Contact your local Christian / community radio station for broadcast times.
This week’s Artist Profiles are as follows:
CRAIG LLOYD
Gisborne VIC
Country
Craig Lloyd is a multi-award winning Country Music Singer and Songwriter.
It’s safe to say that Craig Lloyd has led a colourful life. He began his adult career as a Police Officer, working the streets of London before advancing to Scotland Yard. Seeking new experiences, he relocated to Australia, worked for the police force, ambulance services, then the Melbourne Metro Fire Brigade. He met his now wife, had a family, towed a caravan exploring Australia, before settling in rural Victoria in a small country town called Alexandra. This is where he discovered his ‘other side’ and after a ‘Taste of Tamworth’ concert in the local town hall spoke with Lyn Bowtell who encouraged him to apply to the Academy of Country Music. He was accepted and headed off to start his newest adventure – country music.
‘It’s a wonderful new phase of my life. You won’t find many country singers in the British Police force, none the less at Scotland Yard’ laughs Craig, who now weaves some of his venturesome moments into his songs.
That he is influenced by his Country music heroes like Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and George Strait is obvious, not just in his style, but also in the way he approaches a song. Whether it is his own personal narrative, commentaries on others’ lives, or completely fictional, Craig is all about the story.
Reminiscing, Craig says that it wasn’t until very recently that he realised where his love of country music came from… secretly listening to ‘Whispering Bob Harris’ the king of country radio in England, in the dark, on an old tape player, under his pillow, hiding from his parents.
Craig has already supported and worked with Australian artists including Fanny Lumsden, Lachlan Bryan (The Wildes), Lyn Bowtell, Roger Corbett and Dobe Newton (The Bushwackers), Catherine Britt, Carter & Carter, Dom Italiano and Elisha Francesca.
With his debut album ‘The Other Side of Me’ released at the 2023 Tamworth Country Music Festival, his current radio single “I Call Australia Home’ which has reached Number 1 on a number of Country Charts, gives us a wonderful taste of Craig’s story, with soulful vocals and great musicianship that takes us on an emotional journey.
Craig is the “National Male Artist of the Year”, awarded by the Tasmanian Independent Country Music Association (TICMA), and earlier this year Craig’s Single ‘Take The Wheel’ was awarded the Country Ballad of the Year 2023, by the Tamworth Songwriters Association. Co-written with Golden Guitar winning artists Merelyn and David Carter (Carter & Carter), Craig was recognised at the presentation of this National award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
See more at: Craig Lloyd
CASSIDY-RAE
Sydney NSW
Country pop
Cassidy-Rae is a Sydney based acoustic singer-songwriter stunning audiences around the world with her mesmerising vocals, larger than life stage presenceand heartfelt songs about love and life.
A treat for the senses, attracting audiences of all ages with an ever expanding list of places to be, this young entertainer has been creating her own delightful blend of country-pop for numerous years and is rarely found in one place for too long.
Her recently released single, More, debuted at #3 on the iTunes Country Music charts, streaming over 100,000 views on YouTube, over 15,000 streams on Spotify, featured on the Top 30 Country Music Channel and played on rotation on countless commercial and community radio stations.
Her latest single “Throwback” is an up-tempo, country-pop love song set to make audiences fall more in love with Cassidy-Rae.
See more at: Cassidy-Rae
JOHN NEWSOME
Newcastle NSW
Pop, rock, acoustic
John Newsome is an award winning Indie Aussie singer song-writer. His warm vocals and rich acoustic guitar bring uplifting anthems that tell stories of love and beauty, family, and faith through the seasons of life. John has captivated and inspired many to find goodness and strength in their everyday lives.
With an impressive discography of five independently released albums, John’s blend of ballad and acoustic rock mirrors the human experience through life’s diverse seasons. His latest masterpiece, “Anchor Here,” produced by Jared Haschek, the keyboardist and arranger for Compliments of Gus, infuses pop-rock with Australian indie alt-folk, coupled with profound lyricism that effortlessly reaches a broad audience.
From cities, towns to the remote outback, John Newsome’s music has reverberated through festivals, churches, and schools. He is a keen supporter of the mission of Music Give Life, bringing quality music programs to youth in remote communities. As a worship leader at Macquarie Life in Newcastle, he not only contributes to the local community but leaves an indelible mark on a national scale.
See more at: John Newsome