Dan Davidson ProfileAustralian country music is gearing up for an unforgettable October as country star Dan Davidson arrives down under for an action-packed tour.
Fresh off the massive triumph of Rockies to the Reef competition, Davidson is set to bring his high-energy hits and soulful acoustic tunes straight to Aussie fans. Davidson explains the process behind choosing the winner of Rockies to the Reef when chatting to Countrytown.
“We had iHeart Radio partnering along with Fiji Airways and Tropical North Queensland, and obviously Savannah in the Round, which is an incredible festival,” he says. “That looks so cool. So, we’re excited to come down and bring some Canadians to kind of see what we’re going to see.”
The Rockies to the Reef competition was designed to show international fans how Australia does festivals by introducing them to the Aussie outback.
It was a huge success, with the competition receiving over 50,000 entries, with Davidson hoping the competition runs annually. The winner of Rockies to the Reef will join Davidson at Savannah in the Round in tropical North Queensland this October.
Davidson will also be in Australia on 15 October, which is perfect timing, as that is when his new album, Dirt Rich, drops. “This is a big one for me,” Davidson explained, as he is not only launching a new project, but it is his first international album release party.
“This is really cool. You know, like, I’ve never done an international album release party before. And what makes it super cool is that it’s actually on the release day! So, this is- like, the day it’s coming out, and I’m going to be in Brisbane celebrating at Lefty’s, trying to pack the place.
“We’re going to probably have a lot of you know, Aussie artist friends swinging by and it’s going to be a great night. And I’m so excited I actually get to launch the record while I’m there playing in Australia.”
To celebrate his first international release party, Davidson will be at Lefty’s Music Hall in Brisbane for the night. Fans will get an exclusive first listen to Davidson’s new album Dirt Rich, with the night centred on brand-new material mixed with crowd favourites.
“I really want it to be a big celebration of the new record and trying to get everybody down there,” he says. “So, the album’s out that day, it’s gonna be on all streaming services, of course. Caitlyn Shadbolt is opening the show; she’s a great local girl, and I’ve run into her a few times at, like, the Gympie Music Muster and a few other shows like that, so it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
Country music fans are in for an unforgettable evening as Davidson brings his highly anticipated new release to Australia. Tickets are now available.
Davidson’s latest project is a dynamic mix of country music tunes that balances high-energy summer anthems with acoustic storytelling. The new album, Dirt Rich, features his new song Training Wheels, a heartfelt story about family.
“It’s just an important song to me, because, you know, it’s a universal parent experience, and it’s, you know, time is just flying so fast watching my little girls grow up,” he explains. “So, this song was kind of about that feeling, and it’s funny, like, I debuted it in a theatre doing some acoustic shows, like, there were people crying and people calling into radio stations crying about it.”
The theme of human connection continues throughout Davidson’s new record, with many songs built around the idea that you don’t have to have it all. “I feel like that’s a thing in country music, where we’re happy to connect and to have those moments and to be the soundtrack of people’s lives,” Davidson notes.
He reflects on time passing and how it seems to go by much faster after you have kids. Davidson shows his vulnerable side, which is a little different, but something we can all relate to emotionally as he jokingly says, “It’s never felt better to make people cry.”
He adds, “There’s a lot of songs that kind of, they take you on a bit of a journey, and you know, you don’t have to be Elvis, you just—it’s all about human connection. That’s kind of where my head is at in this album cycle, so there’s a lot of songs that take you on a bit of a journey.”
The album also offers fans a chance to enjoy themselves, with Davidson also including some festive anthems. “This one’s got some tunes that are more like that summer nostalgia kind of vibe and some that are really more traditional country, and then there’s a couple of really fun, upbeat ‘get drunk and fall in love’ songs,” he reveals.
Continuing festival appearances, Davidson will be at the Groundwater Country Music Festival, transforming Broadbeach on the Gold Coast into a huge country music destination this October.
This unique non-ticketed event is set to be one of Australia’s biggest beach parties. Groundwater was Davidson’s first ever Australian show, and he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw from the Aussie country music scene.
He recalls, “Well, Groundwater was the first Australian show I ever did; it was probably, I want to say, four years ago now and coming there and playing country music there, I was shocked. I was like, ‘There’s no way real people live like this!’
“Oh my god, it’s amazing, right? So, that was my first taste of the Aussie country scene, and from there, I’ve been back four times. I’m so excited to get back to Groundwater and play right there, right down the main street there. Broadbeach is just an incredible location, and there’s just so many great Aussie country acts. I feel like Canadians and Aussies, we have this thing where, you know, it’s a little brother of the ‘little brother syndrome.’”
He continues, “I think that Canadians and Aussies, we have like a unique perspective on country music; it’s so special, and I think it needs to be celebrated. So, I’m always excited to come down and to be part of the Aussie country music scene.”
It sounds like the Aussie lifestyle might be something Davidson could get used to, as he plans to come back in January to be part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the first time ever. “Yeah, we’ve got the Great Canadian Road Trip coming down, so it’ll be me and a few other Canadians, and Andrew Farriss from INXS will be on the show, plus Melanie Dyer. We've got a really good show planned for everybody.”
Davidson is pumped to be returning to Australia, and we are just as excited to welcome him back to Aussie shores.
He concludes, “I’m so excited to come back down. Like I said, Australia’s my country music home away from home, and I feel like Canadians and Aussies, we kind of understand each other, so I’m excited to get back.”
DAN DAVIDSON
DIRT RICH AUSTRALIAN ALBUM LAUNCH
Thursday, October 15 - Lefty’s Music Hall, Brisbane
With special guest Caitlyn Shadbolt
Dan Davidson will also appear at this year’s Savannah in the Round and Groundwater Country Music Festival events.
