Songversations Podcast

Our guest today is Catherine Britt.
Catherine come through in our Sonversasion in many ways but above all as someone deeply in love with music in all its faces, an incredibly talented and prolific singer/songwriter, a cancer survivor, a real power of nature, strong, resilient and determined. But also a vulnerable and down to earth woman, that acknowledges and takes responsability of her choices, decisions, and life experiences as part of her journey.

Over the course of her career, Catherine has collected a host of accolades, a legion of fans, and a mantel of awards including the country industry’s highest honors, touring, performing and recording with some of music’s most respected names including Kasey Chambers, Paul Kelly, Sir Elton John, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Don McLean, Chris Isaac, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Guy Clark and Keith Urban to name but a few.

To this day Catherine remains the youngest Australian to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville at the age of 17.

Today Songversations Podcast is landing in Texas to have a chat with Justin Ross.

Fort Worth Texas Native, Justin Ross is a delectable hybrid of Rock, Soul, Roots, Blues, Swamp Rock, Texas Music, and much more.
Ross started his career at age 6 when his mother (Molly Jo) started teaching Ross how to sing.
Soon after Ross started playing guitar, and the rest is history.
Working every day to be a better performer and musician, Ross challenges himself every time he plays and always tries to outdo himself.
Ross has been in the music business long enough to know that you have to work hard and make every day count to get respect from not only the fans but as well as the clubs and venues.
Ross delivers heat, fun, excitement, energy, and great showmanship to every stage he walks upon.
Now at 40 years old, Ross is still going strong. Writing music every chance he has and still working to be the best he can be as a musician, writer, and man.
In his words “This is the life that I have chosen, music is my life, and the rest is to be heard”.

Our guests today are the Vixens of Fall.

Queensland Music Award finalists Vixens of Fall as an Australian trio of singing sisters. They started their professional singing career in 2016 at the Urban Country Music Festival and have since made an indelible impact on the Australian Country Music scene, with regular appearances at the Gympie Music Muster and the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

They have been touted by some Country Music industry insiders as the freshest, most exciting act to hit the Country Scene in many years. Following the success of their debut EP “A Love Like Ours”, they have used the lockdown, enforced by Covid 19, to work with country music greats Gina Jeffreys and Rod McCormack to develop and record several new singles.

“The Long Game” which was released in September 2020, has over 236,000 streams on Spotify over 87,000 views on Facebook, made number #1 on the iTunes Country Charts, played on 75 stations around Australia, and has been played in 92 Countries around the world. In December 2020 they were named Australia’s Most Popular Independent Country Band for 2021 by the Independent Country Music Association of Australia.

Vixens of Fall sassy attitude and outstanding performance, combined with stunning family harmonies have lifted their game to the next level with the release on February 19th, 2021, of their latest single “Break it Easy”. Number 3# on the Australian Country Charts, in the top 10 for 7 weeks and in the top 20 for 13 weeks, this is just a taste of the country-rock legend emerging as the Vixens of Fall.

Follow your heart and you to will fall in love with the Vixens of Fall.

Now is the time, Australia, get Vixenated!

Our guest today is Jessica Lynne Whitty.Jessica Lynne is a Nashville recording artist, born in Denmark, that at the age of thirty, betting on herself and her love for country music, moved to America to follow her dreams.

Once settled in Tacoma, Washington State, Jessica wasted no time adjusting to Seattle’s musical landscape.

With her impressive vocal skill, warm personality, and a rare gift for writing songs that are both catchy and honest, she became an instant favorite with Seattle’s country music promoters, musicians, and fans alike.

She has opened for stars like Dustin Lynch, Diamond Rio, Keith Anderson, Trace Adkins, Sawyer Brown, and Jeff Foxworthy featured at festivals alongside Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Billy Currington, and Little Big Town, and graced legendary stages like the Gorge Amphitheater and Seattle’s Triple Door theater.
Her first Nashville album, Catch Me If You Can, was released in 2016, followed in 2019 by “Warning Label”, both albums recorded with Larry Beaird.

Jessica is nominated for 9 awards at the 2021 International Singer-Songwriters Association Awards and her new album is due to be released at the end of 2021.

Our guest today is Kora Naughton.

At just 19 years of age - Kora Naughton - is proving herself as an artist with drive and determination.

In 2015, she was forced to give up her passion of cheerleading and was during this time that she turned to music. Kora taught herself to play guitar, write songs and sing. This gave her the freedom to channel her emotions through music.

In January 2017, Kora attended her first Tamworth Country Music Festival and from that moment she found a new passion in life and realized that music was what she wanted to do.

She has performed live alongside artists including Bill Chambers, James Blundell, Tania Kernaghan, Christie Lamb, and Amber Lawrence.

In early 2018, she collected her songs and commenced work with producer/musician, Rod Motbey, on what would become her debut album, "Ride or Die".

In March 2021, Preceded by four hit singles, Kora released her anticipated second album, “Nineteen” that she says, “is a celebration of her final teenage year.

Our guest for this episode of Songversations Podcast is Drew Mcalister.

Drew needs little introduction to those who love the Australian Country Music scene. A firm feature of the last generation of singer-songwriters, Drew’s career has been prolific. A loving father of two and a much-adored, heartfelt friend to his fans, he is something of an icon of his time. His catalog includes five number one hit singles on the Country Music Chart as well as an Aria Award nomination, 4 Golden Guitar Awards, and an APRA Song Of The Year Award. He has worked with some of the world's most internationally recognized names in Country Music, amassing a total of five albums under EMI/ ABC/ Universal and now Checked Label Services.

Based in Australia’s Blue Mountains, Drew began singing at just seven years old and has featured in Broadway hit musicals, renowned tribute shows, television appearances, and ongoing festival slots across Australia. He has shared the stage with countless top billing acts including Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, Alan Jackson, and Big and Rich

‘When This Is All Over’ is Drews latest offering in 2020. An upbeat fun message about getting two the other side of a situation that doesn’t seem to have an end. Very much a Covid anthem!

For this episode of Songversations Podcast I had the great pleasure to interview Andrew, an old friend that I met the first time 16 years ago in Italy, and his wife Laura.

2021 CMAA ‘Golden Guitar’ award winners, The Weeping Willows (Laura Coates and Andrew Wrigglesworth) are a couple of old souls, steeped in Bluegrass tradition and draped in Gothic Americana imagery.

2017-2020 saw The Weeping Willows nominated for 8 x CMAA ‘Golden Guitar’ awards, 4 x Country Music Channel (CMC) awards, Live Act of the Year (Country) in the National Live Music Awards (NLMAs),
performing at AmericanaFest (USA),
Folk Alliance International (USA),
Maverick Festival (UK),
Port Fairy Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival,
Out On The Weekend and the Australian Americana Music Honours.

In recent years they have supported Lukas Nelson & POTR (USA), Hayes Carll (USA), Iris DeMent (USA), Eilen Jewell (USA) and Willie Watson (USA) and completed national and international tours in support of their sophomore album, Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’, which received four-star reviews in Rolling Stone, The Australian and The Music.

A Weeping Willows performance, whether live on location or caught on tape will always delight.

Our guest for this episode of Songversations is Brittany Elise, a vibrant powerhouse singer-songwriter, that has already had many successes in 2021 with the release of new music. Find Your Music continually echoed round the summer airwaves, having remained in The Music Network Australian Country Hot 50 Chart for 3.5 months, peaking at #16. The track, debuted on the iTunes charts at #4, received full rotation on Country Music Television (CMT) and regular airplay on radio across the country.

Her new single ‘House a Home’ is a tender reflection on all the things that remind us of home, irrespective of where you are in the world. It is a song that deserves a home in your heart.

Brittany Elise has since been chosen as a Finalist at the 2021 Gympie Music Muster and nominated in four categories at the 2022 Australian Independent Country Music Awards for Female Artist, New Female Artist, Single of the Year, and Film Clip of the Year. Find Your Music and House a Home are the first deliveries since her #2 debuting album Something More featuring charting songs Another Day, Something More, Pit Stop, A Simple Plan, and Dorothy May.  

Brittany Elise has performed in Nashville Tennessee, as well as various festivals around Australia. Not only is she a graduate of the Junior and Senior Australian Academy of Country Music but her powerhouse voice and storytelling lyrics have seen her open shows for Lee Kernaghan, Graeme Connors, Tania Kernaghan, Lyn Bowtell, and Melody Moko, as well as work with Amber Lawrence, Kevin Bennett, Fanny Lumsden, David Carter, and Luke O’Shea.

Combine this success with a love of sport and charity, Brittany Elise will be coaching at the school girls' state hockey championships in July, hoping to follow on from her Bronze Medal in 2020, as well as working closely with the R U Ok Campaign for mental health.
Brittany Elise is set to release her second album later this year.

Our guest for the latest episode of Songversations Podcast is Katrine Burgoyne.

With a goal to become the first Australian female artist to make an impact on American Country Music in the last three decades. Katrina Burgoyne, following the footsteps of Keith Urban and Morgan Evans, took a massive leap of faith and flew to Nashville, USA. With just a suitcase, a guitar, and her little Aussie battler spirit.

After releasing her debut album in 2011, Katrina has secured four top 10 singles, a top 10 ARIA charting album, and two CMAA nominations. As a songwriter, Katrina has collected indie and major label cuts across three continents (North America, Australia, and UK) and four countries (Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Ireland).

Katrina has seen her songs top the iTunes Charts in New Zealand & Australia. Additionally, topping the mainstream Shazam charts in Northern Ireland and gaining a feature on Fresh Country and New Nashville Spotify playlists & Today's Country Apple Music playlist.

Our guest today is a royalty of Australian Country Legend.
Hailed as an Australian country music legend Cheshire is already receiving praise for his latest release for its authenticity and genuine candour.

At the tender age of 69, Cheshire has been a songwriter since 1966, when he was inspired by the great British pop music explosion of the 60’s along with the influx of American rhythm & blues to pen songs for his school band. In 1971 he went pro with his band Nimbus, sharing the bill with Thin Lizzy among many great acts of the era.

During the 1980s, Cheshire hung up his guitar and became a music manager, but he was called to go back to his singer-songwriter roots by Sydney alternative country pioneers The Danglin’ Brothers and with the help of producer Mark Moffatt the band released a few rare tracks with ABC Records, and Cheshire made his first venture to Tamworth in 1986.

There, a few years later, an up-and-comer named Keith Urban would dedicate his first Golden Guitar to The Danglin’ Brothers, citing them as inspiration.

At the invitation of guitarist Rod McCormack, Cheshire found himself the frontman-songwriter of an even more celebrated Australian roots-country institution. The Wheel recorded their self-titled debut album with producer Garth Porter.

Twice ARIA nominated, they won back-to-back Golden Guitars for Best Vocal Group in 1996 and ’97.

With its iconic guitar, crisp vocals, and southern-roots harmonies, Kim Cheshire’s latest single ‘Have Mercy’ is out now and is a must-listen for any aficionado of Australian Country Music.