Tom Curtain’s latest album ‘Heatwave’, has taken out the coveted ‘Album of the Year’ award at the Tamworth Independent Artist Recognition Awards (TIARAS) at the 2008 Country Music Festival.
With some of the industry’s biggest independent artists vying for the award, Tom says the win is a huge honour.
“The TIARA Awards are extremely important in recognising the contribution of independent artists to the larger country music industry, so receiving this award is a really big deal to me. It was also very unexpected.”
Tom, also a horsebreaker who travels throughout Australia to meet work commitments, says the horses have taken a back seat this year while he concentrates on his latest album.
“I released ‘Heatwave’ at Tamworth last year and have spent most of 2007 on the road touring and promoting it. I’m really proud of the album and the response it gets from people”, he says.
“All three releases to radio from ‘Heatwave’, ‘Born out Here’, ‘Chew like Hell’ and ‘Wearing out Leather’, have made it into the Top 10 of radio’s ‘Country Music Tracks Top 30’. Last night’s award just tops off a really exciting year for me.”
Tom was also a finalist in last night’s Bush Ballad category.
“There were some great artists in that group so just being among them was excellent. Overall I had an awesome night and I’m extremely grateful to the organisers of the TIARA Awards, The Australian Quarter Horse Association, who sponsored the event and most importantly Katania Young at One Stop Entertainment, who does all the work distributing my music and getting it out there.
Tom's latest smash hit album, Heatwave, is available now from your music shop through One Stop Entertainment, or online at The Country Music Store. The album is a dynamic collection of upbeat and moving tracks, anchored in Tom's ongoing connection with outback Australia and its people. Get a feel for Heatwave here.
Wearing Out Leather, the latest release from Heatwave quickly cracked the Country Tracks Top 30 Chart, and reached the top 5! This follows the success of Chew Like Hell and Born Out Here, which both reached the top 10. The Born Out Here film clip also reached #19 on the CMC Top 30.
Help Tom climb the charts ... request the Wearing Out Leather film clip on CMC.
View the Wearing Out Leather film clip on YouTube here.
View the Chew Like Hell film clip on YouTube here.
View the Born Out Here film clip on YouTube here.
HEATWAVE "ADDICTIVE"
"Tom Curtain has been one of Australian country music’s best-kept secrets for way too long. But Heatwave is well named - its vibrant sound, sensational songs and quintessential Aussie vibe are set to turn Tom into country’s hottest new discovery of the year. This album is so good it’s addictive!" Susan Jarvis, Saturday Night Country, ABC Radio
TOM WINS APRA AWARD
Tom has been awarded the APRA Professional Development Award (Country) for songwriting. It comprises $10,000 cash plus $1,500 to assist with travel costs, a Gibson Guitar valued at $2,000 and recording time at Trackdown Recording Studio, Sydney.
Prizes are awarded every second year in five categories – Country, Jazz, Pop, Classical, Film/TV - as recognition for songwriters in the early stages of their careers. Almost 500 applications were received for this year's awards.
“This is just amazing!” was Tom’s reaction. He thanked APRA and the judging panel for the encouragement and said he was considering using the prize for a trip to Nashville in 2007 to do some co-writing and performing.
HEATWAVE A SELL-OUT AT TAMWORTH
Australia Day at Tamworth’s Country Music Festival saw Tom launch Heatwave to a sell-out audience. Tom was thrilled to see how far the Southgate Inn audience had travelled to see the show.
“They’ve come from as far as WA, the NT and Qld to be here at Tamworth and come to my show. It’s so fantastic to see”, Tom says.
Tom’s producer, 2007 golden-guitar-winning Garth Porter, agrees that the show was a massive success.
"As Tom's producer and co-writer, I tend to be analytical and critical at his live shows. Not this time. I was immediately at ease and got swept along with the rest of the sell-out audience”, he says.
“Tom's real-life yarns from the bush, combined with his warm and laconic sense of humour, made this one of the best shows I saw at Tamworth.
“There was none of the 'Nashville' styled glam that seems to be influencing so many of our young artists, just a genuine Aussie singing stories of his life and experiences.
“With his talented and vibrant band, the tracks from Heatwave burst into life, and Tom had the entire crowd (myself included) cheering for more."
The Southgate Show wasn’t the only highlight of Tom’s Tamworth week; Saturday night also saw the Queensland based horse breaker shine up his boots for his second time on the CMAA Golden Guitar Awards Red Carpet.
“Yeah I had to get all spruced up for the red carpet before the awards”, Tom says.
“I couldn’t believe how many people were there to greet the artists and say g’day. It makes you realise just how much Aussies love their Country Music!”
THE ALBUM SMACK BANG!
Janet Holmes a’Court said of the Smack Bang!Album:
What an experience! A trip today through outback Australia, from someone who has really lived the stories...wonderful!
The album was released mid-2004 and features the chart hits, A Man is Not a Camel, The Windmill Song, She Stays With Me and Smack Bang! It has been critically acclaimed and continues to receive enthusiastic airplay Australia-wide.
The number 1 single Smack Bang! features the wonderful backing vocals of Sara Storer.
The Windmill Song, the second single off the album, climbed to number 3 on the National Country Tracks Top 30 while the first single released, A Man Is Not a Camel peaked at Number 12.
Buy Smack Bang! HERE!
Buy Smack Bang! HERE!
Download Smack Bang! HERE!