DAVE'S DIARY - 5 JUNE 2022 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 1 - SERIES 52
BILLY STRINGS HEADLINES NU COUNTRY TV SERIES #52 PREMIERE
Michigan born bluegrass star Billy Strings headlines the Nu Country TV Series #52 premiere Wednesday June 8 at 8 pm.
Texan outlaw Koe Wetzel and INXS escapee Andrew Farris boomerang to Behind Bars on the show.
Sydney singing actor Andy Penkow and Bright born Della Harris appear on the program filmed and edited by our multi-talented lockdown producer-host Laith Graham.
Townsville refugee Sammy White and Jindabyne export Brad Cox also return as Westminster raised singing actor Lola Kirke makes her Nu Country debut.
Nu Country TV is a highlight of C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.
Further info - https://www.c31.org.au/
STRINGS LOVE AND REGRET
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Grammy winner Billy Strings chases a bucolic belle who flees on horseback in his headlining show return.
Her fire may have been doused but the embers of love still burn.
Billy, 29, filmed his video at Dee's Lounge and Sacred Dog Farm.
Love And Regret is on Strings fifth album Renewal released on September 24, 2021.
Billy won acclaim for his albums and Uncloudy Day bonus track and appeared live with his hot band on the 64th Grammy Awards.
Strings fronted Nu Country with social comment video Watch It Fall from fourth album H ome and In The Morning Light from Renewal and Willie Nelson tribute Uncloudy Day .
On November 8 he donated 208 guitars to Twin Rivers Elementary School in Muir, Michigan, from his tour bus and U-Haul truck.
All 208 students received a Fender guitar.
Billy, aka William Apostol, attended Twin Rivers Elementary where his music teacher Mrs. Mercer still works.
String also released his duet The Great Divide with North Carolina nouveau outlaw chart topper and 2021 CMA Entertainer Of The Year Luke Combs.
Further info - https://www.billystrings.com/
LOLA KIRKE EXTOLS LOVE AS HER CURE
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Westminster born singing actor Lola Kirke shows how to mount a pool table and split the balls in her Nu Country TV debut.
Lola, 31, starred in movies and TV shows including Mistress America, Gone Girl, Mozart in the Jungle and American Woman
Lola is daughter of veteran Bad Company and Free drummer Simon Kirke.
Her Alex O Eaton directed video Better Than Any Drug is on her second album Lady For Sale released on April 29 - also Willie Nelson's 89th birthday.
Kirke showcases her wit, lust for life, and sense of humour.
“I am over the moon about sharing this album with people because I just think it's such a good time and frankly, I've felt a bit rude keeping all that fun to myself.” Kirke revealed.
“It was inspired by some of the baddest women in 80/90s country, disco, and rock and designed to blend those references into the thing you didn't know you wanted but do! Or maybe you don't. But that's probably ‘because you're square. Anyway I just hope people sing and dance and feel powerful when they listen to it.”
Lola debuted with her four-track EP in 2016 and debut album, Heart Head West , in 2018.
She juggles music and acting in Nashville and New York.
Further info - https://www.lolakirkemusic.com/
ANDREW FARRIS SON OF A GUN
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INXS escapee Andrew Farris, unlike Lola Kirke, mounts horses - not pool tables - in his return.
The INXS co-founder and latter-day farmer Andrew Farris is now 63 and earned an AM to add to his other awards.
Andrew has run his beef cattle farm near Tamworth for 26 years.
His quintet rode on horseback in their posse before they downed guns for guitars in their hideout with a tale recalling the Kelly Gang.
Tamworth multi-instrumentalist Lawrie Minson was in Andrew's posse for his Son of A Gun video on his Golden Guitar nominated self-titled solo album that follows EP Love Makes The World.
Another gun-slinging track With The Kelly Gang paints a vivid picture of Australian history, earned Heritage Song Of The Year nomination.
He wrote the song with Mark and Jay O'Shea in Nashville .
“The legend of Ned Kelly and his gang has fascinated generations,” Andrew revealed.
“I've always been interested in Australia 's history, and I've since learned both sides of the Ned Kelly story. This song captures a moment of Australian culture that felt right with the outlaw theme of my album, and I really enjoyed writing it with Mark and Jay O'Shea.”
Andrew's band features Minson on steel and banjo, guitarist Travis New, vocalist Ashleigh Leef, bassist Timothy Sampson and drummer Mitch Farmer.
Further info - https://andrewfarriss.com/
KOE WETZEL DRUNK DRIVING BEHIND BARS
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Texan outlaw Koe Wetzel delivers his drink driving warning in his Behind Bars return.
Koe, 31, showed how he avoided driving while drinking in his Drunk Driving video from his fourth album Sell-out.
He acted out his penchant for loving, hunting, fishing, flesh fetishes and board games but his limo chauffeur gave him a stark choice - Mexico or state prison.
Wetzel chose to head south of the border.
Koe was born in Pittsburgh , Texas - not Pennsylvania - and his mum was a touring country singer from Camp County, Texas, and his dad worked in construction.
She brought Koe on stage for the first time at age six.
Wetzel was a linebacker at Tarleton State University in Stephenville , Texas , but pursued music instead and debuted on Nu Country in his Good Die Young video.
His 2015 debut album Out On Parole was followed by Noise Complaint in 2016 and 2019 album Harold Saul High.
Further info - https://koewetzelmusic.com/
ANDY PENKOW AND DELLA HARRIS RETURN
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Sydney singing actor Andy Penkow and Bright born belle Della Harris team in their Nu Country return.
Jay Seeney filmed Andy, 38, and Della far from her Melbourne home.
They relived failed love laments from Andy's back pages in their How Many Times duet that follows two albums by Andy and one by Della.
How Many Times was written by Andy with Golden Guitar-winning artist David Carter, Kath Stewart, and Kalesti Butler.
“The idea was based around a previous relationship of mine,” Penkow revealed.
“It's about the journeys of two different people coming out of the same relationship. One half is finding it hard to let go and move on while the other has closed the door and is getting on with life.”
Penkow finished it at a Melbourne songwriter's retreat and says Della was an ideal duet partner.
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“I am blessed to have the amazing Della Harris sing it with me,” Andy added.
“I love the vibe she added to the song - it unquestionably paints a picture of lost love.”
The video depicts the sad journey of a relationship that ended.
How Many Times follows Andy's previous single Protected Love.
The JMC Academy graduate released debut album Sad Love Songs in 2018 and Shane Nicholson produced five track EP Chasing the Sun in 2020.
Andy also appeared on our show with Before I Go - title track of his fourth album - Wildflowers and Drowning In The Whiskey.
He was born in Sydney and raised on the NSW south coast before joining SBS choir and appearing in Mel Gibson 2000 TV movie Three Stooges, Deck Dog's movie 2005, Deadly Woman and Sunday Night in 2017.
Della's Raining On My Wedding Day single followed her 2020 Tamworth Festival People's Choice Awards female vocalist of Year.
Her debut album, released in Tamworth in April, featured singles She Said What, My Turn Now, Long As You're Lonely, Roll Of A Dice, Must Have Been The Wine and Truth Juice.
Della went to school in Chiltern, Seymour, Ingham and Nagambie and released self-titled debut EP in 2017 and appeared on Nu Country with Truth Juice and Next Life.
Further info - https://www.dellaharris.com.au/
Further info - www.andypenkow.com
SAMMY WHITE AND BRAD COX
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Townsville born Sammy White and Jindabyne export Brad Cox return with an historic live 2020 video with a quartet.
Tamworth Starmaker winners Sammy, now 24, and Brad, 27, revisited Tamworth for the 50 th Golden Guitar festival.
This week they revived Ashley McBryde song Sparrow.
Golden Guitar and ARIA nominee Cox also released heartbreak song What Brought You Back written in Nashville with Phil Barton and Dave Thompson.
The Jindabyne born singer-songwriter wrote songs about his stockman work in the Northern Territory and bought land in Central Queensland in late 2020 that encompasses a mango farm and sheep grazing.
He opened Brett Eldredge, Jon Pardi, Randy Houser, Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont concerts and sold out shows on his 2019 Give Me Tonight and 2020's Drinking Season Unplugged tours.
Brad earned fame in 2018 with self-titled debut album and singles Red Light, Too Drunk to Drive and Lake House and anthemic Water On The Ground.
In 2020 he earned two Golden Guitar nominations for single Rusty Strings and ARIA nomination for My Mind's Projection for Best Country Album in 2021.
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Sammy White released Matt Fell produced new single Friends With The Bottle on February 11.
"We all enjoy a fun night out with a couple of bevvy's,” Sammy quipped of the song she wrote with Melanie Dyer over Zoom.
“ Friends With The Bottle is about living it up in the moment, despite the ugly hangover the next day."
Sammy was nominated in New Talent of Year in the 50th Golden Guitar Awards.
Her Starmaker album, Undone , in November 2020, included singles Drowning My Sorrows, I Can't Outrun You, Lay It On Me and Home (Feels Like You)
White wrote Home Feels Like You about her late grandmother for debut album Undone.
“For me country music is all about story-telling and this is my story song,” Sammy said.
"I wrote this one with Jarred Taylor, using real stories from my time growing up on Nan and Pop's hobby farm. Poppy is still one of my favourite people. When I'm home I spend a lot of time giving him a hand with his many projects. Unfortunately Nan passed in 2017. She was my number one fan and biggest supporter. Today, her paintings still coat the walls of our family home, making it feel that little bit less empty".
She debuted on Nu Country with Drowning My Sorrows.
CLICK HERE for a Brad Cox CD review in The Diary on September 3, 2018.
Further info - https://www.sammywhitemusic.com.au/
WIN WAYLON, GEORGE JONES AND MERLE HAGGARD
Help us celebrate being Nu Country TV members and win albums by 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.