Freight Train Foxes Win The 2024 Groundwater KIX-Start Competition
Freight Train Foxes have been added to the incredible Groundwater Country Music Festival bill following their win.
Freight Train Foxes (Source: Supplied)
Brisbane duo Freight Train Foxes have joined this month’s Groundwater Country Music Festival (CMF) line-up after winning this year’s Groundwater KIX-Start Competition.
The indie-folk songwriters have won a hell of a prize. In addition to performing at the festival alongside local and international country music icons, Freight Train Foxes have received support from KIX Country and iHeartCountry radio, a recording package with Jared Adlam at Machine Lab Recording, a songwriting session with Jordan Dozzi (Morgan Wallen, ERNEST), a six-month strategic marketing package with The Music, and a PR package with Varrasso PR.
The Groundwater KIX-Start competition, launched in 2021 as a collaboration between the festival and the KIX Country Radio Network, has unearthed some of Australia’s shining country stars.
Freight Train Foxes have released five EPs in five years that have amassed over two million plays on Spotify.
The pair – Pat Kenny and Kelsey Berrington – impressed the judging panel with their unique brand of suburban acoustic folk music. This year’s panel judges included Groundwater CMF headliner Adam Brand, KIX Country’s Justin Thomson, and the Groundwater CMF Festival Director Mark Duckworth.
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The duo have been creeping up the ranks of critical acclaim, having been finalists at last year’s Queensland Music Awards for Best Folk Song (Fly To You) and winning Alt-Country Song of the Year in January at the Tamworth Songwriters Association Awards. Freight Train Foxes’ latest EP, This City Holds Memories, was released in August.
The duo said of their impressive win: “We’re stoked to be this year’s winner for Groundwater’s 2024 Kix-Start competition! With so much talent out there, we never expected to even be in contention.
“Groundwater Country Music Festival is ‘hands down’ one of the best country music festivals in Australia, and we’re thrilled to be part of an incredible line-up. We want to say a massive thank you to Kix Country and Groundwater CMF for such a great opportunity!”
Adam Brand added, “A huge shout-out to all the competitors in the 2024 Groundwater KIX-Start competition! The level of talent this year was outstanding, with each artist showcasing their unique style and delivering exceptional performances.
“Special congratulations to Freight Train Foxes for taking home the top prize! I’m excited to see Freight Train Foxes perform at Groundwater Country Music Festival and can’t wait to hear the incredible music Freight Train Foxes has in store for us this year.
“It was so hard to pick from this incredible top five line up. The Groundwater Country Music Festival and KIX Country Radio Network continue to provide incredible platforms for rising artists to gain national recognition.”
The 2024 Groundwater CMF will take over Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, Queensland, from 18-20 October. This year, organisers have amassed 55 artists who will perform on 12 stages and venues across the suburb, bringing different facets of country, bluegrass, folk, and more to punters. You can find more information about the festival here.
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