Originally from Cessnock in the NSW Hunter Valley Wine Country, Kel-Anne Brandt made her stage debut at the tender age of three and has gone on to perform and entertain fans both nationally and internationally, including being invited to sing for the Aussie Troops and Federal Police in the Solomons in 2007.

'The Best So Far' is her third commercial album, compiling a series of recordings made over her career to date. "It was harder to choose the tracks than I thought it would be", Brandt admits, but it was a decision made easier thanks to an engaged mastering engineer.

Faced with a life threatening condition in 1997, Kel-Anne's then life between full-time work and singing on the weekend was turned upside down - though she emerged from the news determined to continue singing with a greater dedication. The attitude paid off as she played Tamworth the very next year in 1998.

There is little doubt that Tom Maxwell is one of the leading forces in today’s crop of  Balladeers. One of just a handful of travelling Bush Balladeers still on the road full time, Tom is not only living his dream, he is keeping alive an Australian way of life that has served to enshrine the Australian Bush Heritage.

His new album Pictures In The Smoke is out on LBS Music and it saw him work more closely with country legend Lindsay Butler - the producer of Maxwell's last two albums. Always hardworking, Maxwell found just enough time on his dense calendar to visit the studio. "I've got to work around it and look at the touring guide" admitting there is a fine balancing act as an in demand recording artist who lives a life constantly on the road.

An accomplished entertainer, Tom has already released 11 successful albums, and has made the finals in many of Australia’s Country Music Awards including the Prestigious StarMaker and the Golden Guitars with his most recent nomination in 2014 for Bush Ballad of the Year.  In January 2010, Tom was inducted into the Hands of Fame Park in Tamworth, an honour awarded to those for their services and contribution within the Australian Country Music Industry.

Hell Breaks Loose is Shane Nicholson’s first recording of original material since the breakdown of his marriage to Kasey Chambers, with whom he recorded two ARIA Award-winning alt-country duet albums, Rattlin’ Bones (2008) and Wreck & Ruin (2012).

Several songs address his new circumstances directly, including the superb ballad Single Fathers and the starting-over honesty of Secondhand Man. Others range across topics from the decline of a once-great city (Irons and Chains, about Detroit), living with depression (Weight of the World), to learning to choose which battles are worth the fight (Bury My Guns).

“Many of these songs are about self-discovery and new horizons,’’ Nicholson says. “And also how that’s not always great, it can also sometimes be difficult. You can veer down a few wrong paths. It can take time to adjust. Writers will always find turmoil to write about even if there isn’t any, but the writing for this record certainly came from an authentic place, and was very cathartic.’’