Songversations Podcast

Our guest today is Katelann Maree

“Different Kind Of High” maybe Katelann Maree’s debut EP but she was born into a country music-loving family.
Her mum Sharon Grealy is also a singer/songwriter and her grandfather Jimmy Grealy, remembered for his fingerpicking playing style, was the inspiration behind the EP’s first single, ‘Grandad’s Guitar’

From the age of seven, when Jimmy’s guitar was handed down to Katelann, she’s been singing and performing at festivals across QLD and NSW. 

In 2015 after being asked by a town local if she would teach her daughter to sing and play guitar, Katelann once again thought about her own solo career.
In no time, Katelann was inspiring the next generation of singers and performers and at her mum’s insistence finally applied and was accepted into the CMAA Academy Of Country Music in 2020. 

Her Debut EP "Different Kind Of High" has been published this year and Grandad’s Guitar’  single peaked at #2 on the iTunes Australia Singer-Songwriter Chart. 

Our guest today is Jennifer Lauren leader of the
award-winning band Diamonds & Whisky.

North Carolina native Jennifer Lauren is a multi‐talented musician, vocalist, and songwriter.
Starting with piano at age 4 and discovering her vocal abilities at age 8, she began her early days exploring traditional hymns and receiving classical training as a first soprano.

Taking influences from a multitude of artists and genres, such as Dolly Parton, Heart, Tori Amos, Rob Thomas, and even Eminem, she has cultivated a sound and style that is as unique and refreshing as the woman herself.

Her award winning band “Diamonds and Whiskey” debut album “Heartbreak Queen” made big strides across the globe with airplay in Europe, New Zealand, and the United States.

The 2019 Carolina Music Awards Band of the Year winner has shared stages in support of many great acts, including Brantley Gilbert, Little Texas, Darius Rucker, Ashland Craft, Filmore, Sammy Kershaw, Love and Theft, Midland, Dustin Lynch, Thomas Rhett, Lee Greenwood, Diamond Rio, and Lonestar.

Production is underway for Diamonds and Whiskey’s sophomore release, with award-winning Producer Eddie Z leading the way. Titled “Blonde Ambition”, that full-length effort is scheduled to reach Diamonds and Whiskey fans by early 2022.

Our guest today is Adam Harvey.

Adam Harvey is an Australian country artist that started musically learning country classics on the guitar as a small boy.

With a career spanning over twenty years, half a million album sales, gold and platinum albums, and eight CMAA Golden Guitar awards, Adam Harvey is one of Australia’s most popular and enduring recording artists.
Adam Harvey was presented with the CMA Global Country Artist Award in 2007 and has been awarded a Centenary Medal for his charity work.
Harvey is also an Ambassador for the Fred Hollows Foundation, and the McGrath Foundation.

Our guest today is Piper Butcher, a 16-year-olds singer-songwriter from Newcastle NSW that she has no doubts about what she wants to do – make music.
Highly motivated, resilient, wise with influences from the likes of Lukas Nelson, Chris Stapleton, and Stevie Nicks Piper has been already supporting acts such as Diesel, Kasey Chambers, Richard Clapton, Thirsty Merc, Josh Pyke, Andrew Swift & Gretta Ziller among many other

Piper was born with a cleft palate and, in January, she had to undergo a third surgery after she experienced some problems and had to face the scary reality of not knowing if, or when, she could resume performing.

She Just released her first EP 'September' that include her last single 'Before the Thunder'.

Our guest today is Natalie Henry a singer-songwriter from Newcastle NSW Australia.

Henry commenced her music career in 2015 at the age of 34.
She and her then husband Brock released Cold Love as The Wayward Henry in 2016.
Just after releasing the album the couple split and in 2018 Natalie released her debut solo album Apple & Pride addressing her marriage breakdown and emotional renewal.

In 2021, Henry signed with Catherine Britt’s Beverly Hillbilly Records and last September released her second album, White Heat that debuted at number 34 on the ARIA Chart.

Our guest today is Della Harris.
Born in the heart of rural Victoria Australia – Della Harris – is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller.
Her stories come from real life – highlighting the joys to heartbreak – and it’s that alone that makes her songs so authentic and relatable.

Della has been performing and touring most of her life, but it was only in recent years that her passion and desire to tell her own stories lead her into her own original music career.

While still a relatively new name on the scene, Della already has a number of smash hit singles to her credit including the number one hits, “Must’ve Been The Wine” and “She Said What?”

Her tracks have also been play-listed on the highly sought curated lists on Spotify (Fresh Country) and Apple Music (Aussie Country).

Della’s latest chart outing was with Sydney’s Andy Penkow on the stellar duet, “How Many Times”. It peaked at #2 across a number of charts across the country and took Della into the ears and hearts of a whole new audience.

Over the years she’s shared the stage with country luminaries including Golden Guitar winners Kristy Cox, The Weeping Willows, Brad Butcher, and Aleyce Simmonds along with mainstream acts such as Jon Stevens (Noiseworks) and Michael Spiby (The Badloves).

Our guest today is Sam Hawksley.

Sam is an Australian born singer-songwriter now based in Nashville, TN, that loves music, loves writing it, performing it, and producing it.
Sam originally went to Nashville to perform and tour with Adam Brand
and after coming back to Australia to perform in Tamworth, and act as musical director for the Toyota Star Maker final and grand final he decided to take the challenge and moved to Nashville.
He has recorded 8 albums of his own material in between playing for and producing countless artists.

A gifted guitarist and Sam has performed and recorded with the likes of the BoDeans, Sixpence None the Richer, Paul Brandt, Olivia Newton-John, Charlie Worsham, Adam Brand, The Whitlams, John Farnham, Richard Clapton, Ian Moss, Wendy Matthews, Vanessa Amorosi, Richard Clapton and many more…

An incredibly talented singer-songwriter and guitarist well-known for his introspective ballads is also becoming an in-demand producer and one of the nicest and most humble artists in the industry.

Our guest today is Elisha Francesca.

Elisha is an honest singer-songwriter and musician currently based in Melbourne, Australia, considered one of Australia's most promising singer-songwriters.

While in the U.S from 2015 onwards she had many opportunities to perform on stage at B.B Kings Blues Club in Memphis or the jazz club Bamboulas in New Orleans, leading Christian churches/conferences in praise and worship across California and supporting Christian artists such as Jadon Lavik and Bill Welsh.

In 2018 Elisha applied for and was accepted into the CMAA Academy of Country Music in Tamworth for 2020. The Academy introduced Elisha to the Australian Country music industry, performing for artists such as Kasey Chambers, Lyn Bowtell, Carter & Carter and a very special moment performing for Australia’s very own Queen of Country Joy McKean.

Elisha's influences include Patsy Cline, The Wailin' Jennings, Dan Tyminski, Gillian Welch and Kristy Cox, Alison Krauss & Union Station.

She writes from the heart, revealing a message of hope to those who need it. She wants to bring back sincerity, grace, and artistry to country music.

With her EP titled, Thoughts & Feelings, producer by Damian Cafarella (Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes, Kasey Chambers), Elisha’s desire is that her message will encourage her listeners in their day-to-day life as she shares just that – thoughts and feelings.

Our guest today is Camille Trail.

Camille was introduced to the joy of music at an early age.
She learned piano from the age of 8 and was soon writing her own songs.
After high school, she committed to her musical ambitions and studied songwriting at the JMC Academy in Brisbane.

While attending the Academy Camille would study by day and play as many gigs as possible at night – honing her craft, testing her songs on audiences, and finding a community of peers while writing the songs on her forthcoming album.

Camille sent a demo to Shane Nicholson asking if he’d be interested in producing her album.
Nicholson responded enthusiastically and the album was recorded in three weeks in 2019.

Since graduating from JMC with a Bachelor of Music, specializing in songwriting, in April 2019 Camille’s sultry melting pot of country, folk, blues and gospel have earned accolades far and wide as well as three top 30 singles on the Music Network Country Airplay chart. Her single Devil’s Drink peaked at #19 on that chart and its follow-up Little History featured on Spotify’s Country Chill and Apple Music’s Southern Craft playlists with over 130, 000 streams to date.

Camille's new single Holding Pattern, a duet with Brad Butcher, was written by Shane Nicholson with Matt Benbrook (Dido, Lana Del Ray) and Amy Lawton on a writing trip to London in 2019. It brings the two gifted Queenslanders together for the first time and there was never any doubt that the extraordinary Shane Nicholson would produce the track. The single skyrocketed on the charts landing at #6 on the Music Network Charts.

Camille has just released the haunting new single ‘I Know I’m Hard To Love’, one of the most personal and vulnerable releases to date.

Our guest today is Angus Gill

Angus is an Australian singer-songwriter, comedian, and producer.
Gill was named the Male Rising Star at the 22nd Australian Independent Country Music Awards.
In November 2019, Gill became one of the youngest Australian artists to debut on the 'Grand Ole Opry' in Nashville.
Gill received a scholarship to attend the CMAA Academy of Country Music in Tamworth in 2012 and released his debut EP Livewire in 2014.

On 15 September 2017, he released his self-produced debut album “Nomad” via Checked Label Services.
The album features collaborations with Adam Harvey, Gina Jeffreys, Kevin Bennett, Luke O'Shea, Bill Chambers, Drew McAlister, Troy Kemp, Mike Carr, Amos Morris, and others.

In 2019 Origin Music Publishing released his second studio album ”Welcome to My Heart” which debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA Country Albums Chart and was nominated for 'Traditional Country Album of the Year' at the 2020 Country Music Awards of Australia.

In 2020, Gill released his third studio album 3 Minute Movies on Rivershack Records/MGM that including a duet with US singer-songwriter Steve Earle and a guest appearance from Mark Lizotte.

In October this year, Gill released “The Scrapbook” which became his highest ARIA chart peak debuting at number 19.