“Faster”, the new album from Liam Brew is released this Friday June 28th. The 10 track release was produced by good mate, Rusty Crook in Sydney and on the NSW Central Coast, features three self-penned tracks and a duet with current Toyota Star Maker Kaylee Bell – the pair have recorded ‘Is It Raining At Your House?’ – the Vern Gosdin written track which was previously released by Brad Paisley.
The first single to be lifted from the album, ‘She’s Gone’, was serviced to radio earlier this month. ““She’s Gone” is an exciting single for me, a bit more serious than my previous releases, a bit more traditional and also something that is from my pen,” says the artist that was born in Sydney’s western suburbs and grew up on QLD’s Sunshine Coast.
“Faster” is the follow-up to the debut album “Wild Heart” as part of Liam’s prize when he was named Toyota Star Maker in January 2009. Since then the College Of Country Music graduate has been asked to join some of Australia’s finest in concert – Adam Brand, James Blundell, The Sunny Cowgirls, Lee Kernaghan and The McClymonts. Opening the inaugural CMC Rocks The Hunter festival and sharing the bill with US superstars Alan Jackson, Joe Nichols & Jack Ingram plus Aussie heavyweights Kasey Chambers & Troy Cassar-Daley was a career highlight.
With the album ready for release, the Brisbane-based performer reflects, “this album is such an important step in my career. It’s a diverse bunch of songs but I think it’s a great depiction of the type of stuff I grew up on and the stuff I love playing as an artist, so I hope that shows in the record when people hear it”.
Coinciding with the album’s release Liam joins fellow Toyota Star Maker alumni Travis Collins, Luke Austen and Luke Dickens for the ‘Turn The Page Tour’ – the tour was born after the four artists recorded the Bob Seger classic of the same name. The concert tour kicks off tomorrow night at the Riverstone Schofields Memorial Club in Sydney’s west and will include 20 shows across NSW and QLD with plans to extend to other states later in the year – for full tour date check out our article on the Turn the Page Tour.
“Liam’s not afraid to wear his country colours with pride, and still rocks with the best of them. Solid second effort” - Matthew Lawrence, Country Music Capital News
It’s been over three years since Australia’s finest storyteller Sara Storer’s latest album release but the wait is finally over! ‘Lovegrass’, the new album from Sara Storer will be released on August 23, 2013 through ABC Music/Universal Music Australia.
Since the release of ‘Calling Me Home: The Best Of Sara Storer’ in 2010, Sara Storer married and had her second and third children. The album’s opening single and title track ‘Lovegrass’ is a song written about her husband Dave.
“This is my love song for Dave. How lucky is he to have a song written for him about a noxious weed,” she jokes. “Every now and then I threaten him with Roundup!”
‘Lovegrass’ features 12 original tracks including songs with John Williamson and Greg Storer, and sees multi-award winning producer Matt Fell take the reigns in the producer’s seat.
Sara Storer will be one of the headline attractions at the 2013 Gympie Muster, where she will officially launch the new album.
Sara Storer began her recording career with ABC Music, releasing the Gold selling album ‘Chasing Buffalo ‘in 2000, followed by the Platinum selling ‘Beautiful Circle’ (2002) and Gold selling album ‘Firefly’ (2004), before again topping the Country Album sales charts with ‘Silver Skies’ (2007) and her Greatest Hits collection ‘Calling Me Home: The Best of Sara Storer’ in 2010.
Sara Storer has gone on to become one of the most respected singer/songwriters in Australia. She is an ARIA-nominated artist who has a won a staggering 14 Golden Guitar Awards in addition to her Platinum and Gold albums.
Talk to people about Sara Storer and the same words keep being used: ‘real’, ‘unaffected’, ‘authentic’. It’s partly a way of acknowledging that she’s lived the life she sings about – growing up on a farm in Victoria’s Mallee, her grandfather a pioneer of the district, then teaching in tiny bush towns in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
“Sara has a unique way of seeing and expressing her observations of love and life in the bush. So she is a songwriter who will be remembered beyond her lifetime,” says iconic bush balladeer John Williamson.
SARA STORER – LOVEGRASS - TRACK LISTING
1. Come On Rain
2. Lovegrass
3. Canoe
4. Heart And Soul
5. Shuffling Mess
6. Pozie (with John Williamson)
7. You’re My Everything
8. Next Year
9. Sunshower
10. Chapters
11. William Paroo
12. Apple Seeds (with Greg Storer)
[video]http://youtu.be/HI6vuT8nEJY[/video]
2013 Toyota Star Maker Winner, Kaylee Bell, will release her sophomore album, HeartFirst, on Friday, July 5.
Far more than mere tales of life, love and living in the moment, the songs comprising HeartFirst are a bold mirror of self. The 12 fresh, melody-heavy tracks are a window to the essence of a young woman, keen to rejoice and reflect in equal share. ''I'm really excited for people to hear it,'' said Kaylee. ''It really showcases me vocally and I think it reflects a lot more of me. It's a big step up. I feel really proud of it.''
HeartFirst is the major prize for Kaylee, having been crowned the 2013 Toyota Star Maker winner during the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. Since the win, life has been hectic for the young New Zealand native. Working with producer Andrew Cochrane, Kaylee was adamant in creating an album which spoke loud to her generation.
''We both had a similar vision and he got my direction from the start,'' Kaylee said of Cochrane. ''We just clicked and I love all of the new songs. I really wanted to appeal to my own age group. Back home, I've got a lot of friends that love my stuff and I wanted to open some more ears of my generation to country music who don't get a chance to listen to it as much.''
The result sees Kaylee adopt a contemporary sound, with lashings of pop infused throughout. The album contains a mix of carefully selected tracks from a who's who of writers, five of which also bare Kaylee's name. One of which she is most proud is “Breathless”, which she penned with Brooke McClymont.
''Six years ago, when I came to Tamworth for the first time, I fell in love with what they [The McClymonts] did and what they represented,'' Kaylee said. ''I've wanted to work with them forever. It's a different sort of a track, almost like a Johnny Cash sort of thing. Travis Toy from Rascal Flatts, who I got to meet in Nashville, played [pedal steel] all over it with his master fingers.''
“Little Bit Small Town”, a Kaylee co-write with Mike Carr, is also special. ''I am really small town,'' Kaylee laughed. ''I know who I am and where I'm from. There's something about growing up in a place where you get the chance to be a kid; I think you appreciate a lot more. It's important for me to have something on the album that represents where I come from.''
“Just A Little Crazy”, written by former Star Maker winner Kylie Sackley, together with Kelleigh Bannen and Billy Montana, also spoke to Kaylee. ''The title could be read in so many different ways,'' she said. ''I like the fact that it's a really positive kind of thing where the guy is crazy about the girl - which is really what we all want. I love the quirkiness of it.''
While pleased with all of the new material, Kaylee says her favourite track is the Mallary Hope/Skip Black penned “Falling”. ''Mallory Hope has always been a favourite of mine as a writer,'' Kaylee said. ''When I first heard it, everything just sounded right. I love the way Andrew has produced it, the way it builds up to the chorus and just kicks.''
Kaylee’s is the 18th career that Toyota has specifically assisted through Star Maker, along with the company's massive support of country music in general. Toyota celebrated 20 years of country music support in January 2013, by assuming the name sponsorship of the Tamworth Festival.
[video]http://youtu.be/WKO7JHINQ3Y[/video]
RISE is Steve’s first single since 2012's successful releases The Speed Of Love and Raining In My Heart. In the interim, he has been working on theatrical pursuits, directing a large cast musical in the NSW Southern Highlands.
RISE is an infectious and traditional story of climbing above and beyond one's state in life - of refusing to be limited and thwarted by the poor hand that we are sometimes dealt. The iTunes / digital release of the EP includes three of Steve's tracks re-mixed in acoustic mode.
RISE is dedicated to the memory of Stephan Kent from My105 FM in Mackay, who sadly and suddenly passed away in late 2012.
Listen to RISE here[MP3]http://itscountry.com.au/music/Steve Cheers - Rise .mp3[/MP3]
The Fairground is not just another Australian country music group. They have not just entered the industry to give music a crack. Collectively, they have over 20 years experience, won countless awards, taken out numerous top 50 chart positions both at radio and TV and have seen two Golden Guitar nominations.
The Fairground is Katrina Burgoyne, Paul Cowderoy and Will Osland. Their debut single Burn The Room is very different to that of their solo careers. It’s loud with a full sound and edgy lyrics. Written by hit songwriters Megan Connor (Rascal Flatts, Chris Young, Johnny Diaz) and Shane Hines (Steve Holy, Jeff Jankins, MTV) it undoubtedly has a heavy American influence.
It was recorded at Ocean Way Studios Nashville with Eric Legg (Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Faith Hill) as engineer and includes the who’s who of musicians: Bass Guitar & Session leader: Mark Hill (Kelly Clarkson, Lee Brice, Kelly Pickler, Big & Rich, Toby Keith, Gretchen Wilson, Blake Shelton), Piano, Keys, B3, Pads: Mike Rojas (Tim McGraw, Edens Edge, Stevie Nicks, George Jones, Travis Tritt, Bonnie Tyler, Reba, Lynn Anderson, Hank Williams JR, Patty Loveless, Marty Stewart), Drums: Scott Williamson (Blake Shelton, Reba McIntire, Alice Cooper, Brooks & Dunn, Amy Grant), Electric Guitar: Derek Wells (Josh Turner, Dolly Parton, Rachel Williams), Electric Guitar: Kelly Back (The Oak Ridge Boys, Daryl Worley, Josh Gracin, Aaron Tippin) and Acoustic Guitar & Banjo: Joel Key (Gene Watson, Sherrie Austin, Karen Peck).
Burn The Room was produced by our very own Australian star Dianna Corcoran. Although known in her homeland as a multi award winning vocalist and writer within the country music industry, Corcoran lives a life as a producer outside of the public domain.
Producing projects both in the Pop and Country genre in America and Europe, Dianna finally brings her production skills back home with the highly anticipated release from new country group, The Fairground.
‘I approached Katrina and Paul with this crazy idea of a new country group and thought that they would turn me down immediately. I had some ideas as I have been watching the Australian country music scene very closely for years, especially with my affiliation with WJO, but they contributed as much, if not more than I ever expected. We gel, and that’s not something I thought would happen immediately as we have never performed together. This has been a year in the making. We have some great Australian Country Music Groups and I wanted something perfect. I have listened to every single album that has come across my desk. Katrina and Paul were an easy choice, their work ethic is amazing and I am so glad that when I presented them with this idea they didn’t laugh me out of the room’. - Will Osland.
Have a sneak preview of Burn the Room here [MP3]http://itscountry.com.au/music/The Fairground - Burn The Room.mp3[/MP3]
‘Burn The Room’ is released world wide through iTunes on the 28th June 2013.
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