Mustered Courage

Mustered Courage breathe new life into the Australian roots music scene with a diverse sound that appeals to both traditionalists and newcomers alike. The Melbourne based quartet that Music Australia Guide describes as “the link between Bill Monroe and Mumford & Sons” has risen to the top of Australia’s folk and roots scene on the strength of their energetic live shows and albums that have won them glowing reviews, loads of radio support and a trophy at the 2015 CMAA Golden Guitar Awards for Instrumental of the Year – “Candle Creek.” After a heavy touring schedule of headlining club dates and festival appearances in Australia, these down-home pickers set their sites on the United States where they were invited by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) to perform at the IBMA’s weeklong 2014 World of Bluegrass conference and festival. This invitation turned into a full-blown tour that included 60 shows in 70 days across 43 U.S. states. Mustered Courage’s quick ascent and insatiable work ethic caught the attention of Lost Highway Records (Universal Music Australia) who recently signed the band to a worldwide record deal. While the ink dried, Lost Highway released the band’s cover of Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” with the original instrumental B-side “Candle Creek” to celebrate the new relationship. These two tracks showcase the best of a sound that has Rhythms Magazine raving, “The four-part harmonies are right on the money. And the string picking, whether lightning fast or mellow and relaxed, is incendiary.” Like the Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show, Mustered Courage bridge the gap between traditional bluegrass and modern roots music. They are a band on the rise that, as Rhythms contends, is “guaranteed to soon be on to bigger things.” After a heavy touring schedule of headlining and festival dates in support of their debut, Mustered Courage went back into the studio to record their sophomore long-player, Powerlines, with ARIA Award winning producer Jimi Maroudas (The Living End, Eskimo Joe, Kimbra). The album finds the band fine-tuning a diverse sound that Music Australia Guide describes as “the link between Bill Monroe and Mumford & Sons, with just the right mix of mirth and mournful.” Rhythms Magazine raves, “The four-part harmonies are right on the money. And the string picking, whether lightning fast or mellow and relaxed, is incendiary.” Mustered Courage’s quick ascent has not gone unnoticed in the music industry, both in Australia and abroad. These down-home pickers have played many of the major Australian festival, performed an official showcase at September’s Americana Music Association Conference and Festival in Nashville, Tennessee, and have been invited back to the U.S. in February to perform at the 2014 International Folk Alliance Conference. Powerlines has also garnered the band two “Golden Guitar” nominations at the 2014 CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia for Alternative Country Album of the Year and Instrumental of the Year for the track “Allegheny”. Like Old Crow Medicine Show and the Avett Brothers, Mustered Courage breathe new life into the bluegrass scene with a style that appeals to both traditionalists and newcomers alike. They are a band on the rise that, as Rhythms contends, is “guaranteed to soon be on to bigger things.” Alternative Bluegrass from Melbourne, Australia - Focusing on original songwriting, big harmonies, great pickin' & rocking the crowd