Category Archives: ZFM Country Rock

National Missing Persons Week urges Australians to ‘Follow Your Instincts’

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The Australian Federal Police and NSW Police Force have launched the 2015 National Missing Persons Week campaign to raise awareness of the issues and impacts surrounding missing persons.

Acting Australian Federal Police Commissioner Michael Phelan and NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Peter Barrie officially launched the week-long campaign in Sydney today (Monday 3 August 2015), where they reminded Australians you don’t have to wait 24 hours before reporting someone missing.

In 2015, the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC) is urging people to ‘Follow Your Instincts’ if you suspect someone you know is missing.

“There is no minimum timeframe associated with reporting someone missing. The very definition of a missing person is where there are ‘concerns for the safety and welfare of a person’, and ‘their whereabouts are unknown’,” acting Commissioner Phelan said.

“A colleague that fails to turn up to work without notice; a parent that doesn’t return from a walk; a son that misses a birthday dinner… If a person’s disappearance is out of character and you have concerns for their safety and welfare, follow your instincts and report to police immediately.”

Long-term missing persons from each State and Territory are being profiled as part of the campaign, including NSW missing person Ursula Barwick, who was last seen in Kings Cross in December 1987. Her father Peter Barwick, and cousin, Melissa Pouliot, spoke at the launch, together with Assistant Commissioner Barrie.

“Our hope is that today’s appeal will help bring closure to Ursula’s family after nearly 30 years of not knowing what’s happened,” Assistant Commissioner Barrie said.

“In 2014, almost 12,000 people were reported missing in NSW, and while the majority were located safe and well, 57 still remain missing.

“National Missing Persons Week therefore gives us an opportunity to remember those who are still lost, and garner new leads that could help bring them home,” Assistant Commissioner Barrie said.

“Kings Cross police have formed Strike Force Hemingway as they continue inquiries to establish the exact circumstances surrounding Ursula’s disappearance, and they’re keen to hear from anyone who may be able to shed new light on the investigation.”

An age-progressed image of Ursula, which was created by the AFP NMPCC, has been released to media to illustrate what she may look like today.

“Someone knows something about Ursula’s disappearance, so no matter how insignificant it may seem, I urge them to contact police immediately,” Assistant Commissioner Barrie said.

As part of this year’s campaign, the AFP has also launched a partnership with the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) to profile long-term missing persons on billboards, taxi backs, bus shelters and digital out-of-home channels Australian wide.

The out-of-home advertising will complement media and social media efforts, along with community service announcements on free-to-air television and long-time partners, Foxtel’s Criminal Investigations network.

“We thank all our corporate supporters—Chemist Warehouse, McDonalds, the OMA, and Foxtel—who continue to profile missing persons cases in support of our coordinated efforts,” acting Commissioner Phelan said.

“This combined exposure of missing persons may trigger someone to provide information to police, bringing resolution to families and friends who long await news.”

The OMA have also been working in partnership with the NSW Police Force to help promote the profiles of missing persons around the state.

OMA CEO, Charmaine Moldrich, said the Out-of-Home industry is committed to contributing to, and supporting, the community.

“We are proud to continue our longstanding relationship with the New South Wales Police Force – our support of their National Missing Persons Week campaign now spans seven consecutive years – and taking the campaign to a national audience in partnership with the AFP is a natural progression,” Ms Moldrich said.

Our audiences keep growing and our digital reach is increasing – using this unique position to broadcast critical information that could bring solace to people in need is very important to us.”

National Missing Persons Week runs from Sunday 2 August to Saturday 8 August 2015.

Profiles of missing persons can be viewed at www.missingpersons.gov.au.

THE INAUGURAL MURWILLUMBAH COUNTRY ROOTS FEST EMBRACES THE ETHOS OF A FESTIVAL BILL THAT IS ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC

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There is a new festival on the scene and it is a big one! The inaugural Murwillumbah Country Roots Fest will take northern New South Wales by storm this October with an incredible line-up of some of the best country and roots artists on the Australian music scene today. Headlined by country sweetheart Kasey Chambers, with a stellar bill that includes the likes of The Audreys, Sara Storer, Shane Howard, Archie Roach, Busby Marou, Bill Chambers, Henry Wagons and Richard Clapton, to name a few, it is evident that the Murwillumbah Country Roots Fest will rapidly establish itself as a formidable force on the festival circuit.

Held across four days from October 2-5, with three stages and a massive 60 acts, there is something to delight audiences of all ages. The diversity of the musical acts will reach both ends of the country and roots spectrum, and will be mc’ed by Buddy Goode and Ben Sorensen. Other incredible artists on the line-up include The Flood, Pierce Brothers, Good Oak, The Davidson Brothers, Harry Hookey, James Blundell, Brothers 3, Greg Champion, Buddy Goode, The Wilson Pickers, Lyn Bowtell, Lou Bradley, Paul Green, A Woman’s Voice – The Ruby Hunter Project, Greg Storer, Melody Pool, Karl S. Williams and Lachlan Bryan.

To complete the incredible 60 acts, the festival also features appearances by Bob Corbett, Psycho Zydeco, Damien Howard, The Hillbilly Goats, Uncle Bob’s Jug Band, Caitlin Harnett, Warren Earl, Charm of Finches, Caitlyn Shadbolt, women in docs, Mid North, Garett Kato, Jimmy Dowling, Round Mountain Girls, Matt Cornell, Katie Brianna, Matt Henry, Jess Belle, Heartworn Highway, Sara Tindley, The Jay Seeney Band, The Company, Mustard Courage, Mr Cassidy, Gretta Ziller, Jemma Nicole, The Swamp Katz, Clelia Adams, Guy Kachel, Cadillac Rockers, The Curly Cousins, Richo’s Roundup, Caldera Country Music and more.

It is really no surprise that the Murwillumbah Country Roots Fest has such a coveted line-up for its debut event, after all, the brains behind the festival concept is a veteran of the Australian country music scene. Lou Bradley has been part of the scene for over 10 years, has released four albums and scored ARIA and Golden Guitar nominations and is fiercely passionate about the local industry. “Throughout my career as a writer and music lover, I have stood by what I believe is real music – music that has deep roots,” she says. “I’ve also been very lucky to build strong relationships with many artists along the way to share this love. That’s why I chose them to play at my festival.”

The festival embraces all kinds a great music, from mountain music, bluegrass, old time country, alt country, porch music, a bit of straight country and some old legends ‘chucked in’. It is an eclectic country roots event that leans left of the traditional festivals, set in the heart of an old school country town – in between Byron Bay, Nimbin and the Gold Coast – and surrounded by world heritage landscape.

One of the things that will set the Murwillumbah Country Roots Fest apart is that its line-up is 100 per cent proudly Australian. There are no international names on the line-up, it embraces and promotes the Australian music industry. “For such a long time now I have campaigned for and complained about how there isn’t enough scope for what I call real country music in the current country music industry in Australia,” says Lou. “I wanted to promote a festival that not only provided some of Australia’s best established and finest acts, but also catered for the acts that sit on the fringe and haven’t really fitted into the country mould. It is a festival that is about music first. All the artists that are on the bill are great singer-songwriters, they perform their own art. I want to be able to attract and provide for an audience that shares the same thing that I have been missing at festivals, then I want them to tell people for the next year when we do it all again. I want it to keep snowballing into a big warm and fuzzy festival that is all about real music and real artists.”

The Murwillumbah Country Roots Fest is held at the Murwillumbah Showgrounds in Murwillumbah NSW, 45-minutes north of Byron Bay and 45-minutes east of Nimbin. Day, weekend and four-day passes are available from www.MCRFest.com

NEW FACES OF COUNTRY ROCK ARE SHAKING THINGS UP

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Who says Country Music isn’t young, hot and ready to rock! Nobody who has had the chance to see Jade Holland and The Jay Seeney Band take the stage that’s for sure.

These two “artists on the up” on the Country scene have been making some serious noise over the past few months as both have seen chart success with the first singles of their respective new records. Now it is time to get serious with dates nearing for their full production releases. For both Jade and Jay, having worked together on many projects in the last few years, it made a load of sense to embark on a combined record launch tour. So that is exactly what they are doing.

From August through to November the two acts and their bands will be hitting the road to share their new music with Australia and there is big a wave of excitement right behind them.

Jade Holland is the “straight talkin” country girl from North Queensland and The Jay Seeney Band, the “rockin-est” thing to come out of Greater Western Sydney in a long time. That’s yin and yang with a guitar.

Jade’s drive and attitude comes through in everything she does. While the music world is flooded with good-looking hopefuls, Holland is very clear and somewhat blunt on the topic of what makes her different from other artists.

“I guess you could call me no frills. What you see is what you get. I’m a country girl who loves music and I do whatever I have to do to make the music happen. I don’t go for the whole beauty queen thing and I hate being called “cute” (Laughs). I’m pretty much a normal girl in her twenties from the country. I like a drink and some fun, I speak my mind and I’m chasing my dreams. For me the glamour stuff comes second, the music stuff comes first, and that is just how it should be.” – Jade Holland

Jay spent 6 months co-writing with some of Australia’s best to assemble the songs and then the best part of two months in Nashville recording for the release. But that was the easy part, choosing a name that truly represented the direction and drive behind his music, that was the tough bit.

“As a musician you always want the best songs and put in so much time to create a great product, but in this case everything just fell into place. It got to a point where we had a bunch of songs that we were really stoked with, but haven’t really thought about the record beyond that. So we spent a lot of time trying to explain the songs and what the band is all about within the title we chose.” – Jay Seeney

The new record, entitled “The New Black” is obviously a new take on a time-tested concept.

“We to demonstrate what we intend to be as a band. So we wanted something that is always in fashion, always cool but always new and exciting. Then we thought about the group and what we represent both physically and with our music. When it boiled down to it, the title “The New Black” just worked on every single level.” – Said Seeney

Jade’s album is called “Leather And Les Paul” named directly after a very personal track on the album that captivated both her and the woman who wrote it.

“After being in the studio with Sean (Sean Rudd, Golden Guitar-nominated Producer) and listening to the album back. It was very clear that Jane’s (Acclaimed Songwriter Jane Robertson) song was the standout. – Stated Jade

That track became the album title and was written about Jade personally by the songwriter after the two met and collaborated.

“Both Jane and the song are amazing, so by the end of the lengthy production process the title just fit like an old pair of cowboy boots. It was the perfect choice.” – Mentioned Holland

Both recordings will be available for pre-order shortly through Maven Records/Sony Music Australia. Keep up with the artists via their web and social media pages for order details.

Confirmed Tour Dates So Far – More to come!

July 30, 2015 – Townsville Album Preview (Jade Holland Only) – The Avenues Tavern – Free Show
August 1, 2015 – Alligator Creek Album Preview – Melville’s Farm – Tickets on the gate from 11AM
October 17, 2015 – Rooty Hill RSL Album Launch – Sydney NSW – Tickets from www.rootyhillrsl.com.au

COLD CHISEL CONFIRMED TO ROCK THE DENI UTE MUSTER!

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The legendary Cold Chisel have announced that they will start their 2015 One Night Stand national tour with a headlining set at the 2015 Deni Ute Muster on Friday, 2 October 2015.

Cold Chisel smashed the record for the biggest crowd at the Muster in 2010 and it also marked the last time the band performed with their drummer, Steve Prestwich, who passed away in January 2011.

‘We loved playing the Deni Ute Muster in 2010 and we can’t wait to play there again. It holds great memories and emotions for us, being the last time we ever played with Steve,” said guitarist Ian Moss.

With a history that spans forty years and a reputation forged through blistering live shows and a catalogue of much-loved songs and albums, Cold Chisel has become a part of the nation’s psyche. Their story is colourful, volatile and proud and their music continues to be ingrained in the hearts of generations of Australians. They’ve sold almost 7 million albums across bona-fide Australian classics like East, Breakfast at Sweethearts and Circus Animals, while songs like Cheap Wine, Choir Girl, When The War Is Over, Flame Trees, Bow River, Saturday Night and Khe Sanh remain the staple of radio playlists, pubs, jukeboxes, barbeques and karaoke bars across every part of the country.

Their reunion in 2009, for a one-off performance at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, saw the band play in front of 50,000 people – the biggest crowd of their career. This sparked a renewed enthusiasm for working together again – onstage and in the studio.  In 2010 they smashed the record for the biggest crowd at the Deni Ute Muster and then in late 2011 they undertook the Light The Nitro tour, one of the biggest tours ever by an Australian band.  In 2012 they then released the critically hailed and Gold-selling No Plans album which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Album chart.

After a three year break, in February this year Cold Chisel played the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide to over 35,000 people. More recently the band announced two special shows under the banner ‘The Last Stand of Sydney’s entertainment centre’, to mark the closing of the iconic Sydney venue (now known as the Qantas Credit Union Arena). The band promised to construct a show that referenced their legendary 1983 Last Stand tour and it captured the fascination and excitement of music fans across the country – with the band selling all 20,000 tickets in minutes.

“The Muster is going to be the first show of our One Night Stand tour so it’ll be full of excitement, adrenaline, emotion – and just the right amount of danger,” said singer Jimmy Barnes. “Bring it on!”

NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said, “The Deni Ute Muster is one of Australia’s most unique festivals and it’s fitting that one of Australia’s most iconic bands, Cold Chisel, will return to the festival stage again this year.”

“The Deni Ute Muster brings thousands of visitors to Deniliquin, who come to enjoy a taste of the Regional NSW lifestyle along with world-class entertainment. The NSW Government is proud to be supporting the event in 2015 through our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW,” he said.

The Deni Ute Muster is on almost every local and international bucket list and with, more music and more fun than your average long weekend can cram into it, our Australian Made special event will be one to remember for a lifetime so don’t miss out – get your tickets today!

Festival General Manager, Kate Pitt said “Cold Chisel deserve their legendary status – as no one has documented Australian life better than Chisel, so to have them headlining our proudly Australian event will be the perfect way to celebrate our 17th record breaking Muster”.

The Deni Ute Muster is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

COLD CHISEL ANNOUNCE THEIR ‘ONE NIGHT STAND’ NATIONAL TOUR

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Tonight, ahead of State Of Origin 1, and in front of an audience of 80,000 live spectators, more than 2.5 million TV viewers and many millions more online, the legendary Cold Chisel announced their One Night Stand tour of Australia.  It will be a tour unlike any the band has previously undertaken and will include a number of unique performances and ‘firsts’ for an Australian band.

The band revealed tonight that they will ‘kick-off’ the tour with a special mini-concert at the NRL Grand Final at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, 4 October, where they will be the only artist performing. That same weekend they will play a full headline set at the 2015 Deni Ute Muster on Friday, 2 October. From there, Cold Chisel will traverse the nation (full details below), headlining festivals like The V8 Supercars Castrol Gold Coast 600 and the Decades Festival in Strathpine, Qld, playing arenas and a number of special performances – including being the first Australian band to headline the mythical Hanging Rock in Victoria and also Hope Estate in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. There are also big shows in new venues for the band, like 1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville (Saturday, 7 November) and Perth Arena (Saturday, 14 November) which wasn’t completed when the band last played Perth in 2012. Cold Chisel is excited to confirm that The Living End will be joining them at the Decades Festival, Hope Estate and Hanging Rock.

Frontman Jimmy Barnes revealed tonight that the band felt compelled to undertake the tour as a direct response of the incredible reaction they received when they recently announced two special shows under the banner of ‘The Last Stand of Sydney’s entertainment centre’ to mark the closing of the Qantas Credit Union Arena (formerly known as the Entertainment Centre). Promising a show that referenced their classic 1983 Last Stand tour, which finished at the iconic venue, these two new shows captured the fascination of music fans around the country with all 20,000 tickets selling out within minutes – and with interstate fans screaming to be included.

“In March we played a homecoming show in Adelaide to 35,000 people,” said Barnes. “Then when we announced these two shows in Sydney the reaction was ballistic. The demand blew our minds, suggesting that it was time for us to get back out there.” The band then hatched the idea of One Night Stand, with each venue being a definite ‘for one night only’ experience – with the exception of Sydney where the tour concludes with the two already sold-out shows at QCUA.

Of course Barnes and his band mates Ian Moss (guitar/vocals), Don Walker (piano/keyboards), Phil Small (bass) and drummer Charley Drayton shouldn’t have been surprised by the excitement: With a history that spans forty years and a reputation forged through blistering live shows and a catalogue of much-loved songs and albums, Cold Chisel has become a part of the nation’s psyche. Their story is colourful, volatile and proud and their music continues to be ingrained in the hearts of generations of Australians. They’ve sold almost 7 million albums across bona-fide Australian classics like East, Breakfast at Sweethearts and Circus Animals, while songs like Cheap Wine, Choir Girl, When The War Is Over, Flame Trees, Bow River, Saturday Night and Khe Sanh remain the staple of radio playlists, pubs, jukeboxes, concert halls and karaoke bars across every part of the country.

Their reunion in 2009, for a one-off performance at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, saw the band play in front of 50,000 people – the biggest crowd of their career. This sparked a renewed enthusiasm for working together again – onstage and in the studio. In 2011 they undertook the Light The Nitro tour, one of the biggest tours ever by an Australian band with over 285,000 tickets sold. And in 2012 they released the critically hailed and Gold-selling No Plans album, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Album chart.

After a three year break, 2015 feels like the right time to get back in the saddle.

“We love playing together,” said guitarist Ian Moss. “We’ve come to realise that there’s a certain magic and chemistry in Cold Chisel that we don’t get anywhere else and it makes a special connection with Australian audiences. We can’t wait to make that connection once again on our One Night Stand tour. See you there!”

THE SLIM DUSTY CENTRE TO OPEN IN OCTOBER 2015 …ANOTHER “FIRST” FOR OUR AUSTRALIAN MUSIC ICON!

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The Australian legacy of Slim Dusty continues to grow with the official announcement that the nationally significant Slim Dusty Centre, incorporating the long awaited Slim Dusty Museum, will officially open in Kempsey, on the Macleay Valley Coast NSW, this October 2015. The Slim Dusty Centre will be a major “must see” attraction for national and international tourists alike.

Throughout his long and hugely successful career, this Australian music pioneer achieved so many “firsts” in the Australian entertainment industry. Even now, twelve years after his passing, the King of Australian country music is still achieving those industry breakthroughs. With the opening of the Slim Dusty Centre, Slim will become the first ever Australian entertainment artist to have a dedicated permanent museum established to celebrate his music and life story! Slim Dusty took his unique Australian country music touring show all the way from his Nulla Nulla Creek home to the cities and indeed, to every nook and cranny of this vast land, and now it is fitting that in October his show and his music return to his birthplace of Kempsey.

“We have a wealth of memorabilia and rare archival material which will be presented in a highly professional and entertaining way for visitors to see and of course, to hear. With room for the museum exhibition to expand and grow in the coming years, the displays will eventually accommodate the full collection, which is overwhelming in its breadth.” said Joy McKean, Slim’s wife and partner of more than 50 years.

Slim was closely involved in the early days of the project, and in the year he passed away, he said “Joy and I look forward to the eventual opening of a venture that will showcase not just my music and my life, but the role that Australian Country Music has played in the culture of the North Coast of NSW, and indeed, Australia. It is my hope and ambition that this Centre will show the integration of country music and the different facets of life in this country; also that it will assist young artists and musicians in their studies and careers. I believe too, that it will be of great benefit to the town of Kempsey and the district of the Macleay Valley.” – Slim Dusty AO MBE, 2003

The Centre is a contemporary, architect designed building, located on a 10 hectare site on the southern edge of Kempsey on the Macleay, and apart from the Museum exhibition, the centre, will also feature travelling exhibitions, a themed Café and commercial kitchen, visitors’ centre, as well as a retail area promoting local and regional products.

Already operating as a venue hosting a multitude of events and functions, the Centre will deliver major economic benefits to Slim’s hometown and community of Kempsey. Now after a long road of development and fundraising, a contract has been signed with museum specialists, Freeman Ryan Design, to undertake the establishment of the Slim Dusty exhibition for a public opening in October.

“The thanks truly belong to the fans, to the country music fraternity and to all Slim’s mates out there. To the many people who have stood by us on this journey and have supported the Foundation every step of the way….this is for you. The multitude of Slim Dusty fans will be thrilled to see the many displays and interactive features related to the music and touring that made Slim such an Australian icon” said Kathryn Yarnold (CEO of the Slim Dusty Foundation).

COUNTRY MUSIC, KELPIES AND CAMPERS COMBINE FOR RIVERINA FESTIVAL

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The Ardlethan Country Music Festival and Talent Quest is taking place at the Ardlethan Showground in the Riverina from Friday 17 – Sunday 19 April 2015.

With plenty of space for caravans and campers, the Festival program includes a concert featuring well-known country artists Tom Maxwell, Grant Luhrs and Aimee Maree, a talent quest, weekend markets and a Kelpie howling competition!

Everyone is welcome to enter the talent quest, with categories across all age groups. There will be cash prizes for all section winners and the overall winner will also take home an acoustic electric Cutaway solid top guitar thanks to the generosity of major sponsors IBANEZ and CUSTOM MUSIC from Wagga Wagga.

Festival program:

Friday – From 7pm: Entry is $5 per person. Children under 17 are free.

Start of the talent quest and Kelpie Howling competition

Saturday – From 9am: Entry is $20 per person, $15 for pensioners, children under 17 are free.

The talent quest will take place on Saturday, with the concert featuring Tom Maxwell and Aimee Maree taking place on Saturday night. The markets will also take place on Saturday.

Sunday – From 9am: Entry is $15 per person, $10 for pensioners, children under 17 are free.

Gospel section and talent quest awards, including a special appearance by Grant Luhrs

For further information or to enter the talent quest, please visit www.coolamonshire.com.au contact Janet Popple on 02 6978 2550

 

The record breaking Deni Ute Muster goes All Australian!

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For 17 years the Deni Ute Muster has been the ultimate celebration of utes, music and everything unique in regional Australia and the 2015 “Muster” is going to be bigger and better than ever.

This year’s Deni Ute Muster theme is “Australian Made” and we’ll be celebrating all things Australian from music to food to circle work to whip cracking and, of course, the Ute.

Muster HQ are proud to announce the next round of Aussie artists set to join Birds of Tokyo, The Sunny Cowgirls and The Wolfe Brothers over the October Long Weekend starting with the one and only, Prince of Australian Country, Lee Kernaghan.

Since barnstorming his way onto the country music charts with the mega hit Boys From The Bush, Lee Kernaghan has notched up 32 #1 hits on the Australian Country Chart, won a staggering 33 Golden Guitars and has sold 2 million plus sales. His music gave birth to rural rock and songs like Hat Town, She’s My Ute and The Outback Club gave voice to a new generation of country Australia.

2015 is set to be another stellar year for Lee Kernaghan with the release of a very special and personal music project, Spirit of the Anzacs, paying tribute to our troops in a year that marks the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. Sheppard, Megan Washington, Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll all contribute to the charity single which will raise money for Legacy and Soldier On.

Lee Kernaghan said today, “I played my first Deni Ute Muster back in 1999 and it’s been a major highlight on my touring calendar over the years since. The “Muster” is one of those events where you know there’s is going to be a country crowd ready to party hard. I’m looking forward to bringing the band back to Deni for this year’s all Australian Made theme and to celebrate the “Muster’s “17th Birthday by turning the “Muster” festival site into the centre of the country music universe for one big night.”

Whatever gives Aussie music its heart, Adam Brand breathes plenty of life into its soul. For more than fifteen years, Adam Brand has been one of Australia’s best-loved and most successful recording artists and, undeniably, a fixture of the Australian music landscape. The versatile star has 3 Platinum and 5 Gold albums to his name, along with a massive12 Golden Guitar Awards, multiple Mo Awards and 4 ARIA Award nominations for Best Country Album.

In 2014, Adam Brand added yet another landmark album to his catalogue with tenth studio offering, My Side of the Street. A deeply soulful joint, My Side of the Street is sure to add further lustre to Adam Brand’s already brilliant output and we can’t wait for him to bring it to life at the 2015 Deni Ute Muster.

Also joining the line-up for the Deni Ute Muster’s 17th birthday are those multi-talented, musical sisters from Grafton, The McClymonts.

The McClymonts have come a long way since their 2007 debut album Chaos and Bright Lights, picking up 17 hit Country singles as well as 2 x ARIA Awards(2010 & 2012 for Country Album of the Year), 10 x CMAA Golden Guitar Awards, 7 x Australian Club Entertainers Awards and the 2013 APRA Award for Country Work of the Year. In between, they’ve toured Australia and the US extensively and have opened for the likes of Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Gary Allan and even Ozzy Osbourne!

With their exquisite three-part harmonies, soaring vocals and stunning onstage presence, The McClymonts have won the hearts of fans from Australia to the US. After a short break away from the limelight, Brooke, Mollie and Sam returned in mid-2014 with their most personal album yet, Here’s To You & I, which debuted at No. 1 and has remained in the ARIA Country Music Charts for the past 6 months.

When singer/songwriter Morgan Evans released his self-titled debut album in March 2014, it was the culmination of a musical journey that began when he started his first band at the age of thirteen. It’s a journey that has seen the Novocastrian tour with international superstars like Taylor Swift and Alan Jackson, play to over 50,000 people in Nashville at the world’s biggest country music festival and build a large, devoted following as he’s played the length and breadth of this wide, brown land.

With his profile rising to new heights both at home and internationally, including winning the prestigious CMA Global Artist Award, hosting the 2015 Golden Guitar Awards and his work on CMC, 2015 is becoming yet another massive leap forward in Morgan Evans’ incredible musical journey and we look forward to welcoming him back to the Deni Ute Muster stage in October.

Since their official debut at the 2013 Tamworth Country Music Festival, Adam Eckersley Band, have had a steep rise in popularity, firmly positioning themselves as the Australian band to watch.

To hear Adam Eckersley Band crunching through nimble rockers, fiddle-led stompers, reflective acoustic tunes and blistering country-rock, music lovers are reminded of the broad church that is known as country today. The musicianship, coupled with the gravelly emotive Eckersley vocals, makes clear why Adam Eckersley Band is setting fire to the pews.

The indisputable truth is Eckersley and his heavily bearded band of cohorts play and say what comes from their hearts and souls and with juice in the van and strings on the guitars, Adam Eckersley Band will leave Musterers cheering for more.

Last, but certainly not least, unashamed bluegrass sinners, The Pigs, will be bringing their supercharged hillbilly pop to the 2015 Deni Ute Muster. The Pigs’ ability to turn hit pop songs into downright foot-stompers is legendary. Their kooky original anthems like Macho Moisturiser and Hey Christina are sung from Berlin to Bendigo. On the band’s latest album, 13 iconic Australian songs are reborn into The Pigs’ twisted world of bluegrass and folk. From Cold Chisel to the Avalanches, INXS to Powderfinger, The Pigs’ total reinvention of Australian music history is brazen to the point of lunacy, but it works and will surely have the Muster crowd singing right back at them.

Festival General Manager, Kate Pitt said “The Deni Ute Muster is a remarkable 2 day jam packed event. It transcends age & gender – its Australian to the core”

The Deni Ute Muster is on almost every local and international bucket list and with no rise in ticket prices, more music and more fun than your average long weekend can cram, our Australian Made special event will be one to remember for a lifetime so don’t miss out – get your tickets today!

The Deni Ute Muster is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

AMBER LAWRENCE WINS “BEST FEMALE OZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR” AT THE 2015 CMC AWARDS

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Country Music superstar AMBER LAWRENCE last night won “Best Female Oz Artist Of The Year” at the 5th annual CMC Awards announced in Brisbane. Amber was nominated alongside Catherine Britt, Christie Lamb, Jasmine Rae and Kasey Chambers. This win continues the accolades being bestowed on Amber on the back of her current album SUPERHEROES and compliments her ‘Best Female Artst’ WIN at the CMAA Tamworth Golden Guitars in January 2015.

“I am so proud and honoured to have won this award. Thank you to everyone that voted for me. I am truly thrilled, excited and blown away to win another big award for SUPERHEROES, an album I am incredibly proud of,” said Amber soon after being announced as the winner.

Amber’s win continues the success of SUPERHEROES, her fourth album. Since its release in September, 2014 Amber has celebrated this new album with country music fans by touring to cities and towns across Australia and delivered two chart-topping singles – SUPERHERO and THE LIFESAVER and there’s more touring throughout 2015 to come.

Amber headlines the Oz Artist Stage at the CMC ROCKS QLD Festival tonight and performs at the CAMPFIRE FESTIVAL in the Hunter Valley on Sunday 15th March.

More exciting tour announcements forthcoming for 2015 so stay tuned.