Country Band Down Under

Anyone who follows country music knows the influence that Australia has had on the U.S. country music scene. Exports like Keith Urban, Sherrie Austin and even Olivia Newton-John have had major impact on the Billboard charts here in the states.

I've just finished listening to a new act that I heard on CSO Radio called Southern Crossed that's a little cross between Tom Petty and Billy Ray Cyrus. They are a three-piece unit, offering, according to their publicity, a sound that melds country, blues and rock.

The band is a group of Australian veterans. Singer and songwriter Brendan Young has been kickin’ around the local country scene (Melbourne, Australia) since 2002. Singer, songwriter and bassist Noel Goard, who’s instrument of choice has five strings, has been playing in established cover bands for years, while drummer Russell Wookey is equally credentialed, having been in various bands for years.

Says critic George Peden, "Determined to stay original, the band’s self-penned six track extended play, The Line, is a polished mix of love, loss, heartache and rural hardship. All the while, the sound comes edged with strong riffs, easy vocals and solid drumming.

Stand out cuts: “She’s Out Running Around,” the Aussie familiarity of “The Servo (gas station),” the rural reality of “The Big Dry” and the party mood of mates, the local, Friday nights and the chance to down a few as heard on “Whiskey Down”."