Turn It Up - Discovering Aussie Country with Shane Nicholson and Kasey Chambers

Shane Nicholson and Kasey Chambers

Chances are you've heard of country superstar Keith Urban, and if you have, you probably know Urban comes fairly uniquely to American country music by way of his native Australia.

What you may not realize is that Australia has its own long tradition of country music, rooted in Irish and Scottish folk ballads and nourished by both Australian bush balladeers and modern American country influences.

Two brilliant musicians who have established themselves in the Australian country music scene are Kasey Chambers and her husband singer-songwriter Shane Nicholson. In the last decade, Chambers and Nicholson have enjoyed critical success for their individual recordings, as well as for the award-winning 2008 album Rattlin' Bones, which they co-wrote and performed together.

On September 7th, the pair will release their second collaborative effort, Wreck & Ruin. The first track from the album, Adam & Eve, has been pre-released and if it's any indicator, we're in for an incredible bluegrass treat that overflows with inventive lyrics, traditional banjo twang, and flawless harmonies.

It's remarkable that two people who sound so perfect together on every note should fall in love. I guess the takeaway is - if you meet someone whose singing voice blends perfectly with your own, marry her.

You can hear Kasey and Shane together in the video below for Adam & Eve. 

If you're in the mood for something with less bluegrass foreboding and more singer-songwriter yearning, Designed to Fade from Shane's 2004 album It's a Movie is a great introduction to his solo work. (Kasey sings back up, too!)