All the way from Montana, USA… Sterling Drake

Montana songwriter and roots musician Sterling Drake will make his Australian touring debut this October, bringing his distinct blend of American roots music to stages across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT. Drawing from the rich traditions of the American songbook, Drake’s music spans cowboy and Western music, honky-tonk, Appalachian and Celtic traditions reflecting the diverse musical influences that have shaped his sound.

Presented by Love Police, Drake’s Australian tour runs 15–31 October, with stops including Brisbane, Broadbeach, Newcastle, Sydney, Milton, Canberra, Beechworth, Melbourne, Arches Creek and Castlemaine. The tour will feature support from The High Street Drifters, Misty Harlowe and William Alexander, alongside Drake’s appearances at Groundwater Country Music Festival.

Drake will be joined on the Australian tour by Icelandic GRAMMY-winning multi-instrumentalist Thorleifur Davidsson (Sierra Ferrell, KALEO, Marcus King), who produced Drake’s debut LP, The Shape I’m In, alongside local Australian musicians for select dates.

Praised by Whiskey Riff as “one of country music’s best kept secrets at the moment,”

“Taking these songs from Montana to Australia feels pretty special to me. It’s an honor to share American roots music abroad, and I’m looking forward to exchanging musical traditions with our cousins in the Southern Hemisphere.” - Sterling Drake

Drake’s sound draws from the great American songwriters and traditional country artists who shaped him, while retaining the rough-edged character of his life in rural Montana. Rollingstone Country and the Bluegrass Situation have highlighted his work, while Holler and No Depression have also championed his songwriting and evolving sound.

Drake’s music is deeply rooted in the American West. A working rancher and horseman, he brings the landscape and culture of the rural west into songs that move fluidly between classic country, folk and western. His live performances carry the same sense of authenticity, combining traditional musicianship with the vulnerability of a songwriter telling stories drawn from lived experience.

That perspective has also made mental health and community an important part of Drake’s work. Through his music and touring, he hopes to create space for conversations around isolation, substance abuse and mental health in rural communities—particularly among ranchers and working people where vulnerability can often be difficult.

Drake’s connection to traditional roots music also makes his Australian visit a natural meeting point between two musical cultures separated by geography but united by a shared appreciation for storytelling, folk traditions and life on the margins of the modern world.

With his first Australian tour, Drake brings that tradition across the Pacific—straight from the ranches, honky-tonks and wide-open spaces of Montana.

Love Police presents

STERLING DRAKE
FIRST AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2026

THU 15 OCT — Junk Bar, Brisbane (with William Alexander)
FRI 16–SUN 18 OCT — Groundwater Country Music Festival, Broadbeach
WED 21 OCT — Eltham Hotel, Eltham (with The Bures Band)
THU 22 OCT — The Stag & Hunter, Newcastle  (with William Alexander)
FRI 23 OCT — Factory Floor, Sydney  (with William Alexander)
SAT 24 OCT — Bar Yuki, Milton (with Misty Harlowe)
SUN 25 OCT — Smith’s Alternative, Canberra (with Misty Harlowe)
WED 28 OCT — Tanswells Hotel, Beechworth (with Misty Harlowe)
THU 29 OCT — Brunswick Artists’ Bar, Melbourne (with The High Street Drifters)
FRI 30 OCT — Arches Creek Hotel, Arches Creek (with The High Street Drifters)
SAT 31 OCT — The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine - Matinee (with The High Street Drifters)

Sterling Drake:

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