Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hannah Potter Blows Me Away With “Judith’s House”

I’ve never been impressed by the artists who had all the vocal tricks. Some people might love belting and runs, but I think they can often distract from the heart of a song. I’m much more impressed by the artists who can make me feel something through incredible lyrics delivered without the frills. And that’s what Hannah Potter has done with her latest single “Judith’s House.” With this song, she explores themes of connection, loss, and rediscovery with a quiet power that’s really resonated with me.

Hannah wrote the song during a 3.5-month journey across Europe. During that time, she visited Judith, a horse trainer who lived alone in the woods outside Utrecht. “Most of my life I’ve felt very displaced, culturally and geographically, and for whatever reason I felt very much at home in those woods.”

Hannah will officially launch “Judith’s House” with a free 4 pm show at Old Bar in Ngár-go/Fitzroy on August 1.

Photo credit: Young Ha Kim

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Casey Barnes Releases “SHE DOES” Single Ahead of Album and Tour

Casey Barnes celebrates the love of his life, his wife Michelle, with his latest single “SHE DOES.” It’s an upbeat country-pop anthem sure to resonate with anyone who’s found their special someone.

“‘SHE DOES’ isn’t just another cliché country song… it’s really about something much deeper,” Casey said. “It’s about the person who still believes in you when you’re doubting yourself, who holds your world together when life gets chaotic, and who loves you even when you give them every reason not to. I think that’s something a lot of people will connect with.”

Casey co-wrote “this song”SHE DOES” in Nashville with acclaimed songwriters Jordan Dozzi, known for his work with Morgan Wallen and Post Malone, and Kyle Sturrock, who’s worked with Blake Shelton and Dierks Bentley. But don’t think Casey’s forgetting his roots. He’ll release his new album MADE FOR THIS on August 7, the same day he embarks on his largest national headline tour. There are more dates to come, but for now you can put these in your calendar!

7 August 2026 – Forth Pub, Tommeginne Country/Forth (FREE POP UP EVENT)
8 August 2026 – Miami Marketta, Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast
11 August 2026 – EKKA After Dark @ The Tivoli, Meeanjin/Brisbane
14 August 2026 – Hotel Esplanade, Naarm/Melbourne
15 August 2026 – Barwon Heads Hotel, Koornoo/Barwon Heads
4 September 2026 – Cairns Festival @ Tanks Art Centre, Gimuy/Cairns
5 September 2026 – Dalrymple Hotel, Gurrumbilbarra/Townsville
12 September 2026 – Triple B Rodeo Series @ Caboolture Showgrounds, Gubbi Gubbi and Duungidjawu Country/Caboolture
19 September 2026 – Country in the Backyard @ Penrith Panthers, Mooroo Murak/Penrith
3 October 2026 – Deni Ute Muster, Barapa Baraba, Wamba Wamba, and Perrepa Perrepa Country/Deniliquin
28 November 2026 – Launceston Country Music Festival @ Royal Park, Leterrermairrener Country/Launceston

Image used with permission from Casey Barnes

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mark Wilkinson Wows Me With “Joie de Vivre”

Take a moment to stop what you’re doing, press play, and listen to Mark Wilkinson’s latest single “Joie de Vivre.” This stripped-back ballad casts a spell, but you need to give it the space to work its magic.

You’re back with me? Good. Isn’t it beautiful? I’m not sure I have the superlatives to adequately say how special it is, but if you’ve taken the time to listen without distractions, I know you get it.

“This song was inspired by a magical day spent in Paris with my wife,” Mark recalled. “It was Bastille Day, and the weather, the city, and the atmosphere were just perfect. Sometimes you want to stay locked in a moment forever, and this was one of those times.”

“Joie de Vivre” comes from Mark’s forthcoming EP Love and Loss, which he’ll release on July 31. He’s got a stack of upcoming shows supporting Katie Noonan and headlining alongside Glenn Hopper on keys. After seeing him last year, I know anyone who makes it to one of these gigs is in for a real treat:

10 July 2026 – The Old Museum, Meeanjin/Brisbane (supporting Katie Noonan)
16 July 2026 – The Rechabite, Boorloo/Perth (supporting Katie Noonan)
17 July 2026 – Camelot Arts Club, Whadjuk Noongar Country/Mosman Park (supporting Katie Noonan)
23 July 2026 – Avoca Beach Theatre, Darkinjung Country/Avoca Beach (headline duo show)
24 July 2026 – The Estate Camden, Benkennie/Camden (headline duo show)
30 July 2026 – The Gov, Tarntanya/Adelaide (supporting Katie Noonan)
1 August 2026 – Melbourne Recital Hall, Naarm/Melbourne (supporting Katie Noonan)
6 August 2026 – The Vanguard, Eora/Sydney (headline duo show)
7 August 2026 – The Baroque Room, Kedumba/Katoomba (headline duo show)

Image used with permission from Nettwerk Music Group

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Eric Hutchinson Announces Long-Awaited Aussie Return

Buoyed by its appearance on the final episode of Packed to the Rafters, “Rock and Roll” by Eric Hutchinson hit number one on the ARIA charts in April 2009. And since then, most of us haven’t thought about him. He hasn’t just faded away though. He’s released seven full-length studio albums and an EP and toured the States with Kelly Clarkson, Jason Mraz, Lawrence, Rachel Platten, and heaps more. And he’s coming back to Australia for the first time in 16 years this November.

“I honestly have no idea why I never came back to Australia, other than the fact that it’s super far away from New York City, where I live,” Eric admitted. “I’ve had so many folks reach out over the years and ask me to come play, but the timing never worked out until now. I can’t wait to reconnect with all the listeners after so many years. It’s gonna be special.”

The tour announcement prompted me to dig deep into Eric’s back catalogue, and I’m wondering why I never got into him sooner. He’s got a similar positive soul sensibility to some of my favourites like Allen Stone and St. Paul & The Broken Bones. It takes a lot to get me to a standing-room gig and I’m already seeing two shows that same week, but this tour’s intimate venues and acoustic sets is seriously tempting me. Then there’s the addition of Australian Idol winner Marshall Hamburger as support. Seriously tempted. If you are too, click the links below for some tickets.

19 November 2026 – Lefty’s Music Hall, Meeanjin/Brisbane
20 November 2026 – Northcote Social Club, Naarm/Melbourne
21 November 2026 – The Lansdowne, Eora/Sydney

Photo credit: Rosalind O’Connor

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Oliver Cronin Shows Softer Side With “Closure”

Oliver Cronin is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming EP with a brand new single, “Closure.” This one’s a little more stripped back than Oliver’s previous releases, but it’s still got those signature pop hooks fans love.

“I wrote this song in a transitional period of my life,” Oliver shared. “It’s about trying to let go from an old version of myself. Growth is natural and important but part of me has struggled with finding comfort in the new me. This is such an important track for this next era as it not only lyrically but sonically represents my growth as an artist and a human”.

We don’t need to wait too long for even more new music from Oliver. His Lost On the Way to Paradise EP, featuring “Closure,” drops on July 17.

Photo credit: Bananas Clarke

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tom Nethersole Honours “The Village” With New Single

From the first hushed notes of his new single “The Village,” Tom Nethersole draws listeners in. This new single is a beautiful stripped-back ode to Tom’s family and friends, the titular village that raised him after his mother passed away when he was just eight years of age.

“For me, this song sits in the uncomfortable space between grieving the love you lost and appreciating the love you otherwise might not have had,” Tom said.

If that doesn’t already have you reaching for the tissues, you’ll need them for the end, which reflects on the way that such important people gradually move away from their central roles until they just become faces we see at funerals.

“In that way, death is the thing that continues to bring us together,” he admitted.

Tom will support the release of “The Village” with his first-ever Australian tour. Catch him at the following shows:

9 July 2026 – Low302, Eora/Sydney
17 July 2026 – The Presynct, Gubbi Gubbi and Jinibara Country/Sunshine Coast
18 July 2026 – Miami Marketta, Yugambeh/Gold Coast
21-22 November 2026 – Homegrown Festival @ Bourke Street Courtyard, Naarm/Melbourne

Image used with permission from Tall Poppy MGMT

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

CVIRO & GXNXVS Drop Retro R&B Banger, “Where You Belong”

Eora/Sydney-based R&B duo CVIRO & GXNXVS have teamed up with American acts Ye Ali and Amari Noelle for their fabulous new single “Where You Belong.” If you were grooving to slow jams from Dru Hill and Jagged Edge in the ‘90s, this track will be right up your street.

They’re far from household names, but CVIRO & GXNXVS have been building some serious momentum. They were the first Aussie artists featured on Drake’s OVO Sound Radio and Beats 1 and they’ve amassed more than 10 million Spotify streams. Expect big things from these Aussies in the future.

Image used with permission from GYRO

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Candice Lorrae Launches Solo Career With “Calling Me”

Candice Lorrae has one of those voices that makes you sit up and take notice. It’s rich, brimming with wisdom and life. This proud Jawoyn and Western Torres Strait woman has spent time in the music industry as one half of the acclaimed Aboriginal electro-pop duo The Merindas and the founder of The Candy Suite Studio, a First Nations, female-led space dedicated to nurturing the creative talents of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and non-binary creatives. And now she’s finally delivered her debut solo single, “Calling Me.”

“This song is a nostalgic reflection on who I was before I moved away from home, and a return to belonging and my authentic self,” Candice said. “I was thinking about my great-great-grandmother Bett-Bett and the longing that can come with being displaced from Country, so the song became a bridge between my longing and hers.”

“Calling Me” comes from Candice’s forthcoming album Paperbark & Lilies, which she’ll release on February 2027. She’ll give fans a sneak peek at her immersive album preview show called Bush Meets the Sea this Friday 10 July at the Bowery Theatre in Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country/St Albans. Tickets are on sale through trybooking now.

Photo credit: Nick Lee

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Nathan Lamont Releases Break-Up Anthem “Loves to Hate Me”

Nathan Lamont is quickly becoming one of my favourite local country music artists. His vocals are always on point and his songs, which lean into the pop and rock realms, have real crossover appeal. His latest single “Loves to Hate Me” examines the fallout of a relationship and how difficult it can be to just move on. Nathan wrote this one with Nashville-based songwriter Phil Barton and found they just clicked despite the distance between them.

“I sat down with Phil Barton via FaceTime, and we managed to pen this song in about three hours, just two weeks before heading into the studio,” Nathan recounted. “The whole thing grew from me sitting at home playing around on the keys, with the line ‘She’s probably thinking about the way that I die’ being the only thing I brought into the session. It felt sharp and confronting straight away, and I knew I wanted the song to be rooted in some personal feelings and experiences.”

Nathan will play shows all around regional New South Wales in the coming months to support the release of “Loves to Hate Me,” so catch him anywhere you can.

15 August 2026 – Loaded Dog Hotel, Gundungurra Country/Tarago (from 2 pm)
15 August 2026 – Tourist Hotel, Quinbean/Queanbeyan
22 August 2026 – Oriental Hotel, Wiradjuri, Wolgalu, and Ngunnawal Country/Tumut
29 August 2026 – Canola Gateway Festival @ Memorial State Park, Wiradjuri Country/Junee
17 October 2026 – Going Country @ Muswellbrook Showground, Wonnarua Country/Muswellbrook
30 October 2026 – The Beer Shed, Tharawal Country/Leumeah

Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Winner Kesha Nevé Releases Debut Single “Better This Way”

Fresh from this year’s Australian Idol win, Kesha Nevé is introducing us to her original music with the release of “Better This Way.” Kesha cowrote this song with Ruby Rogers, Lara Frew, and Phoebe Sinclair, and honestly I like it better than anything she performed on Idol. I often felt a disconnect between Kesha and the songs she covered, but you can tell she’s put her whole heart into this release.

“My goal as a musician has always been to tell a story and to kind of take artists’ lyrics and make them my own and make it feel like I almost wrote it,” Kesha said. “So being able to actually write a song and get my personal story across is a really, really amazing way for people to see me as an artist and hear me as an artist, not through other people’s lyrics, but through my own and through my own personal experiences.”

Kesha drew on her own relationship experiences for this powerful song.

“I was very in love and dedicated to someone who probably didn’t replicate that amazingly,” she said. “It was just one of those things that I had a heartbreak, and I wanted to tell the story, and I wanted to relate to people who’d been in that same situation with being so in love with someone and kind of had those rose-coloured glasses on.”

Kesha will play a couple of shows before hitting the road with fellow Idol alum Kalani Artis in October. Here are all the dates you need Kesha fans:

29 July 2026 – The Station, Ngarigo Country/Jindabyne (supporting Brad Cox)
29 August 2026 – Gympie Music Muster @ Amamoor Creek State Forest, Gimpi-Gimpi/Amamoor Creek
9 October 2026 – Shoal Bay Country Club, Woromi/Shoal Bay (with Kalani Artis)
10 October 2026 – Royal Hotel, Wurundjeri Country/Kew (with Kalani Artis)
11 October 2026 – Coffs Hotel, Gumbaynggirr Country/Coffs Harbour (with Kalani Artis)
23 October 2026 – Distillery Road Market, Yugambeh Country/Eagleby (with Kalani Artis)
24 October 2026 – The Shed @ Banana Bender Pub, Gubbi Gubbi Country/Palmview (with Kalani Artis)
30 October 2026 – Miranda Hotel, Dharawal Country/Miranda (with Kalani Artis)
20 November 2026 – Club Sapphire, Yuin Country/Merimbula (with Kalani Artis)
27 November 2026 – The Entrance Leagues Club, Darkinjung Country/Bateau Bay (with Kalani Artis)
11 December 2026 – Goulburn Workers Club, Burbong/Goulburn (with Kalani Artis)

Image used with permission from Bec Gracie Publicity