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Aussie Country troubadour, Matt Ward, spins tales of hope and love on his third studio album, The Long Way Home.

Expertly crafted alongside multi-award-winning producer, Matt Fell (Troy Cassar-Daley, Fanny Lumsden), the songs that make up The Long Way Home are inextricably tied to the lands that have shaped Matt Ward.

“Country music often revolves around three themes – the road, country, and matters of the heart,” tells the singer-songwriter. “My new album ‘The Long Way Home’ celebrates all three, especially my unexpected journey to find a home in regional South Australia.”

As a former ornithologist with a PhD in Ecology, Matt has criss-crossed the country from Darwin’s tropical waters, to the arid Nullarbor Plain and now his new home on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. Matt’s new album references these rugged backdrops, juxtaposed by the inevitable yearning to rest his rambling soul.

“It draws inspiration from the landscapes I’ve cherished all my life, my background in land management, and the challenges I’ve faced on the road in search of a place to call my own. This album beautifully weaves together these elements of country life and the special places in my new home, including my farm, my loyal dog Shooter, and my beloved partner.”

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The opening track ‘Come Home Safe’ hits the ground running, with its hip-hop infused vocal delivery and rustic instrumentation. Similarly to the recently released single, ‘A Place To Stay’, both tracks exudes an energy akin to Matt’s restless spirit, as he details the joys and perils of life on the road.

The vulnerable ‘Morning Light’ highlights those matters of the heart, encapsulating the anxiety felt before being intimate with someone new. While ‘Find You a Valley’ echoes the singer-songwriter’s admiration for his loyal Border Collie / Kelpie, Shooter.

Matt continues to pull the heartstrings on ‘Petrichor’ – named after the smell of rain – while incorporating strong references to the land. “It reflects my ornithology background with lyrics like “I hear the dawn before it’s rising” and “I smell the rain before it falls,” symbolizing pure and natural love.”

The aptly titled ‘Fight The Flames’ slow burns from Matt’s lonesome vocal and a single guitar to an anthemic rocker about persistence in love and life. The track was inspired by the overgrown forests and towering mountains of the Tasmanian landscape where he recorded the album.

The songsmith turns his focus to family life on ‘The Last Night’ and ‘Holding on To You’, with the music video for the former beautifully capturing the daily lives of his 60-years-married parents on Super 8 film. ‘Holding on To You’ – a co-write with Jeff Gibson – is a raw song of perseverance, inspired by Matt’s sister and brother-in-law who lost their son to a rare genetic condition, Niemann-Pick disease.

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The Long Way Home follows Matt’s 2021 ARIA #1 album, If I Was In Dallas Tonight and his 2019 ARIA #1 debut, Heartland, with each album featuring singles earning him multiple spots on the CountryTown Hot 50 airplay chart.

The troubadour has hit the road in support of artists like Andrew Swift and Lachlan Bryan, as well as embarking on his own tours; chasing white lines from his home near Adelaide to the country’s far flung reaches and abroad. Currently in the midst of a national tour, Matt has traced his way across regional South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, and after the album release will set off for a string of shows in South Australia before heading Queensland and Tasmania.

He’s been heralded as “the genuine article” (The Courier Mail) and “everything that is good about Australian Country Music” (Country Music Capital News). Matt Ward’s third offering certainly lives up to his reputation. The Long Way Home features a stunningly crafted collection of songs. The earthy Matt Fell production and raw emotion in Matt Ward’s voice give true authenticity to these vivid vignettes of Australian landscapes and life.

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TOUR DATES:

Friday 6th September – Barossa Ale House – Nuriootpa, SA
Saturday 7th September – Three Brothers Arms – Macclesfield, SA
Sunday 8th September – Shotgun Willies – Adelaide, SA
Friday 18th – Sunday 20th October – Groundwater Country Music Festival – Gold Coast, QLD
Friday 1st November – Altar Bar – Hobart, TAS
Saturday 2nd November – Royal Oak Hotel – Launceston, TAS
Sunday 3rd November – Wilder Tasmania – Gowrie Park, TAS
Friday 20th December – Exeter Hotel – Adelaide, SA

*Tickets on sale now and available HERE

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Follow MATT WARD
WEBSITE – FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM – TIK TOK

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AMNPLIFY – DB