Americana Music Association launches Australian Advisory Group

The Americana Music Association has announced an Australian advisory group to provide opportunities to national artists.

The group comprises of label veteran and founder of management company TCO Artists, Dan Biddle; Brian Taranto, Director of longstanding merch company Love Police; Editor of roots publication Rhythms Magazine Marty Jones; Jeremy Dylan, Australian filmmaker and Owner of production company Seven Shells Media, and Bushwackers band member and newly appointed CMAA President Dobe Newton.

Nashville-based producer and current AMA Board President Mark Moffatt says, “As an expat, I have ensured the AMA is fully aware of the incredible depth of talent in Australia and the contribution artists such as Kasey Chambers, Paul Kelly and many others have made to our genre. We look forward to strengthening these ties through the newly formed advisory group and to the opportunities this relationship will provide on both sides of the Pacific.”

The group has three goals: “to create awareness of the genre in Australia, to foster opportunities for Australian artists in the US, and to create connections for US artists in Australia.”

The Americana Music Association was formed in 1999 to advocate American roots music globally. In America, the genre is more accessible and segmented by radio format whereas Americana in Australia is captured under alt-country, thus denying the acts the type of full front line promotion afforded to US artists.

The Association holds an annual Americana Music Festival & Conference each September. Last year’s event saw Billy Bragg, the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Adelaide’s Paul Kelly perform.

Moffatt was named AMA President earlier this month. Speaking to TMN then he said: “A lot of Australian artists are a great fit for the genre but often don’t realise it and I can help join the dots for them.”

In 2012, Advisory Group member Jeremy Dylan directed a documentary film about Americana legend Jim Lauderdale. Watch the trailer below.