The Sit Down with Sinead Burgess
The first running of Country Calling at Hylands Park in Chelmsford saw the finest that the UK country music scene had to offer share the bill with a host of international talent from the United States, Canada and a particularly strong Antipodean contingent comprising of a headliner from New Zealand and three Australians. The thing with folk from down under is they really are like a very welcomed boomerang because no matter how times they leave after a tour, they just keep coming back and this is definitely the case with Sinead Burgess. The Queenslander who now calls Nashville home, first came to our little island in 2018 when she joined The Shires on tour where she has continued to return for runs with Paul Young and Kezia Gill in addition to also performing at Europe’s largest country music festival C2C: Country to Country.
I'm very glad to finally meet you properly because everyone says how wonderful you are. We met very briefly in passing earlier this year at C2C amongst all the chaos that goes on there but it’s weird that it took so long because you've been here a few times now.
“I have, yeah, I was trying to work it out, so the first trip was 2018 when I opened for The Shires, which does not feel like that long ago, but also we had like a giant pandemic in the middle. I think I’ve pretty much solidly been coming back every year, except for the pandemic, it’s been every year.”
What makes you enjoy it? What makes it worthwhile to keep coming here? I suppose now that you are in Nashville now, it's not quite as far as was before.
“Can I say, I jagged a direct flight too and eight and a half hours, I could not believe. I'm like, wait, I feel like I've watched a movie and how to sleep and I'm here.”
It's such a game changer, like when we do it, you think to yourself why did we have to rush around Chicago or why are we sat at Miami on an eight hour layover?
“Ha-ha so true but it's been really good. I mean, the UK, for me, is, honestly, it's a different version of understanding music. Like, fans here, they really care about lyrics, they really care about putting it all together, they love albums, they’re just real music fans, you know, and for me, when I first experienced that with The Shires, I was blown away. Like I was honestly so taken back and I was like, this is this is where I need to be coming back to.”
It is the fact that like people ask you about songs you haven't even thought about for so long, it's like, you know, a deep cut from like nine or ten years ago, that is someone's radio single.
“It's so true, I mean, there's a song on my first album that I kind of put on there because it was one for me sort of thing, you know and it's about a five minute song but that became the song that people loved and followed and wanted from that record. So, yeah, you just never know, but I love that it's so full of real music fans.”
I know you haven't played yet, but you were here yesterday and Blake was playing, but what have your impressions been of Country Calling? Donna and Pete have done a great job putting it on and you've seen plenty of other festivals before, but how does this feel compared to things in the States and also back at home in Aus?
“You know what? I have been raving to Pete and Donna all weekend, then just praising them because for this to be their first year is mind blowing. Like what they've done, what they've created and just how happy the fans are too, like everybody's having a ball. I mean, it's going to be so much bigger next year just purely from word of mouth, people are going to really, really love this festival. But do you know what? I've been saying to Pete and Donna, that it reminds me of CMC Rocks when it first kicked off in Australia, it's got that same feeling where it's like, this is as small as it's ever going to be, but it still feels big. So, yeah I think it's going to be one of the main ones on the calendar, for sure.”
I'm very glad to finally meet you properly because everyone says how wonderful you are. We met very briefly in passing earlier this year at C2C amongst all the chaos that goes on there but it’s weird that it took so long because you've been here a few times now.
“I have, yeah, I was trying to work it out, so the first trip was 2018 when I opened for The Shires, which does not feel like that long ago, but also we had like a giant pandemic in the middle. I think I’ve pretty much solidly been coming back every year, except for the pandemic, it’s been every year.”
What makes you enjoy it? What makes it worthwhile to keep coming here? I suppose now that you are in Nashville now, it's not quite as far as was before.
“Can I say, I jagged a direct flight too and eight and a half hours, I could not believe. I'm like, wait, I feel like I've watched a movie and how to sleep and I'm here.”
It's such a game changer, like when we do it, you think to yourself why did we have to rush around Chicago or why are we sat at Miami on an eight hour layover?
“Ha-ha so true but it's been really good. I mean, the UK, for me, is, honestly, it's a different version of understanding music. Like, fans here, they really care about lyrics, they really care about putting it all together, they love albums, they’re just real music fans, you know, and for me, when I first experienced that with The Shires, I was blown away. Like I was honestly so taken back and I was like, this is this is where I need to be coming back to.”
It is the fact that like people ask you about songs you haven't even thought about for so long, it's like, you know, a deep cut from like nine or ten years ago, that is someone's radio single.
“It's so true, I mean, there's a song on my first album that I kind of put on there because it was one for me sort of thing, you know and it's about a five minute song but that became the song that people loved and followed and wanted from that record. So, yeah, you just never know, but I love that it's so full of real music fans.”
I know you haven't played yet, but you were here yesterday and Blake was playing, but what have your impressions been of Country Calling? Donna and Pete have done a great job putting it on and you've seen plenty of other festivals before, but how does this feel compared to things in the States and also back at home in Aus?
“You know what? I have been raving to Pete and Donna all weekend, then just praising them because for this to be their first year is mind blowing. Like what they've done, what they've created and just how happy the fans are too, like everybody's having a ball. I mean, it's going to be so much bigger next year just purely from word of mouth, people are going to really, really love this festival. But do you know what? I've been saying to Pete and Donna, that it reminds me of CMC Rocks when it first kicked off in Australia, it's got that same feeling where it's like, this is as small as it's ever going to be, but it still feels big. So, yeah I think it's going to be one of the main ones on the calendar, for sure.”
It must be really cool to play, not just obviously with you and Blake being here, but Fanny (Lumsden) played yesterday, then I know she is a Kiwi but Kaylee (Bell) headlined last night and I saw Tom Jordan was knocking around yesterday too, so plenty of people from your neck of the woods.
“Honestly, we were all sitting together last night and just going, how is this possible? They are some of my deepest, oldest friends like Kaylee lived with us in Nashville for years when we moved over there and she's my Kiwi sister, you know? Tom is one of my oldest friends too and Trav, who plays for Fanny, he's amazing and Fanny is amazing, so we were just sitting there going, how on earth are we on the other side of the globe right now? Playing at a country music festival and we're all here, it’s so cool.”
It is crazy with the amount of Aussies that are starting to come over like Brad Cox has been over a couple of times and Sammy (White) came over with him for the first time when he last was over so that is really cool to see. Then obviously in Nashville where you are now, like you sort of said people like Tom, then Jordan Dozzi, Phil Barton and lots of other people too, so in terms of moving to a new place and obviously being Music City, it is full of transplants anyway but have this sub-community there must be really cool and really welcoming.
“It's honestly like, it's the home away from home. I mean, Nashville has become a home for all of us and we love it there but having all of our people that we've grown up with, it's the weirdest. It's kind of like being backstage with everyone and we're in this amazing place where we're all working, but we've got our family here. It's really cool.”
In terms of music that you're going to be putting out, we haven't had anything for a while so are we building towards something? Is something exciting on the way?
“Yeah, it's literally in the final stage now and we just got back from Vegas filming some music videos, it was the week before we left. Actually, it was a couple of days before we left for the UK, so it's very much coming up now so I'm going to start trickling stuff out very, very soon, it feels like it's been worth the wait now.”
Is some of it coming out this year?
“You're definitely going to hear rumblings of it for sure this year.”
“Honestly, we were all sitting together last night and just going, how is this possible? They are some of my deepest, oldest friends like Kaylee lived with us in Nashville for years when we moved over there and she's my Kiwi sister, you know? Tom is one of my oldest friends too and Trav, who plays for Fanny, he's amazing and Fanny is amazing, so we were just sitting there going, how on earth are we on the other side of the globe right now? Playing at a country music festival and we're all here, it’s so cool.”
It is crazy with the amount of Aussies that are starting to come over like Brad Cox has been over a couple of times and Sammy (White) came over with him for the first time when he last was over so that is really cool to see. Then obviously in Nashville where you are now, like you sort of said people like Tom, then Jordan Dozzi, Phil Barton and lots of other people too, so in terms of moving to a new place and obviously being Music City, it is full of transplants anyway but have this sub-community there must be really cool and really welcoming.
“It's honestly like, it's the home away from home. I mean, Nashville has become a home for all of us and we love it there but having all of our people that we've grown up with, it's the weirdest. It's kind of like being backstage with everyone and we're in this amazing place where we're all working, but we've got our family here. It's really cool.”
In terms of music that you're going to be putting out, we haven't had anything for a while so are we building towards something? Is something exciting on the way?
“Yeah, it's literally in the final stage now and we just got back from Vegas filming some music videos, it was the week before we left. Actually, it was a couple of days before we left for the UK, so it's very much coming up now so I'm going to start trickling stuff out very, very soon, it feels like it's been worth the wait now.”
Is some of it coming out this year?
“You're definitely going to hear rumblings of it for sure this year.”
Love to hear that. Then lastly who have you got playing with you today? Who's backing you up? Who are your boys here?
“This is how full circle and amazing it is, so I've got Ollie Harding on drums, who I met when I toured with the Shires and he's one of my oldest friends here, which is amazing, then I've got Charlie Fowler on bass who again is phenomenal, plays for The Shires as well as a whole bunch of other people, I have Cristiano (Pochesci) who is such a brilliant player on steel and I also have Blake jumping up with me too. So yeah, it's just fun and that's the coolest thing which I keep saying to the guys backstage. I'm like, no matter what, I just want to have a ball and sometimes we forget that music is really fun because we want to be perfect for everybody, you know, we want to pour our hearts into it, we want everyone to have a good time but people tend to have a good time when you’re having a good time. So, I'm just like, let's have some fun, let's play make some noise and off we go.”
That’s amazing, I'm looking forward to seeing you play for the first time because I've kept missing you.
“We were just waiting for the good weather.”
Exactly and you've brought it. Hopefully you'll come back again soon, look to keep that run going of coming every year and this has been so much fun so thanks for stopping by.
There is set to be plenty of exciting new music on the way very soon from Sinead Burgess but in the meantime you can keep up to date with all that she is up to over on INSTAGRAM X & FACEBOOK.
This year’s Country Calling was a resounding success with next year’s event set to take place between the 14th and 16th of August so you can be the first to find out more details on their WEBSITE and relive all the 2025 highlights on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK.
“This is how full circle and amazing it is, so I've got Ollie Harding on drums, who I met when I toured with the Shires and he's one of my oldest friends here, which is amazing, then I've got Charlie Fowler on bass who again is phenomenal, plays for The Shires as well as a whole bunch of other people, I have Cristiano (Pochesci) who is such a brilliant player on steel and I also have Blake jumping up with me too. So yeah, it's just fun and that's the coolest thing which I keep saying to the guys backstage. I'm like, no matter what, I just want to have a ball and sometimes we forget that music is really fun because we want to be perfect for everybody, you know, we want to pour our hearts into it, we want everyone to have a good time but people tend to have a good time when you’re having a good time. So, I'm just like, let's have some fun, let's play make some noise and off we go.”
That’s amazing, I'm looking forward to seeing you play for the first time because I've kept missing you.
“We were just waiting for the good weather.”
Exactly and you've brought it. Hopefully you'll come back again soon, look to keep that run going of coming every year and this has been so much fun so thanks for stopping by.
There is set to be plenty of exciting new music on the way very soon from Sinead Burgess but in the meantime you can keep up to date with all that she is up to over on INSTAGRAM X & FACEBOOK.
This year’s Country Calling was a resounding success with next year’s event set to take place between the 14th and 16th of August so you can be the first to find out more details on their WEBSITE and relive all the 2025 highlights on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK.
