Back in town: Troy Cassar-Daly on the streets of Geelong. Picture:
ERIN PEARSON
HOME is where the heart is for country music veteran Troy Cassar-Daly.
The Australian star said family and farm life remained number-one despite his travels around the world and tours with country legends such as Slim Dusty and Johnny Cash.
The father revealed he drew on the strength of friends and family following the Queensland floods to write his latest album.
Cassar-Daly described Home as a “friendly homage” to country hospitality.
“This was a bit of a healing record for me after the floods,” he told the Independent.
“I think it got me to appreciate home and family a lot more. That’s why I called the record Home.
“Before the floods we all thought the community was somewhere you lived. It’s not that, it’s somewhere people pull together, where they care and come to your aid.
“That’s what this record is all about.”
Cassar-Daly said he left his comfort zone while recording the new album, putting down the guitar to focus solely on his vocals.
Each day was a learning experience as he became a “student” of music all over again.
But he singled out “the good things in life” as the main inspiration throughout the writing and recording process.
“It’s easy to write negative stuff,” Cassar-Daly said.
“It’s a lot harder to write about things that are glass half full but I think we need it.
“Last time I went to America I took the family over for three months. We walked out of a restaurant where they served way too much food and collected up the leftovers and gave it to people on the street.
“That’s what you should do. It’s normal.
“I want my kids to see that’s normal.”
Cassar-Daly said he had instilled hard work and old-fashioned values in his children to help them understand why he had to go on tour with each new album.
He pined to be home waiting for them to come home from school each day but said he refused to let a freshly recorded album “sit it on the shelf”.
“Slim (Dusty) imparted something in me when I was very young. He said you’ve got to take the music to the people,” Cassar-Daly reminisced.
“You can’t pack them up and get them to you in Melbourne. You’ve got to get out there to Bairnsdale and to Warrnambool and that’s where we’re going.
“It’s vitally important.”
Cassar-Daly will play Corio’s Gateway Hotel on March 16.
WIN TICKETS
The Independent has two double passes to Troy Cassar-Daly’s Gateway concert to give away.
To go in the draw to win one of the passes, simply SMS the word TROY along with your full name to 19 19 18.
The competition closes midnight Thursday. The winners will be notified by return SMS to pick up their tickets at the Independent.
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