Discover the Charm of Angela Rose’s “Small Town”

Newcastle’s Angela Rose won me over last year with her track “Utopia.” Proving she’s no flash in the pan, her latest single “Small Town” is every bit as impressive. This is a sweet alt-country-folk number that simply makes your soul feel good. I love the little Jewel-esque yodel in Angela’s voice and those nostalgic lyrics that make you long for a simpler time.

“‘Small Town’ was the first song I’d written where I felt like it was worthy of being recorded and released,” Angela admitted. “It’s the song that made me realise I wanted to seriously pursue being a songwriter and gave me a huge confidence boost in my songwriting skills and storytelling. I have always really wanted to release a song inspired by my country music roots, but also combine that with the indie guitar sounds that are prominent in ‘Summer Love’ and ‘Utopia’. There are a few country elements throughout the track – the ones that really stick out are the acoustic strum, brush drum beat in the first verse and chorus, and the storytelling themes which are an ode to a classic country tune. But when the second verse comes in there is a real shift to a more modern indie feel.”

Aside from making music, Angela recently dropped her first merch collection. You can check it and more of her music out on her Bandcamp page.

Image used with permission from Peach & Sons

James Johnston Back in the Spotlight With “Small Town”

I remember James Johnston as a contestant on Australian Idol and The X Factor. Since that time away from the reality TV spotlight, he’s carved out an impressive career as a country music artist. He’s amassed more than 5 million streams, topped country radio and the Spotify Fresh Country playlist, and had his song “Raised Like That” used on more than 8,000 TikTok videos. If, like me, you’re not across his latest tunes his current single “Small Town” is the perfect reintroduction.

“I wrote ‘Small Town’ on the drive back home to my hometown of Wingham. I had been spending quite some time in the city and I was just so excited to get back to my family farm. I wanted to capture that feeling of excitement and anticipation in the song – that build-up as I was on that drive to get back home,” James explained.

The video captures the simple pleasure of gathering with friends around a country bonfire. It was produced by Elijah Cavanagh (Cavanagh Films) and shot on the outskirts of Gatton, in Queensland.

“The storyline follows the journey of a young country guy who was working in the city returning to his roots,” James added. “We threw a big party with a bunch of friends and just captured the magic.”

James is earning a reputation for his live shows after sets at Bush to Bay Festival, Savannah in the Round, and Pro Bull Riding events. You can see him doing his thing at the following upcoming shows:

26 March 2022 – PBR Australia @ Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
9 April 2022 – Supagas Canowindra International Balloon Festival @ Canowindra Showgrounds, Canowindra
30 April 2022 – Road to Rodeo @ Longreach Showgrounds, Longreach
27 May 2022 – Beach & Boots Festival @ Breakwall Holiday Park, Port Macquarie
2 October 2022 – Savannah In The Round Festival @ Kerribee Park, Mareeba

Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity

Beautiful Fools Tour Beautiful Single

Matt Harris, Shawn Whittaker, and Leigh Wilson might call themselves the Beautiful Fools, but there’s nothing silly about the music they make.

The strength of their early demos enticed American producer Matt Malpass, who previously worked with Train, to help them record and produce their debut self-titled EP. This recording features the lush single “Small Town,” which speaks so eloquently of wanting to escape from a frustrating situation.

“It could be a job, a relationship or for me it was the small town I lived in with no way of fulfilling what I wanted to do,” explained songwriter and frontman Matt Harris. “You know it can be done and you will get there and if you stay where you are your dreams will fade and you will end up someone you didn’t want to be.”

Beautiful Fools will launch “Small Town” this week at the following shows.

23 October 2013 – World’s End Hotel, Adelaide
24 October 2013 – Bull & Bush, Baulkham Hills
25 October 2013 – Music Makers Club @ Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney

Image used with permission from The A&R Department