DAVE'S DIARY - 30/11/2020 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 2 - SERIES 46
JOHN RICH HEADLINES NU COUNTRY TV
Texan Pentecostal preacher's son John Rich headlines Nu Country TV on Saturday December 5 at 9.30 pm on Channel 31/Digital 44.
Florida born moonshiner's daughter Elizabeth Cook also returns to the show repeated Wednesday at 10.30 pm.
North Dakota belle Brennen Leigh and Gunnedah singer Katrina Burgoyne re-appear on the program filmed and edited by our multi-talented lockdown host Laith Graham.
Melbourne band James Ellis and The Jealous Guys and Calgary group Hello Darlins debut.
Nu Country TV is a highlight of C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.
Further info - https://www.c31.org.au/
RICH PLEADS FOR DIVINE INTERVENTION
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John Rich has good genetics for pleading divine intervention in his latest video.
Rich's father was a Texan Pentecostal preacher so Earth To God covers all bases in these turbulent times - floods, fires, famine and pandemic pain.
Rich's fourth solo album title track follows Big & Rich's topical health video Stay Home on Nu Country.
They stocked up on liquids and enlisted a vast cast for a vivid video filmed at Rich's guitar shaped home swimming pool and praised health care workers.
John recently performed The Good Lord And The Man live at Larry's Diner in Nashville.
It was on his third solo album Son Of A Preacher Man.
Rich, 46, released six albums with Big & Rich who played the Billboard club in Melbourne with Chris Young on their 2015 tour.
Stay Home followed six albums for the band formed in 1998 after Rich, former Lone Star singer, and Big Kenny Alphin made their names as songwriters.
Singing actor, Rhodes Scholar and former Army pilot Kris Kristofferson had cameos in their evocative Vietnam War video 8th Of November.
They also appeared with California from sixth album Did It For The Party.
Singing actor Tim McGraw also played a bartender in their video Loving Lately - written by Big Kenny, Rich and Tim for their fifth album Gravity.
CLICK HERE for a Big & Rich CD feature in The Diary on August 29, 2007.
ELIZABETH COOK EXPOSES HER BONES
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Moonshiner's Daughter Elizabeth Cook armed herself with a baseball bat and guitar and wore her bones around her neck in her latest video.
The youngest of 12 children, now 48, filmed Bones for seventh album Aftermath.
Elizabeth was joined by Kevin Kinney in previous video Thick Georgia Woman.
Cook and Paula Nelson, 51 and oldest of Willie Nelson's daughters, also joined veteran Texan outlaw Ray Wylie Hubbard on his Drink Till I See Double video.
It's on his 18th album Co-starring, released on July 10 on Big Machine Records.
Cook and Sydney singer Melinda Schneider wrote together after Melinda saw Elizabeth on Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
They wrote Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman, Rest Your Weary Mind and I Like Men In Trucks and several other tunes.
Elizabeth shares maternal music genes with Schneider whose mother Mary was an Aussie country pioneer.
Cook's mum Joyce played mandolin and guitar and dad Tom played bass in an Atlanta prison band as he did time for moonshining.
Tom and Joyce fronted the Medicare duo after the last of his 10 years in jail in the sixties.
Cook's previous Nashville bands featured recently deceased Midnight Oil bassist Bones Hillman.
She toured with former singing spouse Tim Carroll in 2013 and played Northcote Social Club and Tamworth .
CLICK HERE for our Elizabeth interview in the Diary on November 9, 2008.
BRENNEN LEIGH RECALLS A NORTH DAKOTA COWBOY
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North Dakota born Brennan Leigh fronts her trio as she recalls a saddle tramp in days of yore in her latest video.
She performs North Dakota Cowboy from sixth album Prairie Love Letter. Brennen, 36, appeared on Nu Country with Don't You Know I'm From Here.
She wrote all songs on the Prairie Love Letter concept album produced by Robbie Fulks.
“This is a collection of songs about my childhood home: the line between Western Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota ,” Leigh revealed.
“I've lived away for eighteen years and been homesick every one of them.”
“Like the character in the Twilight Zone episode that's able to time travel back to his childhood, I've learned that expectation only leads to disappointment and a feeling of loss. Don't You Know I'm From Here is my version of The Rank Stranger.”
Brennen left home for Austin, Texas, in 1999 and released 2009 solo album The Box and Before The World Was Made with singer-songwriter Noel McKay in 2013.
She cut a Lefty Frizzell tribute disc after her songs were recorded by Grammy winning Texan Lee Ann Womack.
The mandolinist was twice voted Texas Music Awards Best Female Vocalist and fronted bluegrass band High Plains Jamboree with frequent writing and touring partner-guitarist McKay, bassist Simon Flory, and fiddler Beth Chrisman.
Leigh wrote songs with Sunny Sweeney including But You Like Country Music and Staying's Worse Than Leaving for Sweeney's second album Concrete in 2011.
She now lives in Nashville where she plays Lower Broadway at Layla's, Robert's Western World and historic Station Inn.
Further info - https://www.brennenleigh.net/
HELLO DARLINS CELEBRATE CALGARY STAMPEDE
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Canadian band Hello Darlins celebrate Calgary Stampede on their Nu Country debut .
They dedicated their Aberdeen video to pal Vanessa who loved storms, horses and the famed Stampede and grew up in Aberdeen, Saskatchewan.
The Hello Darlins were formed by Candace Lacina and Hammond organist Mike Little and feature Joey Landreth on Aberdeen from their debut album Go By Feel.
Aberdeen is a song about a horse, written by Candace and Mike, but also covers loyalty and friendship and how to extend that beyond boundaries of a fence-line or lifetime.
“When we played the demo for Joey Landreth, he got it right away,” Candace revealed.
“We recorded it in our home studio and he delivered such a heartfelt vocal, the way only Joey Landreth can.”
Further info - https://thehellodarlins.com/
JAMES ELLIS AND THE JEALOUS GUYS
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Popular indie Melbourne singer-songwriter James Ellis and his Jealous Guys perform live in Collingwood on their Nu Country debut.
Their Sixteen Hours video is on second album Country Lion.
Sixteen Hours evokes memories of being on the plane and meeting people and gigs in Nashville.
“ Lyrically, it comes across as quite a sad song, but there's quite a lot to celebrate about it,” James revealed.
“When we were in lockdown here in Melbourne, 16 hours doesn't seem that long anymore on a plane. It's a funny song to be putting out, because who knows when any of us will be able to spend 16 hours on a plane again, but, because we're in lockdown, that idea of spending a period of time confined and missing something else is not foreign to us.”
The album features US singer-songwriter Lillie Mae on backing vocals.
“We met her band and all became friends and stayed in touch when we played a festival together in Australia in 2017 and we've done jam gigs together when they've been in Melbourne and we've hung out with them in Nashville ,” James explained.
“We wanted to include our Nashville community as much as possible on this record because collaborating is what music is all about and working with people who live and breathe this style of music was so exciting for us.”
Ellis also recorded I Wish That I Was Honky Tonkin' that name-checks veteran 3PBS-FM Acid Country host David Heard after PBS invited him to write a song for City Of Yarra Leaps and Bounds festival.
It celebrated David's 40th anniversary on-air with PBS.
Country Lion was recorded in Australia but produced by Margo Price keyboard player Micah Hulscher and Alex Muñoz.
It follows debut disc It Ain't Texas But It Ain't Bad.
Further info - https://www.facebook.com/jamesellisandthejealousguys/
KATRINA BURGOYNE ON LOST HIGHWAY
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Gunnedah born singer-songwriter Katrina Burgoyne headed north to Nashville to follow her musical dreams.
Katrina, 31, played Louisiana , Alabama , West Virginia , Texas and beyond after arriving in the U.S.
But she falls on hard times on the lost highway where her partner Stephen Kinney filmed her video for 25 Cents In The Ash Tray.
Katrina hit the wheel of a Chevy pick-up truck and headed south of new home Nashville to Memphis.
“Filming the video actually felt like another day on the road heading to a show,” Katrina revealed, “except having Steve squished under the dash trying to film.”
25 Cents In the Ash tray is on her third album.
"Since lock-down I've had a few artists release my songs,” Katrina revealed.
“ABC recording artist Travis Collins just released a song I wrote called Better Than You Found Em and it has been added to some big playlists in the USA and Irish artist Lisa McHugh released a song we wrote called You're Gonna Get Back Up.
Indie New Zealand artist Jaydin Shingleton recorded Katrina's song Damn Love and Taylor Moss released Don't Let Me Let Go.
Further info - https://katrinaburgoyne.com/
HOW TO KEEP NU COUNTRY ON AIR
We need your support in Nu Country TV's 46th series with Australian record companies and major artists teaming to ensure our survival.
We have expatriate Australasian superstar Keith Urban's chart topping 12 th album The Speed Of Now - Part 1.
Also vintage BR5-49 CD Big Backyard Beat Show and Billy Ray Cyrus's historic 1992 album Some Gave All that features his Achy Breaky Heart hit.
You can join Watling & Bates as members and win their 13 track CD Small Town Tales.
We also have other CDS by major artists you can win by becoming a Nu Country TV member or renewing your membership.
They include Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church and late larrikin legend A.P. Johnson.
CLICK HERE for our Membership Page for details.