The adventure begins today as The Country Journo takes to the high season Cruisin’ Country 6. This is my first time attending a country music festival at sea on Cruisin’ Country, but I did sail on the John Laws Country Music Cruise in 1999, which was an amazing experience with artists including Gina Jeffreys and Troy Cassar-Daley.
This adventure will involve many more artists, all headlined by the fantastic Adam Brand. My aim is to get around to see every artist performing at least once and I’ll be reporting back on everything.
The adventure began yesterday before we even spied the ship. We flew from Tamworth to Sydney with no dramas, then Brisbane was hit by storms and we circled for half an hour before we could land. Every storm cloud has a silver lining, though, because I had made a playlist on the in-seat entertainment system featuring O’Shea, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Troy Cassar-Daley, John Williamson, and Jake Owen. The delay in the skies meant I could get through the 58 tracks and I love flying, so it was a win-win.
This morning we are preparing to head off with the Legend of the Seas already in port and awaiting the arrival of thousands of country music fans and the tens of artists we can’t wait to see take to the stage. Signing off for now, but I’ll be sure to inundate you with news as soon as I can.
Country Music Cocktails announce full artist list
IN AN exclusive, we can announce the more than 40 artists who will perform at Country Music Cocktails at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
There aren’t many opportunities where you can rub shoulders with your favourite country artist while enjoying a drink together, but that’s what Country Music Cocktails offers those at the Tamworth Country Music Festival next year. The much-loved industry and fan get together is back in Tamworth in January at SSS BBQ Barn with more than 40 artists announced to perform.
Organiser Perrin Finlay-Brown from Market The Music started the event to recreate the vibe of the Golden Guitar Awards after party, but for the fans.
After a year’s break, Perrin said he had, had plenty of messages begging him to bring it back.
“Next year’s event will focus on giving more young acts a go,” he said. “Young acts have come through that have gone onto bigger and better things and the punters get to know them more intimately, so we have a focus on one-third younger acts and two-thirds established acts. The event is a really valuable commodity from the networking point of view because people get to know the artists and then support them.”
There is a mix of traditional and contemporary styles and international visiting acts McKenna 
Faith from the US will only perform at the event in Tamworth, Mae Valley from New Zealand will perform at cocktails, the country music gala event and supporting Kirsty Lee Akers, fellow New Zealand artist Aly Cook will also be there, along with Canada’s Amy Nelson.
“There were 147 artists who applied to be on the show,” Perrin said. “This is the most I’ve ever had; both from the numbers who applied and for the ones I’ve tried to fit in.”
For the first time, Tamworth business, ATAC, is on board as naming rights sponsors, Anderson Productions is a secondary sponsor with Market The Music. Kix Country, Klik Productions, Pope Productions and SSS BBQ Barn, and Chris Watson Travel Partners are also sponsors of the event.
Country Music Cocktails is on Saturday, January 21 from 11am at SSS BBQ Barns with tickets available here.
Artists performing are (with surprises on the day):
Foundation Artists (performed every year)
8 Ball Aitken 
Aleyce Simmonds
Georgia Fall
Jade Holland
Jay Seeney Band
Kirsty Lee Akers
Kristy Cox
Liam Brew
Luke Dickens
Travis List
Main Acts
Ashleigh Dallas
Benn Gunn
Billy Bridge
Col Finley
Dan Murphy
Dana Hassall
Dani Young
Doug Bruce
Fanny Lumsden
Hayley Jensen
Karrie Hayward
Lachlan Bryan
Matt Cornell
Mick Lindsey
Mickey Pye
NeillyRich
Rebecca Lee Nye
Seleen McAlister
The Weeping Willows
Legends
Allan Caswell
Marie Hodson
Warren H Williams
International Artists
Aly Cook (NZ)
Amy Nelson (Canada)
McKenna Faith (USA)
Mae Valley (NZ)
Future Stars 
Allison Forbes
Brooke Lambert
Cassi Hilbers
Emily Joy
Hayley Marsten
Jemma Beech
Kate Hindle
Kate Rose
Liam Kennedy-Clark
Natalie Pearson
Tori Forsyth
Bon Voyage
I’ve finally bitten the bullet and created my website just in time to set sail for Cruisin’ Country.
If you’re not on board with this amazing country music festival at sea, that’s okay because I’ll be blogging daily to keep you all updated on the highlights. I’ll try to make you feel as if you are on board with us.
More to come…
Jody Direen to Shake Up
COUNTRY singer Jody Direen is keen to shake up the Australian and New Zealand country music scenes with her latest album, released today, November 4.
Jody described the new offering, Shake Up, as her “greatest achievement yet” and said there were very few nerves with the release of this offering, because they were squashed by the level of her excitement
“I think, with this album. I really pushed the boundaries in terms of my sound direction,” she said.
“I’ve been so excited about all my albums but, with this one, I want to create a unique sound that’s mine and people can recognise me by it. There are a lot of pop and rock influences because I’m very influenced by what’s happening in the US country scene. People will be taken on a journey of my life for the last 12 months.”
The New Zealand singer-songwriter, who moved to Brisbane this year, said she was just a normal girl working hard at her dream, so plenty of listeners would related to the songs on Shake Up.
“They’ve got an upbeat, party anthem vibe and I’ve gone for a really big sound, so live, these songs are huge,” she said.
“There are some slower songs, as well. I can’t wait to hear what people think of it and can’t wait to play the whole album live. I feel like it’s my greatest achievement yet.”
Already the winner of New Zealand’s 2015 CMANZ Female Artist of the Year Award, VAC Female Vocalist of the Year and a NZCMA Best Album of the Year finalist, Jody has also had nominations for CMC awards and top 10 hits in Australia and New Zealand.
It’s been a whirlwind month for Jody after being part of the This Crazy Life tour with artists including Wolfe Brothers, Caitlyn Shadbolt and Canadian country superstar Gord Bamford and releasing the first single, Gimme The Beat.
“I had an absolute ball because it was my first Australian tour and I saw parts of Australia I hadn’t seen before,” she said.
“Australian fans are just amazing to perform to and it was a great opportunity to play some songs off the new album.
“I didn’t know anybody on the tour before I started and I was a little bit anxious with three girls, in the same industry trying to achieve the same thing, but there was nothing like that – everybody was in there together and we all just got on like a big happy family.”
Although she only recently made the move to Australia, the singer-songwriter said she felt welcomed by the country scene here and was keen to get more live shows under her belt, with her next major festival being the Tamworth Country Music Festival. She will also open for LeAnn Rimes and Scotty McCreery in New Zealand.
Shake Up is sure to make a mark on the Australia and New Zealand country music scenes with Jody having her sights set on Nashville, but said she wanted to nurture the local markets first.
“I’m very much living in the moment and always going to be aiming for that, but enjoying what’s happening now,” she said.
Gord Bamford’s first Australian tour
By Rebecca Belt
AUSTRALIAN-BORN Canadian country artist Gord Bamford is embarking on his first tour of his country of birth, bringing his music to those still discovering the talent that he holds.
Gord was in Australia in August for the Gympie Music Muster, returned to North America then jumped back on a plane and winged his way back to Australia for the This Crazy Life tour.
He was five when he moved to Canada with his musical Canadian mother, so has not been in Australia a lot since he was very young, having not had a relationship with his dad until the past five years.
The multi-award winner has dominated the charts for the last decade in Canada and he has won 23 Canadian Country Music Association Awards throughout his illustrious career. His recently released award-winning album Tin Roof hit #2 in Canada and the first two singles from it also went to #1. This tour will fulfill an important personal goal for Gord – he was born in Traralgon Victoria, his dad lives in Brisbane, and he has always wanted to bring his music to his birth country. He can now tick that box.
“It is a little bit tough on my family (returning so soon), but it was a great opportunity,” he said.
“I’ll be in Australia for the month and I’m looking forward to the shows and getting to see the country as well. I’m going to check out my old house. My dad is going to come to Melbourne and Traralgon and look around where I was until I was five years old and reconnect with all that.”
Gord said he was also looking forward to seeing what the reaction to his music was from his audience.
“I want to see if they like it,” he said.
“I love that the connection with the fans and the music. If it’s any indication, Breakfast Beer seemed to be very popular at Gympie.”
Now that Australia has discovered Gord’s music through his latest album, Tin Roof, there is a compilation of his earlier albums, similar to a greatest hits, planned for release Down Under.
He said people could relate to his music because he aimed to keep the songs simple.
“I write songs that everybody can relate to,” he said.
“A lot of my music tells people who I am, where I came from and they are songs about family. It is country music that people can really relate to and goes the same in Australia – it’s very similar.”
The singer-songwriter said he believed the market in Australia was easier than in the US which was “kinda locked down by major labels”.
“We are very fortunate to get our music out semi-independently and it’s easier in Australia because it’s smaller than Canada, but I think it would be the third biggest market in the world for country music and Australian fans are passionate; they are some of the most passionate I’ve ever seen.”
Gord said he appreciated that CDs were still popular in Australia and he was being asked to play songs off his albums that weren’t necessarily singles.
Gord said he planned to spend more time in Australia, now that he had reconnected with his dad and they had built a relationship.
“I want to really be involved in the music scene there,” he said.
“I’m willing to put the time and effort in to really connect with everybody and I look forward to that.”
