Ahead of his Canberra show on the Boys from the Bush tour, we spoke to Lee Kernaghan about nostalgia, new fans, and the unmatched glory of a country bakery pie.
When I tell Lee Kernaghan that I spent a good chunk of my teenage years horse riding on a farm in the Snowy Mountains, spending spare weekends and school holidays dancing in the kitchen with my friends to his music, he loves the story and tells me he hopes it makes the article. There probably weren’t many teenage girls in the mid-2000s spending their Saturday nights dancing to ‘The Outback Club’, but for us, his songs were more than just background noise, they represented inside jokes, first drinks, and shared memories.
Lee is exactly as warm and down-to-earth as I’d hoped. When I say that hearing ‘Boys from the Bush’ always takes me back to being 14 in that farm kitchen, he says, “That’s the power of music, it takes you back to another place in time.”
It’s been 33 years since ‘The Outback Club’, Lee’s debut studio album, was released. In the decades since, his music has soundtracked a lot of moments, for a lot of people. From long drives to weddings and proposals, from first loves to kitchen discos with friends, his songs have stuck around for fans across generations.
The Outback Club came out in 1992, but those songs don’t feel like they’ve aged. Are you seeing a new generation of country fans at your shows?
Absolutely. Heaps of people come out to the shows who’ve been listening to my songs since they were kids, and now they’ve got kids of their own, sometimes even grandkids. They’re bringing their mates and discovering country music together for the first time. It’s just such an exciting time for the genre, and for our music.
There’s been a real resurgence in country music’s popularity. What’s that been like to watch, especially for someone who’s been in it for decades?
It’s funny, when I was at Murray High School in Albury, I was the only kid in RM Williams boots. The only one who listened to country music. I felt like an outcast for years. But now, it’s reaching a whole new level. There’s so much pride in it. I saw it when I went to the US in the early ’90s to see Hank Williams Jr, there were thousands of kids in the crowd, already living the country lifestyle. It’s taken a while, but we’re there now too.
Who are some of the up-and-comers on your radar right now?
Lane Pittman’s got something really special. James Johnston is doing great things too. And the Wolfe Brothers, they’ll forever be my damn good mates. Watching their journey from Australia’s Got Talent to national tours has been incredible.
You spend a lot of time in regional Australia, what’s the best meal you’ve had in a small country town?
No hesitation. The crumbed lamb cutlets at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton. They’re insane. Just thinking about them does my head in.
And finally, you walk into the quintessential country bakery, what’s your go-to?
Always a great pie. The sausage rolls are usually a great bet too. It’s a taste of country Australia that you just don’t get anywhere else.
Lee Kernaghan performs at the Royal Theatre on Saturday 19 July 2025. Find tickets via Ticketek or check out our Instagram for your chance to win one of 2 double passes to the show.
