Loren Ryan, Kaylee Bell & More: This Week's Best New Music

Loren Ryan – Suddenly 

Suddenly was one of two songs Loren Ryan performed in Tamworth this January at the Toyota Star Maker Grand Final, which helped her take out the title. Written with Melanie Dyer and Gavin Carfoot at APRA AMCOS SongHubs Country writing event, Loren admits that the core theme of the song is nostalgia, stating that shared moments with her five-year-old daughter are the most valuable things she possesses.

“Everyone says time passes by so quickly and to savour every moment with your little one, and you don't really understand them until suddenly you no longer have a toddler and you're shopping for their first school uniform,” Loren says. “I'm quite a sentimental person; I've raised my daughter Charlie on my own since she was four-months old, and every year when I sing happy birthday to her, I’ve cried happy tears. We're building a beautiful mother and daughter relationship that I will nurture and cherish forever.”

Kaylee Bell – Nights Like This 

Following BOOTS ‘N All, Small Town Friday Nights and When Summer Rolls Around, we can’t go past a Kaylee Bell song! And Nights Like This we feel is another banger with ‘hit’ written all over it! Produced and co-written by the LA-based Simon Oscroft, Nights Like This strikes the perfect balance between anthemic country music and in-vogue pop sensibilities.

Kaylee says, "I started writing this one backstage when we were on tour with Ed Sheeran at the start of the year and finished it with my buddy Simon Oscroft. We loved getting to play this one every night on tour with you all and hear you all sing it back to us.”

Southbound xo – Boat 

Southbound xo have dropped their first release for 2023. Boat was produced by JARNE and written by Southbound xo band members Missy Lancaster and Sarah Bernardo along with hit songwriters Phil Barton and Brian White during a recent Nashville song writing trip.

“I’d been joking around with Sarah during our US writing trip and saying that I really wanted to write a fun song about a boat,” says Missy. “And then at this particular session, we said to co-writer Brian White, ‘do you know anyone in Nashville that has a boat?’ He simply replied with ‘well, everybody knows somebody with a boat.’ From there the song was born!”

Chris Janson & Darius Rucker – Every Day Of The Week

From his new album, The Outlaw Side Of Me, Chris Janson is joined by former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman-turned-country singer, Darius Rucker on his new single, Every Day Of The Week. Additionally, the album features collaborations with Brantley Gilbert (Hank The Hell Out of The Honkytonk) and Dolly Parton and Slash (21 Forever).

“From the minute I started this album, 'til the minute we finished, I enjoyed every second,” Janson previously said in a press release. “This album encompasses all sides of me! The lover, the party guy, the conservationist, the family man and of course, the rowdy side. I love the songs, the imaging and had a good time making the music. I hope you all enjoy The Outlaw Side of Me - my favourite album, to date.”

Dylan Hutchins – One More Night 

Dylan Hutchins is a country-pop musician with a Pearl Jam spin from Perth, Western Australia. Influenced by artists like James Bay, John Mayer, Chris Stapleton and of course, Pearl Jam, evident in his latest single, One More Night.

With a background in carpentry for the past ten years, as well as regional exploration and international travel in between, Dylan has put his tools down to chase his dream of being a full time professional musician. Along with depth and heartfelt lyrics, One More Night is the first in a line of releases for the up-and-coming artist.

You can listen to the Hot Country Hits Australia playlist featuring all the above songs and more on Spotify here.