For 2012 X-Factor runner-up Jason Owen, the forthcoming Tamworth Country Music Festival will be the start of what is going to be a massive 2014 for the rising star. He joins country starlet Amber Lawrence as her special guest. This is a rare chance for audiences to see two premier young country artists sharing the same stage. It’s also this budding country artist’s first time performing at the festival and he can’t wait!
Throughout 2013 Jason has been touring Australian beside Amber on their Islands in the Stream tour and they’ve already got a swag of tour dates locked in for 2014. The show has been a hit, selling out metropolitan centres and regional areas, earning Jason a whole new fan base. The 19-year-old caught attention with his break-out performance on X-Factor. His impressive talent and natural ease won the hearts of the judges and viewing public alike. His debut album Life is a Highway landed at #5 on the ARIA Album Chart and #1 on the iTunes Country Chart in its first week out. The album has also been nominated for a Golden Guitar for the Sanity Australian Top Selling Album of the Year. The Islands in the Stream tour was named after the duet single of the same name that Amber and Jason released mid-2013. The cover of the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton classic hit is just one of the songs audiences can expect from the show in Tamworth.
“Amber and myself have so much fun together on stage,” Jason says. “We both love to perform our hearts out so our audience members can expect fun, great songs and a whole lot of entertainment. We’ve been touring Islands in the Stream throughout 2013 and have had a ball. The show contains songs from Amber’s three albums and me singing songs from my current album Life is a Highway.”
Life is a Highway is a collection of classic songs given a modern slant with Jason’s unique interpretations. They’re renditions of the tracks that he performed on X-Factor, and it’s easy to see why this teenager won fans and critics over. The album contains songs from John Denver, Elvis Presley, Bob Seger, The Searchers and Willy Nelson to name a few. There are even tracks originally made famous by The Black Keys, Green Day and Ronan Keating. Songs such as Always On My Mind, Against The Wind, If Tomorrow Never Comes, and Sweet Home Alabama are just a few of the tracks on this incredible debut release. Life Is A Highway marked the start of a new journey for Jason, who moved from his small country town of Albert in regional New South Wales to Sydney and is embracing his music career whole heartedly.
Jason says he’s really been enjoying touring the country and meeting fans face-to-face. He acknowledges it’s been a humbling experience. “What I’ve enjoyed the most is meeting all the fans that I have made from X-Factor and seeing the happiness on their faces when they meet me and I sing to them,” he says. “Also working with people like Amber and the other musicians is just amazing. The tour continues through 2014 – I think what appeals to fans the most is the way we engage with the audience. We try to entertain people no matter where we are or how many people are in the audience.”
With the tour continuing indefinitely throughout the next year, Jason’s calendar is jam-packed. With lots of things in the pipeline, including a new album release, he’s extremely excited about the year ahead and ever so thankful for the support he received in 2013. “It [2013] has been a massive year for me,” he says. “All I can hope for is that all the fans and people that Amber and myself meet around the country have enjoyed our shows. Just being given the privilege to work with the people I have in 2013 has been amazing and I want to thank all my fans for making it possible for me.”
Don’t miss Jason Owen at the 2014 Tamworth Country Music Festival as he performs as Amber Lawrence’s special guest. Tickets are on sale now.