Catherine BrittCatherine Britt returns with a deeply personal and reflective new album The Hardest Thing. Released today the new project sees one of Australia’s most respected country artists digging into real life experiences with honesty and clarity.
After taking time away from the noise to write and record much of the album at home in Newcastle, Britt co-produced and mixed the record alongside her husband, keeping the process intimate and intentional while still shaping a polished final sound.
The record marks a powerful chapter in Britt’s long career, touching on themes like love, healing, resilience and the challenges she’s faced along the way, from industry pressures to life changes. Known for her authenticity and raw songwriting, Britt’s latest work builds on her legacy as a fearless storyteller, one who isn’t afraid to turn life’s toughest moments into music that connects.
Track x Track The Hardest Thing by Catherine Britt
One Divorce, Two Kids & A Few Whiskies Ago
This song is self explanatory and I felt was the perfect way to open the album both as track one and as the first single released. It has been a long life so far and so much living has gone into it and I am proud to come out the other side the woman I am today.
You Don’t Love Here Anymore
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This song is one that unfortunately many can relate to about a relationship tainted by control, jealousy and unfortunately domestic violence. It is a story of many women in Australia and the world, and I felt that this song was important to write and it was one that I thought I needed to write. I hope that it helps others who have been through something like this, and I hope it gives them strength to move forward with their lives and find partners who love and respect them.
Pay No Mind to Me
This song is a little bit of tongue and cheek about a relationship that this person in the song really needs to get out of ASAP. It is a follow on from the previous track about a relationship where the woman is being treated, not very nicely and has recognized this and is ready to get out. It’s a little bit of fun and I hope you enjoy it.
Maybe Not
This track is about the second-guessing that happens when you leave a relationship that is a huge part of your life and has gone on for many years and is an important relationship. It’s always hard to leave and it’s always hard to choose you and it’s always hard to break hearts and disappoint people. So, we all second-guess our choices good or bad and that’s what this song is about.
A Little North of Sydney
When a relationship breaks down, you often leave that person but sometimes you don’t leave the town that you were both had that relationship in. It makes the walking away just a little bit less cut and dry. When you leave you really want to leave completely but sometimes you can’t due to reasons that that tie you together forever. It’s especially more difficult when that town that you had the relationship in is your hometown and every corner there’s a memory and every back road you know so well and you’ve driven them together and those memories will always be there. It’s easy to relieve relationship, but sometimes it’s not easy to leave the memory behind in the town where the relationship occurred.
Red Pickup Truck
This song I wrote about a relationship that broke down many years ago and I had this this ongoing thing where whenever I saw a red pickup truck exactly like the person that I was with I would freeze - literally freeze - and not be able to breathe as I thought it was them driving past or coming to my house or coming to see me again and it scared me to death. This relationship was tumultuous, crazy, quick, intense, wrong, out there and passionate. I will forever see Red pickup trucks differently. Or as we call them here (in Australia) Utes, ha ha.
The Hardest Thing
This is the title track of my new album and probably one of the most intense songs on the new record. When you’re breaking up a relationship, often the person that you’re leaving will say things to you like you will regret this, this will be the worst thing you’ve ever done and the hardest thing you’ve ever done. However, sometimes that person may not realize that for you, the experience is quite different and due to many ups and downs in my life, leaving that relationship in some ways was one of the easiest things that I ever had to do.
Cowgirl Era
Sometimes when women are pushed too far you bring out that other side I like to call it, my Calamity Jane. I think we all know that other side that comes out when we are pushed to the brink by either being bullied or taken advantage of for a long periods of time and the results in the end is to either put your head in the sand or fight back. For many years I chose to put my head in the sand and take it on the chin but no more. I am a strong, independent woman, and I’m proud of who I am and I will always forever more stand up for what is right and protect my family. This song is for all the women out there who are in their cowgirl era now.
Sky Blue
I wrote this a few years ago and I’ve always wanted to record it but never found the right moment and it wasn’t until this album that it made sense for the first time. It is a song about truly being in a dark place of depression and heartbreak and not wanting to leave the home until you feel ready as it feels like you’re safe place where you’re protected from the world and you can truly heal first before going out into the world. Again I certainly have been through this a few times and this song made a lot of sense for this album as I really went through some pretty dark times over the last few years. This song is a reflection of often how I felt when I was trying to protect myself and do the healing that I so desperately needed
What I Want
I think sometimes what we want and what we need a two very different things. We make choices sometimes that are not always in our best interest, but in the moment seemed like a good idea at the time. This song is about having a good time and looking back with a little Woopsie.
I Found A New Love
I am very grateful for my husband, Bradley Bergen, and the relationship that we have built after so many years of bad relationships and damage done. When we found each other, it was in the middle of a massive life storm for both of us. We had to find our way together out the other side into the sunshine, knowing that choosing each other was going to be the right choice. Sometimes you find people at the right times and other times you find them when you’re supposed to. Brad is my forever person and I’m so grateful that he came back into my life and saved me.
Only A Country Boy Knows
Some might say that country boys know how to love better than others. I personally can’t agree with that more. My country boy knows how to love, passionately, wholeheartedly, and fiercely. I’ve never been loved before like I am loved now and I am so grateful for that. This song is a true dedication to all of those beautiful country boys out there who know how to love and know how to respect their partner and show them the love that they deserve.
Broken Heart at 33
Sometimes you find your forever person later in life. Sometimes you’ve met that person before. Sometimes you’ve even dated them before. This is certainly the case for myself and my husband, Bradley. We dated as teenagers early in the music industry and then I move to America and we lost touch for many years. I always had a great affection for Brad and always remembered him as a very sweet kind Country boy who seemed to adore me as a 19-year-old girl. When we reconnected as divorces with children later in life, we found each other again, but in a different way this time. We fell madly in love and got married, and I looked back wishing that I had seen that the first time we dated. Maybe I would’ve saved myself a hell of a lot of heartache if I just stayed with him at 19. But life is full of regrets and choices made that we have to live with, and it makes us who we are today. While I would’ve preferred to have stopped the damage before it was done, I will be forever grateful to have his heart, even if it is broken at 33.
