The end of the year is fast approaching, and country stars The Wolfe Brothers have just played their first gig since the pandemic overtook the world.
"We've just had a wonderful weekend up in Warwick at a rodeo there," band member Tom Wolfe says."You could feel in the audience people were just so happy to be out dancing. Literally, a big storm came through and no one left.
"Everyone just stayed out in the rain dancing, just absolutely having the best time they possibly could."
Ever since gaining fame in 2012 on 'Australia's Got Talent', Tom and his brother Nick have been working at a fast pace, writing, recording, and touring non-stop, until the pandemic put the world in lockdown.
Now that Australia is beginning to lift lockdowns, the duo are ready to venture from their homes in Tasmania to perform live on the mainland, including a set at Groundwater Country Music Festival on the Gold Coast next week.
While lockdown was an inconvenience, The Wolfe Brothers took the time out in their stride. For Tom, he was able to spend time at home in Tasmania on the family farm and enjoy fatherhood with his newborn daughter.
However, that didn't stop The Wolfe Brothers from continuing work on their fifth album, 'Kids On Cassette'. "It was an experience making the album," Tom says.
"We started before lockdown, and then we got locked down. It was a bit of a process to get things recorded and make it happen. I think it took years off my brother's life, but we got there."
The brothers had started recording in North America with producer Matt Fell, but once lockdown began they shifted to Nick's home-studio dubbed The Wolfe's Lair.
Nick took over production, and the band strived to recapture the classic albums of their youth, many of which they heard on cassettes in the family car.
They decided to add variety to their country sound to give listeners an adventurous listening experience, incorporating such sounds as reggae, the sharp rhythm guitars of INXS, and, bizarrely, a bagpipe solo.
"We were a bit scared about that," Tom laughs. "When we did bagpipes, I thought, 'is this really a good idea?' I give full credit to Matt Fell, who produced that track. He definitely thinks outside the box.
"We wanted to push ourselves and push what we do and expand, and I think we really did that on this one. It's got all the things that people love, but we've just experimented and went a bit further with it, and people seem to be enjoying it."
On top of new sounds, the brothers were also able to open themselves up to more collaboration, this time with US country duo LoCash, former-Southern Sons singer Jack Jones, and Sheppard's Amy Sheppard.
Tom puts this down to the downshift in their schedules and the rise of Zoom meetings. "A lot of the people we love to write with are often on the other side of the world, or we've got to travel to Sydney and drive somewhere to meet them.
"So it was great to go, 'you're in lockdown; I'm in lockdown. Let's jump on Zoom and have a go.' That was definitely a positive for us, and we're still using it today.
"I write a song via Zoom every week, so it's definitely changed how people get it done."
Now that Australia has begun to open borders, The Wolfe Brothers are looking forward to performing face-to-face with their fans. They'll soon be touring across Queensland, travelling from Cairns to Brisbane.
But first, they'll play the Gold Coast's Groundwater Festival – a gig they've loved in the past and are excited to return to. "We bloody love this festival," Tom says.
"We've had some of our best gigs at Groundwater. I love the fact that it's free for the punters and I love that the city invests in live music and know it's going to bring people.
"We're going to be bringing a big show and we'll be ready to party. "I'm looking forward to going to the beach. With winter in Tassie, you're not crying to go to the beach.
"You might even see me in the water out there, which might be a scary sight for some of the punters," he laughs.
Groundwater Country Music Festival (Gold Coast) runs 12-14 November and is a free event to attend.
Groundwater Country Music Festival 2021 Line-up
Adam BrandArlington
Brad Butcher
Brook Chivell
Brooke Supple
Caitlyn Shadbolt
Camille Trail
Casey Barnes
Chloe Styler
Col Finley
Dana Gehrman
Graeme Connors
Halfway
Haystack Mountain Hermits
Hillbilly Goats
Hinterland
Jade Holland
Josh Setterfield
Lily Grace
Martini Mayhem
Matt Ward
Melanie Dyer
Melody Moko
Montana
Natalie Pearson
Open Season
Pete Cullen & Salliana Cambell
Round Mountain Girls
Route 33
Ruby Gilbert
SaltbushSix
Sammy White
Sara Storer
Sarah Savannah
Sue Ray
Suga Owens
Taylor Moss
Teak
The Audreys
The Honey Sliders
The Tony Q Band
The Whiskey Mountain Boys
The Wolfe Brothers
These Idle Hands
Troy Cassar-Daley
Will Day
