Ross Webb highlights simple pleasures in ‘Firebox’

October 2, 2026October 2, 2026Leave a comment

The inspiration for a song can come from anywhere and often simple things that we don’t even think twice about, which is evident in Ross Webb’s new song, ‘Firebox’, released September 28.

Inspired by a simple backyard feature, his firebox, the single talks about the gathering place that has seen the highs and lows of family life.

The NSW Southern Highlands artist had been sitting on the song for about two years after a Luke Combs story song encouraged him to pull out the notepad and write about the firebox he was sitting in front of.

“It is a song literally about a fireplace that I have outside my home which is a real focal point for family and friends when we all get together,” he said.

“We all get carried away about songs that are deeper, but some of the best songs out there are very simple and come from the good things in our lives.”

‘Firebox’ is a country rock track featuring Ross’ trademark gravelly vocals, bringing a raw edge to a song about the memories created around a backyard fire.

Radio and streaming services are already loving the new single, with ‘Firebox’ playlisted on Apple’s New In Country on release week.

The firebox gets a good workout year ’round thanks to the Southern Highlands’ climate. Custom-built by a local tradesman from inch-thick steel, it looks similar to an indoor wood heater but sits outside, and it has been the scene of many life-changing memories.

“Sometimes we need a fire at Christmas time, so it’s seen Christmases, birthday parties and gatherings and all the good and bad things in the family,” Ross said.

For the Bowral local, it was time for another original song, as it had been about three years since his last release.

“I love the process of recording and Syd Green, who plays drums in Kasey Chambers’ band, produced it as he lives not far from us,” he said.

“I wanted to get back in the studio and see where the song ended up and I would now love to get some radio traction.”

The track also features Ben Malone on guitars and keys, Syd Green on drums and Ross on vocals.

“I love the idea of getting some original music out there and seeing what people think of it because if people get a kick out of what I’m doing, I’m pretty happy with life,” he said.

Tyler Braden is Wild At Heart in Australia

October 2, 2026October 2, 2026Leave a comment

Tyler Braden hits the stage at the iconic Deni Ute Muster tonight, bringing his Wild At Heart Tour to Deniliquin as his return to Australia continues.

The Alabama singer-songwriter has already played a sold out show in Sydney and will follow tonight’s Deni appearance with a sold out show at Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre on Saturday, before heading to Brisbane for two shows at The Tivoli on October 6 and 7.

A second Brisbane show was added after the original October 7 date sold out, with Clayton Mullen joining Braden for the headline dates.

Tyler admitted he had never heard of circle work when asked whether he might get behind the wheel of a ute while in Deniliquin.

“I don’t know what half of what you just said means,” he laughed.

“We call it a donut. Maybe somebody out there might loan us a truck and we can have some fun.”

Tyler is touring on the back of his debut Australian performances at CMC Rocks in March with the crowd’s reaction encouraging him to return.

“I mean, the crowd was amazing. I mean, they know every song, they were incredibly loud singing all the songs back,” he said.

“So that, of course, was amazing. But we also had fun hanging out. Brisbane is all we really got to see the first time around. I mean, I went through Sydney for less than 24 hours.

“So, it’s fun to be seeing more of the area and seeing the crowd that’s there for the full headlining show and not just a smaller show.”

The former firefighter said he felt some pressure to sell tickets and fill the shows before he arrived, but with sold out shows and extras announced, he need not worry.

“It’s a little more pressure (doing a headline show). But I think a lot of the pressure is, you know, before the show, when you’re not sure how it’s going to sell,” he said.

“And when we get there and we get on stage, we’re doing our thing.”

Tyler said he was surprised by the reaction he received at CMC Rocks, particularly the number of songs Australian fans knew.

“It never gets old hearing people sing your music back to you,” he said.

“And yeah, the further you are away from home, the more surprising it is and the more rewarding it is. I mean, it is a little surprising when you go out there so far away and they know so many songs.”

He believes Australia’s growing country music audience is part of what is attracting more US artists to make the long trip Down Under.

“Just knowing how ready for it y’all are, I guess, and how much it’s growing here. It’s the crowds that are bringing artists Down Under,” he said.

“It’s less saturated here than the American country concert industry, I guess, so everybody’s ready for it.”

Tyler is bringing Clayton Mullen with him for the Australian headline shows, having previously shared shows with the artist.

“We’ve played shows with Clay here before and they’re just a great crew, great to be around and they put on a great show,” he said.

“It’s cool to give them the opportunity to kind of get their start (in Australia).”

More music is on the way, with Tyler working towards another album after releasing his epic 19-track debut, ‘devil and a prayer’, in May 2025, and continuing to release singles that showcase his future musical direction, including ‘Horseshoes and Hand Grenades’, ‘Sally, When The Wine Runs Out’ and ‘Quick Fix’.

Catch Tyler Braden performing new songs and favourites from his first album when he takes to stages up and down Australia’s eastern states from tonight:

October 2: Deni Ute Muster NSW
October 3: Northcote Theatre VIC (Sold Out)
October 6: The Tivoli, Brisbane
October 7: The Tivoli, Brisbane (Sold Out)
October 9: Savannah In The Round, Mareeba QLD

CMC Rocks into 20 Years

September 24, 2026September 24, 2026Leave a comment

Promotional poster for CMC Rocks QLD 2027, celebrating 20 years, featuring artists Eric Church, Brooks & Dunn, and Ashley McBryde. Event details include dates March 19-21 at Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, QLD, with ticket sales starting September 25.

Brooks & Dunn, Eric Church and Ashley McBryde will headline CMC Rocks QLD when the festival celebrates its 20th anniversary at Willowbank from March 19-21 next year.

The three US artists will headline a lineup that also includes Parker McCollum, Kameron Marlowe, Turnpike Troubadours, Blake Whiten, Lanie Gardner, Kaylee Bell and Lane Pittman.

Brooks & Dunn will return to Australia for the first time in almost 20 years for their CMC Rocks debut.

The Country Music Hall of Fame duo has had more than 30 years in the music industry, with 20 US No.1 hits including Neon Moon, My Maria, Boot Scootin’ Boogie and Red Dirt Road.

The duo was also announced last week as the recipient of the 2026 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented at the CMA Awards in Nashville in November.

Two men standing side by side against a dark textured background. One man wears a denim jacket and sunglasses, while the other dons a western-style shirt and a cowboy hat. — Photo: Matthew Berinato

Eric Church will make his first visit to Australia when he takes to the CMC Rocks stage, while Ashley McBryde will return for her third appearance at the festival.

Church is a seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner and 11-time Grammy nominee. His catalogue includes Drink In My Hand, Springsteen and Talladega, while his latest song, On The Road, was released recently.

McBryde previously performed at CMC Rocks in 2019 and 2023 and will return with her latest album, Wild.

A woman with curly hair and highlights gazes thoughtfully outdoors, with a blurred grassy field and cloudy sky in the background. — Photo: Nathan Chapman

CMC Rocks Festival Director and Chugg Entertainment Chairman Michael Chugg said Brooks & Dunn’s return was particularly fitting for the festival’s 20th anniversary.

“Brooks & Dunn were one of the first US acts that our festival founder, the late Rob Potts, ever toured in Australia almost twenty years ago, so it feels fitting to have them headline CMC Rocks’ 20 Year bash in 2027,” Chugg said.

“We have lots in store for next year, it will be a mega celebration – our biggest and most ambitious festival yet.”

Festival Director Jeremy Dylan said the festival had been working towards bringing Church to Australia for almost 20 years.

“Eric Church has been on our bucket list for almost twenty years, and we are certain the Chief will raise the proverbial roof with his legendary live show,” Dylan said.

A man with a beard wearing sunglasses and a greenish distressed jacket, posing against a textured gray background.

The festival will again feature the Songwriters Show, Nifty’s Sports Bar, Big Time Charlie’s, the Amazon Music After Party, Back Forty and Lil’ Buckaroos, along with food, retail and other entertainment across the festival site.

CMC Rocks began in Thredbo in 2008 before moving to the Hunter Valley and Townsville and eventually settling at Willowbank.

More than 25,000 people travelled to Ipswich for CMC Rocks in 2026, generating an estimated $13 million to $15 million for local businesses and tourism operators.

Tickets for CMC Rocks QLD 2027 go on sale to the general public at 10am AEST on Friday, September 25.

Stage hosts: Storme Warren | Mike Carr | D.J. Grizzly Adams

The Bloomvilles – long-awaited launch of honest music

February 11, 2022Leave a comment

COVID-19 restrictions have been the bane of every musician’s existence for the past two years, but at last, Sydney-Geelong duo The Bloomvilles will launch their self-titled album this weekend.

The album was recorded in isolation during 2020 between Geelong and Sydney, produced in Natte Yallock in rural Victoria by Jack Jones and mixed by Reggie Bowman; both from Southern Sons.

The duo of Melinda Jackson and Joseph Calderazzo have been playing gigs together for many years in Sydney before they formed The Bloomvilles.

When they began to record their debut album, Melinda and Joseph were both living in Sydney, but halfway through recording, Joseph moved and then COVID-19 restrictions hit and the process became a little more challenging.

Even with the challenges of distance, Joseph said he loved that he was more relaxed making this album.

“I loved that I didn’t feel the same pressure that you feel in the studio and I could do my parts whenever I wanted, I tracked them however I wanted to and I could do as many takes as I needed,” he said.

“I got to try ideas at home and I found that to be really good.”

Melinda had the extra challenge of having her eight-year-old son running around while recording her vocals.

“I do a lot of work from home, but I never expected my vocal that I recorded at home to be the one that appeared on the album,” she laughed.

“My eight year old is running around and I’m recording vocals. I’ve done quite a bit of session work from home, so I didn’t mind working from home, but the good part of making the record under these circumstances was that it was all we had to focus on in the first wave of COVID, other than our families. We felt like we were doing something, at a time when you could really get yourself in a place where you’re feeling low, so that kept us going creatively and emotionally.”

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Taylor Moss serves up sassy Chaser

September 2, 2021Leave a comment

Sassy country star Taylor Moss has served up the Chaser to her two hit singles, You Ain’t Getting A Song and Ain’t No Girly Girl.

The Queensland singer-songwriter’s latest single, Chaser, raced up the charts on release, is nearing 100,000 streams worldwide and has been added to playlists in Australia and the US with plenty of women in country playlists jumping on board with support.

“I’ve got this very feminist girl power approach to my songs,” Taylor said.

“I’m stoked that women are understanding what I’m saying because I’m one of those people that if you tell me I can’t do it, I will.”

Taylor wrote Chaser in her first writing soiree with Golden Guitar winner Andrew Swift.

“I contacted Andrew Swift during the first lockdown to see if we could write via Zoom and I had written in my notes, ‘I need a chaser’,” she said.

“We have very different genres – him being alt-country and me in pop country, but we thought we’d give it a go and wrote the song within a couple of hours. The t-shirt I was wearing during that Zoom said ‘Now that I’m sober, you ain’t that fine’ and it all came from there.

“It all came together because I bought that t-shirt in New York, I wrote it with the right person and it was just one of those things that worked.”

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Casey Barnes releases ultimate love song

August 27, 2021August 27, 2021Leave a comment

If you’re looking for a song to dedicate to the one you love, Casey Barnes has you sorted with his latest single, God Took His Time On You.

The Gold Coast singer-songwriter wrote the track about 12 months ago with Nashville songwriting partners Kaci Brown and Sam Gray.

It’s appropriate I spoke to Casey this week about the song, as he and wife, Michelle, celebrated their 15th anniversary.

“This is the ultimate tribute to your partner because it’s saying that whoever made you took their time because you are perfect,” Casey said.

“Sam said he’d been tinkering on his guitar with different melodies and Kaci was riding on the ride-on mower when the idea came to him, so went in and said, ‘I’ve got this amazing idea for a song and we need to get Casey on Zoom’.

“When they played me the initial idea, I loved it and the song wrote itself; we all knew it was a special track.”

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Ray of sunshine from Daniel Reeves’ World Learning

August 27, 2021Leave a comment

Melbourne singer-songwriter Daniel Reeves brings us World Learning – the song we all need right now.

Written five years ago when he was re-assessing his career and life plans, World Learning could have been written for everyone experiencing life during lockdowns and dealing with a worldwide pandemic.

Daniel wrote World Learning after being on the road for a long time as a professional musician and wanting to re-connect with his friends and family.

“While friends were celebrating milestones, I was missing them all because I was on the road and I was tired because I couldn’t see very far in front of me at that time, so I came back to Melbourne because I wanted to ground myself and re-connect with them and myself,” he said.

“The way I look at it is you have to close one door to open another and I loved being back with my friends in a place I absolutely loved, which was the Thornbury area, which is renowned for music and art.”

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Amber Lawrence calls to Bring It Back

Adam Brand celebrates family in new single, I’m Coming Home

March 12, 2021Leave a comment

Pop, hip hop and country come together from Finland to Australia for the new single from one of Australia’s favourite artists.

Adam Brand has released what could possibly be the new anthem for anyone who’s separated from loved ones with his new single, I’m Coming Home.

The new single has debuted at No. 2 on the iTunes Country Songs Chart.

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Cornell cruises into a musical 2021

February 1, 2021Leave a comment

Just when you thought COVID had ruined your chances to have fun in early 2021, Matt Cornel is sailing in with the perfect antidote – a harbour cruise and his famous Mojito Club.

Cornell is known for his top-notch musicianship, connection with his audiences, and his ridiculously fun harbour cruises with the next one locked in for March 20.

Featuring special guests, Baylou, the music will be pumping for four hours (as will the food, included in the ticket price) from 7pm, with the refreshments flowing and there’ll be as much COVID-safe fun to be had, as music lovers can handle.