Songwriter Trysts

Country on Keppel is an annual celebration of contemporary country music including established artists and rising stars, held at Great Keppel Island Hideaway. 

We speak to one of the organisers Peter Blundell brother to James Blundell who shares with us on episode #70. Peter shares about the exciting venue, what you need to do to join in the fun and everyone who is going to be there including; Bella Mackenzie, Aaron Jurd, Melissa Lukin, Jonny, Taylor, Brad Butcher, James Blundell, Danny Phegan, Cornell & Carr, Saltbush Six, and Jasmine Rae.

Find out more about the show and get tickets now:

Kylie Morgan is a singer songwriter with a huge heart. She is a passionate performer who has used her love for music to talk with teens about anti bullying and mental health. She shares in this podcast about one of her first songs telling the story of a young girl who killed herself and around how that song then went onto touch and even save other lives once it was shared. That is when Kylie says she "really understood the power of music".

EMI Records Nashville’s Kylie Morgan began writing songs in her hometown of Newcastle, OK when she was only 12 years old. A masterful storyteller, the singer-songwriter released her music independently in her early teens, garnering national attention from music producers and television executives. At the age of 16, she was named “Who New To Watch” by the Country Music Association. This early success led Kylie to begin making regular trips to Nashville, crafting her voice and polishing her songwriting. When she turned 18, she made the decision to call Music City home. Recognizing Kylie’s unique talent, the SMACKSongs team signed her to their roster under the guidance of GRAMMY Award-winning songwriters, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. An avid yoga enthusiast, Kylie has earned her official Yoga Alliance Certification. She participates in yoga daily and it has become part of her lifestyle. Kylie has previously toured with artists including Dan + Shay, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Gavin DeGraw, Brett Eldredge and Billy Currington. Kylie was named as part of CMT’s Listen Up Class of 2019 and will be performing shows across the country this summer, opening for Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Devin Dawson, Lady Antebellum, Carly Pearce, and more. Kylie is currently in the studio working on her debut album with producers Shane McAnally and Ben Johnson.

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Kate Schutt is an incredible singer songwriter that is down to earth and passionate about sharing her experiences and life lessons through public speaking and song. Her Ted X talk "A Grief Casserole -- How to help your friends & family through loss" has been viewed over 36 thousand times and her story about supporting her mother through terminal cancer has inspired her passion and music as she shares. She is incredibly intelligent studying at Harvard university and Berklee College of music.

Kate Schutt is an award-winning songwriter, singer, guitarist, and producer whose voice NPR calls “glassily clear and glossily sweet.” Kate studied the influence of jazz on poetry at Harvard, and studied jazz guitar at Berklee College of Music. Working with legendary producer/arranger Rob Mounsey, Kate just finished recording her new album, Bright Nowhere. It maps the landscape of loss around her mother’s diagnosis and death from ovarian cancer.

Kate spent four years as her mom’s primary caregiver, along the way writing songs about life, loss, and (to use Christopher Hitchens’s potent phrase) “living dyingly.”

See her Ted X talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfDV103duCM

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Kendra Muecke is a singer/songwriter, writer, actress, and published author from Houston, TX based now in Los Angeles, CA. She performs under the stage name “Kendra & the Bunnies”, as a psychedelic folk rock Americana and spoken word artist. “Kendra & the Bunnies” performs both as a full band and as a solo acoustic act. Her style heavily utilizes the element of storytelling through song, painting a creative experience for the listener. She has released four albums, charted globally at #8 on the digital radio charts (between Dua Lipa at #7 & Miley Cyrus at #9), published two books, writes for several online music magazines, is SAG-Aftra Eligible, and tours nationally. In 2021, Kendra was nominated for 3 Josie Awards including: Best Artist of the Year (Multi-Genre), Best Song of the Year (Self Love Proclamation), and Best Music Video of the Year (Self Love). She was also nominated for a 2021 International Singer-Songwriter Association Award. You can read more about Kendra’s music and writing in over 100 publications such as JamBase, Relix Magazine, Live for Live Music, Denver Westword, Houston CityBook, Grateful Web, Getty Images, Shakedown News, The Hollywood Digest, Indie Pulse Music, and more. 


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In this episode we chat with Country singer songwriter Brook Chivell and hear about his obsessive musical upbringing in Melbourne and desire to be jet setting all over the world. he wrote his first song at age 6 and started playing guitar at 17 just as he was supposed to be studying for his end of school exams. Heading down the rock path and playing in cover bands all over Melbourne he had to get fired from his band to make him realise it was time to start recording and releasing his own music as an independent artist.

Brook has made a name for himself as producing modern country that sits just as well in the Australian Country scene as it would in the American market. Versatility is the key for this talented musician, with just as much passion belting out a party country rock anthem as well as a soulful country ballad. Brook is a songwriter at heart and loves the search for melody, the hook and the soul of the song. "It's all about the connection" he says was the best advice given to him when performing with his mate Brandy - AKA Adam Brand. 

After reaching the finals of the 2017 Toyota StarMaker Competition at Tamworth Country Music Festival, Brook has gone on to perform at iconic festivals such as Deni Ute Muster, Gympie Music Muster, Sydney Country Music Festival, Broadbeach/Groundwater Country Music Festival as well as Tamworth Country Music Festival. Brook is also considered one of Australia’s finest touring artists.

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Host Rae Leigh and featured guest Kat Cunning have a beautiful in-depth chat about art, covid, life, relationships and sex. The two of them share around how often sex is brought up in conversation around the negativity side of sex but often the beautiful spiritually healing side of good sex is not discussed and both connected over the power and experiences they have had getting them to where they are now. 

Kat adds soulful grace to anthemic alternative pop. An accomplished screen and stage talent, they appeared on Broadway as Emile in Les Liaison Dangereuses and in Cirque du Soleil in addition to acting alongside James Franco in HBO’s hit The Deuce. 2019 saw Kat make their musical debut with fan favorite singles such "King of Shadow," "Birds," and "For the Love." Not to mention, they supported LP on a sold out U.S. Tour and received praise from Nylon, Teen Vogue, New York Times, Earmilk, and more. Kat currently co-stars in Netflix’s Emmy award winning show “Trinkets,” as Sabine, a musician and also love interest to lead actress, Brianna Hildebrand. Kat, who identifies as non-binary (they/them), recently signed to Lava / Republic Records and released their first single under the new deal, “Supernova (tigers blud).” The single arrived in tandem with the season two premiere of the show where Kat's character, Sabine, performs it in the opening scene. Next up, Kat will also be a principal in the upcoming Jennifer Lopez film, Marry Me.

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Matt Cornell is a talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has worked and toured with the likes of Richard Clapton, Shannon Noll, Jenny Morris, Damien Leith and iconic rock band, The Baby Animals and most recently with Australian Country superstar Adam Brand.

He is a Sydney boy who grew up in a house full of music from his mum and dad and always had creative people in the house and lot's of music, he only ever really thought about music and that’s what his whole life was based around.

He also has a project called Cornell & Carr - check out their website here: www.cornellandcarr.com

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Alyssa Jacey is a multi-genre, award-winning singer/songwriter, inspirational career coach, dancer/choreographer whose other passions like, public speaking, acting/modeling, and TV Hosting became more than just passions after moving to Nashville nearly 10 years ago, from her hometown San Diego, California. Her infectious personality, easy-going music, and smooth vocals make Jacey a deeply original artist. With her many fans, including legendary artist manager, Doc McGhee (Bon Jovi, Kiss, Motley Crue, Darius Rucker), this quintuple threat cannot be overlooked! Jacey was about to turn 24 when she learned she could sing for the first time. Until the stage became her second home as an artist, she had unknowingly been greatly influenced over the years by the vocal stylings of Sarah McLachlan and Jewel, which fans later would credit for her honey-like tone. She talks about in her podcast why she encouraged her fans to wear blue to her shows to support a charity that is all about support and research for Dementia patients and we hear all about why this cause is so important to Alyssa.  

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Camille Trail loved to sing, starting in the shower then the school choir and realising there was space for her in the Australian Country Music industry through spending time at the Junior Australian Academy of Country Music she went off and released her first album and hasn't looked back.

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Kora Naughton is a 19yr old singer songwriter releasing music in the Australian country scene. Her latest single "Lap Around the Sun" is out now and a fun country pop tune. She released her first album at 16 and found love in music even when her friends were out at parties and she was at gigs she never regretted it because it felt so right. 

Living with spina bifida she's had lots of health complications through her teenage years and surgeries. This strong women has grown up fast and not had it easy and we talk about her journey and how she pulled through this all using the power of her; family, songwriting and singing.

Connect with Kora