Award winning country duo Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley drop their second album Up, Down & Sideways tomorrow.
Brooke McClymont is one third of top-selling, award-winning Australian country music trio The McClymonts. She has over 200,000 album sales, 40 million streams, two ARIA Awards, fifteen Golden Guitar Awards, one CMA (USA) Award, one APRA Award and five #1 ARIA Country Albums.
Adam Eckersley has won five Golden Guitar Awards: the first in 2015 for New Talent of the Year; and then in 2016 in the Group or Duo of the Year category with The Adam Eckersley Band whose 2014 debut album, The First Album, debuted in the Top 5 on the ARIA Country Chart.
The duo have been going from strength to strength this year since taking home three awards at the 2023 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards (Song of the Year, Apple Music Single of the Year and Country Music Capital News Group or Duo of the Year). Ever since Brooke and Adam have been touring and selling out their shows across the country. The duo also released two more singles, “Country music, you and beer” (February) and “Lost if I lost you” (April) both making their mark on the Australian country charts including Kix Country, CountryTown and Australian Country Radio.
After their impressive clean up at the Golden Guitars my expectations for Up, Down & Sideways were high, and I’m happy to confirm that the electrifying duo didn’t fail to deliver.
Up, Down & Sideways is a celebration of the ups and downs of real life and real love. Produced by Robby De Sa (Gretta Ray, The McClymonts, Tina Arena), the album showcases some exceptional song-writing and features Song Of The Year “Star Of The Show”. The positive lyrics in combination with the magical chemistry between Brooke and Adam’s vocals are sure to remind you of all the good things love is made of.
Up Down & Sideways starts with the party banger, “Country Music, You and Beer”. Cheerful and funny, the song makes you want to create some heart-warming memories around the campfire.
To follow, Brooke and Adam bring out the groovy “Roll On Baby” and “What are you waiting for” both featuring bouncy beats and catchy lyrics to clap along to.
“Memory Lane” is a beautiful ballad, already turned hit last year, reaching over one million streams. It was also the song recognised for Apple Music Single of the Year at the 2023 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards.
Track 5 was my personal favourite! “Don’t Give Up On Me Yet” celebrates making it as a couple despite all the challenges a relationship entails – to me it sounded like true love in a nutshell! “High on a Monday”, up next, is a brave call to live life your own way. The cheeky lyrics is probably not G0rated enough for radio, but it is just too relatable to not leave you begging for more.
“Wild Side”, with its sexy melody and perfect collaboration of the two vocals through call and response and beautiful harmonies – I can feel the electricity in the air! Then the most recent single “Lost If I Lost You” plays on those heart strings, followed by the very cowboy tune “Rock Bottom”.
To seal the experience with some happy tears comes the last track, “Star Of The Show”. Brooke famously performed the song last year during her appearance on Network 10’s I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! where she was voted as the runner-up. Brooke and Adam’s 10-year-old daughter, Tiggy Heart Eckersley, became the youngest person in history to be recognised with a Golden Guitar award for the track, sharing the Song of the Year win with her parents and Dan Biederman as fellow songwriters.
The talented girl is also starring in the single’s video with her teddy bears. I’m not crying, you are!
Full of dancey hits and heartfelt lyrics, Up Down & Sideways delivers that feel good fix we all search for in a country album. It’s a must listen for any fan of the genre.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Up Down & Sideways is released tomorrow, 30th June. To buy a copy of the album and merch, head HERE
Keep up with Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley tour dates, news and updates HERE
