With 36 Golden Guitars to call his very own, it's little wonder Lee Kernaghan is hailed as the reigning king of Australian country music.
Yet, ever the humble gent from the bush, Lee reckons he's still a far second from who he calls the true king. “There's only one king, and that's Slim Dusty,” Lee laughs, modestly dismissing the claim.
Whether he wants to wear the crown or not, it's an almost undeniable fact that Lee is easily one of Australia's most well-known and respected country musicians.
Across a career spanning over 25 years he has released 18 albums, including greatest hits and his 25th anniversary collection released in 2017.
Now, Lee is excited to be releasing his newest album of original material, 'Backroad Nation'. “It's been a few years since I've brought out an album of original material,” Lee says.
“I've spent the past couple of years writing songs – that's taken me to every part of Australia writing those songs and over to America as well. It all culminates with the release of the new one.”
For 'Backroad Nation', Lee says he approached writing the songs much the same as he always has, by focussing on the stories behind them.
“It all comes down to the songs, and when you're in the craft of lyric writing one of the catchphrases is 'a song is only ever as strong as the idea behind it',” he says.
“So it's a matter of gathering those unique ideas and experiences, and turning them into music that hopefully will make a connection with people.”
Lee will be showcasing songs from 'Backroad Nation' on a national tour that includes playing Groundwater Country Music Festival at Broadbeach (Gold Coast) in July.
After helping James Blundell close out last year's festival, Lee says he'll be bringing out a brand-new show for Groundwater this year. “Groundwater will be the first major event for me for the new show,” he says.
“I think I started getting wound up and excited when I rolled in there to sing a few songs with James Blundell last year. I got a real sense of what was going on and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife, it was red-hot.
“[New music] will be a massive highlight for me because it's a brand-new album but it's also a brand-new show. I'll be playing a few of the hits that people know as well as a few of these new ones, and I'm so ecstatic about this new release; can't wait to get it out there.”
For Lee, who now calls the Gold Coast home, Groundwater is a rare chance for him to perform at a top-tier country music festival right in his very own backyard.
“I've got a place here, I spend most of my time away from the Coast out on the road but it's good to get back and to play Broadbeach,” he says.
“It's going to be the gig of the year, really, mainly due to all the people that pack-out Broadbeach – they're there for the music, they're there to party and it's just an awesome atmosphere.”
This year's Groundwater Country Music Festival will be seventh annual instalment for the popular event, which Lee says has grown into one of the country's premier live music gatherings.
“I think Groundwater is going to be – it already is – one of the truly big music festivals in the country now. It's just so well-run, the production and facilities are first-class, and that it keeps growing exponentially each year.
“It brings in a lot of people from interstate and fills up the restaurants, bars, hotels, motels; it's a real credit to Queensland.”
