DAVE'S DIARY - 20/12/2021 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 4 - SERIES 50
ZAC BROWN BAND HEADLINE NU COUNTRY TV
Treble Grammy winning Georgian Zac Brown celebrates health worker heroes as he headlines Nu Country TV on Christmas Day at 9.30 pm.
Highwomen singer Natalie Hemby also sings of heroes in her return to the show repeated Wednesday at 11.30 pm.
Balsam Range and Merle Monroe appear in a bluegrass Behind Bars double shot on the program filmed and edited by our multi-talented lockdown producer Laith Graham.
Melbourne singer-songwriter Clint Wilson and Wollongong belle Grace Mae debut on this week's show.
Nu Country TV is a highlight of C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.
Further info - https://www.c31.org.au/
ZAC CHRISTMAS COMEBACK
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Georgian Zac Brown and his award winning band celebrate Christmas spirit and front line health, fire and emergency workers who saved many lives before and during the pandemic and daily dramas.
The band accentuate their appreciation for all unsung heroes in their evocative video for 10th album title track The Comeback.
Brown had good reason to celebrate - he survived a personal bout with COVID-19 in September that halted his tour.
I am grateful to our fans for understanding this decision, as well as everyone on the front lines who can't stay at home because their work is essential, Brown, 43 and father of five children, revealed.
The Comeback celebrates our collective resilience as a community. This music is about standing together and rediscovering our roots and what makes us human. We feel incredibly blessed to be back out on the road again, sharing these new songs with our fans. The only good thing about getting knocked down is The Comeback when it comes back around.
Brown co-wrote all 15 songs on the album with peers diverse as Luke Combs, Jonathan Singleton, Ray Fulcher, Luke Dick, Wyatt Beasley Durrette III, Ben Simonetti, Clay Cook, John Driskell Hopkins and Jimmy De Martini.
Brown's Australian fans include rugby stars who attended their national concerts before our lockdowns.
CLICK HERE for a Zac interview in The Diary on June 19, 2017.
NATALIE HEMBY HEROES
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Dual Grammy winner Natalie Hemby exhibits a different take on heroes in her latest video.
Hemby sings how she didn't want to meet heroes until she knew them better.
That's my own story because I grew up in the music business, after a while, I didn't want to meet them unless I knew they were good people, Natalie revealed. I wrote that from my own personal space.
Illinois born Natalie, now 44, is also in the Highwomen quartet with Texan Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile and Amanda Shires.
She has written hits for artists diverse as Texans Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves, Lady Ga-Ga, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Lee Ann Womack and Toby Keith.
Lambert has two co-writing credits on Natalie's second solo album Pins And Needles recorded with Hemby husband-producer Mike Wrucke.
Miranda co-wrote Banshee and It Takes One to Know One and Morris co-wrote Heart Condition.
Natalie wrote the title track with John and TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne.
Pins and Needles is the record I never got the chance to make and I always wanted to, Hemby explained.
It's the late 90's sound, which is the sound of my young adult life.
Further info - https://www.nataliehemby.com/
MERLE MONROE RETURN TO BRISTOL
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Bluegrass quintet Merle Monroe debut on Behind Bars with a video filmed in the birthplace of country music - Bristol, Virginia.
The town is the backdrop for the fanciful tale of love and loss that plays out in the story for Goodbye Marie.
Locales include The Burger Bar and The Birthplace of Country Music Museum with local identities.
Tim Raybon and Daniel Grindstaff formed Merle Monroe after Tim joined his brother Marty in The Raybon Brothers.
Tennessean Daniel also played with the Raybon brothers before Merle Monroe paid tribute to the late Bill Monroe.
Goodbye Marie is on Merle Monroe 's second album Songs Of A Simple Life .
Further info - https://pinecastlemusic.com/artists/merle-monroe/
BALSAM HIGHWAY RANGE
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North Carolina quintet Balsam Range prove how to enjoy a colourful career in that began in 2007.
They took a trip on the lost highway with by-standers waiting for their bus to stop and pick them up on their joyous Highway Side video.
The band bus took them to a festival at a pit-stop on the long and lonesome road.
Balsam Range 's original five members are all from Haywood County in western North Carolina.
Fiddler-lead vocalist mandolinist Buddy Melton, Darren Nicholson upright bass, resonator guitar and vocals, guitarists Tim Surrett and Caleb Smith and Dr. Marc Pruett on banjo.
In December 2016 the band created Balsam Range Art of Music Festival - a two-day event at Lake Junaluska , North Carolina , in their home county.
Highway Side is on Balsam Range 's 13th album Moxie & Mettle .
Further info - https://www.balsamrange.com/
CLINT WILSON TEETH STREET PICKING
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Melbourne DJ-singer-songwriter Clint Wilson took to Melbourne streets for his new video.
Clint vividly depicted the depression of city workers trying to escape to the bush in these turbulent times.
He played his guitar in the lonesome street as a big city belle cycled away before she boomeranged after a day in the bush.
Clint wrote Teeth In Me with Jeremy Edwards at the Dag sheep station in Nundle near Tamworth
It's on the MDR-FM DJ's second album Another Death in The Family.
Further info - https://www.clintwilsonmusic.com/
GRACE MAE BEACH BOUND
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Wollongong singer-songwriter Grace Mae headed to the beach in her Nu Country debut video.
The English born singer drove to Port Kembla beach in her trusty Ute, armed with a guitar and beloved Golden Retriever Rusty.
The teenager entertained friends and family with blissful picking in her video for The Music Goes On that she wrote during lockdown.
It was shot and co-directed by Wollongong producer Bobby Kidd and starred Grace's friends and family.
I love the way he captured the way this song makes me feel, Grace revealed.
It shows the summer vibe of the song and the friends and family and everything I missed during COVID times. My closest friends and family are in it, and one of the guys Dylan McQuire has also done the designs for my shirts as well. I even included the family dog, Sonny the Golden Retriever and my little cousin, Jessica.
Grace says lockdowns meant she appreciated live music and being with friends and family more than ever.
The Music Goes On is about missing things and realising what you took for granted previously, Grace said.
Writing this song was definitely therapeutic. I had an idea in my head with the chord progression then sat down and wrote it in half an hour before I workshopped it with my mentor and vocal coach Lyn Bowtell.
Further info - https://www.gracemaemusic.com/
WIN WAYLON, GEORGE JONES AND MERLE HAGGARD
Stay tuned and help us celebrate being Nu Country TV members and win albums by the late Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, George Jones and Highwaymen by becoming a Nu Country member or renewing your membership.
George, Waylon, Merle and Willie Nelson were among country historian Barbara Dowling's favourite Texans.
The Waylon, Highwaymen , Merle and George discs were donated by Barbara who died at 77 in December, 2020.
She co-hosted Long In The Saddle in our Nu Country FM era and was pioneer Australian and Victorian country music awards judge.
Barbara was admired for rising above losing her sight as a young woman and her country passion with annual trips to Waylon's birthplace in Littlefield, West Texas.
Waylon died at 64 on February 13, 2002, and is survived by singing spouse Jessi, now 78, and son Shooter, 42.
WIN KEITH URBAN CDS ALSO
We have expatriate Australasian superstar Keith Urban's chart topping 12th album The Speed Of Now - Part 1.
Also BR5-49 CD Big Backyard Beat Show and Billy Ray Cyrus's historic 1992 album Some Gave All that features Achy Breaky Heart.
Join Watling & Bates as members and win their 13 track CD Small Town Tales.
We 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, Kip Moore and late larrikin legend A.P. Johnson.
CLICK HERE for our Membership Page for details.