From yodelling stockmen to modern pop

The first book to explore the importance of country music in Australian society has been released by Lyrebird Press, an historic imprint owned by the University of Melbourne in the custody of the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (VCA&MCM).

Yodelling Boundary Riders: Country Music in Australia since the 1920s, was written by Australian historian and musician, Dr Toby Martin, whose ARIA nominated band, Youth Group, had a number one hit with their cover version of Forever Young by Alphaville.

Dr Martin says his book illustrates a range of historical characters from yodelling stockmen to Australia’s craziest hillbillies.

“Prior to the 1950s, country music was called hillbilly music and was the rock ’n’ roll of its day,” Dr Martin says.

“The latest craze, straight from America, it was young, exciting and glamorous. This book traces the journey from ‘hillbilly’ to ‘country’, telling the story of one of the most enduring forms of popular culture in Australia, country music.”

The book also illustrates the varying Australian responses to the rapidly changing music of the 20th century and the global fascination with artist “authenticity’’.

Clinton Walker, the author of Buried Country: The Story of Aboriginal Country Music says country music was Australia’s original modern pop form, which has not been reflected in our written histories to date.

“This fine book offers an accessible and entertaining exploration of the country music genre,” Mr Walker says.

“Who’d have thought that Toby, singer of the beautiful 2005 number one single Forever Young, would make such an elegant transition from stage to page.”

Lyrebird Press publishes books about music and Australia and are the publishers of the Australasian Music Research (AMR) book series founded in 1996.

www.vca-mcm.unimelb.edu.au