An alt. country, blues-roots musician from Western Australia, Michael Ward has years of experience performing live across the country.
After releasing an EP, 'The Jarrah Tree', in 2022 followed by several more singles, Michael has spent the last couple of years embedding himself within the country-rock touring circuit.
After sharing the stage with the likes of Morgan Evans, Adam Brand, Eskimo Joe, Beccy Cole, Amber Lawrence, Jayne Denham and Aussie country music icon Lee Keraghan, Ward and his trio (he's joined by full-time jazz musicians Ryan Daunt and Adam Springhetti) have also performed at numerous festivals including Perth Muster and Wangaratta Country Music Festival.
Ward's next single is titled 'No Regrets'. It's a sizzling, boogie-fied rock & roll riff that explodes from the get-go, launching into a fully-blown rockabilly romp.
A slide guitar (or is that a harmonica being thrashed?!) blisters your eardrums with its continuous wailing (in a good way), the slammin' energy infectious as Michael sings with a gusto benefitting the song's Australiana flavours.
It's a meaty, bruisin' ride, punching with a ferocity that never lets up, the snare drum action akin to a battlefield drummer pounding the skins for their very life. You'll be swiggin' bourbon by song's end, hitting the dance floor for a Boot Scootin' Boogie or Copperhead Road dance-off!
With lyrics like 'blisters so big you'd never forget them', 'throw our bodies 'round like they couldn't be broken' and 'little ball of trouble, jeans so tight', Ward's songwriting evokes vivid imagery as well.
It's like Poison had a baby with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Keith Urban was the godfather. Scorching country rock that hits harder than a pack of Fisherman's Friend!
"This song was written to be cathartic, but we've found that it's igniting us to our core, the momentum we're experiencing is palpable and we're thriving off of it," shares Michael.
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (29 August), today scenestr is pumped to premiere 'No Regrets'. Enjoy.
"I love how each element of this song came together so well," adds Ward. "When I listen back, I hear the depth that this song has beneath that raw and intense energy."
After receiving three nominations at the 2025 WA Country Music Awards, including Male Artist Of The Year, the Michael Ward Trio return to the road for a series of mostly regional gigs as well as a September residency at The Rec and The Grand Hotel, both in Boulder (WA).
"The No Regrets tour is massive," Michael says. "Not just because of the number of shows, but because the tour is so extensive and hits so far and wide all around Western Australia as well as across the continent.
"The quality of the festivals that we're part of and the positions we're getting on these line-ups now is what is making this so crazy."
The Michael Ward Trio 2025 Tour Dates
Fri 5 Sep - Kambalda Hotel (Kambalda)Sat 6 Sep - The Rec (Boulder)
Sun 7 Sep - The Rec (Boulder)
Fri 19 Sep - The Grand Hotel (Boulder)
Sat 20 Sep - The Grand Hotel (Boulder)
Fri 21 Sep - The Grand Hotel (Boulder)
Fri 14 Nov - Rosemount Hotel (Perth)
Sat 15 Nov - Prince of Wales Hotel (Bunbury)
Sun 16 Nov - The River Hotel (Margaret River)
Fri 21 Nov - Treendale Farm Hotel (Bunbury)
Sat 22 Nov - The King River Tavern (King River)
Sun 23 Nov - Wilson Brewing Co. (Albany)
Sat 29 Nov - Roma Country Music Festival (Roma)
Fri 5 Dec - Exeter Hotel (Adelaide)
Sat 6 Dec - Wangaratta Rodeo (Wangaratta)
Sun 7 Dec - The Workers Club (Melbourne)
