BLUEGRASS SWEETHEART KRISTY COX ANNOUNCES WORLD-WIDE EXCLUSIVE SHOWCASE OF FORTHCOMING ALBUM AT 2014 TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL. After a year based in the United States, bluegrass sweetheart Kristy Cox is returning to Australia for a special show at the 2014 Tamworth Country Music Festival to showcase tracks from her forthcoming album Living for the Moment. The album is due for world wide release on February 18 through US bluegrass label Pisgah Ridge and is a perfect representation of where this talented singer songwriter is in her personal and professional life. The first single from the album One Heartbreak Away hits the airwaves in Australia on December 6.

Kristy Cox’s career has been going from strength to strength since the release of her debut album From My Eyes in 2006. She’s had a string of Top 10 hits on country radio and country music television, and has been recognised as a rising star of Australian country to watch out for. In her career so far she’s been a Starmaker finalist and APRA Professional Development Award finalist. Her subsequent albums Breaking New Ground (2010) and Miles and Timezones (2012) have all earned her praise for her songwriting capabilities. Signing to Pisgah Ridge (an imprint of Mountain Home) in the US was a huge coup for the songstress and saw her move to the States for most of 2013 to work on the new album. She also signed an exclusive songwriting contract with Asheville Forest Music.

Picking One Heartbreak Away as the first single was an easy decision. “It’s a great up-tempo bluegrass track about a relationship that’s worth keeping, but that some things need to change,” says Kristy. “The song is a great reflection of where the album heads musically and how it expands on the bluegrass influences of my previous projects.”

The album, Living for the Moment, is a mixture of self-penned and chosen material and is an apt representation of where Kristy is heading musically. “The last 12-months have been a huge change for me,” she says. “This album was recorded with both the Australian country market and the US bluegrass market in mind. The songs on the album feature many different musical influences of mine with everything from a fast-paced bluegrass song to ballads and a country shuffle.”

Being based between the US and Australia has been both a great experience and a challenging one for Kristy. “The time difference means it is hard to get a lot done in work hours back in Australia, however I’m glad we live in the age of the internet as it makes everything feel closer than it is,” she says. “I miss my loved ones and sometimes feel out of the loop with what’s going on back home. However I’m writing music every day and for the first time in my life, I’m solely focusing on my career. I will continue to be back and forth – Qantas are going to love me!”

Returning to Australia to showcase the new material from her album at the Tamworth Country Music Festival is an exciting prospect for Kristy. She says she can’t wait to share the new songs – and all the old favourites – with Aussie audiences. “I have had huge support from our great industry back home,” she says. “I will be forever thankful for that. Not much could keep me away from it all for too long. I’m excited to bring this new stage of my music to everyone in the land of Oz, and to share some of my new songs and stories with those that know me best. There’s just no place like home.”

The show at Tamworth will be a world exclusive showcase for Living for the Moment. While the album isn’t released until February, fans attending the show will have the chance to purchase advance copies of the album, which are on sale for the night of the show only. These will be the first copies on sale anywhere in the world and Kristy is stoked to offer this exclusive to Aussie fans. “It’s exciting,” she says. “I will not only be performing new songs with my band, but also songs from my last albums. We will also have some featured special guests that are going to make an appearance. Overall it’s going to be a great fun night. I’m looking forward to it more than anything.”

Kristy’s new single One Heartbreak Away is at radio on 6 December 2013. The forthcoming album Living for the Moment is released through Pisgah Ridge world-wide on 18 February 2014.

Wednesday 22^nd January 2014 | 8pm The Pub, TAMWORTH NSW