Hi, I’m Luke

It has been a stellar year for Sara with her first national headline tour of Australia, the release of the In the Neon EP, receiving a Spotify billboard in Times Square and showcasing at CMA Fest Nashville. While in Nashville, she also performed at the Sounds Australia Aussie BBQ and CMA Fest Spotlight Stage. Sara has an incredible run of festivals including Groundwater CMF, Ridin' Hearts, Queanbeyan Music Muster, Regfest Wangarratta and supporting Rob Thomas at Sandstone Point.

Berki’s hands are on nearly every aspect of Outrun: “I am proud to have written four of the five songs on this EP in their entirety (Outrun, Porch Light, Happy House and Heaven & Hell). I am thrilled to have co-written the fifth song (Lily of the Valley) with Brand Hood and Billy Montana… This project would not have been possible without the incredibly talented Beau Hatch (guitar & dobro), Luke Moller (fiddle) and my producer, Liam Quinn, who brought the sounds in my head to life.”

Boggabri singer-songwriter Sam Snape releases his debut album Good Things today – a fitting title for a project that’s been nearly two years in the making and filled with stories from real life on the land. Produced by Michael Carpenter, Good Things features co-writes with Anthony Snape and Duncan Toombs, with the remaining tracks written by Sam himself. Michael and Sam share the instrumentation, with Luke Moller adding fiddle on several tracks.

When it comes to hitting the mark, McMahon had already released five songs from the album, each of them charting strongly, with Outback Ball hitting #14 on Australia’s Country Songs Top 40. Outback Ball is a quintessential country strong, and while other tracks traverse the rock line, this instant hit is one for the country purists.

Musically, this tune is a playful riff on that “border ska” faux norteño vibe Camper Van Beethoven used to mess around with. Honestly, most of the creative juice here went straight into the music. It’s mainly me and Luke Moller trading licks, riffing on all those classic Northern Mexican sounds. For an Australian fiddler, Luke absolutely nails it. It’s uncanny—like he spent his youth cruising around Southern California, soaking up all those “Mexican Regional” radio stations. The only thing we’re missing is a herd of tuba and trumpet players to really bring that wild, brassy energy to the party.

I don’t know what Michael is on but I want some. This guy is a part of every country music puzzle. He also colours outside those lines too with a bunch of ‘album shows’ where he pays tribute to many of the greats. His influences are pretty obvious on this album – a rare solo one. There’s a touch of Tom Petty, The Beatles and The Eagles amongst others – but all countrified on some level.

Now this album could not have happened without the incredible contributions of so many people… Chris Townend @ Frying Pan - for recording the music so beautifully, Trichotomy drummer John Parker and his fantastic mix skills, Paul Blakey and his mastering genius, Paul Underwood's stunning art design, the team at Suitcase Records in Brisbane, pressing the LPs with care, Jeremy & the team at Earshift Music - true champions of creative Australian music, Matt & the team at Jazzfuel - for sharing the album with media & friends in the northern hemisphere, Jo Corbett for her work on Australian press and Luke Moller for his sweet string arranging and performances.

If you want to know what “Let It Roll Down That Hill” is really about, you’ve got to start not in Richmond, but at the end of the song Piney Woods, in the middle of a rice field in Arkansas.

Jack’s a Fort Worth-based folk singer with some well-written & original songs in his showcase. Not just a collection of random compositions. Jack explores themes like art, religion, reality, society, philosophy & himself. Heavy-duty voices occupy his observations. Nice to think a songwriter gave some thought to his music rather than just write about taking a pickup truck out for a ride while guzzling some brew & singing oldies along with his dog. This is a little deeper. Challenging? We’ll see.

There is a cruel trick that middle school boys play on each other. It usually involves a bully looking for an excuse to beat up another boy. The bully enlists the help of a third person to convince the victim to ask the bully, “How does your sister roller skate?”.

A musical autobiography in 28 songs, with melodies of memory, regret, and revelation. This record is a devoted and insightful journey through time and truth, vulnerably worded, delightfully played, and sincerely sung.

The single is part of McMahon's upcoming eighth solo album, slated for release in late August, which will showcase 11 tracks featuring a lineup of accomplished musicians, including Peter 'Maz' Maslen (drums), Jason Vorherr (bass and backing vocals), Simon Hosford (guitar), Danny Spencer (guitar), Jack Earle (keys), Luke Moller (fiddle and mandolin), Shane Riley (pedal steel), and Gretta Ziller (backing vocals).

“Gypsy Girl” was recorded at Ziggy Tone Studios in Melbourne under the guidance of Damian Cafarella (The Pleasures, Henry Wagons, Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes). Cafarella produced and mixed the track and played all guitars, mandolin, dobro and sang backing vocals. The gorgeous instrumentation is fleshed out by Luke Moller (Dolly Parton, Lana Del Rey) on fiddle and Michael Carpenter (Michael Carpenter & The Banks Brothers) on upright bass.

Recorded over four days at the iconic MONA art museum in Tasmania, the group leaned into the immediacy of live performance—allowing their ideas to unfold organically in the moment with four musicians in the same room, with minimal overdubs and an emphasis on instinctive, in-the-moment collaboration.

The album benefits from an all-star cast of personnel. Engineered by Britton Beisenherz of Ramble Creek Studios in Austin, Texas, Voices features additional contributions from Luke Moller, Diana Burgess, and Chris Gelin, among others. Barksdale expresses deep gratitude for the collaborative effort, saying, “Thanks to all of these people, these voices are being heard; I hope you enjoy and become acquainted with them.” With Voices, Jack Barksdale cements his place as an artist of rare depth and insight—one unafraid to explore the vast terrain of human experience, and to share his discoveries, one song at a time.

"Fathers, Sons, and Brothers" is a straightforward song that earnestly and forcefully preaches brotherly love. While it doesn't add much to the story, it conveys an attitude reset on my part as I got sober and started reflecting on my actions and behavior over the years. I was working on this song when the shocking footage of George Floyd's death was aired on national networks, and it served as a way for those of us working on this recording to reckon with his death.

The recording is a collaboration with a ‘sibling’ band, The BellRays, who emerged from the same Inland Empire music scene in California. The two principals, Lisa Kekaula (vocals) and Bob Venom (guitars), are long-time family friends. The recording is a reunion of sorts, bringing together not just Lisa and Bob, but members of Cracker and a far-flung cast of musicians I’ve worked with over the years. This was at the height of the COVID lockdowns, so Luke Moller, who arranged and played the strings, sent in his parts from Australia, and Leith Fleming-Smith played that insane solo from his home in Nova Scotia.

A generous helping of EPs and one-off singles helped stave off our hunger in the following years, but now the 17-year-old fully assuages his growing legion of fans with the announcement of his new 11-track album, Voices, for 13th June. Released on Truly Handmade Records is - a label created by the estate of legendary songwriter Guy Clark as a “home for songwriters," - notably, Rodney Crowell, Tamara Saviano, and Verlon Thompson all serve on its board of directors - it's the perfect home for one of Americana's most authentically grounded new voices.

As we approach the festive season, nothing says it better though than the line in the song ‘it’s all about family and people, this place that I call my home’.Featuring Luke Moller on the fiddle, “Sleepy Old Town” is an infectious country rock song and a perfect addition to any country playlist!

With this album, I wanted to explore the light and the shade, to make sure no two songs sounded the same. The title track, “Black Dogs and Songbirds,” really set the tone and was the main inspiration behind this concept. The ‘Black Dogs’ symbolize the darker themes, while the ‘Songbirds’ bring in the light, balancing out the journey.

Bully Hay has kindly spent some time presenting a detailed track x track explanation of his album ‘Black Dogs and Songbirds’ for Australian Musician and here it is.

I recorded a demo of this song with a full band that I’d sent to Jeff before coming up to record the album version. In his mind, Jeff could hear a more country music feel that he wanted to draw out. And Jeff’s long time friend Hellhound Brown came up into the studio and performed that slide guitar part on the right hand side. Jeff then played a similar part with a Fender Telecaster (B-Bender) on the left hand side. Suddenly, BAM it’s a country song. Didn’t end there! Luke Moller then came in and added a fiddle to the end breakdown and it became even more country. I guess in essence, it has a country feel, but it crosses a couple of genres which is a bit of fun.

With its catchy melody and relatable lyrics, ‘I Want to Own a Farm with You’ offers a refreshing take on country music. The song’s lyrical depth, combined with Hazel’s soulful vocals and the talented musicianship of Matt Fell (Golden Guitar and ARIA Award winner), Josh Schumann, and Luke Moller, creates a truly memorable listening experience.

If you've ever dreamed of turning your back on the rat-race for a laid-back life in the country, Hazel & The Thief have all the inspiration you need. The song's lyrical depth, combined with Hazel's soulful vocals and the talented musicianship of (Golden Guitar and ARIA Award-winner) Matt Fell, Josh Schumann and Luke Moller, creates a truly memorable listening experience.

Embracing Australian rock with swooning acoustic adornment, the brand new single Bushfire Moon out today from Tasmania singer-songwriter Bully Hay is a stirring new cut taken from his forthcoming debut album Black Dogs And Songbirds, due out on Wednesday October 30. Also accompanied today by a striking music video reflecting actual events, Bushfire Moon is a reflective yet charming outing from this gifted Australian creative and storyteller, with production courtesy of the legendary Jeff Martin of The Tea Party fame.

‘The Olden Days’ was produced by the star of ABC-TV’s ‘The Recording Studio’ - Matt Fell, a 9 times golden guitar winner and ARIA award winner who also lends his talents on guitar, bass, and keys. Joining them on the track is powerhouse rhythm section Josh Schuberth (drums) and Luke Moller (fiddle)– both seasoned musicians who have played on countless recordings including Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham, Adam Swift, Fanny Lumsden, Troy Cassar-Daley, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Missy Higgins and Lana Del Rey.

Following a successful string of sold-out national dates supporting ARIA award winning country artist, Fanny Lumsden, Mornington Shire alt country outfit, Hazel & The Thief announce their much-anticipated debut release, ‘The Olden Days’.

When she appeared to perform for the Brisbane Lions vs Carlton AFL match, Sara sang a cover of the classic country song ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’, originally by John Denver. Joined by Beau Hatch on acoustic guitar and Luke Moller on the fiddle, Sara played her guitar in the centre of the pitch and sang a beautiful and simplistic rendition of the song. The video of her performance received much attention, gaining over 2.9M views in only a few months.

If you’ve ever come to revere the small acts of resistance played out between the picket lines in the hand to hand combat of the day to day, you’ll understand that these small acts of dignity are alive in every note on this album. This is music from the marrow.

A table of earlier Tamworth Country Music Festival Bluegrass Champions from the first event held in 1979 through to 2011.