ZFM Country

When James Johnston released his debut single ‘RAISED LIKE THAT’ in the winter of ’21 it smashed all expectations – reached #1 on the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay chart, racked up 14 million streams to date and highlighted Johnston as one to watch in country music. Recently, Johnston has been breaking records by becoming the first independent country music artist in over 21 years to have a single certified Gold by ARIA. Every track that’s followed has been a hit for Johnston. His latest single, ‘SAME SONGS’ featuring Kaylee Bell hits airwaves today and is sure to blaze the same trail.

‘SAME SONGS’ is an anthemic ode to the songs that shaped a generation. “These are the soundtracks to the stories of my life,” echo’s Johnston’s gritty vocal in the first verse. Known for his strong relationship with his fans, it was them who decided Kaylee Bell should be his co-star in this nostalgic epic. “Grown from a single Tiktok video, SAME SONGS is my first collaboration. When I reached out to fans on who they’d like to see me collaborate with I was inundated with requests to partner up with Kaylee.”

The New Zealand-born singer/songwriter even wrote her own verse for the tune, tipping her hat to country legend Dolly Parton as well as pop queens Beyoncé and Britney Spears. Similar to Johnston, Bell has been kicking career goals lately. She’s already the most streamed female country artist in Australasia – a mantle she’s held for the last 4 years – and now after performing her original song ‘Keith’ to coach Keith Urban on The Voice Australia, the song has become a global hit.

When it came to producing ‘SAME SONGS’, the two singers were on opposite ends of the globe. Collaborating once again with long-time friend and producer Justin Wantz, Johnston recorded his vocals in Sydney whilst Bell recorded hers in Nashville.

Since its release to streaming platforms in July, ‘SAME SONGS’ has already received over 645k streams in a matter of weeks. It’s the kind of success the country boy from Wingham has become known for. After his unstoppable debut, his follow up, ‘SMALL TOWN’, flew to #1 on the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay chart, where it roosted for 10 consecutive weeks. His most recent single, ‘COUNTRY BOYS’, has enjoyed several weeks dancing around the top ten – and claiming the #1 spot – with Bell’s ‘Keith’, which also recently peaked at #1.

After graduating high school over a decade ago, Johnston took a year to ‘give music a crack’.

He bought a van and set out on the great Australian road trip, playing in every little town and pub he could find. Not much has changed years later, however he’s traded the sticky pub floor for the bright lights of some of Australia’s largest festivals. August will see him at Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, NQ’s Rock’n Country in Mackay, as well as the beloved Gympie Music Muster. He’s also slated to perform at the Baralaba Bash, Savannah in The Round and the titanic, CMC Rocks in 2022.

Home is where the heart is for James Johnston, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. Cliché as that may sound, the singer/songwriter has built an impressive career with a swag of songs that celebrate life in Australia. Thumping anthems dipped in nostalgia has been the secret formula for this rising star, yet its success lies in its authenticity. James Johnston is the real deal. His latest, ‘SAME SONGS’, is yet another feather in his cap – a rousing collaboration between two artists at the top of their game.

Drunk on … Life, love, hope, dreams, country music? Find your bliss! Donna Fisk is drunk on the glorious experience of recording and working with the amazing live musicians and sensational producer Robert Angello, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA for her brand-new sing ‘Drunk On That’. It’s a party song.

“My interpretation of the lyric is to be intoxicated by possibilities” says Donna. “I produced a sunny video for the song as well and I think it brings the idea together. Happy listening!”.

Donna Fisk is an award winning singer, songwriter, producer and Royal Command Performer with several number one chart topping hit recordings and the honour of being immortalised in the Australian Country Music Hands of Fame.

Woven into the narrative of Australian country music, it’s a family tradition akin to the Dusty, Kernaghan and Chambers clans, with father Gene Bradley Fisk being a pioneer artist of the outlaw country genre, and radio personality inducted into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Donna features in many music publications including Andrea Lemon’s book ‘Rodeo Girls Go Round The Outside’, exploring modern day female trailblazers for Australian country music. Touring her own show as well as performing and recording overseas, incorporating appearances on local and international media, the country music star is the voice on many national advertising campaigns including being assigned to perform for the Australian Government campaign song, ‘Building On A Strong Foundation’ as the anthem for The Australian Centenary Of Federation.

During her career Donna has shared the stage with acclaimed artists such as John Denver, Donny Osmond, Dame Edna Everage, Tom .T. Hall, Canned Heat, Muhummad Ali, Brian Cadd, Susan Raye, James Morrison, Tommy Emmanuel, Dave Dudley, Blood Sweat and Tears, and The Seekers.

Donna Fisk’s forthcoming new album, recorded in Nashville with accomplished producer Robert Angello at the helm (Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss, Jo Dee Messina, Steve Wariner, Tanya Tucker, Garth Brooks), will be released in 2022.

Leaving Lennox have released their brand-new single, ‘Not Hurting’ , an empowering anthem for anyone who is on the backend of a toxic relationship. The country-pop song was written and produced by the pair and features the acclaimed Aaron Sterling on drums and Eric Fortaleza on bass.

Australian pop-country duo, Leaving Lennox (Lauren Valatiadis and Michael Hambly) made the move to Nashville in April of 2019 and have been paving their way since.

In early 2022, the pair were featured as rising artists on Season 3 of The Song, alongside acclaimed songwriters, Rob Thomas, Melissa Etheridge, Kenny Loggins, Sarah McLachlan, Gary Allan, Brian McKnight and Amy Grant.

Their US Summer shows have included Bonnaroo, NASCAR and NSC’s Nashville Soccer Stadium with Gibson guitars.

Leaving Lennox’ release ‘Not Ready (To Leave Just Yet)’, saw Spotify streams reach over 250K and featured the acclaimed instrumentation of Aaron Sterling (touring drummer – John Mayer), David Levita (touring guitarist – Tim McGraw) and Eric Fortaleza, (touring bassist – Lindsay Ell). ‘Not Ready’ charted at #16 on the Australian Country Charts, while also gaining Leaving Lennox their television debut on CMT.

Combining pop-country with haunting harmonies, soulful guitar work and live-looping, the award-winning duo have performed alongside the likes of Lady A, Brothers Osborne, Lindsay Ell, Eddie Montgomery and Tanya Tucker.

The duos musicianship, unique vocal blend, and storytelling, are influenced by the harmony of Fleetwood Mac, rawness of The Civil Wars, storytelling of Willie Nelson, and guitar work of John Mayer.

Contemporary country music singer-songwriter Bella Mackenzie releases her new single “1,2,3 You and Me” to radio and streaming services. Produced by multi Golden Guitar Winner Rod McCormack, the song was co-written with Bryce Sainty and is part of the prize package for the inaugural ‘KIX Start Rising Star Competition’.

With a fun storyline and electric atmosphere, “1,2,3 You and Me” is an up tempo, contemporary country song that is bound to make you sing along. Inspired by the sounds of old school Jackson 5 to contemporary Dan + Shay with a hint of 90’s Country, this song has something for everyone.

“Inspired by some of my favourite things living in the country, pickup trucks around a fire, country music blaring and that one crush that you can’t help but want to talk to, that is the story of 1,2,3 – You and Me”

As an ambassador for respected brands such as Wrangler, Bullzeye and Pure Western, Bella has the support of country music’s new breed of talent with opening spots and recent songwrites with Brad Cox, James Johnston and Melanie Dyer.

Bella was also the winner of KIX COUNTRY’s KIXSTART 2021 competition where she was given the opportunity to have her new single produced by the amazing Rod McCormack. In addition to this, Bella received mentorship from Gina Jefferys. Bella says, “KIXSTART was such an honor for me and boosted my career from the second I won. The support from KIX Country and everyone else involved has been so amazing and I could never have imagined a year ago that I would have accomplished some of what I have today”.

“1,2,3 You and Me” follows Bella’s hit singles “Miss You No More”, “Aint For You” and “Make Me Want Love”.

Multi-Platinum Country music star Dierks Bentley today releases “Gold,” a single about gratitude, presence and the treasures to be found in the moment that you are in. The bright and banging record sets the stage for Bentley’s tenth LP, arriving early next year after an especially careful production process, one helmed by the artist himself for the first time. To listen, click here.

“2020 was a chance for me to give my guitar and the road a little rest. It gave me the chance to spend a lot more time adventuring outdoors with family and friends, but also alone. It also gave me time to reset and rekindle my love of Country music and a lot of the types of songs and sounds that I fell in love with when I first got to Nashville,” explains Bentley. “I think you’ll hear that in this first track, but it carries across the whole album.”

While he’s long been a Music Row standout for devotion to his roots in classic Country and bluegrass, Bentley has never been so free to infuse his passions into music destined for the competitive commercial Country arena. Working with trusted collaborators Ross Copperman, Reid Shippen and Jon Randall Stewart, he led an effort that mashes up several Nashville golden ages as well as homage to the Grand Ole Opry’s century of influence.

That 10th album landmark speaks to how time has flown in Bentley’s unique, 21st-century career. He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debut album in 2003, producing an instant #1 country radio single. The years since have revealed a rare consistency that’s fueled longevity – eight more albums that reached the top of the Country sales charts, resulting in 21 No. One songs, 6.4 billion streams, three CMA Awards, 14 GRAMMY® nominations and membership into the Grand Ole Opry. Trendy sounds have ebbed and flowed around him over these two decades, but fans have relied on Bentley for something more nourishing and individual. The new single “Gold” promises a landmark album that will build on that enviable legacy.

‘Boots and Hats and Boots and Hats’ is a fun country song that reinforces individuality and the fact you don’t have to be a cowboy to like country music!

Carl…ness.

Australian export now based in Nashville, TN – Carl Wockner was recently awarded Musician Of The Year by the LiveWire Prestige Awards, Global winner of the IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards USA) and Finalist Nominee for the Independent Music Awards USA. Featured in multiple TV and film appearances, and boasting a fast growing YouTube Channel, Carl is becoming known as one of the world’s most engaging and talented solo performers.

His signature vocals and guitar flavor, matched with his off-the-cuff live looping agility combined with award winning songwriting, submerges the listener into a musical experience unique to each individual performance.

Wockner pulls inspiration from multiple genres with artists such as John Mayer, Amy Winehouse, Dr Dre, Erykah Badu, Jon Bellion, Jason Isbell, Justin Bieber, Hall & Oats, Prince, Keith Urban and Dave Matthews (and many more) – it’s easy to see where he gets his extremely vast array of musicality.

Carl’s recent single studio releases have shown the evolution of his artistry and boast elements of pop, country and R&B, all combined with his unique acoustic and vocal presence and honest lyricism.

His debut album ‘Crayon Days’ recorded in Nashville, TN in 2013, saw Carl’s title track land in the International Billboard Charts. The album also received a 2016 IMA (Independent Music Awards) Finalist nomination for Best Adult Contemporary Album. It was following this success that Wockner relocated his family to Nashville TN, USA as a strategic move for his evolving career.

Emerging country artist Brittany Maggs is thrilled to be releasing original music, with a distinct new feel to her latest song, “Carefree”.

” Carefree” marks a return to Brittany’s roots in country music, with its heartfelt lyrics and infectious chorus. The song’s title sets the tone for the track.

On her new single, Brittany says “Carefree tells the story about when a relationship ends and you just want to have fun and live life to its fullest. The lyrics ‘that promise, you broke it’ are so relatable because we’re all human, people make mistakes, and it’s about living through the tough times, knowing that you’re going to be ok. There’s a freedom and lightness when something ends and I hope that everyone listening can join me in embracing a carefree spirit.”

The accompanying music video, shot by award winning Tribal Apes, continues the theme and features Brittany performing from her heart. A country girl at heart, Brittany grew up in Sydney’s North West and loves spending time on the family property with her horses.

After spending four years in Los Angeles developing her sound, Brittany decided it was time to come home to Sydney, where she has since been working on her original music. She recently performed at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and opened for the McAllister Kemp Tour earlier this year.

Brittany is excited to share “Carefree” with her growing fanbase, following the release of her earlier singles, “Reasons” (2019), “Lazy Boy ” (2019) and “Underneath The Sheets” (2020). The 22-year-old has gained an impressive following on social media, boasting more than 40 million views on YouTube and more than 380,000 fans on TikTok.

Brittany Maggs’ new song ‘Carefree’ is out Friday 29 July.

Highlights:

Over 40 million YouTube views
Played Tamworth Country Music Festival 2022
Opened for McAllister Kemp Tour May 2022
More than 380,000 TikTok followers

Other than those people who thrive in the cold weather, I think we can agree there is something special about summer, and Central Coast artist Jamie Lindsay is counting the moments in his new single, ‘Bring On The Summertime’.

Other than wishing winter away, a riff from guitarist mate Jake Tuffin (Duncan Toombs, Casey Barnes) prompted Jamie’s new single.

“Every now and then he sends me guitar riffs in a Dropbox folder we have,” Jamie said. “Sometimes when I’m looking for an idea, I have a listen to what Jake has put in the folder and this riff caught me. I thought, ‘it’s catchy, I would love to write something to that’ and then wondered how it made me feel. It made me feel really good, because it’s vibey and happy and that’s when I thought about what else made me feel really good – summer and the weather.”

The track seems self-explanatory with the Central Coast artist addressing his thoughts on winter and how he’s longing for summer, but there’s more to this song than meets the eye.

“Although this song is about wanting summer back, there’s a deeper meaning here, because I’m also talking about the two years we’ve just had and about the good time we had about before COVID,” Jamie said.

“Summertime is getting back to the parties and out of lockdown is about getting back to those good times before we were all locked down and miserable.”

This song is sure to warm your winter days as we move closer to warm days ahead. Jamie recorded and produced this track, which was mixed by Billy Decker in the US.

‘Lost With Me’ was inspired by Amber’s time spent touring outback Australia, performing in a new town every night, falling in love with the freedom and being able to share that with a like-minded partner.

The track, which was written by Amber, features vocals from renowned Nashville artist Karli Chayne, and instrumentation from Nashville based artist and producer James Sinclair-Stott. Recorded in both Australia and Nashville, this is the first of many upbeat, modern pop country singles showing off Amber’s new direction since her last release ‘Painted Me Grey’ in November 2021.

Amber McIntosh is an Australian artist based in Far North Queensland. The soft voiced, dynamic, and sometimes crossover artist blends characters and influences of modern pop and modern country music. Possessing a smooth lower range, Amber leans more towards a soft and breathy falsetto mirroring her middle voice.

Accompanied by her less refined and cut to the core lyrics, Amber has a way of writing to ignite personal and emotional intimacy.

Amber first picked up the guitar at thirteen and has been enthralled by songs and lyrics by the likes of Jeff Buckley, Fleetwood Mac, and Crowded House. It’s not just these alt-rock classics that Amber admires; she also harbours a deep love for Norah Jones. “She has certainly been a large influence in my song writing, I would listen to her debut album on my cassette player every night”.

Amber first discovered her love for the stage after performing live at local festivals in her hometown as a young girl. She then took to the road spending most of 2018 and 2019 touring the Northern Territory, Western Queensland, and Queensland’s East Coast.

Sharing the stage with fellow Australian country artists, some of her favourite performances to date have been Winton’s Way-Out West Fest, Kickstart Music Festival Yeppoon, and North Queensland Toyota Cowboys pre-game entertainment.

Following the successful independent release of her first single ‘Painted Me Grey’, Amber placed runner-up in the Radio Eastern 98.1fm Talent Search, as well as receiving a large amount of radio play from both commercial and community radio stations.

Inspired by the storytellers who she grew up listening to, the concept of recording fairytale- with the bandive performing live together, took Shelby back to her roots, feeling the joy music can bring amidst the journeys we all walk everyday while writing each of our chapters through joy, pain, happiness, love, hope and so much more.

Shelby has played alongside national acts such as James Arthur, Pentatonix, Sabrina Carpenter and Howie Day while playing at iconic venues in the United States. Her music has been featured on radio stations both nationally and internationally, such as 93.1WPOC, fresh fm 94.7 and 98.7 WTMD with a radio hit TOP 10, “Fun In The Sun”, on the European Indie Music Charts.

From house shows to national venues, private parties to an interactive experience for Children’s Hospitals sharing her personal story, casinos or conference events, Shelby Blondell is an artist whose music has a unique sound that catches your heart and fuels your soul!
With this release Shelby hopes to bring people back to memories with ones they love with the music and hope the words may inspire that we can turn the page and write our fairytale.