Small Town Romance Return With ‘Home Fires” Single

“Home Fires” is the new single from Melbourne country outfit Small Town Romance. A sonically luxurious country soul exploration of the impossible fantasies we entertain in life’s quiet moments. It’s a song you could imagine Patsy Cline crooning that also feels immediately relatable to every person who parented small humans through endless lockdowns. The arrangement features sweeping pedal steel from Shane Reilly (Lost Ragas), rolling organ from Stevie Hesketh (Jet) and the remarkable vocal blend of Jim Arneman and Flora Smith. “Home Fires” is the first release off the band’s second album, due out in early 2024.

Partners in music and life, Flora Smith and Jim Arneman are Small Town Romance. Pairing watertight harmonies with an understated poeticism, Small Town Romance blend country, folk, Americana, tex-mex and roots influences to create a sound that is uniquely their own. Their self-titled debut was lauded by critics and fans alike receiving nominations for Music Victoria Country Album of The Year and New Talent of The Year category at the Golden Guitar Awards. Since the release of their album they have toured extensively sharing stages with the likes of Don Walker, Fanny Lumsden, Mick Thomas, Tracy McNeil, Darren Hanlon and Eilen Jewel. In 2020, Small Town Romance released a single ‘I Don’t Believe You’ co-written with Joy McKean and performed with Anne Kirkpatrick. This beautiful, stripped back waltz went on the earn them their second Golden Guitar Nomination. As the son of Anne Kirkpatrick and the grandson of Slim Dusty and Joy McKean, Jim Arneman has a rich family musical lineage to draw on but also has some hefty shoes to fill. Small Town Romance are a new generation in this country music dynasty that proudly follows in the family tradition of telling Australian stories.

To celebrate the launch of “Home Fires”, Small Town Romance will be playing their first band show in over three years at Shotkickers in Thornbury on September 3rd. They will be joined on the night by twin singin’ hillbilly wonders The Iron Bark Brothers.