You may remember Hunter Kaine from her massively successful 2020 debut, ‘Long Way From Lonely’ – a longing Country ballad that featured Australian music legend, Shane Nicholson. Or perhaps you remember Kaine from her stint as a lead vocalist in Melbourne Country Rock outfit, Deep Creek Road. After enduring one of the world’s lengthiest COVID lockdowns, the Victoria native is now back with the release of her stellar new single, ‘Mind of its Own’.
‘Mind of its Own’ oozes Country pop vibes; jangly acoustic guitars and hook-laden vocals, wrapped around a beat that transports you smack bang into the middle of an arena stage mosh pit. Yet behind that slick façade lies the tale of a tortured heart. “This beat in my chest is messin’ with my head,” sings Kaine in the rousing first verse. In her words, the song speaks of “relationships that have ended, that continue to haunt us and keep us locked into the past with a former lover.”
The bop came to Kaine pre-pandemic, as she was collecting songs for her debut album. “[It] was a really special offer to me two years ago by some really incredible writers based out of Nashville.” Her instant connection with the song meant she kept a close hold on it all this time. “I still feel so great about it two years on (after covid), which really is testament to great writing.”
Kaine is meticulous when it comes to her songs’ production and for this single she reached out to fellow Melbournite, Adrian Hannan (Delta Goodrem, Vanessa Amorosi). His studio, the Song Store, is nestled in the idyllic hills of the country side, which possesses “all of the country music vibes you could ever need”. Although the recording process did not begin in such a picturesque setting.
“My producer Adrian Hannan and I are from Melbourne, a city that experienced one of the toughest and longest lockdown periods in the world,” recalls Kaine. So, they took it online. “Using Zoom to communicate during the tracking process was a quirky experience, but we had an absolute ball!”. Luckily, after restrictions lifted, they were finally in the same room. “Once the lockdowns were over, I was able to attend the Song Store and record my lead and backing vocals.”
But before Kaine ever reached those dreamy hills, she was one half of the duo, Honey Train – who frequented the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Then later she became a vocalist for country rockers, Deep Creek Road. She more recently travelled to Nashville TN, where she met fellow Australian born songwriter Phil Barton – hit-writer for Morgan Evans, Lee Brice, The Wolfe Brothers and so many more. It was Barton who passed Kaine a demo of ‘Long Way From Lonely’. She recorded the song and it went to #12 on The Music Network Country Hot 50 airplay chart. It also racked up a healthy 700k+ streams on Spotify.
With a voice like Kaine’s it’s no surprise she’s achieved success so early in her career. Her pipes have all the twang of an authentic southern drawl and the gusto of a global popstar. The clever production on ‘Mind of its Own’ provides the perfect stage for them to soar. The single is sure to be a triumph for the rising star – so If you haven’t made your mind up yet about Hunter Kaine this ought to do the trick.
