Matt Cornell has several roles within Australian country music: solo artist, musical director and band member for Adam Brand, one half of Cornell and Carr - and recurring artist at the Country on Keppel festival. While the festival on Queensland's Great Keppel Island was cancelled this year, there are plans to bring it back with a vengeance in 2023, and Cornell will make several appearances. We spoke recently about the festival and his legendary 80s show, and other things.Information for Country on Keppel: https://greatkeppelislandhideaway.com.au/events/country-on-keppel-14th-16th-july-2023/More about Matt Cornell: www.mattcornellmusic.com.auMore Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time I spoke to The Voice alumnus and Walla Walla (NSW) resident Danny Phegan it was about his song 'The Halfway Hotel'. Phegan has a full life, with several businesses and interests, and children as well, so there was lots to talk about. So much that there wasn't enough time, so it was great to have the chance to talk to him again about his new song 'The Fight Song' and to find out what he's been up to lately, including playing a few festivals.More about Danny Phegan: www.facebook.com/dannypheganofficial/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Southern Highlands (NSW) singer-songwriter Sara Berki released an impressive debut single, 'Fallin Off the Heartline', earlier this year and announced herself as a great talent to watch. She has more than backed up that promise with her second single, 'Good Enough', and has been taking her music to audiences around the country as the support act on the recent McAlister Kemp tour. Berki has plenty more to come on the music and performance front, and we spoke recently about that.More on Sara Berki: linktr.ee/saraberkimusicMore Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arabana man Nathan May lives on Kaurna country in South Australia, where he performs regularly in local venues and also connects with songwriters and musicians around the country - his latest single, 'Fix It Up', was co-written by Colin Buchanan, produced by James Gillard and features guitar and banjo by Rod McCormack. The song has an interesting history, as I found out when talking to May recently - at least as interesting as his personal history and his ongoing dedication to music.More about Nathan May: https://nathanmaymusic.bandcamp.com/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The name Storer is familiar to many Australian country music fans, and beloved too. That's because Sara Storer has created and released so many memorable, special songs over the course of her seven albums, starting with Chasing Buffalo in 2000 and most recently with Raindance in 2019. Her brother Greg has been part of Sara's live show for much of that time, and released his own outstanding album, Backwater, in 2010. The siblings have now formed Storer together, along with other family members, and their debut single under this name is 'Show Me'. When I interviewed them recently I found out about their musical upbringing and their new work together. It was an absolute treat to talk to them both.Storer tour dates in 2023: https://www.sarastorer.com.au/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the advantages of now conducting interviews on video is that there's more opportunity for conversation to flow, and for artists to talk in detail about their work - over the phone, without the ability to properly converse, it can be hard to know how far to take a certain subject as I can't gauge if the interviewee is interested in it. That means we might often not have strayed too far from the initial subject of the interview. Interviewing Central Coast (NSW) artist Jamie Lindsay for the second time, about his new single 'Bring on the Summertime', meant being able to find out a lot more about his long career as a performing artist who plays dozens of times a year - about what that entails, how to sustain it, and how to maintain passion for your work. We did also talk about the new song and about songwriting, but for anyone who is interested in the detail of being a working musician, this is a must-watch/must-listen.More about Jamie Lindsay: https://jamielindsaymusic.com/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Western Australian artist Catherine Traicos draws musical influences from a range of genres, including the classical music of her original training, and produces music that while not easily categorised can be classified as music that connects to both the heart and head of the listener. There is thoughtfulness and joy in Traicos's songs, and the title of her latest EP, Choose Your Own Light, leaves open the possibility that the EP itself may be that light. It also nods to Traicos's commitment as an artist to leave room for the listener to find themselves in her songs - and there is much to discover on this EP. When we spoke recently we talked about that classical music of the past as well as the creation of the EP in the present.More about Catherine Traicos: https://catherinetraicos.com/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queensland artist Billie Rose released an impressive debut EP, Company with Regret, in 2020, and this year she has released two equally noticeable singles, 'Black Dress' and 'Label Me a Killer'. Each of them has an interesting backstory, which we talked about in this interview, along with Billie's experiences playing live from quite a young age, her attendance at the Academy of Country Music and her songwriting process.More about Billie Rose: billierosemusic.comMore Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year Melbourne-based, Canberra-raised singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Riley Catherall released a wonderful album, When I Go. Since then he's been on tour with Lachlan Bryan & the Wildes, in Australia and overseas. Catherall could easily have kept rolling out singles from When I Go while that was going on; instead, he recorded and has released a completely new song, 'Bark at the Moon'. It's a song that came about very quickly, as I learnt when we spoke recently. More about Riley Catherall: https://rileycatherall.com/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After winning two Golden Guitars earlier this year, one for Female Artist of the Year, Tamworth-based singer-songwriter Ashleigh Dallas has released her thoughtful, powerful fifth album In the Moment. In some ways it is a record of Dallas's diligence in her life and work: to do her best, to make the most of each day. In others it's simply a joyous listening experience, and a continuation of what fans have already loved about Dallas's work - her rich songwriting and heartfelt delivery of her songs. In this interview Dallas is generous with her insights into those songs and her songwriting process, and, as ever, a delight to chat to.More about Ashleigh Dallas: https://ashleighdallas.com.au/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freya Josephine Hollick is a singer-songwriter from Victoria who has a distinct and distinctive identity within Australian country music. Her musical style has been described as cosmic country but that is merely a label for something that is definitely country music yet absolutely her music: an embrace of the structure of country as a pathway to greater creativity. Hollick writes songs that work on macro and micro scales, and nowhere is that better displayed than on her new album, The Real World, which is both a manifesto and an offering of love. Several singles from the album have already been released; the album itself will be available on 30 September 2022. I relished the opportunity to talk to Hollick about her inspirations and influences – of all sorts – for this exceptional album. More about Freya Josephine Hollick: http://www.freyajosephinehollick.com/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allan Cameron's career in music includes time spent playing with Keith Urban before the latter relocated to the USA, and recent membership of SaltbushSix, which included members of Urban's earlier band. Cameron hasn't released much music under his own name but that is now starting to change, and the recent release of the song 'Father's Eyes' shows him to be a nuanced and sensitive songwriter with a willingness and ability to connect with audiences. It was so interesting to talk to him recently and find out about his life in music.More about Allan Cameron: http://www.allancameron.com/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a particular power to the music of Sydney-based singer-songwriter Luke O'Shea that has been acknowledged by multiple Golden Guitar Awards as well as by the longevity of his career over five albums and countless shows. Australian audiences love O'Shea's way of telling stories and imparting information with humour and pathos and respect for his subjects, and no doubt they will love his new album, Next Big Thing, when it is released in January 2023. 'South East Queensland' is O'Shea's first single from that album and we spoke about that recently, as well as other songs and other things.More about Luke O'Shea: https://lukeoshea.com/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Johnston has released a handful of singles and is already an unqualified success, with over 350 000 monthly listeners on Spotify and festival appearances and other shows lined up. He's also become a master of social media, using TikTok, in particular, to great effect - so much so that his recent single, 'Same Songs', came about entirely because of social media. The song was written and recorded with Kaylee Bell, but it was also a collaboration with both of their social media followings. When I spoke to James recently I wanted to find out more about this, because it heralds his openness to not only new collaborations but new ideas. This is part of his difference as an artist and, no doubt, why audiences are embracing him so much.More about James Johnston: https://jamesjohnston.com/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest single from Kelly Brouhaha is ‘Poets, Troubadours & Me’, but as I put to her when we spoke recently, that title implies that she is not a poet or troubadour – when she most decidedly is both, and more. Anyone who has seen Brouhaha perform will know the power of her words and her performance, and how adept she is at conjuring magic in a set, as well as on a recording, as she did in her most recent album, Unplugged. Brouhaha takes that magic on the road, permanently, as she lives on the road – we discuss that, and more. For more about Kelly Brouhaha: https://www.kellybrouhaha.com.au/More Australian country music interviews and reviews: https://sunburntcountrymusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.