Jade Gibson has always had a knack for pumping out upbeat, feelgood country-pop hits. But she’s taken a bit of a left turn with the release of her latest single, “Technicolour”. With its John Mayer-esque bluesy guitar licks and moody vibe, this track showcases a brand-new sound for Jade. But gee it sounds good on her.
“Technicolour” is the first song released from Jade’s new project scheduled for a 2025 release. If the rest of the tracks sound as good as this one, we’re in for a real treat. You might hear some more new material if you get to one of her upcoming shows:
21 December 2024 – Henley’s Wine Bar & Kitchen, Waveroo Country/Milawa 24 December 2024 – Precinct Bar & Restaurant, Bpangerang Country/Wangaratta 26 December 2024 – Christmas Recovery @ Cofield Wines, Yorta Yorta Country/Wahgunyah 31 December 2024 – Lockhart Ex-Servicemen’s Club, KuukuYa’u, Wuthathi, Umpila, Kaanju and Uuthalganu Country/Lockhart
Nick Keogh is showing us his softer side with his beautiful new single “Messina.” This intimate track paints a beautiful picture of the tender moments that make a relationship special. Forget about those schmaltzy, formulaic love songs; this one is the real deal.
“This song is really special to me,” Nick said. “I don’t usually write a lot of love songs. I find it hard to take myself too seriously and be earnest but with this song I tried blending the silly-goofy parts of being in love with the sincere and honest parts of being in a relationship.”
“My favourite thing I’ve ever written is the second verse and it was inspired by a trip to my cousin’s wedding out near the farm where I grew up. My partner, who is vegan, was excited to see all the sheep but didn’t know why they were all standing around this big factory. She genuinely wanted to know where they were going, so I said they were on their way to Coles.”
The year is almost over, but Nick is squeezing in one more gig before 2024 is done. You can catch him at The Tote Bandroom in Naarm/Melbourne on December 28 as part of the A Very Good Christmas lineup.
Joe Mungovan and Aodhan have teamed up for a cool new single “Old Dog/New Tricks.” I’ve written about how much both artists have impressed me in the past, so you can bet this is right up my alley. I’m sure you’re going to love it every bit as much.
“This song is about our bad days and the struggles we face when going about our day-to-day routines,” Aodhan explained.
“Old Dog/New Tricks is a song for anyone who has ever struggled with even the simplest of daily tasks and the monotony of life,” Joe added.
If you love hearing Joe and Aodhan together, you’re in luck. These talented artists will play the following shows together in the coming months.
Ziggy Alberts is easing you into your working week with his latest single, “Singing for Country.” This patriotic, chilled-out folk song is the latest track from Ziggy’s forthcoming seventh album New Love which drops on February 21.
“I wrote ‘Singing For Country’ along the Mid-North Coast of Australia. It’s a song about what it means to be Australian, to love this land and our planet. For me, being Australian is about embracing a unique mix of cultures on this sunburnt land,” Ziggy explained. “This song was my way of celebrating what and how it feels to be Australian. I performed this song across my tour in Europe, UK and North America and despite it being about my love for Australia, people really connected to it. I think that for anyone who loves the natural beauty of their homeland will relate and feel camaraderie in this too. It speaks to the core reason I write songs; to sing and celebrate people and nature.”
Ziggy has played plenty of shows all over the world, but he’ll be back home in February with gigs in the capitals and regional centres supporting New Love’s release.
“After being on tour all year, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of coming home,” he said. “You don’t realise how much you love a place until you’re back, breathing it in again. There’s something raw and grounding about being back on home soil, smelling the bottlebrush, and returning to the ocean. Originally, this song was just going to be part of the album, but when I got back home, that visceral feeling reminded me how important it was to share it as a single ahead of summer. I’m grateful my team helped make it happen.”
Some shows have already sold out so don’t wait to get yours.
The United States might be the home of country music, but our own James Johnston and South Africa’s Appel prove the Americans don’t have the market cornered. These talents have teamed up for a fantastic new country single appropriately titled “Country is For Me.” It’s funny; I often say that country really isn’t for me, but then I hear a tune like this and start reconsidering my protests!
“I’ve always dreamed of sharing my music with the world and celebrating the country way of life through the lens of different cultures,” James said. “’County is For Me’ is the embodiment of that dream. Collaborating with Appel has been an incredible experience. His passion and genuine connection to his fans, family, and country have been so inspiring. At the beginning of this journey, I was searching for a kindred spirit in music, but I never could have imagined I would find a lifelong friend. The joy of creating ’County is For Me’ shines through in the recording. I’m excited to share it with the world and show that, despite being born in different places, we’re not so different.”
“Meeting James and collaborating to unite cultures through the universal language of music has been a journey neither of us realised the world needed,” Appel added. “By weaving together our stories, voices, and distinct roots, we’ve proven that when barriers come down, the music only grows stronger. It has been a truly mutual and inspiring experience, highlighting the limitless potential of music.”
James recently played the Cape Town Country Music Festival in South Africa, but he’s back home and ready to play for local crowds this summer. Catch him at all the hottest country music festivals in the coming months.
In Good Hands have ushered in a new era of music with the release of their latest single “Old Friends.” It’s a nostalgic indie-rock track that captures the transition from childhood to adulthood, the period where you gain freedom but you grapple with new responsibilities that might just weigh you down.
The band’s lead singer Jack Kenyon says that the lyrics “reflect the struggle of feeling lost in the routine of adult life. We remind ourselves—and you—that it’s okay to feel scared but never too tired to chase those memories again.”
For “Old Friends”, In Good Hands reunited with Jack Nigro who produced their Daylight EP.
“This one came together super quickly and naturally, with the bones turning into the finished song in a week or so. We knew straight away that it would be a track we had to record with Jack Nigro up at Sonora Studios, so we rushed up there to get it done!” they said.
With the release of “Old Friends,” In Good Hands sound like they’re going from strength to strength. I can’t wait to hear what comes next.
Solomon Island-born, Naarm/Melbourne-based singer, guitarist, and auu (panpipe) player Charles Maimarosia proves music really is the universal language with his gorgeous new single “Hote’ Hote’”. Like most listeners I don’t speak the Are’ Are’ language, but I’m moved by this gorgeous track. While Charles has to take a lot of the credit for that, he remains humble and acknowledges the part that Andrew Robison, who recorded, mixed, and produced “Hote’ Hote” played.
“Hote’ Hote’ is organic, rhythmic, soulful, and deeply rooted in the Are’ Are’ traditional ‘parani o’o’ rhythm, which shares similarities with rhythms found in many other cultures around the world. None of those rhythms would have been realised without Andrew Robinson,” Charles said. “He arranged the music chord progressions, and I layered the lyrics on top. If the words didn’t fit perfectly with the chords, we would try different ones until everything sat right, knowing that the words had to align with the context. For me, when I put Are’ Are’ lyrics in a song, I always make sure those words are true, make sense to ‘Are’Are’ people, and remain meaningful when translated into other languages, like English or Japanese. We’ve changed this song Hote’ Hote’ about three times already, and now we have this amazing version.”
Marcus Longfoot directed the song’s music video, which charts Charles’ personal journey from the Solomon Islands to Australia.
“The concept of the video is centred around voyaging in the ocean to the islands, which resonates with my own journey from Pipisu Village to Melbourne,” Charles explained. “I was shooting in the Melbourne city during winter, wearing shorts, which was quite an experience! I never imagined the video clip would turn out so well. The video was directed by Marcus Longfoot, with assistance from his team from RMIT media students: Rachel Kemp and Ruari Walsh. Natty [Dolaiasi] provided spoken word contributions from Lau Malaita Islands, whose people we call ‘masters of the ocean.’ Natty D’s spoken word and footage was filmed in Honiara Solomon Islands, my homeland, by Dream Cast Studios’ Mr Collin Leafasia. Marcus is a talented filmmaker and musician who has worked with Radical Son, another amazing artist from the First Nations community. It was a collaborative effort, and I’m grateful for all the creative minds who helped bring the video to life.” The year’s not done yet, but Charles is already setting his sights on 2025 when he’ll release a new album and play several shows.
“I want my audiences to know that I come from a remote village and that I’ll probably yarn a little bit on stage, share some stories, and make them laugh and reflect on their own life and journey while explaining each song,” Charles said. “Every time I’m on stage, I think of my mentor, and elder the late Donation Manu, an Are’ Are’ legend, and it reminds me that music is always here with us, before we are born and long after we are gone.”
Tickets for most of Charles Maimarosia’s February shows are on sale now, so don’t miss out!
Nathan Lamont effortlessly combines country, rock, and pop influences with his latest single “Name on It.”
“I wanted to highlight how love can completely upturn and transform a person’s outlook on life for the better, filling spaces we never knew were empty,” Nathan explained about the song he cowrote with his regular producer Alex Maher. “Alex and I have spent a lot of time in the studio together recording and songwriting, and we have many shared values and experiences when it comes to life and love.”
“Name On It” has already earned the seal of approval from none other than Keith Urban, who told Nathan to “keep it coming.” While Nathan looks up to Keith, his wife is arguably a bigger inspiration. His muse plays a starring role in the single’s film clip.
“I was excited to feature my wife in this project,” Nathan said. “She’s been the biggest source of inspiration behind my songwriting and has been on the sidelines supporting me since day one, so to have the opportunity to work with her so closely on something I love has only brought us even closer together.”
Nathan has already announced a couple of shows for next year, so don’t miss him if he’s playing near you!
“My Own Time,” the latest track from Meeanjin/Brisbane indie rockers The Urban Sea, is one of the best indie-rock tracks I’ve heard in some time. The lyrics are poetic and personal, and they’re wrapped up in such a fantastic shimmery sound that’s bound to have you grooving by the time the first chorus kicks in.
“There’s a bit of Arctic Monkeys swagger and Spacey Jane jangle in there, especially in how we approached the arrangements,” shared songwriter and guitarist Shanan Kilner. “’My Own Time’ came from a pretty emotional place during a breakup where I was ready to move on, but my ex was struggling to let go. The relationship had reached its end, and deep down, we both knew it. Writing this song was my way of processing those feelings and realising that sometimes the healthiest thing to do is move on. The line, ‘You got love on your lips but blood on your hands,’ sums it up. There was still affection, but we both had a hand in why things didn’t work out. It’s not about blame, but about recognising that love alone couldn’t fix what was broken. I wanted to move forward without rehashing old arguments or trying to pin down who was at fault, which is where the lines ‘I got no more coins for that wishing well’ and ‘lay low and let it go’ came from – sheer exhaustion from going over the same things again and again. The bridge ‘In my own time, get my feet back on the ground’ was a reminder to myself that healing takes time and it’s okay to take things at your own pace. When I first wrote it, it felt like a release.
“I didn’t want the song to be heavy or sad, even though the emotions were. The upbeat indie vibe reflects that sense of freedom that comes with finally letting go, even when it’s hard. I think we’ve all been in situations where we know it’s time to move on, but the comfort of the familiar pulls us back. It’s not about heartache – it’s about strength, about taking control of your own life and time. I think a lot of people can relate to that feeling of needing to reclaim their space after a relationship ends. Writing this song helped me find that closure, and I hope it resonates with anyone else who’s ready for their own fresh start.”
There’s more new music on the way from The Urban Sea, with the band set to release a new EP, Sunsets and Silhouettes, in February.
Local singer-songwriter AMA has teamed up with Los Angeles-based talent Jordan Everett for a new single called “SKIN.” It’s cute and super catchy. The chemistry between these two artists really shines through the recording.
This is AMA’s first collaboration and it sounds like she was pinching herself after getting the opportunity to work with one of her favourites.
“I’ve been a huge fan of him from years and it’s such a surreal moment to actually have a track out with him,” she said. “It’s super fun but also chaotic with just enough edge to keep you on your toes.”
AMA seems to go from strength to strength. I’ve loved everything I’ve heard, which is phenomenal considering she’s so young and still finding her feet in the music industry. I can’t wait to hear more from this local talent.
