Andrew and Lissa Barnum draw on Shoalhaven identity, First Nations perspectives and their connection to the NSW South Coast for a reflective new release produced with Neil Foley.
Vitabeats have released Your Country, a new single inspired by belonging, kinship and the landscape of the NSW South Coast.
The song, released on Friday 6 November 2026, draws on the Shoalhaven region as Andrew and Lissa Barnum explore the relationship between place, identity and community. The duo describe it as a personal expression of self-determination and kinship, informed by their experiences of living on the South Coast and their respect for First Nations knowledge, language and stories.
“Got a feeling where I belong,” the song declares, establishing the central theme of a track that connects personal identity with a broader sense of belonging to the land and its people.
Andrew and Lissa Barnum provided the musical and artistic direction for Your Country, with Neil Foley responsible for producing the musical atmospheres. Foley, from Old Haunts, has also worked with Vitabeats on their recent recordings.
The release is accompanied by a lyric video that combines Australian songwriting with cinematic visual storytelling, using the surrounding environment to extend the song’s exploration of place and connection.
Your Country is an independent South Coast NSW production released through the Barnums’ own Lifedrum Recordings Australia.
The new single follows Where, released in September 2026. That song examined the cycles of disappearance and rediscovery that have shaped the couple’s musical journey. It continued a return to recording that began with Rise Up in 2023 and a reworking of their earlier song Red Electrics.
Vitabeats’ current creative chapter began after Andrew and Lissa relocated from Sydney’s Erskineville to Meroo Meadow on the NSW South Coast. The change of environment has become an important influence on their recent work, with the landscape and community informing the direction of their songwriting.
The Barnums’ musical partnership dates back to Los Angeles in 1980. Their early creative work included Live Nude Girl before they returned to Australia and adopted the name Vitabeats.
They established themselves on the Australian music scene in 1985 with Boom Box, which reached No. 31 on the Australian charts following national radio exposure and an appearance on Countdown. The follow-up single Audrey also reached the Australian Top 100.
Their debut album, Spot The Spanner, was released through Hot Records in 1985. Produced by John Bee at Studio 301, the album documented the band’s original recording period, which wound down after 1988.
Andrew subsequently released five solo albums through Foghorn Records, while the pair continued their creative partnership and recording activities. They also returned to formal study of Australian songwriting practice.
The move to the Shoalhaven and their renewed collaboration with Foley have provided a new setting for Vitabeats’ recording work. Rather than revisiting their 1980s catalogue, the recent singles have established a contemporary direction informed by their experiences and surroundings.
Your Country continues that independent approach, bringing together the Barnums’ songwriting history with a present-day reflection on identity, community and connection to the South Coast.
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