TRAVEL: Australia Bucket List (QLD, SA, NSW, NT)

It is no secret at all that I adore Australia. So far I’ve had the opportunity to:

*Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef*

*Experience real Australia on the Gold Coast*

*Watch beautiful sunsets in Darwin*

*Swim with whales on the Sunshine Coast*

*Chill out in Byron Bay*

But there’s still so much to see! So I thought that whilst I plan my future Aussie adventures, I’d take you along with me! Here are just a few places that I can’t wait to visit once I make my way back Down Under – enjoy!

Heron Island, QLD

I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know this place existed until I saw that some of my Facebook friends was there. Heron Island seems to be a pretty well-kept secret, and I was even wondering whether to post it on my blog, but you can keep a secret too, right? Located just off the coast of Queensland in the southern Great Barrier Reef, this tiny island is a haven of beauty and wildlife. I love diving, so seeing what life lurks in and around its natural coral cay – including nesting turtles, migrating whales, and an abundance of bird life – is incredibly appealing to me. Plus, I love that it’s a bit off the beaten track – the only ways to get there are via boat, or the more preferable option of helicopter – think I’ll have to get a few more blog sponsors before I’ll be able to afford the latter! I’m looking forward to long days of exploring, swimming and diving, topped off with a couple of cold bevvies on the beach while watching the sun go down – heaven.

Kangaroo Island, SA

Heading to South Australia now for one of the most diverse parts of Australia, and that’s saying something. Overflowing with dolphins, sea lions, koalas, and of course, kangaroos, Kangaroo Island is a must for any nature-lover like myself. Australia never ceases to amaze me with its animals, and like beautiful Philip Island which I visited when I was last in Aus, I hear you might also even see some penguins around here too. It’s not just wildlife that make KI worth a visit, but also the stunning rock formations which line the various hiking trails Australia’s third largest island has to offer. If you read my Melbourne blog, you’ll also know that I’m a bit of a foodie too, and I’ve heard wonderful things about Kangaroo Island’s selection of food and wine – a delicious meal overlooking the ocean whilst kangaroo hop by? Yes please!

Flinders Range, SA

This places seems to me like Australia’s answer to the Grand Canyon. With its rugged peaks and rocky gorges, which look even better when bathed in the soft glow of the Aussie sun, Flinders is the land that time forgot, and I think it would be the perfect place to go to forget about any and all worries – something I think we probably all need after this year, right? I’m a big fan of stargazing, and the Flinders remote location seems like the ideal place to lay out under the night sky and take a moment to appreciate this beautiful country (well, when its various animals aren’t trying to kill you…) I’ve also heard it’s a great place to get the true outback experience – eating authentic Aussie food at an outback pub with live music to keep you company. Nice.

Lord Howe Island, NSW

You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d taken a wrong turn and ended up in the South Pacific when arriving on Lord Howe island with its Tahitian blue waters and tropical aura. The island’s motto is ‘just paradise’ and if the photos and videos I’ve seen are anything to go by, I’d say that’s not far wrong. The Geographer in me just wants to learn more about the formation of this irregularly shaped volcanic island, and the adventurer in me is dying to get out and explore the coral reefs, pristine beaches, and hiking locations. As well as diving with the fish, I’ve read that you can also hand feed them too – how cool! However, with only 400 visitors allowed on the island at one time, I’d better get booking my trip now…

Uluru, NT

A glaring gap on my Australian journeys is perhaps one of the most important places is Australia – Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock. My reasons for wanting to visit here are two-fold: primarily, Uluru seems to me to be the heart of Australian history and culture, and is steeped in Aboriginal tradition with loads of opportunities to learn more about the past, present, and future of this iconic place. Secondly, due to its location in pretty-much the centre of the continent, it definitely fits my bill of somewhere to watch the sunrise, sunset, and stars. I don’t think I can say I’ve truly ‘done’ Australia until I’ve visited here! 

And that's not even half of the places I have on my Australia bucket list! What places have or would you like to visit in Australia (or indeed the world!)? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry. Stay tuned for even more fantastic Aussie destinations coming soon to this blog... thanks so much for reading!

Best of Music: February 2021

*check out my last music round-up here!*

I went a bit mad with music this month. I favourited loads of playlists, listened to them at all hours of the day, skipped, shuffled, and liked until I had a pretty well-compiled playlist of my own. With almost 50 tracks, getting it down to my top eight was a challenge, but I think you’ll like them; and if you fancy listening to that full playlist, who am I to stop you? Find that here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4hwR6WqSciJ5j5RYGuErMt. Without further ado, here are the top songs I listened to in February 2021!

Breakups – Seaforth

I will never forgive Covid19 from stopping me seeing Seaforth live. I was due to see this Aussie country-pop duo perform at CMC Rocks Festival 2020 which sadly didn’t go ahead. However, at that time, I’ll admit I’d never heard of Seaforth. Perhaps seeing them at the festival would have introduced me to their music sooner, but this weird year has given me the opportunity to delve into their discography with a renewed passion. Breakups is a soft song that anyone who’s ever been through a breakup needs to listen to, because I promise it’s one you’ll be able to relate to: “All I wanna do is hear your voice, pretend it doesn’t hurt like hell. Drink some wine and talk about the past, and not go ten steps back, but breakups don’t work like that.” If breakups aren’t your thing, listen to Everything Falls For You which is a song guaranteed to make anyone fall in love with you. 

https://genius.com/Seaforth-breakups-lyrics

 

Somewhere Drinking – Lexie Hayden

Obviously I was in the mood to get in my feelings this month (it was Valentines month, after all) so Lexie Hayden’s Somewhere Drinking came along at a perfect time. Lexie has a truly beautiful voice, and this relatively stripped back ballad allows that voice to shine, full of emotion. This song charts what we all think about the one that got away: “I’m gonna be here a while, somewhere drinking something strong, sitting here singing along to some heartbreak song. Wondering if there’s a shot that you might be somewhere thinking bout me, somewhere drinking.” It’s really no wonder that I like Lexie given that she cites her inspirations as being some of my favourites - Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves – so if you like them too, you’ll love this one. 

https://genius.com/Lexie-hayden-somewhere-drinking-lyrics

 

Freedom Was A Highway – Jimmie Allen ft Brad Paisley

I hold a soft spot in my heart for Jimmie Allen for recording a lovely video for a friend of mine who wasn’t able to go to a concert of his. Anyone who’s nice, I’ll listen to their music, but I didn’t need an extra reason to listen to Freedom Was A Highway. The first time I heard it, I didn’t know who it was by, so finding out it was Jimmie and country legend Brad Paisley. This is a proper summer jam that evokes images of cruising down the highway in a convertible, worries flying away behind you in the wind. Both Jimmie and Brad have done themselves a favour with this song by opening them up to each other’s probably quite different fanbases. This song is fun personified. 

https://tasteofcountry.com/jimmie-allen-brad-paisley-freedom-was-a-highway/

Long Night Letting Go – Jaden Hamilton

Country music loves a man with a deep voice and heartfelt lyrics – think Josh Turner, Jason Aldean, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs… I’m already calling it that the next one to be added to that list is Jaden Hamilton. At only 20 years old, Jaden already has a voice for the ages, and the social media savviness to make himself a star – I discovered him via Spotify but see he already has over 350k followers on TikTok too, and we all know how good that platform is at taking people from obscurity to semi-stardom. Long Night Letting Go follows the same theme as a song I loved last month – Troy Cartwright’s Love Like We Used To (check out last month’s roundup here) – with lyrics like “Well baby, we’re just bottle rockets in this fifth of July town, that old moon is dropping and we’re gonna have to come back down. I don’t wanna waste no time, if we gotta say goodbye, do it slow, and make it a long night letting go.” Bonus points just for the way he says July.

Unsaid Emily – Julie and the Phantoms

We love a surprise track here at Ciara’s Country. Did I think one of my favourite tracks of the month would be from a Netflix musical comedy-drama series? Absolutely not. In fact, I had no real interest in watching Julie and the Phantoms until I kept seeing post after post saying that it was actually very well-scripted, and had good music to boot; and who am I to say musical series don’t make good music – ever heard of Hannah Montana or High School Musical? Don’t tell anyway, but I still listen to that. I hold absolutely no shame about listening to Unsaid Emily – this song has very little aside from a simple guitar and Charlie Gillespie’s voice, and that’s probably what makes it so great. It’s so raw and real, and leaves you thinking with lines like “the words I most regret are the ones I never meant to leave unsaid.” 

https://www.amazon.com/Julie-Phantoms-Season-Netflix-Original/dp/B08HDNZCZX

 

Message In A Bottle – Lakeview

I obviously have a thing for male country duos (Florida Georgia Line, Dan + Shay, Seaforth), and lyrics with puns in them, so you’d best believe I like Lakeview. Lead singer Jesse Denaro has raspy vocals that go so well with country anthem tracks, and coupled with Luke Healy’s guitar skills, the two of them have made a somewhat upbeat power ballad. It’s no wonder the song has a lot of kick behind it, as both boys made their start in the metal genre, but I’m glad they’ve made their way over to country. The lyrics are as smooth as the whiskey in the music video, with lines like “I’ll get drunk on the memories of you and I. If I text you, honey, when I get to the bottom, you can call it just a message in a bottle,” (get it?) Get these two on stage somewhere soon! 

https://musicstax.com/track/message-in-a-bottle/12MKdcz5qn4wmZQr2xKzcK

Chasing After You – Ryan Hurd ft Maren Morris

I’m honestly surprised there aren’t more country music power couples – if I was in country music, you’d better believe I’d be falling in love with another country star – if they can write songs like that, what more do you want? We have Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, but I don’t think we can quite call Gwen country, and so my vote for country’s hottest power couple has to be Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris. Chasing After You is the first duet the couple has dropped, and I’m going to have to petition that the two release an album together. Anyone who’s read any of my other music roundups knows I love a good intro, and Ryan plays a beautiful guitar solo to kick this one; and you should also know I love Maren’s voice too, so this track is heaven for me. Goes to show that making music with the one you love can create something really beautiful. 

https://tasteofcountry.com/ryan-hurd-maren-morris-chasing-after-you/

 

The Way You Look Tonight – Tenille Townes ft Keelan Donovan

There’s something different about Tenille Townes. She has a voice that is so uniquely hers – you’d hear it on the radio and know it’s her, the same way you would with someone like Elle King or Halsey – it’s that slightly indie tone that can come off as annoying for some singers, but doesn’t for Tenille. She finds her male counterpart in Keelan Donovan for The Way You Look Tonight - a sweet song about showering your SO with love because they really are just something special. The song has most appreciated links to Frank Sinatra, and the vintage vibes don’t stop there. If you like music from the 70s, the likes of Fleetwood Mac, or don’t like the style of any of the other songs I’ve mentioned on this list, give this one a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

https://genius.com/Tenille-townes-the-way-you-look-tonight-lyrics

February was a fun month for me for music. I’ve found a lot of songs I really, really like, and hope you do too – if you want to see more of what I’m listening, my Spotify can always be found here: Ciara's Country Spotify.  I’d love to know what made its way onto your playlists this month, so drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and tune in to my radio show every Friday GMT 5-8pm on www.ukcountryradio.com where I’ll play songs from my roundups too! Thanks so much for reading :)

Best of Music: January 2021

New Year, new music! Welcome to my brand new blog series – each month, I’ll be giving you an insight into the songs that I loved that month. If that’s not enough, you can also find me on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/mtutrbufty0z7aw39fcf8j0tn where you’ll find full playlists from each month, including January 2021. Alright, on with the show!

 

I Choose Lonely – Adam Doleac

Where has Adam Doleac been all my life? I’ve been keeping my eye on Adam for a few months now, and he’s certainly one to watch, with a voice akin to Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey and other great tracks including Famous and Whiskey’s Fine. I Choose Lonely is my favourite so far, and definitely deserves to be a hit. Like many great country songs, this one is fun of honest and relatable lyrics, covered with a beautiful country pop melody. Fans of Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett, this one’s for you. 

https://www.nashvilletv.nl/2020/04/17/adam-doleac-brengt-ep-famous-uit/

 

 

Talk Me Out Of It – Olivia Holt

Don’t write off this former Disney star – if the likes of Miley, Demi, Aly & AJ, and Jonas Brothers have taught us anything, it’s that Disney Channel stars have a habit of releasing some amazing music once they’re free of the network’s constraints. Olivia has done just that with Talk Me Out Of It, a track that starts off slow and buildings in a very danceable song with a catchy beat and playful lyrics. Like the first releases from the aforementioned stars after they left Disney, this song is an evident attempt to break away from her Disney image, but it works. If you like anything that’s on commercial pop radio, you’ll like this. 

https://soundcloud.com/oliviaholtmusic/talk-me-out-of-it

Grew Apart – Logan Mize feat Donovan Woods

There’s many reasons to love this song. 1) The content: here’s a song about getting hurt and still taking the high road. Thank you, Logan and Donovan, for being good role models. 2) The artists: it’s not all that common for a male artist to feature another male artist on a track, but I’m here for it. Two fantastic voices blended well together. 3) The lyrics: I was obviously in the mood for some great lyrics this month because this is another one full of them. Check it out: “Whenever somebody says your name, I don't break, I just say: It's for the best, it's over now, Wasn't anyone's fault, it didn't work out. She's a good girl, just wasn't the one, We wanted different things, we had a good run. She's better off, and so am I, It is what it is, yeah, it's alright. I don't tell 'em how you broke my heart, I just tell 'em that we grew apart.” More of this, please. 

https://www.amazon.com/Apart-Logan-feat-Donovan-Woods/dp/B08775JJ5Z

 

Hecha Pa’ Mi – Boza

And we already have our first surprise of the year. Reggaeton? I’ll be honest, for someone who claims to love music as much as I do, could I have told you the names of 5 reggaeton artists this time last year? No. Can I tell you the names of 5 reggaeton artists this year? You bet. I do speak a little Spanish, but not enough to understand the majority of what is being said at the speed in these songs, so this type of music is so easy to have on in the background for when I’m working, or to pay attention to when I practice my Spanish (although I’m sure some of the less PG lyrics in these songs are a little different from what I was learning at AS level!)

https://www.top40.nl/boza/hecha-pa-mi-36048

 

How Have We Never – Steve Moakler

Ladies and gentlemen, looks like we already have a contender for my favourite song of the year. I know, I know, there’ll probably be lots of competition still to come, but I honestly adore this song, so if there’s one song you check out from this list, make it this one. How Have We Never is everything you could want in a good country song, and I think that applies to both those who enjoy modern country and those who are more traditional. You’ve got some real country twang from Steve’s voice, really nice instrumentals, and those lyrics, my oh my. “How have we never been the last to leave on Friday night? Slowly killed a whole red bottle of wine,  Lose ourselves, run across that line, After all this time, how have we never walked out, leaned up against your car? Doesn't seem like it would be that hard.  Let our hearts beat a little bit faster, I gotta ask her, how have we never?” A must for fans of Jon Pardi, Midland, or just good music in general. 

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Jeans-Steve-Moakler/dp/B07ZL64FXL

 

Just As Much – Delaney Jane, Virginia To Vegas

Looking for some pop music with added spice? I’ve got you. Delaney Jane and Virginia To Vegas are just killing the game right now. Last year, I loved Delaney’s Want You Now and Virginia To Vegas Just Friends, and you’re telling me they’ve now joined forces? Delaney Jane has that indie girl voice that we all love nowadays, and Virginia To Vegas reminds me of The Chainsmokers both in style and vocal. And I know this isn’t even a country song, but I have to say I love the lyrics too: “I know I shouldn't put my hands on your waist, I shouldn't kiss you but I miss how you taste and I need it, 'Cause I still hate your f- guts, But I miss you just as much.” Same. 

https://soundcloud.com/delaney-jane/just-as-much-feat-virginia-to

Love Like We Used To – Troy Cartwright

Anyone who knows me knows that Taylor Swift’s Last Kiss is one of my favourite songs of all time – it talks about being caught off guard by a break-up, and ‘never [thinking] we’d have a last kiss, never [imagining] we’d end like this.’ That is about the closest I get to crying over a song, and always gets me thinking – is it better to know in advance that you’re going to break-up, so you can treasure those last moments, that last kiss? Troy Cartwright answered that question for me in Love Like We Used To, where he resigns himself to knowing it has to end, but maybe after just one more night – “Tomorrow we can say our goodbyes, but tonight can we love…like we used to.” Like some of the other songs in this post, it’s a beautiful song wrapped up in a digestible modern country song, and I have to say, it’s helped make my decision – I’d rather know. 

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Like-Used-Troy-Cartwright/dp/B07SZP71FQ

 

Down To One – Luke Bryan

Down to (the last) one. I love a good surprise. If you asked my opinions on Luke Bryan, I’d say I know of him, I’ve listened to his songs, but none of them would rank among my favourites. This song might make me change that statement – I really love Down To One. This song really makes you feel some kind of way. It’s relatable, has good lyrics, and a catchy melody, and I can’t get the rise and fall of Luke’s voice as he sings “Thinkin’ I want more than just one night out here with you alone,” out of my head.  You really can’t have a bad day with this on. 

https://www.amazon.com/Born-Here-Live-Die/dp/B084QLXFTP

One month down, and already so many good songs. I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post and finding out about some of my favourite songs from the month – you’ll find a full playlist of all the songs I loved right here: Ciara's Country Spotify, and I’ll be back with even more next month! I’d love to know what songs you loved this month, so feel free to get in touch on Twitter @CiarasCountry. Thanks so much for reading!

2020 Year In Review

Well, it’s been a year. Definitely not the year I had anticipated, but a year nonetheless, so what better thing to do than take some time to reflect on everything that happened in 2020. All of this years adventures are linked wherever mentioned, so feel free to take a look at the full posts too! I was one of the first to greet the New Year, celebrating in style in a backpacker’s hostel in Bundaberg in rural Queensland where I was undertaking rural farmwork in order to apply for a second year visa to stay in Australia for a little longer.

I spent New Year’s Day at the beach with my best pals, swimming in warm ocean waters and watching orange, pinks and reds paint the sky as the sun went down. A pretty good start to the year if I may say so myself. The next few months were spent completing my farmwork, and I’ll have full coverage of the highs and lows that came with that coming soon to this blog. Packing tomatoes, picking lemons, and packing sweet potatoes may have been some of the most physically strenuous work that I will ever have to do, but I loved the social aspect of my time there.

 
During this time, I also got my first tattoo (probably not the last), and of course spent ample days at the beach – I was in Australia, I mean, you have to! Soon enough I was celebrating the end of farmwork and saying goodbye to some of the best people I’ve ever met; before catching a morning train back to Brisbane for the next leg of my adventures.

A friend and I took a day trip to North Stradbroke Island for a little getaway, and then I headed off on my own for a whirlwind tour around Australia, flying first to Sydney to see the city, some foggy Blue Mountains, visit the Hunter Valley wine region, and meet some of the local wildlife; and then bussing it to Canberra. Known as one of Australia’s more boring cities, I actually really liked Canberra, and would recommend it to anyone interested in history, politics, culture or education, as the city is full of museums.

I fell in love with the next place I visited – Melbourne – and truly hope that I have the chance to live there upon my eventual return to Aus. I saw wild penguins in Phillip Island, toured the Yarra Valley wine region, and took a tour along the Great Ocean Road to see the Twelve Apostles and some truly stunning scenery. My tour ended in Adelaide, and you can read all about my Australian adventures on this blog – everything is linked in this post, or you can type what you’re looking for in the search bar!

I had plans to spend some time in Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, but there was a concern that if I stayed any longer, I might not be able to fly out should things shut down due to Covid-19, which would be a major problem considering I was meant to be attending my brother’s wedding a few months down the line. As such, an executive decision was made for me to cut my trip short and head to the Netherlands to wait this thing out at my parent’s house.

Spoiler alert, I’m still waiting it out, and so North Holland has been my home for the past nine months and honestly, I’ve learnt a lot about Dutch living – so much so to even fill two blog posts of their own. It was pleasant to arrive in the Netherlands in Spring, with beautiful blossoming trees and baby animals everywhere you looked, and it also gave me a chance to improve my cycling since that’s how literally everyone gets around here. I think my proudest achievement of 2020 is learning to cycle one handed, and that’s a skill I know I wouldn’t have picked up had it not been for this weird year.

I swiftly got a job teaching online, and have been filling my free time cycling, painting (four large paintings now in the bag for Ciara’s future house), writing, listening to music (check out the songs that got me through2020 here), and exploring a little bit of the Netherlands, including places like Edam (as in the cheese), Utrecht, and some pleasant smaller towns along the coast. 

2020 has hardly been a year of much travelling, at least compared to what was planned – I was intending to head to the States for my brother’s wedding which has since been postponed, and then smash my way across Europe for a few months, but sadly Covid got to Europe before I did. However, all was not lost, and I did manage to get ‘away’ twice – first to Cyprus where I spent a blissful ten days relaxing on the beach, scuba diving the Zenobia wreck, making authentic pottery, and taking day trips to Ayia Napa, Nicosia, and Limassol. Again, all of that can be found on the blog, so if you’re looking for some escapism, you can find it there! Cyprus is now the sixtieth country I’ve visited, so still on track for 100 countries by age fifty, and you can read all about the places on my bucket list here. My other getaway was more of a staycation, to a Dutch island called Ameland, where we spent a few days cycling, cycling, and more cycling.

Upon my return, and with no trips to the hairdressers on the card with increasing restrictions, it seemed like a good idea to dye my hair, so after testing out whether blondes have more fun than redheads, I’m checking to see what it’s like for brunettes. I’ve also been presenting a few shows on UK Country Radio which has been great to get back to my country music roots and connect with friends from across the globe who haven’t heard my voice in a while!

It was a quiet Christmas here, although I did finally make it into Amsterdam for the first time during my stay here, which was pleasant to see the trees and lights and get in the festive spirit. I celebrated at home with my family with a sunrise cycle, plenty of food and a well-deserved day off. Quite a change from my Christmas last year, but pleasant nonetheless. 

It would be easy to dwell on the ‘what ifs’ had this year been different, and whilst it probably won’t go down as one of the best years of my life, there have been some real silver linings. I had a great start to the year filled with great people and great experiences; and even lockdown has had some highlights: unlocking my creative juices, getting fitter than I’ve ever been, reconnecting with old friends, and knowing that this might be the last time I’ll have this much free time. I hope 2021 will be 'good different' and I’ll have some more exciting stories to share with you, but the fact that I’ve managed to fill an entire blog post with this year speaks for itself!

Songs That Got Me Through 2020 (Part 7)

 We did it! Give yourself a pat on the back for surviving 2020. I’m sure we all had our own coping mechanisms for getting through this weird year, but I can assure you that my year would have been much worse had it not been for all the great new music I discovered this year. Thanks to everyone who has followed my journey over the past few weeks as I recounted my favourite songs of the year (you can check them all out here). Read on for the final instalment!

Heart’s in Your Head – Renee Blair

I really hope big things are on their way for Renee Blair. A lot of the artists I find on my various recommended playlists tend to have maybe one song that I like, add to my playlist, and then never hear about again. Not Renee – her music has managed to find it’s way into a fair few of my recommended playlists, but hey, I’m not complaining. She has a voice that puts her in the same echelon as some of my other favourites like Danielle Bradbery and Kelsea Ballerini; and is already writing with country songwriting royalty Shane McAnally. My two top songs of hers - Heart’s In Your Head and Soon As I’m Happy – hit that sweet spot of genuine lyrics mixed with a catchy melody. Well worth a listen.  

https://genius.com/Renee-blair-hearts-in-your-head-lyrics

 

 

Every Other Memory – Ryan Hurd

You might be familiar with Ryan Hurd as Mr Maren Morris, but he is undoubtedly more than that. In Every Other Memory, Ryan sings about listening to ‘old school Springsteen’ – little does he know that that’s exactly what I hear when I listen to his song. Every Other Memory hits a little too close to home for me, but that’s kind of what I love about it – his songwriting is so real, whether that be the cheeky To A T or the cute recollection of his first encounter with Maren in Love In A Bar. If you’re looking for some country music with a bit more edge, Ryan’s your guy. 

https://www.amazon.com/Every-Other-Memory-Ryan-Hurd/dp/B086YMW8JC

Jungle – Somebody’s Child

My recommendation for this song comes from a rather surprising source – Obi Wan Kenobi himself, Ewan McGregor. Well, I don’t know exactly how much say Ewan had in this particular song, but I discovered it while watching Ewan’s motorcycle journey in Long Way Up. Needless to say, it played as we saw sweeping shots of the South American jungle, and I immediately pulled up my phone to search this song after hearing that insane guitar intro. Irish songwriter Cian Godfrey, aka Somebody’s Child, doesn’t necessarily have a voice that I would initially gravitate to – it’s rather abrasive and raspy and honestly, not what I’m used to – but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t a fantastic piece of music, so it definitely makes my list! 

https://genius.com/Somebodys-child-jungle-lyrics

Somebody Else’s Problem – Lauren Alaina

From Somebody’s Child to Somebody Else’s Problem. Lauren Alaina is an underrated superstar - check out my reflections on C2C over the years for more on that. She has phenomenal vocals – she didn’t become runner-up of American Idol for nothing, and only didn’t take home the win because that went to another fantastic vocalist, Scotty McCreery – any other year and I’m sure she would have scooped it. Lauren has been a constant on my playlists this year, with songs like Run, Seen You In Your Hometown, and her duet with Dustin Lynch Thinkin’ Bout You, but I really like Somebody Else’s Problem. Sometimes it’s important to have a song like this to give you a reality check and know that it’s time to start treating people who don’t serve you like an old car – trade them in for an upgrade, and let them start being somebody else’s problem. 

https://musicrow.com/2020/02/lauren-alaina-reveals-cover-art-track-list-for-getting-good-ep/

 

Missing June – Miki Ratsula

Time for some soft, easy, and very very vibey indie music right now. Missing June made it’s way into my life just at a time when I needed to take a chill pill. Miki’s high vocals are a gift for the ears, as is the production, the lyrics, the bridges – it’s a full package. It’s the type of song that you want not only as the soundtrack to your roadtrip, but to your life. I may not be missing June of this year (thank goodness that’s over), but it’ll get you nostalgic in all the right ways. 

https://genius.com/Miki-ratsula-missing-june-lyrics

 

 

Slow Dancing – Aly & AJ

Some artists just transcend time – you like them as much as you did back then, even though their music is completely different. Why? They evolve, just like you do. Take Aly & AJ. They provided the soundtrack to my Disney Channel teenage years with songs like Potential Breakup Song, Chemicals React, and Like Whoa (all of which are still absolute bangers) and now they’re providing the soundtrack to my mid-twenties with songs like Take Me and Slow Dancing. In the same way I hope I have, Aly & AJ’s music has matured like a fine wine. Plus, some more stunning lyrics: “I don’t need anything fancy, I just need me and you slow dancing. Hell’s bending keeping me captive, Heaven’s here, it’s right where you’re standing, slow dancing.” Listen to this song – that’s an order.

https://www.kkbox.com/sg/en/song/Dg10046GbOq6LzJo6LzJo0XL-index.html

Pretty Heart – Parker McCollum

I credit my latest foray into the world of country broadcasting for this one. I’ve recently been presenting on a national country radio station, and that’s where I first heard Pretty Heart. I was fairly surprised when doing my research for this post that Parker is only 28 years old – his music and vocals sound older, and I wouldn’t have been surprised had someone told me that this song was actually by Jon Pardi or Luke Combs. The fact that I would associate Parker with those legends shows you just how good this song is – one to watch. 

https://www.umgnashville.com/news/parker-mccollum-releases-new-song-pretty-heart/

 

 

Christmas In The Country – Thomas Rhett

It would have been wrong of me to finish the series of the songs that got me through 2020 without including at least one Christmas song, and I can think of none better than one by Thomas Rhett. He’s blessed us with some fantastic country songs, including his beautiful cover of The Christmas Song and this original Christmas song. I love the way that it conjures up images of Christmasses straight out of a Netflix movie – old school lights hanging off the roof, front porch mistletoe and cups filled up with some feel-good Christmas cheer. Sounds like heaven to me. Whilst I might not be having a Christmas like that this year, the idea that I one day might could just be the one thing that keeps me going through the next year too! 

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Country-Thomas-Rhett/dp/B081DHCGWQ

And there we have it! One full year summed up in my favourite songs. I hope you enjoyed reading this series as much as I enjoyed making it – I can’t thank you enough for your support in taking the time to check out my blog, and hope that you’ll join me again on my musical and (hopefully) travel adventures in 2021. If you’d like to stay up to date, you can join my email list by inputting your email address in the box in the top right, and follow me on social media @CiarasCountry. Thanks so much for reading!

Songs That Got Me Through 2020 (Part 6)

It’s almost the end of the year, which means almost the end of this blog series. Thank you so much to everyone who’s stuck with me from the start (have a look at my last post here) – please let me know whether you listened to any of my tops tracks of the year (and if you liked them!), and indeed what blog series you’d like to see me tackle next by dropping me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry. Lucky for you, it seemed like I saved the best songs for the end of the year, so read on for more of the great songs that got me through this year!

 ok on your own – mxmtoon, Carly Rae Jepsen

 I reckon Spotify must have had a nightmare trying to compile my top songs of the year. Just when it thought ‘ah, here we have her most played songs all sorted, surely they won’t change now,’ a song like this comes along and changes everything. Like 7 Summers in my last post, this is a song that makes me feel happy and sad at the same time – I mean, the content is really sad, from my interpretation is about breaking up with someone and has lyrics like this: ‘And I hate to leave you feeling all alone, but your story cannot start until you've grown. You can find how to be OK on your own, I just can't be the one that makes you feel at home,’ and yet it leaves me with a sense of calm. If its place on this list isn’t enough reason to listen, it also features underrated queen Carly Rae Jepsen whose entire Emotion album is still deserving of a Grammy. 

https://genius.com/Mxmtoon-ok-on-your-own-lyrics

  

This Is How U Feel – Loote, Coastr

 I didn’t realise that this is actually the remix of the original song by Loote, but when researching the artist, it is unsurprising that I like this track, given that Loote was responsible for co-writing and producing the Cheat Codes / Demi Lovato track No Promises which is yet another fun track I would recommend a listen to. This is another party track with a phenomenal beat drop that, for me, conjures up images of running around the streets of Italy at night. Funny how music can make you feel like that!

 https://www.amazon.com/This-Feel-COASTR-Remix-Explicit/dp/B08CGXYKZ4

 

The Way You Break My Heart – Sadie Hawkins

 From never having heard of Sadie Hawkins or this song, The Way You Break My Heart became one of my most played tracks of the year. Why? Well, it’s just a perfect example of a good song. The beat is fantastic, the lyrics are thought-provoking, and it’s a type of song that I really haven’t heard in a long time – the last time I can think of a song that was kind of like this is Family of the Year’s Hero. TWYBMH is a song for when you know it’s time to move on, but it’s hard to do so; and the band have packaged it up into a totally enjoyable track that will be stuck in your head for weeks, but in the best kind of way. 

https://www.amazon.com/Way-You-Break-My-Heart/dp/B07T1LGQJ9

 

 Better Than We Found It – Maren Morris

 I can’t get enough of Maren Morris. She is a phenomenal vocalist, and certainly amongst the best in country music, which is high acclaim indeed. Not only that, but she creates music that matters. Following the horrific Las Vegas shooting at the Route 91 country music festival, Maren released Dear Hate with Vince Gill – a song which both rightly acknowledged some of the terrible things that have happened in recent years but also presented a message of hope when it was most needed. Better Than We Found It has done this again, in a year that has brought us the murder of George Floyd and the most divisive Presidential election in history. As she puts it simply: “When the lines of tomorrow are drawn, can I live with the side that I chose to be on? Will we sit on hands, do nothing about it? Or will we leave this world better than we found it?”

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60270540

 

 

Bartender – Cady Groves

 This song comes tinged with sadness upon finding out that Cady Groves passed away unexpectedly this year before the release of the EP that this track is from, Bless My Heart. This song certainly helped me get through 2020, and is a hugely fun take on James Blunt’s Bartender. Cady took what was in my humble opinion, a fairly standard song, and turned it into something rich and enjoyable. It’s a great shame that we won’t get any more music from Cady in the future, as she has a voice that I would have loved to experience live, but I’m glad that her memory will always live on through her music. 

https://genius.com/Cady-groves-bartender-lyrics

  

 

Monaco – MKTO

 Now, there’s a name you might not have heard in a long time. MKTO, responsible for 2013 hit Classic which, if you’re not a fan of, we can’t be friends; may have made a song even better than that, and that song is Monaco. From the first line: ‘I’ll go wherever you go, chase you through the streets of Monaco,’ this song is an emotive masterpiece that honestly takes me back to happier days when bands like MKTO, Allstar Weekend, and Hollywood Ending were all I listened to. This is a song that makes you feel warm, and excited, and loved.

https://genius.com/Mkto-monaco-lyrics

 Keep In Touch – Jake Scott

 This is it: THE song, and unless there are any more surprises, it will be my most played song of this year. Why? Because it is 2020, the year when all we can, and want to do, is keep in touch with those that matter, even though that is so much easier said than done. ‘So I won’t say what I want to, cause I want to tell you that I want you. I think you might know it, but I know it’s too early and I’m worried I’ll say too much. But what if I said it, what would go on in your head cause I don’t want to get ahead of myself and I’m scared that I’d mess this up, so I just keep in touch.”

https://soundcloud.com/user-200188413/keep-in-touch

  

 Highway Honey – Lullanas

Ending on a high with another great new find from the year, and that is Lullanas. If you like Little Big Town or Maddie & Tae, you’ll love Lullanas. I’ve been listening to Memphis, Pennsylvania Skies and Highway Honey for the perfect melodies, and the soft and sweet harmonies that these twin sisters have crafted. They are country, Americana, and folk swirled into one beautiful package. I hope you check out all of the songs I recommend, but I certainly hope you check out these. 

https://lnk.to/HighwayHoney

  

I love all of the songs in this series, but I think I might love some of the songs in today’s post the most. I hope you enjoyed reading about them, and that you might even check one or two out in your free time. I am always keen to find even more new music, so if you have some songs or playlists you’d like to share with me, drop me a message in the comments below, or on Twitter @CiarasCountry. As always, thanks so much for reading!