Kernaghan’s back for Boyup Brook

After more than 15 years, the original boy from the bush is coming back to town and is set to put on one heck of a party while he is here.

Lee Kernaghan will be celebrating 25 years since the release of his first album, and in classic country music fashion will pass the milestone with an action-packed performance with “all the bells and whistles”.

The iconic country singer will headline Boyup Brook’s Country Music Festival in February and said he would be “taking no prisoners” as he made his way through a set list of both his older, classic hits and some new tracks from his upcoming album.

The 52-year-old said he was “ecstatic” to be making a return to the festival and said he “couldn’t think of a better place” to perform some of his new songs for the first time.

“It’s the number one country music festival in WA and I’m just ecstatic to come back and play,” Kernaghan said.

With 36 Golden Guitars and three Aria Awards under his belt, as well as an impressive 34 number one hits on the Australian Country Music Charts, it is safe to say Kernaghan has well and truly cemented his position as one of Australia's leading contemporary music artists.

He has also sold more than two million albums since he first burst onto the scene in 1992 and has been named “Hit Maker of the Decade” twice throughout his career.

Kernaghan said festival-goers could look forward to some explosive performances from albums The Outback Club, Hat Town, Planet Country, plus his breakthrough 2015 album, Spirit of the Anzacs, as well as a taste of what’s to come in his 2017 album.

He said he wanted to deliver “more than a concert” to his audience and “hopefully play some songs that have touched them”.

“It will be a big Outback Club reunion and everyone’s invited,” he said.

Kernaghan has come a long way from transporting his music equipment with an old horse float and barely attracting 10 people to each of his shows 25 years ago.

He said he felt “very grateful and incredibly blessed” to have experienced so much success.

“It really makes you stop and think about how it all began — it’s been an incredible ride,” he said,

Kernaghan said it would be “so fulfilling” to recall and reminisce all the “wild” times he’s had throughout his career at the festival.