The 66 year-old born and bred Finley local — who is a farmer, songwriter and a performer — is on the cusp of releasing his ninth studio album, and believes he’s ‘‘never sounded better’’.
‘‘Everyone knows their strengths and weaknesses,’’ he said.
‘‘Some people that go into music, they peak in their 20s. I’ve always been a little jealous of that I guess, but I know that right now with the experience I have I’m playing the best I ever have.’’
Though possessing an enduring passion for live music, Mr Macartney said the constant energy spent performing left him drained, and uninspired.
‘‘You get caught happy playing live work, and I love playing live,’’ he said.
‘‘With live music you’ve got those really high highs, but you get stuck with the lows too.
‘‘I’m only getting older and sometimes after playing a gig I’ll be wiped on the couch for three days.’’
The artist’s eighth album ‘Finding Inspiration’ was crafted in the weeks after his appendix was removed, when he was unable to perform.It was his most successful album to date, with four original songs hitting the top 40 of the Country Music Chart, both in Australia and overseas.
In a similar fashion, the upcoming ‘Man of The Land: Then Until Now’ came to Mr Macartney when lockdowns prevented him from entertaining music lovers.
‘‘I believe in things that are meant to be, and COVID was one of those things that was just meant to be,’’ he explained.
‘‘Having that break, it really gave me the space and the energy to pour myself into this album.’’
The Australian country album will feature 18 tracks — with a couple reworked classics thrown in for good measure — and includes ‘something for everyone’.
There’s a song about trucking, one about gardening and even a tune appealing to the unvaccinated.
‘‘I’ve never gardened a day in my life, but I find inspiration in the lives and passions of other people,’’ the artist said.
‘‘I was up in Merimbula when I went into a jewellery shop.
‘‘I told the lady behind the counter that I was up there song writing and asked ‘do you have any inspiration for me?’. She came back with ‘I love gardening, I’m an avid gardener’, so that’s where that one came from.’’
Due for an early 2022 release, Mr Macartney said he’s been enjoying sinking his teeth into the technical side of production since beginning work on the album.
‘‘Right now we are mastering the tracks, which is an optional step but it basically involves pasting over the track and giving it that ‘sparkle’.
‘‘But it’s got to be the best that it can be before I put it out.’’
The project has drawn the input of some of the country’s most esteemed studio artists, and Mr Macartney hopes to build upon previous success in what is his ‘‘biggest and best’’ album to date.
31°C