Andrew Swift finds home in the lightning strikes and neon lights of Australian country scene

The year before the bearded troubadour had performed his own indie-rock songs at the country music mecca and decided "this isn't for me."

But his second trip to Tamworth couldn't be more different. Across five days Swift interviewed 70 Australian country artists and listened to their performances at close quarters.

The experience, this "crash course in country", proved life-changing.

"It was almost this epiphany moment," Swift remembers this week. "I realised that's where I belong.

"Seeing everyone react when they'd come into the studio and leave the studio, crossing paths and checking in.

"Everyone was looking out for each other and I really loved it all."

Swift returned home to Melbourne and thrust himself into the alt-country and Americana scene, and quickly formed friendships with stars of the scene like Jen Mize and Gretta Ziller.

"I went all in," he says. "I loved it and fell in love with the community and the music and realised there was more to country than I realised.

"I actually took a break from writing for 18 months to just listen and find new artists or listen to artists that had been around for a long time that I hadn't heard.

"My background, I grew up listening to pop music and played in a pop-punk band and doing the mainstream covers stuff for years as well.

"I feel like there's a whole lot of influences underlying what I've got happening."

In 2018 Swift's adoption of country music brought immediate success. His second album, and first country-flavoured effort, Call Out For The Cavalry topped the ARIA Country charts and won Alt Country Album of the Year and New Talent of the Year at the 2019 Golden Guitars.

"Everyone was very welcoming," Swift says of the Australian country scene.

"I have found the country scene isn't as close-minded as other genres that I've experienced over the years. Everyone is like, 'cool, you're welcome. Let's see what you can do'."

Another country No.1 followed with 2021 album The Art Of Letting Go and in January this year Swift beat a crack field of Casey Barnes, James Johnston, Adam Brand and Newcastle's Morgan Evans to win best male artist at the Golden Guitars for his single The Good Old Days.

"It was a shock," Swift says. "I was sitting there and I was a little too comfortable. I'd undone my vest and didn't think I'd be getting back on stage.

"First thing I said to my girlfriend [Simone Sordello] once my name was called out was, 'I need to get dressed'."

However, it was no shock that Swift's latest record Lightning Strikes and Neon Lights debuted at No.1 on the ARIA Country and No.2 on the Australian Albums last week.

The album's anthemic country-rock sound is pitched perfectly to attract a more mainstream audience. It's tales of alcohol-fuelled parties (Cheap Liquor, You and Me and a Bottle Whiskey and Smoke 'Em If You've Got 'Em) and new-found love (Boombox Romance, Young Lovers and Love's Like a Wrecking Ball) are custom-made for commercial radio.

"When I was chatting to Matt Fell, who produced the last two records and this one, he said, 'Look we've been dancing around the more contemporary sound over the last couple of records, so why don't we just lean into it and see how it goes'?" Swift says.

"That's what we've done. I always try and challenge myself to try and make the new record better or different from the previous."

It also doesn't hurt that country music is in demand.

Fellow Australian Brad Cox is selling plenty of tickets to metropolitan audiences and American stars Morgan Wallen (No.2) and Luke Combs (No.7) have albums in the ARIA top 10.

Wallen's track Last Night is the No.1 single in Australia.

"I know being from Melbourne that 20 years ago when I started playing music, country was not cool," Swift says.

"It wasn't a cool thing to be doing.

"I think we were pretty ignorant about what country was. I think in modern times where genres are blending more and more, there's been a lot of crossover sounds with country and pop and rock.

"It allows new fans to find country music through these crossovers."