ARTICLE BY THE AUSTRALIAN, ANDREW MCMILLEN
Heading into the annual summer festival held in Tamworth, James Johnston was hoping to sell a few tickets to his debut headline show at the capital of Australian country music.
Trying to drum up interest in the live arena is a rite of passage for all performers, but it’s a desire that often goes unfulfilled, especially when artists have only released a handful of songs.
The singer-songwriter was thrilled, then, to achieve his goal two months out from his January 18 concert – but this will be no small pub gig.
“I’ve been lucky that I’ve played around the country, playing events and festivals,” Johnston, 31, told The Australian. “But for my very first ticketed show, I decided that I wanted to go big: what’s the biggest venue in Tamworth? Let’s try to sell that out.”
Go big he did: Johnston’s sold-out gig is at the 1600-capacity entertainment centre known as TRECC, where only the biggest names in country music tend to play, such as veterans Troy Cassar-Daley and Lee Kernaghan.
That same venue space will host the annual Golden Guitar Awards on January 21, and Johnson learned on Tuesday that he is the lead nominee, as a finalist in six categories including best new talent and song of the year.
Speaking with The Australian last week, before the nominations were announced, Johnston was keeping a lid on his ambitions for the sector’s annual gathering.
“I would say ‘hopes and dreams’, not expectations,” he said with a laugh. “I used to go to the Golden Guitars, and most of my country music heroes have stood up on that stage, so I’d be honoured if one day I get to do the same thing.”
With six nominations, Johnston leads some highly esteemed colleagues: both Amber Lawrence and Adam Brand are up for five awards, as is Gold Coast country rocker Casey Barnes, while Tamworth local Ashleigh Dallas has four nominations.
Since releasing his debut single, Raised Like That, in September last year, Johnston has amassed millions of Spotify streams and skilfully built an audience on video platform TikTok, where he has 195,000 followers.
Having appeared on Australian Idol in 2009, when he placed third, then on The X-Factor in 2014, the artist from the NSW mid-north-coast town of Wingham knows how fickle the music business can be.
“From being on reality TV shows to playing a thousand dirty pub gigs with a mate around Australia, I pull every one of those experiences into my live show and into my songwriting today,” he said.
There’s another facet of his life that he doesn’t shy away from showing on social media, either: as a happily married father.
“Trust me, there’s been plenty of people in the music industry that told me I should hide that part of my story,” he said.
“I’ve gone, ‘Stuff that: I’m going to tell my story’,” said Johnston. “I am a proud family man, I’m a dad of two, and I love my wife. I’m proud of that part of my story, and I want to share all of it.”
Toyota 51st Golden Guitar Awards 2023 Nominees
APPLE MUSIC SINGLE OF THE YEAR
All Or Nothing – Adam Brand
Memory Lane – Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley
Get To Know Ya – Casey Barnes
Small Town – James Johnston
Sing Along Drink Along – Morgan Evans
CMT VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Star Of The Show – Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley – Directed by Brad Murnane
Small Town – James Johnston – Directed by Elijah Cavanagh
South East Queensland – Luke O’Shea – Directed by Luke O’Shea and Jay Seeney
Something Good’s Gonna Happen – The Wolfe Brothers featuring Amy Sheppard – Directed by Jay Seeney
One Of Them Nights – Travis Collins – Directed by Jay Seeney
VOCAL COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
James Johnston & Kaylee Bell – Same Songs
Kirsty Lee Akers, Amber Lawrence and Ashleigh Dallas – Let The Girls Sing
Lee Kernaghan, Mitch Tambo and Isaiah Firebrace – Come Together
Lyn Bowtell & Shane Nicholson – Wiser
Melanie Dyer & Caitlyn Shadbolt – Dumb Decisions
INSTRUMENTAL OF THE YEAR
Dust – Angus Gill & Pixie Jenkins
Burning Mountain – Michael Carpenter and The Banks Brothers featuring Hamish Davidson
Fidget Spinner – Mickey Pye
Clippety Clop – Pete Denahy
Soda Cap Boogie – The French Family Band
BLUEGRASS RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Sweet Sister Jasmine – Angus Gill
Good Morning Moon – Kristy Cox
Until This Song Ends – Lynchburg & The Weeping Willows
Road Man – Michael Carpenter and The Banks Brothers
House Of Sin – The Weeping Willows
HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR
I’m Coming Home – Written by Amber Lawrence and Katrina Burgoyne – Recorded by Amber Lawrence
Listen to the Country – Written and Recorded by Angus Gill & Kevin Bennett
Bogswamp – Written by Josh Cunningham – Recorded by Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham
Come Together – Written by Lee Kernaghan, Mitch Tambo, Isaiah Firebrace, Nicholas Wolfe, Colin Buchanan and Garth Porter – Recorded by Lee Kernaghan, Mitch Tambo and Isaiah Firebrace
South East Queensland – Written by Luke O’Shea, Fred Smith and Mitchell Lynham – Recorded by Luke O’Shea
BUSH BALLAD OF THE YEAR
Sometimes It’s Your Job – Written by Allan Caswell, Manfred Vijars and Lindsay Waddington – Recorded by Allan Caswell
Ghostly Gums – Written by Kath Stewart, David Carter, Angela Bristow-Baohm and Andy Penkow – Recorded by Andy Penkow
Waiting for the Boss – Written by Angus Gill, Alan Mackey & Mary O’Brien – Recorded by Angus Gill featuring Anne Kirkpatrick
Out on Killarney – Written and recorded by Dean Perrett
Family Tree – Written by Rod McCormack, Dianne Lindsay and Peter Simpson – Recorded by Dianne Lindsay
NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR
Blake Dantier
Cass Hopetoun
James Johnston
Max Jackson
Taylor Moss
COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL NEWS GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley
Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes
McAlister Kemp
The Buckleys
The Weeping Willows
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Adam Brand
Andrew Swift
Casey Barnes
James Johnston
Morgan Evans
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Amber Lawrence
Ashleigh Dallas
Hayley Jensen
Lyn Bowtell
Melanie Dyer
SONG OF THE YEAR
All Or Nothing – Written by Adam Brand, Nicholas Wolfe and Tom Wolfe – Recorded by Adam Brand
Star Of The Show – Written by Brooke McClymont, Adam Eckersley and Robby De Sa – Recorded by Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley
Small Town – Written by Casey Barnes, Michael DeLorenzis and Michael Paynter – Recorded by Casey Barnes
Small Town – Written by James Johnston and Nolan Wynne – Recorded by James Johnston
South East Queensland – Written by Luke O’Shea, Fred Smith and Mitchell Lynham – Recorded by Luke O’Shea
ALT COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Dead Men Tell No Tales – Allison Forbes – Produced by Matt Fell
Strength Of A Queen – Andy Golledge – Produced by John Vella & Ryan Miller
Tug of War – Jenny Mitchell – Produced by Matt Fell
Looks Like Heaven – Kim Cheshire – Produced by Rod McCormack
You Reap What You Sow – The Weeping Willows – Produced by Andrew Wrigglesworth & Laura Coates
CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
All Or Nothing – Adam Brand – Produced by Adam Brand, Vesa Matara, Benjy Pocock and Luke Wooten
Living For The Highlights – Amber Lawrence – Produced by Stuart Stuart
Light It Up – Casey Barnes – Produced by Michael DeLorenzis and Michael Paynter
Silver Linings – Kaylee Bell – Produced by Simon Oscroft, Andy Mak and Joseph Faris
Wiser – Lyn Bowtell – Produced by Shane Nicholson
TRADITIONAL COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
In The Moment – Ashleigh Dallas – Produced by Brett Dallas
Dry Season – Blake Dantier – Produced by Simon Johnson
Shades of Blue – Kristy Cox – Produced by Jerry Salley
Mr Goodtime – Michael Carpenter and The Banks Brothers – Produced by Michael Carpenter
Travelling Heart – TC Cassidy – Produced by Angus Gill
TOYOTA ALBUM OF THE YEAR
All Or Nothing – Adam Brand – Produced by Adam Brand, Vesa Matara, Benjy Pocock and Luke Wooten
Living For The Highlights – Amber Lawrence – Produced by Stuart Stuart
In The Moment – Ashleigh Dallas – Produced by Brett Dallas
Light It Up – Casey Barnes – Produced by Michael DeLorenzis and Michael Paynter
Silver Linings – Kaylee Bell – Produced by Simon Oscroft, Andy Mak and Joseph Faris
