My Countrytown: Scarlet’s Way - Mandurah, WA

Regional towns are in our blood here at CountryTown! From Tamworth to Toowoomba to Noojee, we love the pubs, the people and the places that make Australia tick. But most of all, we love the amazing country musicians our regional centres produce, like Scarlet’s Way.

Scarlet's Way is comprised of lead vocalist, Katey Gabel and guitarist, Shayne Savic. Katey, well known for displaying her rich velvety, powerful blues inspired vocals and along with guitarist, Shayne have bought their trademark southern rock inspired sound to stages at major events such as Tamworth Country Music Festival, Gympie Music Muster and Western Australia's Boyup Brook Country Music Festival. The duo has toured both nationally and internationally, appearing at AmericanaFest and performing at the iconic Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

Since releasing their first single No Fire, No Flames which reached #7 on the iTunes Country Charts in 2017, they have taken their music to the world. Scarlet’s Way released their second single Simple Life in 2018, followed by third single Let The Devil In which received impressive radio support, staying in the AMRAP Top 10 for two straight weeks.

Their latest single is titled Ride On. With hints of country, blues and southern rock, the soulful ballad takes you through the ever elusive, yet often obtainable, euphoria that comes with chasing your dreams. It's a powerful and meaningful track, especially since so many artists have struggled to ride out the pandemic.

To get to know Scarlet’s Way a little better, we’ve asked what they love about their hometown, Mandurah, Western Australia.

Everyone knows everyone

Shayne: Being from a small town, everyone kind of knew everyone. Dad managed the liquor store, so he knew the local publicans. This was pretty handy when my band was ready to do some gigs, it got us in the door playing pubs at 14 years old. There was really only Chicken Treat, fish and chips or a pizza shop as employment options for a teenager, so making money from gigs that young was a cool setup.

Sense of community

Shayne: As I mentioned, it was a small town. Not tiny (around 10,000) and everyone knew each other. The sense of community was great ... at times! Not so much when you're pulled over for drifting your car around a corner in town, and the news makes it home to your parents before you make it back in the driveway! There was no getting away with anything.

The beaches

Katey: It was the beaches for me! Growing up in a coastal town, for most of my life I was never too far away from one. It was almost a shock to the system moving to an inner suburb in the city! Jumping the fence, walking 2 minutes and getting to the beach path for a run, to catch the sunset, write a song ... nothing more relaxing in the world. Putting my feet in the sand always feels like home.

Musical theatre scene

Katey: There was (and still is) such an active musical theatre (and arts in general) scene in Mandurah. Such a great community and there is always a local show on if you're ever thinking about passing through! I remember getting my first part as the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio when I was 13 at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and just loved being around such vibrant people, I was hooked!

The Black Diamond

Shayne: Where Katey loves the beach, I'm way too aware that there are big fish, with sharp teeth out there. I was lucky where I grew up, which was roughly 7kms out of town, there was an old open cut mine that had filled with water and become a very popular swimming spot. I could walk through the bush with the dogs and be there in 5-10 minutes. In recent years 'Black Diamond' has become even more popular with city folk making the 2-hour trip south to see it. My folks still live just around the corner!

To keep up to date with Scarlet’s Way, follow them on Facebook here.

For more of our My CountryTown series, check out here.

Image: Supplied