May: Tracy McNeil and the Goodlife / Tara Coates

About May: Tracy McNeil and the Goodlife / Tara Coates

Tracy McNeil and the Goodlife – You be the Lightning album tour

Described as ‘fully realized,world-class country rock’  Tracy McNeil has released 4 albums in Australia to the adulation of critics and aficionados, her 2015 release Thieves taking out ‘Best Country Album’ at The Age Music Victoria Awards. Together with her band The GoodLife she brings to the table a healthy dose of Californian shimmer harking back to the halcyon days of late 1970’s L.A. country rock. Yet there was something in the magic of her forthcoming fifth studio album ‘You Be the Lightning’ that snagged the attention of radio, critics and Cooking Vinyl Australia who signed McNeil off the back of the first listen.

As the leading singles gained speed, ’Stars’ garnering a review by Triple J’s Roots n’ All proclaiming McNeil as “the female Ryan Adams with more pop sensibility” and ‘Not Like a Brother’ landing on Double J, ABC Country and ABC Local playlists amongst a stack of great reviews – Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife are off and running with what many are saying is her best material to date.

Throughout her musical career, she has supported international artists Dawes, Old Crow Medicine Show, Eilen Jewell, Mary Gauthier, Tony Joe White, Weddings Parties Anything and Australian Crawl legend James Reyne.

She has played sold-out shows in Melbourne, a recent national three month Canadian tour and played major festivals including Artwells (CAN), Ness Creek Music Festival (CAN), AmericanaFest (Sounds Australia Showcase) Nashville (USA), and Australian festivals Out On The Weekend, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Dashville Skyline, Bigsound and Australian Music Week.

Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife features multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Dan Parsons on lead guitar, Tracy McNeil on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Bree Hartley on drums, Craig Kelly on bass and Brendan McMahon on keys.

“Tracy’s band The GoodLife are a true-super group made up of stellar musicians in the tradition of mid-period Fleetwood Mac.” – Basement Discs

Tara Coates (trio)

Tara Coates (nee Carragher) is “one of our finest folk artists” (Rip It Up) in South Australia.  

She melds her folk roots with alt-country influences, having performed, toured and recorded in Australia and the USA. 

Her latest album release ‘Wicked World’ reached number two on the AMRAP Australian Charts, received national airplay, and, earned her a nomination for Best Female Artist in the 2017 South Australian Music Awards. 

She has collaborated and sung on albums with the award winning New Mexico based CW Ayon, Texas based Mississippi Blues duo Old Gray Mule, The Yearlings most recent album ‘All the Wandering’, been featured on the AMC Yesterday’s Heroes Album with Rob Riley (Rose Tattoo), and sung live with award winning songwriter Kelly Menhennett and Wisconsin based Hayward Williams amongst others. She performs in the Jen Lush band and is an active guitar educator in addition to her own projects.'