Henry Wagons has today unleashed his killer third solo album, South of Everywhere.   As Australia’s own master of Oz Indie-Country, Wagons’ has a knack for pulling you right into his world of impressive storytelling and songs – and if the airplay & rave reviews are anything to go by, this new album sees Henry at his very best.
Featuring the infectious Cosmic Country-rock jam of (Don’t Be) Down and Out & recent radio hit Felix Granger The Finger Pickin’ Boy (ft. Chris Cheney), you’ll also hear Henry delving deep with the gut-wrenching follow-up single, I Don’t Know When It Is I’m Gonna Die.
South of Everywhere is Henry’s first solo album since his acclaimed and award-winning 2016 release, “After What I Did Last Night”, which was recorded with some of his favourite musicians in Nashville. Though still very much inspired by the American Outlaw Country greats, this new offering has a much more hometown flavour. Henry plays a vast majority of the instruments on the album himself but also enlists a few of his favourite local gunslingers to round things out, such as Chris Cheney (The Living End), Katie Brianna, Hannah Crofts (All Our Exes Live in Texas) and Lachlan Bryan.
Rounding out the record are a couple of high-flying international collaborations. Cover My Eyes sees the unlikely teaming with renowned hip-hop/pop song-master Mr. Hudson (John Legend, Kanye West) for a tune that channels the darkest depths of a life lived on and off the stage. While Just Another Day on the Run is a breezy West Coast gem, co-written with both producer Matt “Linny” Linesch (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) and Lachlan Bryan and sees Henry, struggling with leaving his family and jet-setting across the Pacific on his first trip to the US in years.
Not to be overlooked is Henry’s stompin’ take on the ever-increasingly relevant Bob Dylan hidden gem Everything is Broken and the fond and slightly hazy farewell jaunt that is It’s Time to Go Joe.
To coincide with the release of South Of Everywhere, Henry Wagons & his band ‘The Only Children’ will launch the album around the country, followed by a performance at Bluesfest Melbourne in April.