Mustered Courage

Mustered Courage

Formed in 2010, Mustered Courage quickly signed to Laughing Outlaw Records whose founder, Stuart Coupe, stated “I’ve always wanted a band as good as Old Crow Medicine Show on the label and I reckon I’ve found them.” Laughing Outlaw released the band’s debut self-titled album in 2011. Mustered Courage won the band a MusicOz Trophy in the Country category at the 2012 Australian Independent Music Awards.

Powerlines

Mustered Courage self-released their sophomore album, Powerlines, in Australia in 2013. The album was produced by ARIA Award-winning producer Jimi Maroudas. Powerlines' three singles - “Standing By Your Side,” “Cruel Alibis,” and “Powerlines” - enjoyed support from Australia’s Country Music Channel. The band also had radio success throughout Australia including being featured on several national radio programs. In 2013 Mustered Courage joined Waleed Aly in The Drawing Room on ABC Radio National where he described them as “Australia’s hottest bluegrass band.” Powerlines was nominated for Alternative Country Album of the Year; while the album’s lone instrumental track, “Allegheny,” was nominated for Instrumental of the Year at the 42nd CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia in 2014.

White Lies & Melodies

With the success of Powerlines, Mustered Courage signed to the newly formed Lost Highway Records Australia under parent label Universal Music Australia. Lost Highway released the band’s third album White Lies & Melodies in Australia on August 28, 2015. The album is critically acclaimed, receiving very favorable reviews in several publications including 3.5/4 stars in Rolling Stone Australia and 4.5/5 stars in The Brag.

The first single, “Honesty,” reached #1 on the Country Music Channel Top 50 Countdown on 17 September 2015. The album’s second single, “The Future,” features a guest duet vocal from American singer Audra Mae who is best known for her vocal work on Avicii’s #1 single “Addicted To You”.

White Lies & Melodies was nominated for ARIA Best Country Album of 2015. It also received three Golden Guitar nominations at the 44th CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia 2016: Alternative Country Album of the Year, Group or Duo of the Year, and Bluegrass Recording of the Year.

United States

In September 2013, Mustered Courage was invited by the Americana Music Association to perform at their annual Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The band left Nashville having signed with American management and making connections to Travianna Records who went on to release Powerlines in the U.S. in 2014. The American version of Powerlines includes a duet with fellow Australian Kasey Chambers called “Rosa” that is not on the Australian release.

The band returned to the U.S. in 2014 to support Powerlines by performing nearly 60 shows in 90 days across 43 states. The tour culminated with 10 performances at the International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass.

Mustered Courage followed up the 2014 tour with several shows in America in 2015 including performances at the John Hartford Memorial Festival, Wintergrass, and the iconic Telluride Bluegrass Festival.