Adam Harvey and Beccy Cole: Full Interview

By Xander Townsend

Available in Issue 029 of Sumpton’s Gold Rush Gazette

(Beccy Cole and Adam Harvey - Provided by Whildheart Publicity)

Tell us a little about your history with Charters Towers.

Beccy: A year ago I was living in my bus for a little while and doing shows in Queensland and I actually went through Charters Towers because the only way I could get from South Australia to Queensland was to go right up the gaps, through the Territory, turn right and go through Mt Isa and Camooweal. I then ended up needing to go through Charters Towers because I was going straight across to Townsville. I ended up going right across that gorgeous road that takes us from Mt Isa across the top. It had been a while since I was in Charters Towers, I was there for the Country Music Festival a couple of years ago and that was great. I also used to have family there so I would go visit them. Interestingly, my son, who's now 23, took his first ever steps in Charters Towers. I'll never forget it. You know how you remember a town for certain things? For me, Charters Towers is where he took his first steps.   

Adam: I first started going to Charters Towers when we used to play at the Country Music Festival and when that stopped for a while, for some reason I never went back. Now that’s going back about 10-15 years, that’s how long it's been since I have actually been to Charters Towers. It's always nice when you get to go somewhere that you either haven't played at or somewhere that you haven't been to for so long as opposed to playing the same old same old stops that we always do.

You have a lot of beautiful rural towns/locations listed for your tour. Tell us about the locations you chose for your tour and why you chose them.

Beccy: I think one of the things that country music is known for is visiting smaller towns and I think that the people of Charters Towers appreciate that they don’t have to pack everything up and come into Townsville, they can just go to their beautiful theatre. I think a lot of these towns miss out on artists that are traveling through so it's really nice that the country artists often catch these towns on their tours.   

Adam: I think our music probably connects with those people and that’s where we spend 90% of our time. I think there's a real connection between country music, the country music artists, and the people that live out in those towns because a lot of the things we sing about are things that they can relate to. We aren't singing about being in a gang in the inner city and getting arrested, it’s different. That’s one of the things I love about our music, I love to be able to get out to those rural towns and communities. The best nights we have are always in those country towns. It's that connection or being able to relate to what we are singing about, that’s why people in the country areas love country music so much because we are telling their stories as well as ours.

How was the process of recording and producing your album “The Great Country Songbook Volume 3”?   

Adam: Beccy rang me one day out of the blue and said "You know what I'd really love, I'd really love to go back on tour with you". We've done around a dozen tours around Australia over the years together, and she said she'd love to go back on the road. Bec said "Those tours that we have done together are the happiest times of my life." I said "Mate, I'd love to go on tour with you, I'll tour with you tomorrow" because I love working with her. I thought, if we are going to do this tour we might as well go the whole 9 yards and record a new duets album to go with the tour and that’s how the whole concept began. Luckily for me we've got a really great studio just around the corner from the house and we got in there and did a bunch of recording. Bec flew down from South Australia and It was probably one of the easiest albums that we have done.   

Beccy: Without a doubt, it just ran so smoothly … Adams basically orchestrated this whole thing after I went through a tough time, I went through a trauma. He (Adam) said, "what can I do?" and I said "You can tour with me." The album was his idea, he did all the heavy lifting I have to say. I rocked up one day to do my vocals and I told him I had a little bit of a tickle in my throat but the vocals seemed to sound ok so we got most of them done. The next day I was coming back to do 4 or 5 more songs. I got back in and said "This cold's really kicked in, I think I sound like I have a cold." Adam came through on the monitor and said "Yeah, you sound a bit coldy, come back tomorrow." I went back to the hotel and did a test and of course I had COVID. Interestingly, during most of the vocals of mine that you hear on the record, I have COVID.

Tell us about your connection with "I Don’t Love You Much Do I" and why you chose it for this album.

Beccy: It’s a song I've always loved. It's a Guy Clark song and I've always been a big fan of Guy Clark. Adam too because he recorded one of his songs years ago Boats to Build. He's such a great songwriter, sadly he passed away a few years back now but not before winning his first Grammy. He did a duet with Emmylou Harris, I have just always loved it. It just reminds me of Adam and I in a friendship kind of sense. We've always looked out for each other and even though it’s a love song, for me I look at it from more of a friendship point of view. We do think the world of each other. It’s a beautiful kind of friendship.   

Adam: I think you're right. I said to Beccy "We probably aren't going to get any radio play with this Album because it is so traditionally country compared to all the new stuff that’s getting released." and she (Beccy) said "Well you know what, If we are going to be different we might as well go the whole hog. Let's release that as the first single because it's about as far away from anything else that’s getting released at the moment, it's as far as you could possibly get from that". If we are going to go down that road, let's go all the way down there so we thought bugger it, let's release that one.

What would your message be to the local community before your performance?

Adam: I can guarantee them one thing, Beccy Cole is the greatest entertainer I've ever ever seen and to work on stage with her is just amazing and very special. I guarantee people that if they come along to the show, there will be songs that they are going to know, they will have a great laugh, they will have a sing along, and forget about all their cares and their dramas. They will escape all the doom and gloom in the world for a few hours and just have a bit of good old fashioned fun.   

Beccy: I want to prove somebody wrong. Somebody said to me recently "Oh you're going to Charters Towers, I don’t think they go out and see stuff anymore." And I would like to prove them wrong because I think Charters Towers people do want to come and see a show and prove that we are worthy of bringing artists to towns like Charters Towers. I want everyone to get out and go to the beautiful World Theatre and get off their backsides and get out of the home theatre systems and see something live.

TOUR DATES AND LOCATIONS:

Friday 9th September 2022 - Northern Beaches Bowls Club, Mackay QLD

Saturday 10th September 2022 - The World Theatre, Charters Towers QLD

Sunday 11th September 2022 - Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville QLD

Thursday 15th September 2022 - Brolga Theatre, Maryborough QLD

Saturday 17th September 2022 - Caloundra RSL, Caloundra QLD

Sunday 18th September 2022 - City Golf Club, Toowoomba QLD