Luck might be the word in the title, but Andrew Swift’s success story has little to do with chance. The multi-award-winning country artist has spent the better part of a decade building his name the old-fashioned way, through persistence, authenticity, and a deep connection with fans. From flipping burgers and fixing caravans to headlining theatres and topping charts, Swift’s journey has been one of grit and gratitude. His new album Lucky Stars captures it all, part victory lap, part love letter, and all heart.
Swift is now one of Australian country music’s most recognisable figures, with three ARIA #1 albums, more than 8.3 million streams, and three CMAA Golden Guitars, including 2023’s coveted Male Artist of the Year. His rugged look, tattoos, trucker cap, and beard, is matched by a sound that blends modern edge with classic storytelling. On Lucky Stars, he leans into both, pairing rich emotional depth with an adventurous sonic palette.
Produced by multiple ARIA Award winner Matt Fell at Wilder Studios in Tasmania and mastered by Raelynn Janicke in Nashville, Lucky Stars continues Swift’s reputation as one of country’s most forward-thinking artists. It’s a record of growth and grounding, inspired by love, family, and the small moments that make a life big.
“I used to chase neon nights and loud rooms,” Swift says, “but now the glow is softer – a porch light left on, the smile of someone waiting in the wings.”
That shift is felt across the record. Opening track Nothing Better reflects on the journey from caravan repairer to full-time musician, written during a moment of homesickness in Nashville when Swift realised how far he’d come. Get Lost, co-written with Blake Dantier, celebrates his love of the open road, while Neon Queen (featuring Ella Hooper) pays tribute to the honky-tonk dreamers of Nashville’s Broadway.
Swift’s signature storytelling shines on Kickin’ Tires, a nostalgic look at small-town adolescence, and on See You At The Bottom, a song of resilience born from his own battles with depression as a teenager. His sense of humour and humility surface in Livin’ Like We’re Loaded, a tongue-in-cheek anthem about making the most of what you’ve got – “living a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget.”
But the emotional core of Lucky Stars lies in the songs about his family. Oh Valentine, a duet with partner Simone Sordello, was written as a musical letter to their daughter, Valentine. It’s a tender highlight that crystallises where Swift’s heart now lives. Works For Us and Change A Man also trace the impact of love and family, both literal and spiritual, showing an artist unafraid to be vulnerable.
Co-writers across the album include an impressive mix of Australian and international names, Lindsay Rimes, Phil Barton, Billie-Jo Porter, and members of The Wolfe Brothers among them. It’s another reminder of Swift’s standing in the songwriting community, a long way from his early pop-punk days in Melbourne.
Swift’s transformation into a country heavyweight began with his 2017 breakthrough at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, where he fell in love with the genre’s community spirit. His debut album Call Out For The Cavalry hit #1 on the ARIA Country Chart and earned him Golden Guitars for Alt Country Album of the Year and New Talent of the Year. He followed with The Art Of Letting Go – Australia’s fifth highest-selling country album of 2021 – and Lightning Strikes And Neon Nights, which again topped the ARIA Country Chart.
Along the way, he’s toured with The Wolfe Brothers, Catherine Britt, and Shannon Noll, become the official ambassador for the Dog on the Tuckerbox and Gympie Music Muster, and taken his music all the way to Nashville’s CMA Fest.
As Swift sings on Oh Valentine, “If that’s not lucky, what is?”
Andrew Swift – Lucky Stars Tracklisting:
Nothing Better
Get Lost
Neon Queen
Kickin’ Tires
Oh, Valentine (feat. Simone Sordello)
Ramble & Roam
Livin’ Like We’re Loaded
See You At The Bottom
(Hot Damn) It’s Been A Minute
Works For Us
Change A Man
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