Since we first spoke to Brad Cox in early 2021 (read HERE) things have continued to move in a really big way for one of the powerhouses of Australian country music. His third studio album “Acres” was nominated for an ARIA award and earlier this year would earn him the Top Selling Country Album of the Year and Contemporary Country Album of the Year in addition to Male Artist of the Year at the Country Music Awards of Australia. The next step brought him to London and Europe’s largest country music festival for the first time at years C2C: Country to Country where we spent some time having a long overdue in-person catchup with Brad.
You finally made it over here. “Yep and here we are drinking canned water.”
I guess this is what life in 2024 looks like, drinking water from a can. “I dunno if I like it ha-ha. I’ve never drunk water out of a can before in my life.”
It’s sort of become a bit hipster here, so has it not found its way down under yet? “I’m probably not the guy to ask because I’m pretty much a hermit. When I go home I just live in my little bubble, I don’t have social media on my phone, I just grow vegetables and feed a few cows.” That sounds like the perfect life. “Oh man it’s a dream.”
A dream that is a long way away from twenty thousand people in a big metal circus tent. “I have very much enjoyed my time here so far but getting the tube to here with like forty-five million other people brought a few minor little panic attacks.”
It’s not the easiest place to get to as there’s only the one line coming to this station and this weekend is just pure chaos. “I mean I live eight hundred kilometres from the nearest major public transport system so I haven’t been on a train in like ten years.”
The rest of the world doesn’t really understand how big Australia is. My best friend lives in Perth and the way she has always said I have to think of WA as like a Germany, France or Spain in size except the people only live in one corner of it then all the men get on a plane each week and go and work down a big hole somewhere else. Then Fanny (Lumsden) was here last year and when I met her, she was saying that when she was driving around in the van, that at times she wouldn’t see another person for like three days. “Yeah, she does get out to some really remote places, I’m going to start doing some more of that too. I think before Covid they went on a trip, Covid happened so they just kept driving.”
I think that pretty much was it, the door of their ute fell off or something and it took them like a week to get it fixed. “We love those guys, it’s great to spend time with them.”
Coming back to here, it’s your first time over and you’ve said that it’s something that you’ve been wanting to do for a while but it’s finally happened. What are your expectations and what’s the hope to get out of the festival? We’ve gone from talking about canned water to feeling like a job interview with me trying to ask proper questions for once. “Well, my expectations were about meeting the guys like you to be honest, the shows were just a bit of a bonus but the gig we just did was far bigger and cooler than I thought it would be. We did have a few hiccups because my guitar arrived off the plane in two different pieces which wasn’t overly helpful but we got through it. It was more an excuse to come and show our face, meet the promoters, meet the media and all those people but everyone has welcomed us with open arms and there’s heaps of people out there having a good time whilst we were playing. We’re having a great time and even though we’re a long way away it feels like it’s not that far from home, we feel very welcome and feel like we belong here.”
Everything that is happening in country music in Australia right now is really cool to see. We went down a rabbit hole with our podcast exploring artists to check out at the start of the year in the run up to the festival in Tamworth just to see what it was all about. “I haven’t been to Tamworth in a few years and I had to send my manager Kurt to pick up the awards for me because I was working on a different project at that time. They’re all the same though man, it’s people enjoying music in big capacities so, it’s all the same gig but it’s like four million degrees at home instead of being really cold like it is here.” It's quite warm today for us at this time of year. “Wow, I nearly cried that it was this cold.”
Music wise “Acres” as a record did pretty well. “Yeah man, highest selling record last year is pretty cool and a nice feather in the cap. It’s been a pretty cool couple of years, the tours have been fun, we toured New Zealand last year for the first time which was so successful and now we’re here and starting to get to do shit like this man. I mean we’re living the dream at the moment and it’s pretty cool.”
It’s a long way to come on a plane, especially when your guitar lands in more pieces than it should be in and you are doing such a short trip which I admire you for doing it as your going all the way to Brisbane and straight into CMC Rocks from here. “Yeah, straight into Brissie, a couple of days off to reacclimatise and then another big festival there. It’s the main festival which is pretty similar to this kind of setup where they bring the North American artists out who are both successful and emerging which is the point of the festival, where other festivals are more local based and a totally different crowd to CMC.
Talking to people that have played at CMC Rocks and Alana Springsteen who was at Ridin’ Hearts in Sydney and Melbs, they all talk about festivals in Aus having a really great vibe and the wonderful tradition you have. I’m actually quite surprised a shoey isn’t something that Brits on holiday or college students in America haven’t drunkenly adopted. “Oh, I don’t do it fella. I’ve done one shoey in my life and it’s probably the only one that I’ll ever do. I was at a festival and they were yelling at me about it so I said if you go and buy me a brand new set of boots that are size twelve, extra wide I’ll do it. Then we played the next year and these fans turned up with a brand new pair of boots, size twelve, extra wide and I said if you spend four hundred bucks of your hard earnt cash on a pair of boots I’d better do a shoey ha-ha. I think it’s filthy, I have no idea why my people decided it was a good idea to drink beer out of their fucking boot, it makes no sense.”
Ha-ha exactly someone thought that, probably after a lot of beers, it seemed a funny thing to do and the rest of you thought I really like that, let’s make this a thing. “I mean, if they smelt my toes you might think differently ha-ha.” Obviously it’s not just all about drinking beers out of a shoe in Aus because country music and that market is really growing in a big way. “Yeah, it’s the same as everywhere, it’s blowing up and it’s really cool to see. I mean it’s like welcome, finally, thanks for being here and thanks for turning up which is really cool and things are really happening. Mainstream media are catching on, the general population are catching on and people don’t turn their noses up at it anymore so, it’s nice that it’s happening.”
Then over here, this is hopefully going to be the first trip of many. “I Very much hope so, we’ve had a great time so far, we’re looking forward to the next couple of days and looking forward to drinking some more water out of a can ha-ha. Maybe I’ll start that in Australia and there’s a business opportunity in there.”
Man, I tell you it’s becoming a thing here, all the kids seem fascinated by it. “But why? I don’t dislike it but anyway cheers ha-ha.”
This has been a cool hang and really hope you can start coming back more now you’ve literally tested the water. “Ha-ha yeah, literally tested it from a can!”
We will probably be onto some new fad by the next trip but let Sammy know we love what she’s doing and want her to come to play for us too. “I will do! She would be here and would love it but she’s playing a festival this weekend at home.”
We’ve followed her through socials and stuff for a while so we can’t wait to see her too but the talent that is there right now in Australia and what people are doing in country music is awesome. Again, this has been wild, I’m so glad you’re here and hopefully you find a guitar to borrow that agrees with you for the rest of your sets this weekend.
The CMAA Award winning album “Acres” from Brad Cox is out now and available HERE. You can find details for all of Brad’s upcoming Australian shows by checking out his WEBSITE or you can be the first to be in the know about any news of forthcoming new releases along with what he is up to by following along on YOUTUBEINSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK.
C2C: Country to Country will return in 2025 for three days of festivities in Berlin over the weekend of March 7th to 9th which you will be able to find further detail on their WEBSITE and on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK where you will also be able to relive highlights from this year’s event. The event will then roll back into London, Glasgow and Belfast the following weekend between March 14th and 16th which you can keep a look out for all forthcoming details at the event WEBSITE