Luke is joined by a couple of musos from a place called Unumgar in NSW – a locality on the Summerland Way in northeast New South Wales.  Its closest capital city is Brisbane which is about 110 km to the north-northeast, it’s about 620 km from Sydney, it’s way west of Byron Bay and is one of the northernmost localities in New South Wales.

Unumgar is home to Watling and Bates, songwriters, raconteurs of contemporary rural Australia and revivalists of the country’s past. Their songs move like a will-o-the-wisp between Australiana and Americana, Gothic country and dark folk, hillbilly and honkytonk according to their website.

Earlier in the week, Luke played Kym & Geoff’s Christmas song “If It’s Ok With Santa”, which is a bit of fun in an otherwise sad and complicated world, about Christmas in Australia.

It’s hot and muggy, no place for a big bloke in a woolly red suit.  “If It’s Ok With Santa” looks at the irony of the hot Australian Christmas and the growing tradition of Christmas in July.

Website:  www.watlingbates.com

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