The boy from the bush is back in town!
Iconic Australian country music star Lee Kernaghan is hitting the road again for his most extensive tour yet to celebrate the release of his new album Backroad Nation.
Joined by four-time Golden Guitar winners The Wolfe Brothers and Country Music Channel female artist of the year Christie Lamb, Kernaghan will cover most of the country on his tour with concerts planned Australia wide.
But it is the west coast Kernaghan said he can't wait to return to.
"It's the biggest tour I've ever undertaken in my career but the highlight of course will be Western Australia and taking the new show there," Kernaghan told the Mail.
"WA is just the great state and we're bringing a new show with new production, new sounds, new lights, new screens - all of that really interactive experience."
Born into a country music family and raised in outback New South Wales, Kernaghan boasts a successful career that spans more than 30 years and includes 38 number one songs.
His new tour will feature all of his best hits including 'Boys From The Bush', 'Hat Town', 'Flying With The King', 'Australian Boy', 'Texas QLD 4385', 'Goondiwindi Moon' plus new tracks from the Backroad Nation album.
Kernaghan said he "went the extra mile" on his latest record, drawing inspiration from our Aussie way of life and celebrating "the people who make our country great".
"This album has been a couple of years in the making - I've been around Australia a couple of times getting ideas for it and then to the other side of the world in the USA to do more writing and recording there with some top Aussie songwriters that are based in America," he said.
"Much of the inspiration for the songs has come from the people I've met and the places I've travelled to, from Alice Springs to the Deni Ute Muster, from the mighty Pilbara region in WA to the backroads of Queensland, and everywhere in between.
"This is something brand new, it's very much now country - country music has continued to evolve and grow over the years and it's very much becoming a part of mainstream music now which is a great thing.
"I love everything that is going on in music right now but for me, it has to be Australian.
"This album is about us, about our country."
I love Australia, I love writing about our people and our way of life - that's what drives me.
- Lee Kernaghan
An established legend in the Australian music industry for good reason, Kernaghan now has 37 Golden Guitars and four ARIA awards to his name.
But he said he doesn't expect to call it quits anytime soon.
"I love Australia, I love writing about our people and our way of life - that's what drives me," he said.
"I've made my music to be played at BBQ's, on camping trips, on road trips - I want it to be the soundtrack for people's life experiences in good times.
"This is my passion, I love it and I can still go head to head with the young ones."
Lee Kernaghan will perform at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre on Thursday, August 15. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit the MPAC website.
