Support
Americana Homeplace
You can support this site by making a donation to Americana
Homeplace. If you would like to make a donation, just click the
PayPal button below. You can choose the amount to donate.
Americana
News
"Australiana": The Australian Contribution to Americana
Despite
the label, the type of music we identify as "Americana" is
not limited to the geographic boundaries of the United States. There
is a flourishing roots music scene throughout the world. According
to our website's statistics, almost half of the visitor's to
Americana Homeplace and over half of the listeners to Americana
Homeplace Radio are located outside of the U.S. Over the next few
weeks, we will take a closer look at the growth of Americana music
around the world.
One
of the most fertile areas for the growth of Americana music outside
of North America is Australia and New Zealand. Some Australian
artists like Keith Urban and Sherrie Austin have achieved
breakthroughs into mainstream country music. But Americana,
country and other roots music has a long history and solid
foundation "Down Under." Recent releases by Kasey
Chambers, Bernard Fanning and others are a testament to the
fertility and quality of the Australian roots music scene.
The
Development of Australian Country Music. The origins of
Australian country music can be traced to the introduction of radio
and the phonograph in the early 1920s and 1930s. American country
music mixed with native Australian music to produce a variety of
bona-fide Australian country music stars such as Tex Morton
("The Father of Australian Country Music"), Smoky Dawson
and Slim Dusty. By the 1970s, the City of Tamworth had emerged
as Australia's "Country Music Capital." The Tamworth
Country Music Festival developed into a major musical event
establishing the sound and personalities of Australian country
music. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Australian country music scene
mirrored the Nashville trend and moved in a more mainstream
direction, thereby attracting even larger audiences. In the present
decade, many Australian country artists have embraced rock, pop and
folk influences to produce their own version of alternative country
and roots-oriented music. Some of those artists have even achieved a
degree of success in America. Here are a few of our favorite "Australiana"
artists.
Kasey
Chambers. Few Australian
country music artists have had more crossover appeal that Kasey
Chambers. In the 1990s, Kasey Chambers emerged as a major figure in
Australian country music as a member of The Dead Ringer Band - a
family band comprised of Kasey, her parents Bill and Diane, and her
brother Nash. In 1998, Kasey released her first solo album entitled The
Captain. The album was a critical and commercial success earning
Kasey the 1999 ARIA (Australian Grammy) for Best Country
Album. The following year she won the award for Best Female
Artist. She followed The Captain with two more releases - Barricades
& Brickwalls and Wayward Angel - which broadened her
appeal to both rock music fans and international audiences.
Kasey
recently released her fourth CD entitled Carnival. Her latest
release marks a change in musical direction from alternative country
to a more straight-ahead pop-rock sound. Nash Chambers
continues to serve as Kasey's producer and guest vocalists include
Tim Rogers and Bernard Fanning (see below). Despite her musical
evolution, Kasey Chambers remains one of Australia's most compelling
musical artists.
Bernard
Fanning. Since the late
1980s, Bernard Fanning has served as the lead vocalist for the
Australian rock outfit Powderfinger (named after a song from Neil
Young's Rust Never Sleeps album). In 2005, Fanning
released his solo debut album entitled Tea & Sympathy.
The release scored a couple of hit singles in Australia with "Wish
You Well" and "Songbird." The album was
recently released in the U.S. and has generated comparisons to Ryan
Adams. Fanning acknowledges Americana influences such as Neil Young,
Gillian Welch, and even the O Brother soundtrack. In a year
full of great Americana releases, Fanning's Tea & Sympathy
is an unexpected treat and another testament to the great roots
music emanating from Down Under.
The
Waifs. In 1992, sisters Vicki
and Donna Simpson added Josh Cunningham to their group - then
known as Colours. They shortly changed their name to The Waifs and
relocated to Melbourne. A series of albums followed which led to
numerous appearances at folk and roots music festivals throughout
North America. U.S. music television channels GAC and CMT also
picked up the video for the band's recent single "Bridal
Train." The exposure has attracted both fans and critical
acclaim. 2005's A Brief History . . . [Live] is an
amazing live CD which captures the band performing almost every
notable song from their rapidly expanding catalog of songs. Like
many of the other Australian roots artists discussed here, The Waifs
have tremendous crossover potential with the ability to attract fans
from a variety of musical genres.
The
Greencards. On several
occasions we have sung the praises of the Greencards. Even though
fiddler Eamon McLoughlin hails from the UK, mandolin player Kim
Warner and bassist Carol Young are Australian - which is good enough
to qualify the band for consideration here. Though more
bluegrass-oriented than some of its Australiana contemporaries, the
Greencards' success in the US market is exemplified by the band's
receipt of the New/Emerging Artist of the Year Award at the 2006
Americana Honors and Awards show. (Click
here for more on the Greencards.)
Audrey
Auld Mezera. Tasmanian native
- and current California resident - Audrey Auld Mezera is quickly
emerging as one of Australia's leading roots-country exports. Her
initial recordings featured Kasey Chambers' father, Bill, as her
collaborator and musical partner. In 2004, Mezera released her first
studio album recorded entirely in the U.S. entitled Texas.
The album received an ARIA nomination for Best Country Album in
2005. (Keith Urban won the award.) In 2006, Mezera won the Chris
Austin Songwriting Contest in the Country category at the annual
Merlefest Americana festival in Wilkesboro,
N.C.
Leanne
Douglas. Leanne Douglas has
caught our attention as a wonderful guitar player with an approach
that mixes a variety of musical styles ranging from surf guitar to
straight-forward country music. Douglas moved to Nashville in the
1980s where she toured and released an instrumental solo album.
Douglas recently moved back to Australia and released two new albums
recorded in Nashville prior to her return. Under The Covers
is a collection of country songs re-recorded by Douglas.
Meanwhile, My Yellow Guitar is an instrumental CD featuring
Douglas' Shadows-influenced guitar stylings.
Kasey
Chambers. Few Australian
country music artists have had more crossover appeal that Kasey
Chambers. In the 1990s, Kasey Chambers emerged as a major figure in
Australian country music as a member of The Dead Ringer Band - a
family band comprised of Kasey, her parents Bill and Diane, and her
brother Nash. In 1998, Kasey released her first solo album entitled The
Captain. The album was a critical and commercial success earning
Kasey the 1999 ARIA (Australian Grammy) for Best Country
Album. The following year she won the award for Best Female
Artist. She followed The Captain with two more releases - Barricades
& Brickwalls and Wayward Angel - which broadened her
appeal to both rock music fans and international audiences.
Bernard
Fanning. Since the late
1980s, Bernard Fanning has served as the lead vocalist for the
Australian rock outfit Powderfinger (named after a song from Neil
Young's Rust Never Sleeps album). In 2005, Fanning
released his solo debut album entitled Tea & Sympathy.
The release scored a couple of hit singles in Australia with "Wish
You Well" and "Songbird." The album was
recently released in the U.S. and has generated comparisons to Ryan
Adams. Fanning acknowledges Americana influences such as Neil Young,
Gillian Welch, and even the O Brother soundtrack. In a year
full of great Americana releases, Fanning's Tea & Sympathy
is an unexpected treat and another testament to the great roots
music emanating from Down Under.
The
Waifs. In 1992, sisters Vicki
and Donna Simpson added Josh Cunningham to their group - then
known as Colours. They shortly changed their name to The Waifs and
relocated to Melbourne. A series of albums followed which led to
numerous appearances at folk and roots music festivals throughout
North America. U.S. music television channels GAC and CMT also
picked up the video for the band's recent single "Bridal
Train." The exposure has attracted both fans and critical
acclaim. 2005's A Brief History . . . [Live] is an
amazing live CD which captures the band performing almost every
notable song from their rapidly expanding catalog of songs. Like
many of the other Australian roots artists discussed here, The Waifs
have tremendous crossover potential with the ability to attract fans
from a variety of musical genres.
The
Greencards. On several
occasions we have sung the praises of the Greencards. Even though
fiddler Eamon McLoughlin hails from the UK, mandolin player Kim
Warner and bassist Carol Young are Australian - which is good enough
to qualify the band for consideration here. Though more
bluegrass-oriented than some of its Australiana contemporaries, the
Greencards' success in the US market is exemplified by the band's
receipt of the New/Emerging Artist of the Year Award at the 2006
Americana Honors and Awards show. (
Audrey
Auld Mezera. Tasmanian native
- and current California resident - Audrey Auld Mezera is quickly
emerging as one of Australia's leading roots-country exports. Her
initial recordings featured Kasey Chambers' father, Bill, as her
collaborator and musical partner. In 2004, Mezera released her first
studio album recorded entirely in the U.S. entitled Texas.
The album received an ARIA nomination for Best Country Album in
2005. (Keith Urban won the award.) In 2006, Mezera won the Chris
Austin Songwriting Contest in the Country category at the annual
Merlefest Americana festival in Wilkesboro,
N.C.
Leanne
Douglas. Leanne Douglas has
caught our attention as a wonderful guitar player with an approach
that mixes a variety of musical styles ranging from surf guitar to
straight-forward country music. Douglas moved to Nashville in the
1980s where she toured and released an instrumental solo album.
Douglas recently moved back to Australia and released two new albums
recorded in Nashville prior to her return. Under The Covers
is a collection of country songs re-recorded by Douglas.
Meanwhile, My Yellow Guitar is an instrumental CD featuring
Douglas' Shadows-influenced guitar stylings.
