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I caught up with Hamish Davidson at Redlands Festival this year and he talked a little about the Davidson Brothers’ plans to produce a new CD later in 2010 which they hope to release in early in 2011.

In September this year, the boys plan to head to Nashville once again, to meet up with producer Mark Thornton, who has produced the last three of their four albums.

Born To Play, their last CD with a somewhat country music feel, featured several guest musicians such as Bryan Sutton, Randy Kohrs, Kevin Grant, Jef Taylor and Pat Bergeson. As successful as this album has been, it was a very time consuming project for the group having so many artists involved. The brothers aim to keep the next venture simple, utilising at least one guest musician with whom they have not worked with before.

The album will be similar to their third album Raised on the Road, with a mostly bluegrass content and the feel and sound of a live concert.

We are writing at the moment, and the repertoire is going to be mostly bluegrass. We will be releasing the album at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 2011 – Hamish Davidson.

The Latest Edition of Capital News Hits The Newsagents

Highlights from another news and feature packed issue of Australia’s country music monthly – Capital News.

Produced by Rural Press in Australia’s Country Music Capital, Tamworth, Country Music Capital News is Australia’s longest running monthly Country Music magazine featuring news from all over Australia and from around the world.

Capital News carries the latest news, views, CD reviews, gig guides, charts and interviews and is considered to be the voice of Australian Country Music.

Submitted by Lachie Davidson

The 2010 CMAA Australian National Bluegrass Championships were held on Sunday, 24th January at 11:00am at Wests’ Diggers during the annual 10 day Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The Bluegrass Championships staring out in 1979 as part of the Tamworth festival, and  were reinstated in 2008 after a nine year absence. With the assistance of Rod McCormack, the CMAA and Fender Australia donating the prizes, we can look forward to the growth of Bluegrass in Australia and more young players coming to the forefront.

The championships have always attracted great crowds and over the years it has been a platform for young musicians to be noticed and compete for the titles. Previous winners have gone on to win Golden Guitars, tour with major touring acts in Australia and overseas and even become finalists in the Grammy Awards.

2010 Bluegrass Championship Winners:

Mandolin – Lachlan Davidson
Guitar – Rob Long
Fiddle – George Jackson
Banjo – George Jackson
Encouragement Award – Peter Cooper

What is Country Music?

The age old debate over what does or does not constitute country music continues throughout the nation and more particularly in Tamworth this past week. Indeed there was much debate about the music content of the festival in various media reports last week, even prompting this year’s Golden Guitar winner, Troy Casser-Daley to tell the audience to enjoy the music, whatever it is.

On the same note, Toowoomba-based music industry photographer and writer delivered a lecture at the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame which he named Let’s Get Real: the Need for Authenticity in Australian Country Music.

…there’s still some great country music, but it’s become overwhelmed by stuff that is just ordinary. It’s not rocket science,  it’s country and it’s music. There has to be some sort of connection with the country for it to have meaning.

…mediocrity in country music can almost be traced to the day Slim died. Slim was a shining light. Everyone aimed at being that good, that credible and that authentic. Since Slim died, it’s almost like the day the music died.

I feel the essence of the music slipping away, in the past 10 years has become very ordinary. Country music has always had respect for what’s come before. Without that respect, it becomes very bad pop music - John Elliott.

While the debate would seem to be without and, perhaps the laws of supply and demand might prevail and allow the market to determine what they want to listen to.

The debate aside, there are far more important issues to be raised:

The news of who won which Golden Guitar award at this year’s Tamworth ceremony has made national news. Meanwhile, bluegrass music fans across the nation wait for news on who took out the Bluegrass fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin championships for 2010. Unless you were there last Sunday to witness the event, the results would appear to be a well kept secret. In fact the CMAA’s website is so far behind the news that it is still offering to sell tickets to an event that has since passed. Where are their priorities?

Websites are wonderful resources when they are current and a source of frustration when they are out of date.

Sunday, 24th January at 11am at Wests’ Diggers

The Australian National Bluegrass Championships in Tamworth had its origins in 1979 and have attracted Australia’s  best pickers,  all competing to become the national bluegrass flat pick guitar, mandolin, banjo or fiddle champion.

The majority of the previous winners are now at the forefront of our country music industry – performing in the best bands, with all our major artists, and playing on the finest of our Australian country albums.

The Championships were the single most driving factor for the emergence of such great musical talent through the eighties and early nineties.

The 2010 CMAA Australian National Bluegrass Championships will be held on Sunday, 24th January at 11am at Wests’ Diggers. Tickets are on sale now at www.wtlc.com.au Tickets are $25.00 and $20.00 concessions.

Tamworth Country Music Festival Golden Guitars.

Davidson Brothers, Hamish and Lachlan have been nominated for two awards at the 2010 Tamworth Country Music Festival’s Golden Guitar Awards. Nominations are for Vocal Group of the Year and Best Instrumental of the Year.

The next stage of judging is done by members of the Country Music Association of Australia. If you wish to get involved and vote in the awards in 2010, simply contact the CMAA and apply to become a member as soon as possible.

Karen Lynne to Launch “Wishing Well”

Karen Lynne will officially launch her new album Heart Songs in a bluegrass concert scheduled for Friday, 22nd January, 10am, at the Tamworth Community Centre, Darling Street, Tamworth, (Heritage Room)

Entry is free. (Gold Coin Donation if you want to help cover room hire).

I am currently in the studio working on my next album, a country album called Heart Songs. We will make pre-release copies available to those that would like them, so please keep in touch. It’s as country as,.. ‘Cow poo’ and you can’t get much countrier than that. It’s also gorgeous and allows me a gentle return to that lovely traditional country that I have always loved. If you loved Second Wind you’ll love this one more. It has all the sweetness and gentleness of the way ‘real’ country music is supposed to sound,.. yep!, without even a hint of crossover country/pop or country rock (which always sounds like rock to me). That, along with Australia’s best musicians, some of the best (& most familiar) country songs ever written and Herm Kovac’s magic at the producing desk, this is a real winner. This album is also different to my others in that it is full of well known songs – rather than new ones,.. although there’s a few you won’t have heard too. Karen Lynne

25 Years as part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival

Karen Lynne is to celebrate 25 years at the Tamworth Country Music Festival with a free concert to include guest artists, giveaways, prizes, and lots of fun.

Thursday, 21st January, 2:00pm at the Tamworth Community Centre, Darling Street, Tamworth, (Heritage Room)