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Returning home to Australia after moving to Nashville earlier in the year, Craig will be showcasing his new material at a handful of east coast shows, and celebrating the release of his new single, which is already making an impact on the country music scene. ‘Fences’, the follow-on single from ‘Hot Kinda Love’, is an apt representation of the diversity of this performer and his ability to seamlessly transition from rockin’ country riffs to heartfelt ballads.

‘Hot Kinda Love’, from the new album, smashed up the country charts, making it into the Top 30 on CMC and garnering airplay around Australia. The now second single ‘Fences’, debuted at #36 on CMC and shows a different side of Craig, demonstrating that this versatile artist can make any style of music his own and showcases a maturity that only comes from years of honing your craft. Penned to reveal that even failings in life should be embraced, the track eludes that to grow, we all need to overcome obstacles and that this is what life itself is all about. These are experiences that Craig himself has dealt with first hand across his career, and you can tell he feels an empathy with the story he is telling. “Fences are there for a reason,” he says. “Fences are not there to keep us out, the Fences are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

The single essentially tells the story of Craig’s life in music. Harking from music royalty, Craig has been treading the boards of the Australian music industry since he was a youngster. His father, Lucky Starr, who is dubbed as a founding member of Australian pop and recognised as the first artist to record ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’ and make it a #1 hit on the Aussie charts. Lucky often took his son on stage, bringing him up on a solid diet of performing. It was a natural progression for Craig to move into music as he became an adult, but initially he pushed himself in another genre direction entirely, forming pop-rock band DeMont in the 1980s and releasing hits such as ‘Strange World’ and ‘I Want Your Body’. This took Craig and his band mates from pub stages to stadiums, seeing them tour alongside the likes of Mötley Crüe and securing a record deal with the legendary Alberts.

Yet country music was always in Craig’s blood. He felt a resonance with the genre, from a perspective of writing and performing, and post-DeMont success, he found himself dabbling in writing country songs. His country album release ‘Heaven Knows’ under the guise of Craig Morrison Little Cowboys was well-received by the industry and this only further cemented Craig’s determination to carve a niche for himself in the genre. Moving to Nashville seemed like the next natural step, and so earlier this year Craig packed up his life and moved to the country music capital of the world. “Country music has always been part of my childhood,” he explains about the connection he feels to the genre. “The first song I ever learnt was a country song. The emotion and the energy that fills the stories in country songs are what inspires me. I love music that describes your life, makes you think, makes you smile…”

Craig is currently recording his self-titled album in Nashville with Grammy award winning producer Mark Moffatt and it is due for worldwide release in early 2012. It not only features tracks written by Craig both while in Nashville and Australia, but also features some of the best songwriters from the international country music scene. The tracks have been hand-picked to ensure that this album makes one hell of an impact, both in Australia and overseas. “Every track is a hit,” Craig says. “It is an incredible album from start to finish. I couldn’t be more proud, it’s like waiting for Christmas.”

Returning to Australia in November for a handful of tour dates, Craig is really looking forward to coming back home. He admits how much he misses his friends, family and Australian band… and how he yearns for Tim Tams. The run of dates across the east coast will be a chance for fans to hear some of their favourite Craig Morrison tracks, as well as get a sneak peak of songs from the forthcoming album. “There will be lots of new tunes from this upcoming album,” he says. “Plus there are some old favourites and a whole bunch of energy.”

Don’t miss Craig Morrison as he brings his new single ‘Fences’ to select venues around Australia. ‘Fences’ is out now – request at your local radio station! Craig’s new self-titled album will be released early 2012.

TOUR DATES

Friday 4th November 2011
Half Mile Creek Wine Bar | 10am
Mud Bulls Music Festival, Landcruiser Park, Jimna QLD
www.mudbullsandmusic.com.au

Saturday 5th November 2011
XXXX Bar | Midnight
Mud Bulls Music Festival, Landcruiser Park, Jimna QLD
www.mudbullsandmusic.com.au

Sunday 6th November 2011
Cabra-Vale Diggers, Canley Vale NSW | 3pm
Son of a Gun show (w/ Lucky Starr)
www.cabravale.com

Thursday 10th November 2011
Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club, Hurlstone Park NSW | 7pm
Tomkins Showcase
www.chprsl.com.au

Saturday 12th November 2011
The Tea Gardens Hotel, Bondi Junction NSW | 6pm
www.teagardenshotel.com.au

Wednesday 16th November 2011
The Royal Cricketers Arms, Prospect NSW | 7pm
Tamara Stewart’s Song Factory (acoustic)
www.mycricketers.com.au

Saturday 19th November 2011
The Royal Cricketers Arms, Prospect NSW | 7pm
www.mycricketers.com.au