It wasn’t a great start to 2011 for residents of Queensland and it wasn’t a great start for country musician Troy Cassar-Daley but he’s hoping 2012 will be better.
While he is preparing for a big national tour throughout the early months of 2012, last year he thought even his annual concert at the Tamworth Country Music Festival would have to be cancelled when his own farm went under water.
The trouper and troubadour that he is came down to Tamworth to do his “Troy and Friends’ gig for his fans and to tell the folks down there that he and his fellow Queenslanders were down but not out.
He reminded us all that the people that were living in the flood-affected areas of Queensland, Northern New South Wales and Victoria all still very much needed a helping hand and a shoulder to cry on.
Troy did his own show, couldn’t resist hopping up for a couple of guest spots at friends shows and then flew straight home to get stuck into the “cleanup’ for not only his place, but his friends and neighbours and anyone else who needed a hand.
He also played numerous under-the-radar benefit gigs to assist those struggling financially. As well as being one of the headline performers, Troy was also invited to be the right hand man for HRH Prince William at the “Spirit Of The Country’ show held in Toowoomba in March.
Since then Troy has toured with Kenny Rogers, headlined his own shows and performed at music festivals across Australia. In amongst all of these commitments Troy wrote, co-wrote and demo’d a stack of new songs.
In October, Troy travelled to Nashville to record and produce his brand new studio album “Home’.
“My farm has been a huge part of my writing since we’ve owned it,” he said.
“After the floods went through in Jan 2011 we thought it would never be the same but we were wrong.
“Even with a bad flushing dunny, no carpet and mud stains still on the kitchen floor, Col Buchanan and I wrote some tunes we are really proud of.
“This song is about what Country is to us and what it does for your heart to have warm loving people who would give you the shirt off their back……That’s what “Country Is’ to me…. TCD, November 2011.”
“Country Is’ is the first single lifted from Troy Cassar-Daley’s forthcoming eighth studio album ’Home’.
The film clip for “Country Is’ was shot and directed by video ace Duncan Toombs in Tamworth.
“Home’ will be released Friday March 2nd, 2012 through Liberation Music.
Catch Troy at Port Macquarie Panthers, Thursday, April 12. For more information and to book tickets phone 02 6580 2300.
