Michael Waugh
By LACHLAN BRYAN “My musical education was in the back seat of a Ford, driving down bumpy tracks on long country drives” says Michael Waugh, the Heyfield-born singer-songwriter with just about as strong a claim to authenticity as could be imagined. His rural upbringing sits front and centre in the songs from his debut album What We Might Be, recorded with producer de jour Shane Nicholson on the central coast of NSW and released...
Lee Kernaghan
Country music icon Lee Kernaghan is one of those rare Australians who has used his art form to not only entertain but to educate his own countrymen and women on this nation’s history – stirring up emotions ranging from joyous national pride to solemn grief and regret. He’s been doing this for over twenty years, selling out venues from stadiums to country pubs in the process and continuing to sell hundreds of thousands of albums in...
SKYCHA: Owe Someone
Melbourne based neo-soul electro-jazz ensemble SKYCHA is a genre-blending exploration of past, present and future. Australian songstress and composer Chantal Mitvalsky leads the band’s biggest live show yet to launch Owe Someone – SKYCHA’s debut album – at the Shadow Electric at Abbotsford Convent on Thursday, 21st April with support from DxHeaven and The Do Yo Thangs. The album – set for release on the same day – is a multi-layered...
Ben Salter
Seasoned campaigner from the Sunshine state By LACHLAN BRYAN Queensland’s Ben Salter describes himself as a “seasoned campaigner” but there are numerous other titles that might be more apt. ‘Quiet achiever’ is one, for Salter is no household name, yet he has been nominated for an ARIA and collaborated with the likes of Mick Thomas (Weddings, Parties, Anything), Gareth Liddiard (The Drones) and Tim Rogers (YouAmI) and founded at least...
Saskwatch hit the road
Melbourne indie-soul band Saskwatch are heading out on a huge national tour to support their acclaimed third album, Sorry I Let It Come Between Us (Northside Records/ Remote Control), taking in every major capital city and a plethora of country and regional towns along the way. The new album was recorded over a month-long period at Mount Slippery – an old silversmith warehouse-come-recording studio on the outskirts of Philadelphia in...
Fluir on tour
By BILLY DIXON Vocally breathtaking and sophistically arranged, Fluir’s debut EP The Way openly explores the loss, purpose and reawakening of her love for music. Creatively exhausted, a new found inspiration and energy sourced from Australia’s live music scene gave rise to the birth of Fluir. There’s a lot to be said for original music coming out of Australia, and more specifically, Victoria. Music is a business and many artists fall...