BIGSOUND Artists Share What Excites Them Most About The Country Scene In 2024

Wade Forster

The thing that excites me the most about the Australian country music scene is its diversity. People come from all stretches of land and life. Most say that country should be sung by people in the bush, but that is just not true.

Country is for everyone, and I think that Australia is doing a good job of utilizing that by writing for people from any line of work or any area. We are reaching an audience that once was hard to capture. The future in Australia is bright.

Charlotte Le Lievre

I'm excited by the diverse breadth of sounds that constitute the tapestry of Australian country music right now. There are lots of great DIY grassroots artists who are putting their own spin on the genre and pushing Australian country music in some new and interesting directions. I'm also excited to be a part of a country music community where there are lots of Queer and First Nations country artists who are carving out space for more inclusive stories within the genre.

Claudia Tripp

The most exciting thing to me is the new wave of country music fans. They’re not just dabbling in it; they’re all in! It’s exciting for artists like myself because the more hype there is around the genre, the more we can all grow our audiences and share our music with new people. I’ve found that when fans go to one country show with their mates, they want to do it all again next weekend, too. All artists are benefiting from each others’ shows which is amazing, there is a real sense of community.

Austin Mackay

There's a lot to love about Australian country music, but what excites me most at the moment is the evolving sound within the scene. There's a wave of new artists from diverse backgrounds—such as folk, rock, and pop—who are mixing the genres and creating their own unique blends of country music. It's really refreshing to hear artists pushing boundaries and infusing their own styles into the genre that we know and love.

Homegrown Trio

Australian country music is diversifying, and it’s been so exciting to watch the audiences and appetite for country music grow in Australia. We love seeing Australian country artists like Melanie Dyer and Lane Pittman!

Lane Pittman

Australian country music is in such a healthy spot at the moment. With the rise of country globally, we’re really seeing people get into the local artists. It’s really cool to see people slowly making their way into exploring country, and I’m super privileged to be a part of it all!

Hudson Rose

The diversity! Country music is such a rapidly growing genre, and I’m so excited to be part of it and to see where it goes. I believe there is a little something in country music for everyone!

Watty Thompson

The Australian music scene is very exciting, diverse, and vibrant. My music floats between genres sonically, but I’ve been lucky enough to have it added to the record collections of some of Australia’s country music fans due to the healthy dose of twang that comes with a lot of it.

There have always been pockets of country music fans in this country, but as a genre, what excites me the most is that the love for Australian country music seems to be spreading far beyond these original pockets. There seems to be more of an audience for Australian country artists than there was ten years ago, and bands are able to get out and reach more places on tour, perhaps beyond what used to be possible.

Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields

We're really thrilled to see more alt-country and Americana music coming through the country scene and being celebrated more than ever.

BIGSOUND 2024 will run from Tuesday, 3 to Friday, 6 September, at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. You can find all the details about this year’s event here.