Kerryn Fields and Matt Joe Gow are old friends from across the ditch, who are quickly becoming a must-see act on the Australian country and folk circuit.
If you were lucky enough to catch them at the resplendent Brunswick Ballroom earlier this month, you’ll understand how powerful that meld of thoughtful lyricism, effortless onstage chemistry and captivating vocal prowess can be.
Now Beat’s lucky enough to premiere the duo’s latest Americana highlight, Love Ya Like I Can, which comes complete with a rollicking (and visually gorgeous) video clip. “Anna Cordell, who’s clothing Kerryn wears in the film clip, originally found the location for a fashion shoot and we saw the photos and thought it would work well for the song,” Matt says. “So we connected with Art Rugs and our pals at Heaps Stoked to bring our idea for the film clip to life. The vibrant colours and textures of a rug store fit brilliantly with our song, our personalities really came out and it was such a fun day.”
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The pair are also highly-accomplished solo artists in their own right. Joe Gow won the Music Victoria award for Best Country Album in 2019 for Break, Rattle and Roll and was nominated again for this year’s Between Tonight & Tomorrow, while Fields won Music Victoria’s Folk Work of the Year in 2022 for Water. Together, they say their musical partnership gives them “an opportunity to combine our sounds and forge something new.”
“Americana is our sound, which is a blend of what’s considered traditional American styles, generally country, folk and blues,” the duo explain. “We build our sound around acoustic instruments and honest songwriting, we’re big fans of Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Tracy Chapman, Grant Lee Phillips, Dave Dobbyn and Neil Finn – ha, the list goes on!
“To be honest, most people don’t know what Americana is…so perhaps a misconception about the sound is that it all leans towards traditional country or modern pop country, which is often not the case, there are a lot of different influences that find their way into the sound.”
And for those totally new to Americana, the usual reaction they get? “I don’t usually listen to whatever kind of music this is… BUT I love it!”
The famed Americana mixture of joyous banter and toe-tapping rhythm that the pair capture so well on Love Ya Like I Can has already been compared to the likes of Janis Joplin and Elvis Presley. Such a fun-loving but emotionally forthright genre is a natural fit, and the pair explain they were somewhat destined to end up as an Americana duo.
“The authenticity of the whole style of music, the instrumentation and lyrical honesty. I felt it was the best avenue for my songwriting,” Matt says. “I grew up with country and folk music, my mother playing acoustic guitar was a huge influence on my earlier years, I felt like I was born into this genre and haven’t really strayed from it,” Kerryn adds.
“We try to keep the recording process as close to the live performance as possible which is why we record live off the floor with the band in one room. There’s a lot of trust between us so our voices and style of performing give us a solid foundation to experiment and ‘cut loose’ so to speak, which is perfect for this style of song.
“When it came to creating the video, and all of our video clips, honestly, we just try to have fun.”
Fields and Joe Gow are both New Zealanders who moved to Australia, sharing both the trans-Tasman divide and voices that compliment each other so perfectly, they say the main recording challenge is trying to capture the live experience.
“Growing up in New Zealand we tend to be outdoors a lot, we’re both naturally drawn to the elements and this influences our songwriting in many ways,” they explain. “Moving to Australia was a chance to immerse ourselves in the live music scene, playing hundreds of shows and surrounding ourselves with brilliant musicians has certainly shaped who we are as artists today.
“We’re best friends who play a similar style of music and share a common background which gives us that natural chemistry as songwriters and performers. We have a deep respect for one another’s artistry so it was really quite special to expand on this and create a new avenue together as a duo.
“The heart of this record actually began in Aotearoa, New Zealand,” they continue. “We were home on tour spending time with our family and friends, revisiting our childhoods and sharing memories while writing and touring. The songs and stories are a combination of our shared experiences, love and loss are common themes, the full spectrum of human emotion.
“Ragged, authentic, acoustic instrumentation and honest songwriting is what you’ll get. What people take from the record is really up to the listener, as long as we’ve stayed true to ourselves, that’s all that really counts.
“The single is two minutes, 20 seconds so you’ll need to put it on repeat!”
The duo are a key part of the flourishing local music scene and are currently underway on the national Love Ya Like I Can tour, which will see them provide one of the undisputed highlights of the upcoming Marysville Music Weekend.
“It’s a pleasure to be among great friends and artists we love! One of our favourite venues on the South Side of Melbourne is George Lane, and we just played at a great venue on the north-side known for supporting the Americana genre, called the Brunswick Ballroom. Regionally we love Music On The Hill, which is in Mornington Peninsula, but the list goes on and on…
“Come to our live shows (if you can),” they conclude. “We’re really proud of what we’ve created both in the studio and on tour.”
Grab tickets and save the single, plus follow Matt Joe Gow here and Kerryn Fields here.
