Doug Bruce
Aspendale, Victoria, Australia | SELF
Music
Press
...In a few words, this is a knockout release. I mean, this father of two young sons can sing in a voice that bends and shapes to country familiarities; he plays, and, as the liner notes share, he writes. Rather than a fashioned hat and an oversized belt buckle, the image here is humble, honest, caring and melodic. It’s country. Pure. Simple. Unpretentious. And, it works.
With an energetic lashing of steel, guitar, fiddle, piano and other country instrumentation, Bruce works easy across the album’s 13 tracks, for which he penned five.
The album jumps straight for the chute with the snappy “Good Place for Love”. Heart-on-the-sleeve emotions receive a keen vocal working, while the made for a Saturday jukebox “The Bed You Lied In”, another Bruce write, is a guaranteed crowd mover. To vary the mood and tempo, the emotive “Don’t Let Me Stay Too Long”, and the home-spun advice of “ Having What you Want”, “Man In The Mirror” and “Hey Mister” all fine tune an album that rounds out with the duet partnering on “ Close Enough” with emerging talent, Amber Joy Poulton.
In the hard-edged world of country music, many labor. Doug Bruce has been treading the boards for over 20 years. Now a constant and in-demand performer, he and his band have spent time touring the breadth of Australia, while firming up interest in the USA and Europe.
This album, finally, may spell pay dirt.
This latest CD echoes just what hard work, crafted writing and a voice honed for country music can deliver. And for Doug Bruce, it’s a good place to be.
- CountryStars Online
ALL I NEED
Doug Bruce
(Independent)
Texan Doug Bruce fell in love with a good Aussie woman and Australia fell in love with the smooth, velvet tones of this die-hard country singer’s voice and music. His honest and powerful lyrics are obviously welcomed by Australia’s country music elite – he won Best Male Vocalist at this year’s Tamworth Independent Artist Recognition Awards for his song What I’m Drinkin’ About, and also Best Contemporary Song for powerful I Know About Lonesome.
Clearly a fan of all that Aussie music has to offer, Bruce has embraced the toe-tapping Australian beats to complement his smoky, Deep South voice. Best of all, he has cottoned on to our dry sense of humour, making his songs a bit of fun as well.
The title track reminds us all what’s important while the slower, more melodic I Know About Lonesome inspires courage and strength. But it’s My Wish Upon a Star that sends us right back to our childhood to sway along to memories.
SARAH WARNE, Sunday Herald Sun, February 8, 2009
- News Limited
Country Music Capital News
December 2009
ALL I NEED
DOUG BRUCE
Independent
If there is one thing I absolutely adore about country music, it’s those tex-mex smoky-barroom crooners. Give me a good GEORGE STRAIT song anyday. DOUG BRUCE started life in the Lone Star State of the USA and now, with an Aussie wife and young family, the Texan calls Australia home. His brand new CD All I Need is quite exceptional, as are his songwriting talents. His velvety tones really caress the music. First single, and title track All I Need is a chirpy track about the important things in life. What I’m Drinkin’ About, I Just Fixed My Heart and Punch Drunk Love are real foot-tappers. I Know About Lonesome, Farther To Fall, That’s All It Takes and Angel Fly show a simply awesome talent to wring emotion from words and music. A fabulous album, for me Doug Bruce now sits right beside my Gerge Strait collection! Have a listen – you won’t be disappointed!
DEBORAH MINTER
Country Music Capital News
- Rural Press (Australia)
Discography
Made That Way (2012) album - first radio release Nov 2012 is the title track, Made That Way, reached # 1, 2 and on the Australian Country Tracks chart #2 on Australian Country Tracks chart. Second release May 2013 - Thank God I'm A Cowboy.
A Good Place (2010) 13 track album released Sept 2010. Three from 3 releases reached # 1, 2 and on the Australian Country Tracks chart - Coffey Road,Honky Tonk Shoes, Sweet.
All I Need (2008) 13 track album
- Title track , All I Need, first single released to Australian radio December 2008.
4 singles released from the album: All I Need, What I'm Drinkin' About (also released in Eurpope and charting on the ECMA Chart), Just Three Minutes (also released in Europe and reached no. 4 on the ECMA) and I Know About Lonesome in early 2010.
Brand New Memory (2006) 7 track EP
- Radio airplay 2006-current
Photos
Bio
Career Achievements
ALBUMS
2008: All I Need
2010: A Good Place
2012: Made That Way
2014: 4th album in production (due for release August 2014)
APPEARANCE ON COMMERCIAL COMPILATIONS
2011: Pure Country video compilation (for digital jukeboxes and retail stores play), SBA (Honky Tonk Shoes)
2012: Hell Yeah! Ultimate Country Drinking Songs, ABC, Universal Music Australia (What Im Drinkin About)
2013: Beaut Ute Anthems 2013 (5 Star Honky Tonk) ABC, Universal Music Australia
2013: Songs That Make Us Country, ABC, Universal Music Australia (Honky Tonk Shoes)
2014: CMAA Winners 2014, Universal Music Australia (Thank God Im A Cowboy)
HONOURS & AWARDS
South Australian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee
2009 Tamworth Independent Artist Recognition Awards, Winner - Best Male Artist (What Im Drinkin About)
2009 Victorian and National Country Music Awards, Winner - Smoky Dawson Best National Independent Release (All I Need), Winner - Victorian Album of the Year(All I Need), Winner - Male Vocalist of the Year Awards (What Im Drinkin About)
2009 Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) National Songwriting Competition, Winner - Best Contemporary Song (I Know About Lonesome), Finalist -Traditional section (Just Three Minutes)
12th Annual Unisong International Songwriting Contest , Finalist - Americana section (All I Need)
2011 Victorian and National Country Music Awards, Winner - Victorian Album of the Year (A Good Place), Winner - Victorian Male Vocalist (Honky Tonk Shoes), Winner - Best National Traditional Song (Coffey Road)
2011 Victorian and National Country Music Awards Runner-up - National Independent Release and Victorian Entertainer of the Year
2011 Southern Stars Independent Country Music Awards Finalist, Australian Independent Male Vocalist (Coffey Road), Finalist, APRA/AMCOS, Finalist, Independent Single of the Year (Honky Tonk Shoes), Finalist, Independent Album of the Year (A Good Place)
2011 Country Music Guild of Australasia, Winner - Most Popular Artist
2012 Country Music Channel Awards, Nominee - Best Oz Artist, Best Video (Honky Tonk Shoes)
2012 Tasmanian Independent Artists Recognition Awards, Winner Best Male Vocalist (Coffey Road), Winner - Best Vocal Collaboration (Close Enough)
2013 Country Music Channel Awards, Nominee - Best Oz Artist, Best Video (Sweet)
2013: Doug Bruce # 4 on CMC Best Independent Artist Top 50 countdown. Sweet #20 in CMCs Top 50 Australian videos of all time countdown
2013 Southern Stars Independent Country Music Awards Finalist - Best Male Artist, Finalist - Best Single, Finalist - Best Album (Made That Way)
2013 The Age - Music Victoria Genre Award, Finalist, Best Country Album (Made That Way)
2014 Country Music Channel Awards, nominee Male Oz artist and Best Oz Artist
2014 Country Music Awards of Australia (Golden Guitars) Finalist, Best Male Artist (Thank God Im A Cowboy)
RADIO CHART SUCCESS
2008-2009 Album: All I Need
All I Need 15 weeks in the Australian Hot Country Top 50, reaching # 20
What Im Drinkin About - #4 Kix Country Top 20 Countdown (7 weeks in top ten), and released in Europe and charted in the European Country Music Association (ECMA) radio airplay charts (including #1 in Ireland and Austria).
Just Three Minutes - debuted at 55 in its first week in the ECMA Top 100, and reached # 4.
2010-2012 Album: A Good Place
Close Enough - # 13 on the Top 30 Country Tracks chart
Coffey Road - #1 on the Top 30 Country Tracks chart for 2 weeks Sweet - #2 on the Top 30 Country Tracks chart for 2 weeks and #17 on CMC Top 30 countdown (16 weeks in Top 50). Finalist CMC Video of the Year
Honky Tonk Shoes - #2 on the Top 30 Country Tracks chart for 3 weeks.
2012-current Album: Made That Way
Made That Way - #2 on the Top 30 Country Tracks chart for 3 weeks
Thank God Im A Cowboy - #6 on the Australian Country Tracks Top 30
Clock Out At Five Currently - #1 on the Australian Country Tracks Top 30.
MUSIC VIDEOS
2009: What Im Drinkin About - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqyju1io814
2009: I Know About Lonesome - www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjxpzMsU1C4
2010: Honky Tonk Shoes - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RahB4MrVQnQ 8 weeks in CMCs Top 30 Countdown
2011: Coffey Road http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmX78Vkh6u8 #13 on CMC Top 50 countdown
2012: Sweet - www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qjh2UzR_30 #17 on CMC Top 50 countdown
2012: Made That Way www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8sUBlPb5cw #30 on CMC Top 50 countdown
2013: Thank God Im A Cowboy www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e8CaRR2l3w #20 on CMC Top 50 countdown
Band Members
Links
