Being on the road, playing shows is by far my most favourite part of being a musician. Thank you to The McClymonts for taking me out on tour with them for their 10 Years of Hits Tour.

It was a wonderful experience opening for the girls and I was blown away by all the beautiful crowds that supported me and my music. I still can’t believe I sold out of my CDs after only the first three shows and had to get some more sent over. Crazy!!

As part of my Star Maker prize, I won a beautiful SRS 808 Maton guitar, so whilst I was in Melbourne, I stopped in at the Maton Guitar factory to meet the crew and say hi.

My guitarist Adam and I both play Matons so it was great to see where our guitars were made. I was especially excited to meet Mark Malmborg who designed the mini maton, which is the guitar I have been playing for the past five years. Big thanks to Derek (guitar luthier at Maton) who serviced all three of our Matons.

Uprooting my life in Perth and choosing to base myself on the East Coast this year was a really scary decision to make at first, but Toyota, Fairfax Rural Events and all the other Star Maker sponsors have really helped to make it a super smooth transition.

Not to mention how exciting and surreal it has been.

I’d really like to say a big thank you, not only to the industry, but to everyone that has welcomed me and my music with open arms and an open mind.

To all the radio stations that have played my current single Keep On – thank you for your support and whilst I am on the subject on radio, I am very excited to announce that Keep On has been added to the ABC National playlist.

Toyota Star Maker truly is a competition that never stops giving. I feel like every time I accomplish something that is part of my Star Maker journey, I blink and another amazing opportunity is waiting for me just around the corner.

I really hope that all the budding country artists that are considering entering the competition do so, because it is a huge leg up, no matter at what point in your career you may be.

So what’s next for me you may be asking? Well, I am currently working on my new single, which I co-wrote with Byron Hill in Nashville, and I am also busy putting together my next tour. I’ll be looking at incorporating a few intimate house concerts, so if you live in Qld, NSW or Vic and would like to host or attend one of these magical nights, please visit my website for more details karinpage.com