Wife (Get To Know Ya).

Casey has become one of the most sought after live performers in Australian country music and he will be undertaking his first U.S tour in October, when he performs as special guest with U.S vocal group, Home Free on their Road Sweet Road Tour. He has several shows and festivals remaining on the Light It Up Tour, culminating at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January.

Back with a brand new single which is set to flip the script, Josh Setterfield brings us ‘Blow Our Cover’. If the adrenaline surrounding Josh isn’t already high, then this is about to take it higher.
Not afraid to push the boundaries at all, the trailblazing single from Josh Setterfield epitomises the blur between country pop and gutsy stadium rock. Recorded in Canada and mixed in Nashville by Aaron Chmielewski (Taylor Swift, Tenille Arts), ‘Blow Our Cover’ is the perfect genre busting hit reaching for new dimensions.
Heating things up, this steamy, sexy track tells the story of two people who shouldn’t be caught together. Sometimes deep connections and burning desires are untameable, but how far will one go to protect that?
One of the most exciting and unparalleled country music entertainers. Josh Setterfield is bringing an exceptional live show which is becoming talk of the town; combined with a fresh sound impressing taste makers globally. Since the groundbreaking single ‘Right About Now’ which has accrued over 1 million streams, Josh has jumped from strength to strength. Supported by a loyal and fast growing fan base, back to back #1’s on CMT, global playlisting and high rotation radio play nationally and internationally.
Josh Setterfield has been on the road touring with Casey Barnes, performing at festivals around the country and has previously supported Love & Theft (USA), The Wolfe Brothers, The Viper Creek Band and Shannon Noll. If you haven’t heard the name, then you’re about to.

A love of boxing, tales from his uncle and experience in the ring has inspired Danny Phegan’s latest single, ‘The Fight Song’.

Danny’s uncle was professional champion fighter Johnny Gorkom, and he grew up listening to him and his mates tell tales from the ring, before Danny himself took to boxing in his teens.

“I always thought the one-liners they used were funny, so I’ve collated them in one single volume, ‘The Fight Song’,” he said.

“I was sparring with my mate Mark, two or three mornings a week, and we’d go for a coffee after we’ve finished belting each other. I said one morning, ‘you know the trouble with you and me? Deep down you think you’re better than me, but further deep down I reckon I’m better than you’, and that’s where it all goes wrong”.

The Fight Song tells of his sparring with Mark and also another mate, Wayne, from whom Danny suffered two broken ribs after taking part in a ‘shark tank’ (a round robin of several sparring participants). His mates offered plenty of inspiration and now star in the film clip, shot by award-winning video director Duncan Toombs of The Filmery.

“I was sparring Wayne and then I had to fight Mark the next round with two broken ribs – that was a tough day at the office,” he said.

The Walla Walla farmer, singer-songwriter and The Voice favourite from Team Keith this year, wrote the song for a laugh.

“It was a little ditty that fell out of my head pretty quickly, and it was something a bit light-hearted to introduce to my live show,” he said.

“I only recorded it because I played it at Country on Keppel in 2021 and Dicko (Ian Dickson) was in the crowd, and we all ended up having breakfast the next morning when Dicko said, ‘your song was the highlight of my weekend’, so I thought I should bloody record it.”

The born storyteller said he hoped it was a moment of distraction from people’s troubles.

“I want people to have a laugh and realise it could be worse: You could be ready for a sneeze with two broken ribs,” he laughed.

Every once and a while, one track emerges onto the world stage that simply takes your breath away. Scheduled for global release on Friday 9 September 2022, “THE ROAD”, the latest offering from Australian Country artist, Laura Frank, is that song. With a return to her traditional country roots, “THE ROAD” tells the tale of Frank’s move from the city to the country to build a house from salvaged and repurposed materials in the pursuit of her dream to live a more conscious and sustainable lifestyle. With the official video capturing many of the moments building the house with her partner, Nick, the raw and poignant lyrics also take you on a parallel voyage into Frank’s mental health struggles.

As world leaders prepare to mitigate the impact of climate change, “THE ROAD” certainly captures the essence of eco warriors across the globe while sharing a very real and personal story along the way. “THE ROAD” is the fifth track to be released in three years, and given that two of those years were interrupted thanks to the global pandemic, Frank has rapidly revealed herself to be one force to be reckoned with. With her last two singles, “SIMPLE GIRL” and “PRETTY” both debuting at number #1 on the iTunes All Genres and Country Music Video Charts, Frank was added to high rotation on commercial network Flow FM across Australia. With a monthly Spotify listenership tripling every 30 days, a fast selling summer tour across regional Queensland, and a podcast LET’S BE FRANK, a lifestyle show shining a light on sustainable brands and sustainability crusaders like herself across the globe, the Frank Train, Laura’s digital fan army, is thundering down the tracks.

Today Sarah Leete returns with her latest single, ‘Girl Next Door’. Following on from the star on the rise’s previous offering, ‘Used’ (which peaked at #14 on the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay chart), the new single continues to showcase Sarah’s trademark straight-shooting storytelling, infused with catchy melodies.

‘Girl Next Door’ bears all the hallmarks of a contemporary country hit – a driving beat, world class production and engaging vocals – yet it still maintains that unique authenticity for which Sarah is known for. A tangle of guitars and banjo ebbs and flows perfectly around her voice, as she reminisces about a past life.

“Girl Next Door is about leaving home and coming back again to all you left behind,” confesses Sarah. While many have previously suffered a tumultuous few years, Sarah has weathered an exceptionally challenging storm, dealing with the loss of both her parents. “I wrote Girl Next Door late last year while getting my childhood home ready to put up for sale. After the last few years that I’ve had, it really has me thinking about the past.”

The song’s title was inspired literally by her childhood neighbour. “The girl I used to live next door to used to play electric guitar and I would hear it through my window while I was learning to play.”

Sarah entrusted QLD producer, Michael Muchow (Catherine Britt, Melody Moko), with the task of building the songs sonic landscape. Together at Airlock Studios (founded by Powderfinger’s Ian Haug) they crafted the track. “It ticks all the boxes for me sonically and it’s something I’m really proud of,” smiles Sarah.

Since her debut self-titled EP release in 2017, Sarah has steadily been building a firm fanbase. Despite the numerous curveballs life has thrown her she continually manages to knock them out of the park – vigorously touring her show and supporting the likes of The Viper Creek Band, Bill Chambers and Fanny Lumsden.

Now she’s set to embark on one of her largest tours to date, the Girl Next Door Tour. The 19 date run will see Sarah snake her way from the county music capital, Tamworth, through the NSW heartland to the Mildura Country Music Festival and back up the east coast, incorporating stops in Canberra and Brisbane.

The last two years have already seen 3 stellar singles from this down-to-earth songwriter and ‘Girl Next Door’ is no exception. “I know that things have changed / I’m not the girl next door.” Dominated by themes of reflection and change, Sarah’s pen describes these sentiments with a genuineness that few possess. Her talent lies in her authenticity, which has allowed her to create truly moving music.