KATHLEEN HALLORAN SHARES COMMANDING NEW SINGLE + VIDEO FREE WITH ME SYD + MEL LAUNCH DATES BEGIN NEXT WEEK
Kathleen Halloran effortlessly closes the 20 feet between her storied career as a sought-after ensemble guitarist, and an exciting new solo chapter, today sharing her debut single, Free With Me – a self-assured and wide open declaration of liberty, channelled through Halloran’s expert feel for guitar-driven pop-rock.
If she seems a dab hand, it’s because she’s got the experience to back it up. “I am very excited about this song and what it says about my life as an artist,” she says. “I couldn’t be happier to be finally releasing something of my own into the universe after a few special years on the road, soaking up inspiration from some powerhouse artists.”
‘Powerhouse’ is right; Halloran has performed with the likes of Kate Ceberano, Katie Noonan, Felix Riebl (The Cat Empire), Ash Grunwald and Tania Doko to name a few. Her talents as a session musician have seen her guitar-playing feature on countless recordings, in orchestra pits for many musical theatre productions, and on major festival stages all around the country.
Free With Me displays the artist’s easy grace at the mic and on her instrument, and includes a stunning guitar solo which sees her fly across her Fender’s fretboard before assuring listeners she’s no “collectible, delectable memento,” but rather an emancipated spirit who won’t be pigeonholed.
“The song is for all those people, like myself, who have a strong resistance to being put in a box, and those who don’t come with a manual!” she explains. “It draws from past experience of being perceived as ‘too much of this’ or ‘too little of that’, which I believe is a pressing struggle for ambitious, passionate people in this current climate. The over-arching message of the song is inner and outer freedom: to be proudly comfortable with who you are and to quit having to prove yourself or try too hard to meet other people’s perceptions, views or limitations. Just simply to be you!”
Produced by Ross Irwin (The Cat Empire, The Bamboos, Paul Kelly), engineered and mixed by Ben Edgar (Gotye, Angus and Julia Stone, Matt Corby) and mastered by Lachlan Carrick, Free With Me is accompanied by a video which makes Halloran’s performance prowess clear. “The video clip is my band and I performing Free With Me in my most favourite local cafe/restaurant, ‘Sorsi E Morsi’ in St Kilda!” she says.
“To say I love my local is an understatement. I am there every day I am home, and in spending so much time on the road, it’s actually one of the most grounding and calming routines I have when I get home from the busy-ness of tour! The idea came to me one night while I was enjoying a meal with some friends there. I really wanted to capture the local spirit and vibe that is a big part of my life, and also wanted to do something a little outside of the box! I love the idea of a world where we are engaged in our local communities, know each other’s coffee orders and share a friendly smile and wave in the street.”
The chance to see Halloran perform Free With Me is just around the corner, and the artist has some treats in store for attendees of these single-launching dates. “They can expect lots of epic guitar moments (drawing inspiration from some of the greats like SRV and Van Halen) in and around my new material, and a few covers as a tip of the hat to some idols,” she says. “I am so excited about the live band I’ve assembled, so audiences can definitely expect some pretty wild, ‘off tap’ jams as well!”
“I love being on the road,” she adds. “To me, making music and living life are the same thing.”
Don’t miss your chance to see Kathleen Halloran live for the launch dates of Free With Me, which announces Halloran as an inimitable and absolutely undeniable solo talent.
Free With Me is out now.
Stream Free With Me
Watch: Free With Me
KATHLEEN HALLORAN – UPCOMING SHOWS:
THU 5 DEC | THE TROCADERO ROOM, SYDNEY NSW
Tickets available from Moshtix
https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/kathleen-halloran-free-with-me-single-launch/173543
WED 11 DEC | THE GASOMETER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC
Tickets available from Oztix
https://gasometer.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/86410132-3105-4707-940f-31770ab56f35
BELOVED COMMUNITY EVENT SANTA FEST RETURNS TO WOLLONGONG ON DECEMBER 14 FEATURING KLP, LENNY PEARCE AND MORE
After a short one year hiatus, Santa Fest is back in 2024, with hundreds of Santas set to descend on the main watering holes of Wollongong for the mother of all pub crawls that will hit 11 local venues and feature 30 live music acts, bringing back this beloved community event in support of local charities Sahssi and Disabled Surfers Association.
Hailed as ‘Wollongong’s Christmas party’, the Santa-laden crawl will kick off at North Gong Hotel on Saturday December 14, before merrily ambling to The Illawarra Hotel, Towradgi Beach Hotel, Humber The Prince, La La La’s, and more, with tickets on sale now from Oztix.
After spreading Christmas cheer for thirty years and contributing over $2.5million towards charitable causes, Santafest had to sit last year out due to challenging conditions, but the spirit of the event has been revived as key figures in Wollongong’s hospitality scene step forward to ensure the tradition continues, albeit with a sustainable new approach, and with a full line up of live music at the forefront, featuring 30 acts across the participating venues, including sets from KLP, Lenny Pearce, Furnace and The Fundamentals, Fleetmac Wood and more.
With the blessing of the event’s creator (Neil Webster), Adam Murphy (Humber/Heyday/Halfway), Josh Hill (North Wollongong Hotel), and Ryan Aitchison (The Illawarra Hotel) have come together to save and rejuvenate this iconic event. Working collaboratively, they are poised to bring Christmas joy and charity back to Wollongong for another 30 years.
“Santa Fest’s humble beginnings started in 1993 with a group of mates coming together to celebrate the festive season and donating presents to the less fortunate. North Wollongong Hotel proudly became the spiritual home of Santa Fest, nurturing the event from one hotel to multiple venues, from a group of mates to 12,000 people coming from all over the world to participate at its peak,” explains North Wollongong Hotel venue manager, Josh Hill.
“This event is culturally important to Wollongong, I came from a Sydney venue, and every local I’ve spoken to has shared a story or two of their fond memories attending this event. The team at North Wollongong Hotel are proud and excited to continue the legacy that Neil started in 1993, continue to support local charities and continue to provide an event that creates fond memories for everyone who attends.”
To make the event future-focused, we know we need to make changes. What was once perceived as a day of intense drinking is now evolving into a Festival of Place. Our goal is to celebrate Wollongong—its people, its live music, its hospitality, its unique character and most importantly, its charities—by inviting people from near and far to Wollongong’s Annual Christmas Party,” says The Illawarra Hotel Publican, Ryan Aitchison.
Tickets to Santa Fest are available now from Oztix.
CHARLIE BEDFORD RELEASES UPBEAT NEW SINGLE ‘DAYDREAM’
Jam-packed with charisma and summery tones, the new single Daydream out today from Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist Charlie Bedfordsparkles with upbeat instrumentation set against frank lyricism. Also marking the first taste of this exciting artist’s new album due out in early 2025, Daydream finds Bedford expanding his blues roots further into upbeat indie rock territory, with the talented musician also primed to perform his latest single live in action in South Australia and Victoria to close out 2024, with some shows also locked in to kick off the new year.
Embracing inspiration from the likes of Neil Finn, Custard, John Mayer, Paul Kelly, Ash Grunwald, Theo Katzman, David Bowie and The Clash, amongst others, Charlie Bedford’s ever-emboldening trademark sonic style finds fresh new terrain on his latest single. A track soaked in honest storytelling, fun and passionate delivery, Daydream flourishes with luminous melodics, driving instrumentation, and an Aussie tinge that also urges its listener to strive for positivity, as Bedford elaborates, “Daydream can be interpreted a few different ways, but the way I resonate most with it is by identifying it as an internal conflict – loosely based around procrastination. The takeaway for me is to realise how easy life can be if you push on, find the positives in your situation and access the willpower to get the important things done.”
Working alongside Mark Lowrie from Guffland Studios to bring Daydream to life, Bedford also amassed a team of fellow creatives to enhance every aspect of his latest sonic endeavours, both on the new single and for the broader impending album of the same name set to release next year. “I worked with a number of people behind the scenes, getting opinions and advice on my songwriting,” Bedford shares. “The person I worked with most overall was my good friend Mark Lowrie from Guffland Studios in Melbourne. He helped me produce, record and master this album. He was fantastic to work with, always open to entertaining my wild ideas and adding a few of his own along the way where he saw fit. I’ve also had the absolute privilege of collaborating with some amazing artists, one of them being a very talented friend Nikota Kelly, we’ve been collaborating closely on the artwork and visual design of my singles and album cover. Her work naturally matched the exact style that I was looking for with these new recordings, our creative flow has been just perfect – it’s been incredible working with her and watching her illustrations come to life!”
Establishing himself as one of Australia’s most exciting up-and-coming artists, Charlie Bedford began his music career playing in bars and clubs at the age of 12, ultimately going on to become a regular fixture on the Aussie pub, club and festival scenes. Growing up surrounded by music, Bedford has performed in North America multiple times, including in Memphis, Nashville and Muscle Shoals, and has performed with band members from many iconic acts, including BB King, Ray Charles and Wilson Pickett. Bringing a modern twist to the blues genre via his 2020 full length album Good To Go, Bedford’s most recent record also reached #1 on Australia’s RMR Charts, #2 on the USA RMR Blues Rock Charts and #14 on the UK’s IBBA Charts, alongside global acclaim. A finalist in the 2020 Music Victoria Awards for Best Blues Album, Bedford has also acted as a Youth Ambassador for The Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival, The Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society and Blues Music Victoria, and continues to push his music into new sonic terrain, including expanding his songwriting prowess with his more recent creative pursuits.
“I’ve always listened to and enjoyed many different styles of music,” shares Bedford of his professional evolution from his earlier years as a blues guitarist. “Growing up there was a lot of the alt pop rock world playing – everything from 90s Australia over to David Bowie and The Clash. My real connection with blues music started from getting guitar lessons. My good friend Phil Smith took me under his wing at an early age and invited me to one of his jam nights in the Dandenong Ranges. It was there I discovered blues music, the rawness, grit and honesty. A local blues legend named Billy Kavanagh blew my mind and I was hooked. They told me about the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society and their Youth In Blues program – and it all snowballed from there, from trips to America through to representing Australian youth and starting my first bands – and so much more! I’m now finding through my original music a bizarre blend of all of these sounds and I’m loving it. The more of a mix focused into one song the better I reckon!”
A passionate audiophile, mentored by some of Australia’s finest, Charlie Bedford’s live performances also shine with his modern amalgamation of pop, rock, blues and soul, with upcoming shows locked in as part of Port Noarlunga Blues Fest in South Australia and also in Victoria set to close out 2024; and the promise of more shows on the horizon.
“I’m currently performing numerous solo shows all around Victoria and surrounds,” shares Bedford. “Daydream is in the set as a more raw and stripped-back version. I’m currently organising the next events for the live show and will be touring it with a full band following the release of the new album!”
“It’s super exciting to finally be releasing this single, I’ve been working on this track and the others from my forthcoming album for a long time now, and to finally share them with everyone will be absolutely awesome,” Bedford concludes. “My new album Daydream will be released February 2025 and I’m ecstatic about it!”
Daydream is out today, Wednesday November 20.