A CHANCE meeting at a backyard birthday party has shaped the course of Blake O'Connor's career.
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Asked by a mate to play at his mum's party, Shannon Noll, Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley were the last people O'Connor expected to meet.
"I rocked up and it was a mini-festival in the backyard," he said.
"I was only supposed to play for 15 minutes but I ended up playing for ages and Brooke and Adam Eckersley took me under their wing."
Now on tour with the couple, the 18-year-old rose to fame when he won Toyota Star Maker this year.
His single Blackwater has been well-received by country music fans, ahead of the release of his new album.
Yet to be titled, the album is produced by Adam Eckersley who has quickly become a mate and mentor to O'Connor.
"We recorded it in his house and turned his whole house into a music studio," he said.
I listened to my 13-year-old self's music and was like, 'How the hell did you let me do this?'
- Blake O'Connor
"We're going for a very country, bluesy, Americana vibe.
"There's a lot in there about experiences that I've gone through over the last 12 months, there's one cover but the rest are songs I've written."
O'Connor grew up in Port Macquarie, country music was a constant in his family home.
With Wauchope's country scene just 20 minutes down the road it's no surprise he wound his way into the genre.
Music has always been his first career choice, and the young star has consistently pushed himself over the years.
As most do, he started out as a busker at Tamworth Country Music Festival before he won the Coca-Cola Battle of the Young Stars in 2017, attended the CMAA Senior Academy and won Star Maker this year.
"Growing up I was always listening to Johnny Cash and Willy Nelson and mum and dad always had the radio on," he said.
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"They loved Kenny Rogers so it was always country music mixed in with what's on the radio, it was never strictly country but it stuck with me.
"I listened to my 13-year-old self's music and was like, 'How the hell did you let me do this?'
"I was dreadful, but my parents have always come to my gigs."
Working closely with Adam Eckersley has taught O'Connor much about the industry, he said.
At every show he's partly responsible for setting up the sound, that behind-the-scenes work has helped him to understand how much goes into a strong performance.
Eckersley's creative advice has steered O'Connor to write more about himself.
"If it connects with you, it will connect with someone else," O'Connor said.
"These songs are really close to me."