1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 S1: I reckon there was a bit of day drinking happening 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,400 S1: over the course of the weekend in Sydney Town, but 3 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,840 S1: this bloke, Morgan Evans, he is a superstar. He grew 4 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,520 S1: up on the coast at Newcastle and now he's living 5 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,480 S1: it up in Nashville, Tennessee. But he's coming home in 6 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,360 S1: May to tour his brand new album, Steeltown. And I'm 7 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,240 S1: pleased to say Morgan Evans joins me from Nashville right now. Morgan. 8 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:22,480 S1: Great man. How are you, buddy? Nice to see you. 9 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,080 S2: I'm really good, Mark. It's good to see you too, mate. 10 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:25,880 S2: Thanks for having me on. 11 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,760 S1: Geez, it's so good to see Aussies kicking goals. To 12 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:30,240 S1: think that, you know, you were once here in the 13 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,839 S1: studio with Ray all those years ago. And mate, look 14 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:34,840 S1: at you now over there in Nashville doing what you 15 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,239 S1: love playing and writing and recording country music. 16 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,920 S2: Yeah, exactly. Oh, yeah. I've come in to visit a 17 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,599 S2: couple of times, mate. I hopefully next time I'm in town, 18 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,000 S2: I'll come say g'day in person. But, uh, man, I've 19 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,840 S2: been in Nashville for 11 years now. And, um, if 20 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,279 S2: you do country music, it's just kind of the best 21 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:52,480 S2: place in the world to do it. 22 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,080 S1: I want to give people a quick intro to you. 23 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,600 S1: You first hit the country music scene with a self-titled 24 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,640 S1: debut in 2014, more than ten years later. I mean, 25 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,600 S1: how do you look back on where you've sort of 26 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,630 S1: come from to where you are now. You've been through 27 00:01:05,630 --> 00:01:08,110 S1: a lot, which we. We know about. And we'll talk 28 00:01:08,150 --> 00:01:10,630 S1: a bit more about this new album. But if you 29 00:01:10,630 --> 00:01:15,069 S1: to reflect on the last sort of 14, even longer years. Geez, 30 00:01:15,069 --> 00:01:16,630 S1: you've covered some ground, mate. 31 00:01:17,230 --> 00:01:20,550 S2: Oh, man. Yeah, that's crazy to think about that. Uh, 32 00:01:20,950 --> 00:01:26,350 S2: like that long of a time period in in one sentence. But, um, yeah, 33 00:01:26,390 --> 00:01:28,270 S2: I mean, a lot of life's been lived and, and 34 00:01:28,270 --> 00:01:32,070 S2: I think, uh, you know, obviously in different countries and, um, 35 00:01:32,550 --> 00:01:35,509 S2: working with different people, but I think I feel really 36 00:01:35,510 --> 00:01:39,030 S2: grateful to sort of be at this point and then 37 00:01:39,030 --> 00:01:41,550 S2: making this music and having the passion that I do 38 00:01:41,550 --> 00:01:45,070 S2: for it. Um, still after all these years and, and 39 00:01:45,110 --> 00:01:47,550 S2: I feel more excited about this album than any album 40 00:01:47,550 --> 00:01:50,030 S2: before it. So I think just a lot of gratitude 41 00:01:50,030 --> 00:01:50,630 S2: for that. 42 00:01:50,670 --> 00:01:52,310 S1: I was listening to some of your music on the 43 00:01:52,310 --> 00:01:55,790 S1: way into the studio last weekend to call some rugby league. 44 00:01:55,790 --> 00:01:58,830 S1: Morgan and I think, if memory serves me correct, uh, 45 00:01:58,830 --> 00:02:01,870 S1: the great Fisk had you performing for the Knights at 46 00:02:01,870 --> 00:02:04,350 S1: half time in one of their games. And, um, the 47 00:02:04,350 --> 00:02:06,870 S1: synergies there between rugby league, what you're doing, the fact 48 00:02:06,870 --> 00:02:10,460 S1: we're chatting right here and right now. Um, I was 49 00:02:10,460 --> 00:02:12,980 S1: talking to Becky Cole as well about this, and she 50 00:02:12,980 --> 00:02:15,500 S1: was talking about putting out music, but getting the great 51 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:18,780 S1: thrill about knowing that people enjoy and love singing their 52 00:02:18,780 --> 00:02:20,940 S1: music back to her. Is that something you get a 53 00:02:20,940 --> 00:02:24,139 S1: great thrill out of, knowing that people like myself just listened. 54 00:02:24,139 --> 00:02:26,980 S1: Enjoy your music when they're going about their daily lives. 55 00:02:27,540 --> 00:02:30,700 S2: Oh, mate. Yeah, it's it's, um, that's the one thing 56 00:02:30,740 --> 00:02:33,100 S2: that it's kind of the magic part because you can't 57 00:02:33,100 --> 00:02:35,419 S2: control that, right? Like we spend so much time me, 58 00:02:35,460 --> 00:02:38,300 S2: particularly with this record, I spent three years making it, 59 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:41,260 S2: trying to get it as perfectly the way that I 60 00:02:41,260 --> 00:02:43,460 S2: wanted it as possible. And then, you know, these songs 61 00:02:43,460 --> 00:02:45,739 S2: are all mine. And then the day they come out, 62 00:02:45,740 --> 00:02:48,339 S2: they become everybody else's and you don't know where they're 63 00:02:48,340 --> 00:02:50,140 S2: going to wind up. So to know that they're in 64 00:02:50,139 --> 00:02:53,100 S2: your car or I got a couple of, uh, of, uh, 65 00:02:53,139 --> 00:02:55,980 S2: you know, tags on, on Instagram the other day, they 66 00:02:55,980 --> 00:02:58,860 S2: were playing steeltown at the Knights game and like seeing 67 00:02:58,860 --> 00:03:02,620 S2: it pop up in life elsewhere is, is an amazing feeling. 68 00:03:02,620 --> 00:03:06,340 S2: And particularly that song Steeltown the day after it came out, 69 00:03:06,340 --> 00:03:09,780 S2: we actually played in Newcastle. So it was kind of 70 00:03:10,020 --> 00:03:12,370 S2: like kind of a crazy scenario, you know, put the 71 00:03:12,370 --> 00:03:14,730 S2: jersey on. And it's just like, I don't know. The 72 00:03:14,730 --> 00:03:16,570 S2: ships were coming in. The beach was there and it's 73 00:03:16,570 --> 00:03:18,450 S2: kind of. Yeah. It's as good as it gets, man. 74 00:03:18,490 --> 00:03:21,250 S1: It's awesome mate. Let's talk about the new album. Um, 75 00:03:21,250 --> 00:03:24,250 S1: I speak to a lot of Aussie musos and they 76 00:03:24,250 --> 00:03:28,369 S1: really credit their peers, their music teachers in school with 77 00:03:28,370 --> 00:03:31,730 S1: helping them find that passion for music. And it sounds 78 00:03:31,730 --> 00:03:34,489 S1: like that's exactly what's helped you put together this new album. 79 00:03:34,490 --> 00:03:35,130 S1: Is that right? 80 00:03:35,610 --> 00:03:38,570 S2: Yeah, yeah, I mean, a lifetime of it, I guess. Yeah. 81 00:03:39,010 --> 00:03:41,570 S2: There's certainly you look back at these people in your 82 00:03:41,570 --> 00:03:45,210 S2: life that kind of, uh, just just made you think 83 00:03:45,210 --> 00:03:47,570 S2: that it was possible. You know, I think that's the, 84 00:03:47,610 --> 00:03:51,210 S2: that's the craziest thing coming from somewhere like Newcastle or 85 00:03:51,250 --> 00:03:55,810 S2: anywhere really is, um, hey, you've got something here. It's 86 00:03:55,810 --> 00:03:58,410 S2: worth pursuing. And so I was really grateful to have 87 00:03:58,410 --> 00:04:00,890 S2: a family and, and a couple of teachers. Yeah. True. 88 00:04:00,890 --> 00:04:04,410 S2: And then, you know, a few, a few hundred or 89 00:04:04,450 --> 00:04:08,810 S2: few thousand pub gigs in Newcastle, obviously, and then a few, uh, 90 00:04:08,810 --> 00:04:11,650 S2: a few flights over here in the US as well. Um, 91 00:04:11,690 --> 00:04:14,810 S2: and then all these years later, but uh, yeah, you definitely, 92 00:04:14,810 --> 00:04:17,479 S2: you don't take it for granted Anytime that somebody is 93 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,160 S2: sort of, you know, a positive word goes a long way. 94 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,000 S1: Yeah. And that's sort of the underlying theme. But this, 95 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:24,880 S1: this new album, it's more so what the last sort 96 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,080 S1: of three years of your life coming home and, and 97 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:28,560 S1: what Newcastle means to you. 98 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,120 S2: Yeah. Totally man. This last, last three years has just 99 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,200 S2: been a almost a full reset for me. I came 100 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,800 S2: out of some pretty, pretty dark personal times with a 101 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,920 S2: really public divorce, and that was horrendous. And you know, 102 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,119 S2: when you're over here in Nashville, it's very kind of, 103 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:48,000 S2: I don't know, entertainment business, like Hollywood kind of feeling. And, um, 104 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,120 S2: I remember just after all that went down, it felt 105 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,719 S2: like the world was ending. And, and I just went 106 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,280 S2: back to Newcastle and went to the pub with some 107 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,400 S2: of my old mates and they looked at me and 108 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,640 S2: they were like, you're right, mate. I was like, yeah, yeah, 109 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,320 S2: I'm good, I'm good. Anyway, did you see the nice 110 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,080 S2: play on the weekend? Yeah, and it was just like 111 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,320 S2: this shift in perspective that I think, um, was just 112 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,560 S2: really grounding. And, and the moment that the record kind 113 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:14,000 S2: of started was there. And so the first song is 114 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,320 S2: Steeltown and beer Back home is the second one. And 115 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,640 S2: then sort of follows the journey of the the last 116 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:19,720 S2: three years from there. 117 00:05:19,910 --> 00:05:21,589 S1: Well, I feel the need to ask you the question. 118 00:05:21,589 --> 00:05:22,750 S1: Are you going? All right. Are you good? 119 00:05:23,070 --> 00:05:25,630 S2: Oh, mate. Yeah, better than ever. Are you sure you 120 00:05:25,910 --> 00:05:27,390 S2: caught up with some mates? And we had a couple 121 00:05:27,430 --> 00:05:29,710 S2: of beers this afternoon, too. It was a good time. 122 00:05:29,750 --> 00:05:31,669 S1: Good, good. Oh, well, mate, I've got. I've got a 123 00:05:31,670 --> 00:05:33,190 S1: bit going on in my life at the moment. That 124 00:05:33,190 --> 00:05:35,510 S1: sort of garnered a few headlines. And you're right, it 125 00:05:35,510 --> 00:05:38,110 S1: feels like the world's ending and and but to go 126 00:05:38,110 --> 00:05:41,229 S1: through what you've gone through publicly, um, it must be really, 127 00:05:41,230 --> 00:05:44,190 S1: really difficult, but then to sort of pivot and use 128 00:05:44,190 --> 00:05:46,150 S1: that as sort of an inspiration to sort of hit 129 00:05:46,150 --> 00:05:48,550 S1: reset and, and realise that you've got a long life 130 00:05:48,550 --> 00:05:50,390 S1: to live and so much joy to bring so many 131 00:05:50,390 --> 00:05:53,110 S1: people who love your music. It's really, really important. You 132 00:05:53,110 --> 00:05:56,950 S1: spoke there about Nashville. Um, you're living every Aussie country 133 00:05:56,950 --> 00:06:00,510 S1: music singers dream. What's what's Nashville done for Morgan Evans? 134 00:06:01,870 --> 00:06:03,830 S2: Well, firstly, mate, I'm sorry. I'm sorry to hear that 135 00:06:03,830 --> 00:06:07,310 S2: you're going through some things yourself, but, um, man, this 136 00:06:07,310 --> 00:06:10,950 S2: town is just, uh, it's just a community. It's just 137 00:06:10,950 --> 00:06:14,950 S2: like everybody that loved country music the most in their hometown, 138 00:06:14,950 --> 00:06:17,230 S2: in the whole world came to this town to do 139 00:06:17,230 --> 00:06:20,549 S2: it together. And, uh, I've seen it change a lot from, 140 00:06:21,070 --> 00:06:23,070 S2: you know, it's a pretty it's kind of a growing 141 00:06:23,110 --> 00:06:25,539 S2: city Now, a little bit like Newcastle, it's become kind 142 00:06:25,540 --> 00:06:27,780 S2: of a fancy place now and all the bars have 143 00:06:27,779 --> 00:06:29,260 S2: been done up and all that kind of thing. But 144 00:06:29,260 --> 00:06:30,659 S2: the heart of it and the core of it is 145 00:06:30,660 --> 00:06:34,660 S2: still this community of people that really love country music. And, um, 146 00:06:34,700 --> 00:06:38,099 S2: it's very collaborative. We write songs together, we make records together, 147 00:06:38,100 --> 00:06:40,900 S2: and there's a real kind of attitude of like, we 148 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:43,500 S2: could do this ourselves, but like, if we do it together, 149 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:46,539 S2: it's probably going to be better. And, um, yeah, I 150 00:06:46,540 --> 00:06:48,660 S2: just love that about it. And, uh, I think that's 151 00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:51,420 S2: the thing that's sort of, um, compelled me to come 152 00:06:51,420 --> 00:06:53,820 S2: here and move here and has kept me here all 153 00:06:53,820 --> 00:06:54,380 S2: these years. 154 00:06:54,380 --> 00:06:55,940 S1: But you are going to come home. That's the main 155 00:06:55,940 --> 00:06:57,900 S1: thing because you've got some shows coming up in May, 156 00:06:57,940 --> 00:07:01,140 S1: which is really, really exciting, including for our two GB 157 00:07:01,180 --> 00:07:03,860 S1: listeners that will no doubt feel the end. More to 158 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:06,700 S1: come and listen to your music and dance around and 159 00:07:06,700 --> 00:07:08,020 S1: have the night of their lives, eh? 160 00:07:09,100 --> 00:07:12,980 S2: Absolutely. Yeah. That venue is, uh, is a really great 161 00:07:12,980 --> 00:07:16,020 S2: venue to play music in. And man, I love coming 162 00:07:16,020 --> 00:07:18,420 S2: home to play in Australia. I, we spend a lot 163 00:07:18,420 --> 00:07:19,980 S2: of time on the road over here in the States 164 00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:22,260 S2: and inevitably you'll get to a town where someone in 165 00:07:22,260 --> 00:07:25,420 S2: the band or the crew is their hometown show. And 166 00:07:25,420 --> 00:07:28,930 S2: I literally feel like every time I play anywhere in Australia, 167 00:07:28,930 --> 00:07:31,290 S2: it feels like a hometown show for me. So yeah, 168 00:07:31,330 --> 00:07:33,690 S2: I'm really looking forward to these shows and obviously playing 169 00:07:33,690 --> 00:07:36,810 S2: this record live at it's um. Yeah, I've never been 170 00:07:36,810 --> 00:07:39,010 S2: so excited to play music live either, so it just 171 00:07:39,010 --> 00:07:41,010 S2: feels like a really great time and I'm really looking 172 00:07:41,010 --> 00:07:41,570 S2: forward to it. 173 00:07:41,610 --> 00:07:43,770 S1: Fantastic. Well, mate, we love your work. Uh, you're one 174 00:07:43,770 --> 00:07:46,090 S1: of us. Uh, you're an Aussie. You always will be 175 00:07:46,090 --> 00:07:48,810 S1: an Aussie. And I have no doubt that people are 176 00:07:48,810 --> 00:07:51,090 S1: going to buy their tickets. Going to buy your album, 177 00:07:51,090 --> 00:07:53,610 S1: listen to music and come and enjoy what Morgan Evans 178 00:07:53,610 --> 00:07:56,610 S1: has got to got to show. Because Still Town is 179 00:07:56,610 --> 00:07:58,690 S1: a great album and it means a lot to you. 180 00:07:58,690 --> 00:08:00,490 S1: And I think it's really going to resonate with those 181 00:08:00,490 --> 00:08:03,010 S1: country music fans back here at home as well. Morgan, 182 00:08:03,010 --> 00:08:04,770 S1: so good to see you and catch up mate. Keep 183 00:08:04,770 --> 00:08:07,090 S1: in touch and look forward to catching up again next 184 00:08:07,090 --> 00:08:09,090 S1: time you're in Sydney town mate. Keep doing what you do. 185 00:08:09,090 --> 00:08:09,930 S1: We love your work. 186 00:08:10,130 --> 00:08:11,610 S2: Thanks, Mark. Great to see you, mate. 187 00:08:11,610 --> 00:08:13,370 S1: Good on you, buddy. There he is Morgan Evans. Let's 188 00:08:13,370 --> 00:08:15,050 S1: have a listen to one of his new songs off 189 00:08:15,050 --> 00:08:18,610 S1: his new album, Steel Town. A great fella kicking goals 190 00:08:18,610 --> 00:08:21,930 S1: over on the international stage. Here he is, Morgan Evans 191 00:08:21,930 --> 00:08:23,010 S1: with Steel Town. 192 00:08:24,250 --> 00:08:29,090 S3: I wreck my first car on Burton Road. First time 193 00:08:29,090 --> 00:08:31,570 S3: I saw your life flash before my eyes.