The winners of the Local Country Showcase for the inaugural Goulburn Valley Country Festival have been decided and audiences are in for a real treat, where four of the region’s most impressive musicians will perform at the April event. The winners, Jade Gibson, Madi Colville-Walker, JB and Me, and Kane Vincent, were picked from over 25 impressive applications. The Goulburn Valley Country Festival sports an enviable line-up, headlined by Lee Kernaghan, with a jam-packed all-star bill featuring the likes of Brad Cox, Casey Barnes, Felicity Urquhart, Andrew Swift and The Davidson Brothers, to name just a few.
For organiser Aidan McLaren, picking the four Local Country Showcase winners to join the 2022 festival proved a challenging task. “It was incredibly difficult to choose just four,” he says. “That is a testament to the incredible country music talent in the region. We are so excited to have picked a range of talent that celebrates the country music scene in the Goulburn Valley. So many applications showed how strong the music community is in Shepparton, and it was so exciting to dive in and listen to all of the incredible talent on offer. We will definitely be keeping an eye on some of the applicants to see what they end up doing next. Who knows what incredible local country artists might end up on the line-up next time? Finding undiscovered local talent was one of the reasons the Local Country Showcase was launched, and it was amazing to discover, and listen to, all of the talent around.”
The winners showcase different elements of the country music scene in the Goulburn Valley. Jade Gibson is a country-pop-rock artist with an iTunes Country #1 EP under her belt, who started performing in pubs and clubs at the tender age of 14. Madi Colville-Walker, a proud Yorta Yorta woman, has many festival performances under her belt and has opened shows for the likes of Archie Roach and Fanny Lumsden, among others. Alannah and Justin from JB and Me have been performing around Victoria for almost half a decade, and were well reputed for their covers repertoires. COVID-19 gave them a chance to expand and create their own music. Kane Vincent had been playing guitar for 25-years before he took the plunge to become a full-time professional musician five years ago. Now, he is working on releasing his own ‘kinda country’ original material.
“From traditional country, to modern country pop, to traditional acoustic storytelling, to alternative country, these musicians really do showcase the best of country music in the region,” says Aidan. “We know they are going to bring something incredibly special to their sets at the festival. Their passion for country music, and strong ties to the local community and region really made them stand out to us.”
No strangers to organizing local festivals throughout Victoria, Aidan says it is the aim of the team behind Goulburn Valley Country Festival to celebrate all things country, and always showcase the beautiful Goulburn Valley region. “We have done a lot of research and know that this region was crying out for an event like this,” he says. “We are so proud to be celebrating the incredible local talent that Shepparton has. We’re so thankful for the support the local country music community has shown the event and hope its something special we can have here for everyone to look forward to for many years to come. We all can’t wait to celebrate these incredible local artists in Shepparton next April. We love being album to give really talented local artists the chance to perform on the same strange as some of the biggest acts in the country. It’s also a great opportunity for them to meet the other artists and build connections that will hopefully lead to more opportunities for them.”
Tickets for the 2022 Goulburn Valley Country Festival are on sale now and selling fast.
Sunday 10th April 2022 | 11am
Shepparton Showgrounds, SHEPPARTON VIC
www.moshtix.com.au
For more information, please visit www.goulburnvalleycountrymusicfestival.com.au
