Lee Kernaghan and Casey Barnes are among the country hot shots performing at the Shepparton Showgrounds next month for the Goulburn Valley Country Music Festival.
While both are renowned for travelling the nation, each has a connection to the Goulburn Valley that keeps them wanting more.
“I’m just so excited to be coming back to Shepparton and playing the showgrounds, it’s where one of my most loved songs, I Milk Cows, was born,” Kernaghan said.
“Back in 2008, I was doing a drought relief concert at the showgrounds and was signing a young bloke’s ute; as I signed the tailgate I asked him what he did for a living, he said, ‘I milk cows’.
“I thought, well this will be a great tribute to a young farmer and others like him all across Australia. The song almost wrote itself, to be honest, and went on to become a big hit.”
Kernaghan is celebrating 30 years of the “outback club” with his latest album, a compilation of his greatest hits, but the country king also has new tracks to debut.
The singer has travelled far and wide, with Shepparton a regular stop.
“There’s a certain atmosphere that is unique to those big outdoor festivals and that’s why I’m so much looking forward to the Goulburn Valley Country Music Festival,” he said.
“Because you get the concert, you get all the big stars, but you also get so much more ‒ like smokehouse barbecue and horse rides, to whip cracking and line dancing, there’s a real party atmosphere that comes with it.”
And while it is the event’s first appearance in the region, that’s not the case for Barnes.
“Playing Shepparton, I remember appreciating many exceptional mullets on the night, there were some absolute rippers,” he said.
The artist touched on the difficulties of the past two years for the music industry, but also for the fans.
“They haven’t been able to go and catch a great deal of anything when it comes to live music, so that’s the thing we’re most excited about,” he said.
“To have a festival like this to come to Shepparton — we played the sister festival in Gippsland that was so well run — it’s such a positive thing they’re bringing it to the region.
“We just can’t wait to see you guys; we love Victoria and we love Shepparton.”
Barnes is making the most of performing once again, gearing up to play at the AFL game between Essendon and Geelong on Saturday.
Final release tickets are available through www.goulburnvalleycountrymusicfestival.com.au