Listening to Brad Cox’s latest single “I’m a Boxer,” I think he just might be Australia’s answer to Bruce Springsteen. I know that’s a massive call, but listening to the way his music has evolved and the ease with which he creates rock-infused anthems that speak for the common man definitely makes me think of The Boss.
And just like Bruce, world domination seems to be on the cards for Brad. He recently played some massive shows in the United Kingdom and Europe and signed deals with Ground Control Touring and ATC Live, some of the biggest booking agencies in North America and the UK/Europe respectively.
“I feel like I’ve finally solidified my place in the Australian music scene and just getting started at the same time,” Brad said. “UK and Europe are quickly becoming places I’m going to invest a lot of time into. We loved that tour.”
Australia’s still basking in that Luke Combs’ tour glow, but many locals don’t realise our country talent is every bit as good as the American artists. Aussie singer-songwriter Brad Cox reminds me a lot of Luke with his authenticity and vulnerability. And he’s touring the Eastern states really soon.
If you’re sitting on the fence, take a listen to the Hot Lettuce Sessions recorded in Nipaluna/Hobart last year. When someone sounds this good on a live recording, you know they’re the real deal.
Brad Cox will play a few festivals before he kicks off his Coxy’s Regional Road Show. With the fabulous Piper Butcher warming up the crowds, country fans won’t want to miss these gigs.
Brad Cox is loading up his Mack truck and heading out to play the biggest shows of his career to celebrate the release of his fantastic new single “Everything I’ve Got.” The shows will see Brad play capital cities and major regional centres along the East Coast.
“I can’t wait to bring the Brad Cox roadshow to these cities to play some absolute milestone rooms,” Brad said. “I’ve spent months working on how to bring the fans together to make this tour one to remember. I’m loading this trailer full of surprises that’ll make this tour unlike any Brad Cox shows.”
Brad’s sandwiched the single tour dates in amongst a bunch of other shows including some fabulous festivals. And after that, this hardworking Aussie will make his way to Europe and the United Kingdom. Make sure you see him anywhere you can:
Country music can be a bit hit and miss for me. I’ve found plenty of local artists I love through this blog, but there are probably just as many that don’t gel with me. Someone I’m really excited about is Bud Rokesky. There’s something so subtle and honest and what he does. There’s a folky vibe to his brand of country, a focus on telling stories with his lyrics that resonates with me. His latest single “Newtown,” which comes with the also excellent B-side “Oars,” is the perfect gateway into his material.
“Newtown is about leaving something behind and letting go – even though you may not want to,” Bud explained. “In the end you can only control how you react at the time, and the perspective with which you look back at it. I truly believe you can learn from every experience and turn it into a positive.”
If you love this, there’s more where it came from. Bud plans on releasing two tracks a month in this A-side/B-side format for the foreseeable future.
“When thinking about a follow-up album to Outsider I had a list of 24 or so songs to choose from, except they seemed so varied from one another that I found it difficult to find a common selection, not to mention I really wanted to release them all. I thought- what would be the best way to introduce them to everyone, in a way they could follow along with the different changes in sound or style from song to song?” he said of the plan for monthly releases.
Bud is currently supporting Brad Cox on his Aussie tour. There are limited tickets available for all the remaining shows:
I might be a little biased, but I think the country music scene in Australia is at least the equal to the scene over in the United States. It might not get the same international attention, but we’ve got so many superb artists telling authentic stories in this genre. The latest to really impress me is Brad Cox. Today he dropped his third studio album, Acres, and it’s an absolute cracker.
This is a guy with so much to say. The album features 17 songs, so you might expect a few filler tracks. Not even close. Every one is a winner. Trust me. Perhaps that’s because Brad took his time with this release, recording the songs after two years in Kabi Kabi Country/Gympie, Eora/Sydney, and Nashville. I encourage you to listen to the whole thing, because it’s just that good. But if you’re short on time, try the current single “Now She Ain’t.” As a bit of a grammar Nazi, the song title made me bristle. But it didn’t take long before I softened. It’s such a sweet song about stepping up and being the person someone else needs you to be.
“‘Now She Ain’t’ is “a song for the girls!,” Brad said. “Have hope and believe that person is out there. Stop crying into your pillow, strap on your can-do attitude, and get after it. We have been playing this one on the road for a few months now and it’s a super fun one to play live.”
Speaking of the road, Brad will be embarking on his biggest headline tour to date next month to support the release of Acres. Tickets are on sale now, so get onto it:
1 June 2023 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Tartanya/Adelaide
2 June 2023 – Rosemount Hotel, Boorloo/Perth
8 June 2023 – Kings Beach Tavern, Kabi Kabi & Jinbara Country/Sunshine Coast
9 June 2023 – Kingscliff Beach Hotel, Bundjalung Country/Kingscliff
10 June 2023 – The Tivoli, Meeanjin/Brisbane
16 June 2023 – The Gateway Hotel, Djilang/Geelong
17 June 2023 – Northcote Theatre, Naarm/Melbourne
22 June 2023 – The Cambridge Hotel, Mulubinba/Newcastle
23 June 2023 – Manning Bar, Eora/Sydney
24 June 2023 – Anita’s Theatre, Thurraral Country/Thirroul
Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia; credit: Brad Elder
Brad Cox has all the makings of the next Keith Urban. Since taking out the Toyota Star Maker title in 2018, he’s received Golden Guitar nominations and opened shows for country luminaries including Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont, Randy Houser, and Brett Eldredge, not to mention selling out his own headlining gigs. Now he’s released a fantastic new single “Give Me Tonight,” his first since signing an exclusive worldwide deal with Sony Music Australia.
“Joe [Mongovan, his long-time friend and collaborator] and I were kind of sitting in a room one day and ready to write a song,” Brad explained of “Give Me Tonight’s” creation. “We just got to chatting at how so many times in life you meet people in passing and ninety-nine percent of the time you never really see them again. And how we all have those experiences that we try to replicate, and they never really happen.”
Fresh from spending time in Nashville collaborating with some of the world’s leading country songwriters, Brad is back on home soil. See him at Tamworth’s Albert Hotel on January 24. He’ll also play CMC Rocks 2020 at Ipswich’s Willowbank Raceway on March 17 to 22.
