COURTNEY KEIL
// ABOUT //
Freshly crowned the ‘Best Female Vocal’ at the 2023 Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards, Courtney Keil has hit the ground running since her debut. In August 2020, she kicked things off with her single ‘I Just Wanna Hold You’ securing #15 TMN Country Hot 50 / Semi-Finalist 2020 ISC, Top 40 Finalist Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition. 2021 brought releases of feel good ‘Hummingbird’ (#2 AIR 100% Independent Singles Chart / #29 TMN Country Hot 50), enchanting ballad ‘Where Does All The Love Go’ and gutsy ‘Little Heartbreak’.
In March 2022 Courtney released uplifting, spirited ‘The One’ (#2 iTunes Country, #9 AIR 100% Independent Singles Chart) followed by ‘Hard Place’ in July, filled with western swampy groove debuting at #2 iTunes Country, with a high of #21 on CountryTown Hot 50 Chart. Come October her release of ‘Always First’ (#1 iTunes Country). 2023 brought the release of 'Let's Pretend' ahead of her debut album release. All eight songs secured high rotation across country radio networks with streams in excess of 340,000. Her accompanying music videos directed by Duncan Toombs (The Filmery) and Jeremy Minett (Eyes & Ears Creative) received high rotation support from CMT
Courtney’s debut album ‘The Good Kind’ debuted as the #1 Australian album on the iTunes Country Australia chart. It is a collection of songs written during 2020 - 2022 that have cheerful, feel-good vibes, a mix of love and heartbreak with some superb classic sounds of 90’s country music. The album is packed with brilliantly talented musicians and has been produced once again by award winning producer and multi-instrumentalist Rod McCormack, the Music Cellar. Courtney and Rod designed the album to be thought provoking, nostalgic and to uplift and encourage with glimmers of hope for all of the challenges of the past few years.
2022 was jam-packed for Courtney Keil with performances on the acclaimed ‘Girls Night Out’ tour alongside Gina Jeffreys, Tania Kernaghan and Max Jackson with it’s debut at the 50th Tamworth Music Festival in April, NQs Rockn’ Country Music Festival in Mackay and Savannah in the Round. Courtney opened for Andrew Swift in Victoria for his ‘The Art of Letting Go’ album launch tour, was a guest artist at the Wagner Awards in Sydney (being awarded 2022 ‘Most Promising Young Artist’) and supported Angus Gill on his Victorian tour in June.
She captivated audiences, as the vibrant and energetic June Carter in the ‘Johnny Cash - The Concert’ tour alongside Daniel Thompson with performances around Australia. The show was an absolute hit on the Cruisin’ Country tour aboard the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas in November, with Courtney taking to the stage once again. Later in November she opened the show as Guest Artist at Avoca Theatre on the Central Coast for The Black Stump Band (Tim Freedman, The Whitlams).
Fans will remember Courtney performing the National Anthem at both the opening race of the 2021 Supercars Championship at Bathurst, which was broadcast to an audience of 1.64 million (7 Network, Fox Sports & Kayo) and the 2022 NBL Grand Final re-match between Melbourne United and Perth Wildcats (10 Play, Foxtel via ESPN, Kayo Sport).
Courtney continues to add to her catalogue of songs, writing with her mentor Gina Jeffreys (1991 Star Maker Winner/5x Golden Guitar Winner), her producer Rod McCormack (3 x CMAA Producer of the Year), Templeton Thompson (Reba McEntire/Jo Dee Messina/Little Texas), and Sam Gay (Deric Ruttan/Little Texas/Bryan White) and Sally Barris (Trisha Yearwood/Keith Urban/Martina McBride/Lee Ann Womack). Courtney Keil brings superb lyrical depth, passionate connection and creates music that speaks of resilience, sentiment and encourages her audience to endure and overcome challenging times, all trademarks of a sincere and authentic artist.
