Jack Nolan Releases Single ‘Always’
"Jack Nolan Releases Single ‘Always’"
Jack Nolan’s ‘Always’ is a story of enduring love with additional Nashville craft. Recorded at Nashville’s Curb Studios, the track emerged from Jack’s ongoing collaboration with producer Justin Weaver. Surprisingly, this captivating track, like many of their standout songs, began as a mere afterthought, a filler, before evolving into a powerful and poignant expression.
Jack Nolan was thinking, of that first moment, when songwriting suddenly felt possible, when the penny dropped. “In my mid-teens, sitting alone on my bed, acoustic guitar in hand, trying to get it all happening, when I realised – these greats I love, Dylan, Bowie, Pink Floyd et al are playing all the same chords I’m playing” he says nostalgically “I could do this too – It was one of those split seconds that can alter your life, floored by the possibilities, the potential of music.”
On Nolan’s new album, The Lonely Petunia, he went to find that boy again, to honour that moment, that subliminal decision with his acoustic guitar.
Recorded in Nashville, “The Lonely Petunia” marks the eighth solo album by the Sydneysider. This intimate acoustic journey showcases the artist’s signature lyrical depth. Lush strings and piano add depth and character to Jack’s trademark storytelling. The album was produced by Justin Weaver, an American musician and producer celebrated for his collaborations with, amongst others, Wynona Judd and The Chicks. Nolan describes Weaver as a musical comrade, highlighting the great working partnership that spans over five albums.
Based in Sydney, Jack has been performing and releasing music and albums since the mid-1990s. In addition to an eight-album solo catalogue, Jack also fronted the Kelly Gang, alongside Rick Grossman, bassist for the Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus, and Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst and guitarist Martin Rotsey. Their 2004 album, “Looking for the Sun,” remains a hidden gem, featuring an incredible lineup of musicians that delivered passionate and energetic live performances of the time.
Always is the first single from ‘The Lovely Petunia. The album is scheduled for release later this year.
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The Stomp’n Ramblers Release Single ‘Train’
"The Stomp’n Ramblers Release Single ‘Train’"
Train is the first release from the upcoming debut album by The Stomp’n Ramblers’ – a cruisy, acoustic blues track where guitar and harmonica trade melodies like old friends. It evokes the journey and moments of when life finally catches up with us.
The Stomp’n Ramblers is Owen Mancell on slide guitar/stomp box/vocals and Ryan Stone on harmonica. With a sound steeped in the raw spirit of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, they draw influences from The Backsliders, RL Burnside and Muddy Waters to deliver an eclectic blend of vintage blues with contemporary storytelling.
Owen’s soulful voice brings a deep emotional edge to their music, carrying the weight and warmth of old-school blues with every note. Paired with Ryan’s electrifying harmonica work, the duo channels a sound that feels timeless and unique.
As seasoned performers on the live circuit, The Stomp’n Ramblers have shared stages with acclaimed acts like Sons of the East, 19 Twenty, and Nathan Cavaleri.
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JJ Davison Releases EP ‘The Long Road South’
"JJ Davison Releases EP ‘The Long Road South’"
JJ Davison and the Shipbuilders present The Long Road South, a heartfelt collection recorded at the renowned Damien Gerard Sound Studios on the Central Coast, NSW. This project captures the essence of Jack Davison’s folk roots, offering a distinct departure from his work with the rock band Halfway Homebuoy.
The tracks on this record offer a poignant homage to heritage, memory, and the unbreakable ties between past and present. The record stands as a testament to Davison’s passion for folk music and his commitment to preserving the stories and songs of his homeland, even as he carves out a new life and sound in Australia.
Jack “JJ” Davison, best known as the front man for the Australian rock band Halfway Homebuoy, steps into the spotlight with his evocative solo project, JJ Davison and the Shipbuilders. Their debut record, The Long Road South, is a heartfelt collection of folk songs that trace the journey from the rugged landscapes of Northeast England to the distant shores of New South Wales, Australia.
Davison’s music is deeply rooted in his upbringing in the Northeast of England, where he was immersed in the region’s rich folk tradition from an early age. Growing up, he played alongside his father, brother, and friends in the folk clubs and pubs scattered across the Northeast, absorbing the stories, melodies, and camaraderie that define the area’s musical heritage. These formative years instilled in him a passion for the working men’s songs and the resilient spirit of the local communities.
The Long Road South is a more acoustic and introspective record compared to Davison’s rock work with Halfway Homebuoy. The EP weaves together tales of football, local characters, resilience, and pride—each song a tribute to the people and places that shaped him. The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and pride in times gone by, reflecting the enduring heritage of Northeast England’s working-class culture.
Davison’s storytelling is both personal and universal, capturing the challenges and triumphs of migration, the bonds of family, and the pride of community. The acoustic arrangements highlight his gravelly, emotive vocals, allowing the stories to take centre stage.
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Fiona Joy Hawkins Releases Album ‘When Shadows Talk’
"Fiona Joy Hawkins Releases Album ‘When Shadows Talk’"
‘When Shadows Talk’ offers musical storytelling that explores inward and outward reflection. Many of the pieces are about my creative process as an artist and bring to life behind-the-scenes workings of what it takes to dig deep enough to find valuable conversations.
I went into a self-imposed lockdown for much of the writing to find my creative centre. This exile allowed me to explore what lies deep beneath the surface and is often passed over or suppressed, both personally and in the context of broader community discussion.
The project threw up many obstacles, starting with the need to find another piano on the first day of recording. My plans were plagued with multiple instrument and venue issues, but fortunately, those involved were committed to helping me bring the project to life. My thanks go to Peter Stevenson (Producer), Michael Luchich (Engineer), Wayne Stuart (Piano Maker) and Tony Prince (Piano Tuner).
As I look back, I can laugh at the comedy in all that went wrong: Three broken strings, a “buzz” in A above middle C (A4) caused by a screwdriver left inside the piano, wood-chopping, lawn-mowing, dog barking, council truck (road works), rain (tin roof), building frame expansion/contraction, power outage (for 2 hours), mic connection issues… and that didn’t include the piano player/composer hitting the wall from exhaustion and frustration!
Despite extensive hold-ups, we did it, and I hope you, as the listener, find a work of beauty that holds something of value.
ARIA nominated Australian classically trained Pianist, Composer and Singer, crossing genres from Neoclassical to New Age, Celtic and Jazz.
‘My greatest hope is that my music makes a difference.’ Fiona Joy Hawkins produces original ethereal music to soothe the soul. It is also a passion to make music videos to tell the stories of our lives and the natural world around us.
Living in rural Australia, Fiona has played at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the New Orleans Jazz Museum, Sydney Opera House, Echoes/NPR Radio, Grammy Museum & concert halls of China. Inspired by Chopin & Mendelssohn. Winner of International awards, including: ‘Grace’ on Grammy-winning album, and ARIA Finalist, IMA Winner.
“Anyone who can write music that transcends genre and moves into the realm of self-examination is a person to follow and enjoy. Wonderful!” - John M. Crossett, Aural Musings
“For me, she is a modern female Beethoven. I know that is very high praise, but I think many folks will be looking back many years from now, and she will still be current. That is what makes her music stand the test of time. Her albums play smooth, like a good book you just can’t put down, and yet before you know it is over.” - Dave Wilson AudioAficionado.org.
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Paul Scott Releases Album ‘For They Are Sailors Just Like You And Seasick Just The Same’
"Paul Scott Releases Album ‘For They Are Sailors Just Like You And Seasick Just The Same’"
‘For They Are Sailors Just Like You and Seasick Just the Same’ by The Insufferable Paul Scott is a tender, reflective album that explores the shared vulnerabilities of being human. With warm arrangements, understated melodies, and quietly affecting lyrics, it drifts through themes of connection, uncertainty, and emotional resilience. Honest and gently poetic, the record speaks to those navigating their own inner weather—reminding us we’re all a little unsteady sometimes, and that’s okay.
Paul Scott began his career in music, writing and playing bass in angular NZ group Pop Mechanix. Despite court cases, a revolving cast of singers and multiple record labels, their single ‘Jumping Out A Window’ became a staple of New Zealand pop culture.
Relocating to Australia, Paul formed Montana with Ken Stewart (Mr Blonde), Michelle Margherita and Steve Melville. Their first release featured ‘Koolest Band’ which received national airplay and high rotation on JJJ. A brief tour of the USA and a performance at SXSW, led to ‘Koolest Band’ being included in the Hollywood movie ‘You Drive Me Crazy’. The subsequent album ‘Bubblegum Love’ was released in Australia, Spain, France and the USA.
Scott has since plied bass for various Australian acts, playing everywhere from community halls and malls in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to the Sydney Opera House. Teaming up with Steve Melville (ex Mr Blonde and Montana) Paul and Steve have established a studio production relationship, playing on each other’s tracks (Stewart and Melville, The Likes of You) and coproducing The Insufferable Paul Scott’s well received 2021 album ‘Tea and Medals’ (which Melville also mixed).
Their most recent project is a closer collaboration with Melville adding drums, percussion and keyboards to Scott’s voice, guitar and bass, a line up very close in sound and feel to their youthful unit ‘Montana’. “I was looking for the kind of pop thrill I used to get from great Aussie indie bands such as The Falling Joys, Smudge, The Hummingbirds, pop thrills… you know?” says Scott.
Recently some of Paul’s releases from the early part of his recoding career came back to him. This presented a great opportunity to reissue them in the modern music formats. Originally released in 2017 on legendary Half-a-Cow label by his band ‘The Likes Of You’, the album has been remixed and remastered for reissue in 2025.
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The DK Effect Release Single ‘The Right Time’
"The DK Effect Release Single ‘The Right Time’"
SCENESTR VIDEO PREMIERE!!
Recording at the iconic Frying Pan Studio was a unique and amazing experience for the band. The studio offers stunning views of Berriedale Bay and Kunanyi (Mount Wellington), creating a relaxing and inspiring environment. There is a viewing window into the studio, allowing museum visitors to watch and listen (via headphones) to the recording process. For the band, it was fun being an ‘exhibition / performance artist’ during the recording process – almost like a live recording.
The DK Effect are an original 9-piece soul, funk and RnB band known for their four powerhouse vocalists, rich storytelling, melodic harmonies, and the passionate, polyrhythmic ‘call and response’ vocal synchronicity inspired by gospel music.
Their debut album, ‘Moving Time’, showcased their diverse repertoire and was expertly mastered by Grammy Award-winning Dave Darlington in New York. The album spent two months in the TOP 10 of the Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Charts.
Writing and recording their second album was taking longer than they had hoped, so the decision was made to record some of their more established tracks at Frying Pan Studio in the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Tasmania.
The band has performed at numerous Tasmanian venues such as MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), Altar, The Moonah Arts Centre, Kickstart Arts, Salamanca Arts Centre, The Clarence Jazz Festival, The Playhouse Theatre, The Taste of Tasmania Festival, Rektango, the Uni Bar, Street Eats Franko, and the Republic Bar.
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Dirty Suits Release Single ‘Blackwater Bay’
"Dirty Suits Release Single ‘Blackwater Bay’"
UPCOMING SHOW DATES
9th August – Ryans Thirroul, NSW – Event Link
29th August – Link and Pin, NSW – Venue Link
26th September – Dissent Cafe Bar, Canberra – Venue Link
The Lore says: From a swamp in the pit of the Illawarra Escarpment rose a magical creature called Dirty. It was awful to the eye but true of heart. Shunned by all the other swamp creatures Dirty led a lonely existence until 2020 when three surfing adventurers stumbled across its den. Frightened at first, Dirty soon realised these three might be worthy.
He gave one a guitar, one a drum, and one a piano.
As they played Dirty began to glow.
It said, ‘I’m sure you three will rise to the level of entertaining casual drinkers and diners at the week’s end and I have something that will help.’ Dirty then presented the travelling trio with three suits and said ‘This will help your quest’. The drummer, the boldest of the three said, ‘Are these magic suits?’
Dirty replied, ‘No.’
After surfing together for over a decade, Matt Ayliffe and Peter Cunnington started jamming in 2020.
The click was immediate. Coming from different musical backgrounds seems to help, not hinder the writing process. From industrial, Avante Garde, Punk and Rock’n’Roll. The songs dictate themselves. Demographics and egos, all checked at the door. Dirty Suits is creativity for its own sake. And as of Feb 2023, Luke Brooks has joined the ‘Dirty Suits’ family on drums and any out there suitable piece of equipment he can whack a sound out of to get this trio rockin’ any venue down.
Set in the dark country, Blackwater Bay is the tale of a man trying to rescue his wife from an insidious cult. Is it a salvage operation or a kidnapping? And exactly who is insidious? Led by a bass in 5’s and a wild guitar. This is an expedition of misplaced trust and entrapment.
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Kaijin Solo Releases Single ‘The Dancer’
"Kaijin Solo Releases Single ‘The Dancer’"
Originally written on the street in Newtown after a late night, The Dancer has gone through many incarnations in various live performances both as a solo artist and various band line ups. This release is dedicated to the force that was Tina Turner. It is also a call to change the name of the fourth house of The Zodiac to ‘Dancer’ in her honour, as it seems wrong to Kaijin that a disease should be named after a sign of The Zodiac.
Kaijin Solo is a contemporary singer/songwriter based on the NSW Central Coast with a blues rock influence. He has been working and honing his craft for many years with various band line-ups and the plentiful bread and butter busking jobs and pub/club gigs around the coast.
In between studio sessions Kaijin formed The Backbeats with Rhys Meyer on Vocals and Keys, Felix Harper on Bass and Ash Feder on Drums. They spent much of 2023 playing local venues such as the infamous Link and Pin, Brackets and Jam on Kincumber Mountain, Avoca Beach Hotel. Kaijin and Rhys also did a few duo appearances at various venues such as: the Long Jetty Hotel and Bateau Bay Bowling Club.
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Christina Crofts Releases Album ‘Best Of Bottleneck’
"Christina Crofts Releases Album ‘Best Of Bottleneck’"
‘It’s no secret I love playing guitar, but playing slide guitar is something extra special and really feels powerful and thrilling, and it has always been a standout feature on my recordings and especially in my live shows. It grabs attention and I always have people coming up after our sets who are in awe of the bottleneck stuff, so I thought releasing a compilation of my best bottleneck tunes would be a great opportunity to showcase this aspect of my playing and writing.’– Christina
The opening track “Voodoo Queen” is a raucous, swampy rocker. The lyrics were inspired after reading about a supposed ‘voodoo queen’ named Julie Brown who lived in Louisiana. She was rumoured to sit on her porch singing eerie songs that predicted her own death and that she’d take the whole town with her when she died. Apparently, on the day of her funeral, a ferocious hurricane came through the town killing around 300 people!
‘Breakaway’ is from her 2016 EP and debuted at #1 in the Amrap AirIt regional charts. ‘Gonna Find a Way’ was nominated in the top 5 in the blues category in the MusicOz Awards.
Christina Crofts: singer, songwriter, guitarist, slide guitarist and her band were the winners of the 2022 Sydney Blues Society Blues Challenge.
Born in the Australian coastal town of Coffs Harbour to her Norwegian immigrant father and Australian mother, Christina’s family moved to Brisbane where in her early teens her passion for playing guitar really grew. She moved to Sydney where she met and began guitar lessons with and eventually married guitarist Steve Crofts.
Honing her guitar playing skills in various bands over many years, Christina’s trademark sound and style began to emerge. Christina has been performing on the Australian music scene for many years as the Christina Crofts Band and earlier as Croftstown Traffic.
She has performed at major festivals such as Thredbo Blues Festival, Narooma Blues Festival, Mitchell Creek Rock ‘n Blues Festival, Bimbadgen Festival, Australian Blues Festival, Great Southern Blues & Roots Festival, Sydney Blues & Roots Festival, International Blues Challenge Memphis USA, and numerous venues across Australia. She has released 4 albums/EP’s with the most recent two releases charting in the Top 10 of the Australian Blues & Roots Charts and had a #1 on the AMRAP Regional Chart.
Earlier this year Christina started compiling a collection of fan favourites from her previous releases and live shows. This collection has been remastered under the title of ‘Best Of Bottleneck’ highlighting her love, and skill on slide guitar.
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