By Emily Norman
Wairarapa country songbird Sue Dyson isn’t afraid to take things back to a grassroots approach for her music, hitting success, staying humble, and keeping connected all the while.
She released her new single, I See Him Everywhere, which debuted at number 38 on the Australian Country Music Chart last week.
She said the chart listings were based on how much air play a song gets that week.
“It even started charting at a small community station in the UK, but the country tracks chart in Australia was definitely my goal,” she said.
“That was the one I wanted to get on, and I did it.
“I’m really over the moon with how well this little song is doing, I didn’t have any expectations, so all this has been a lovely surprise.”
It also debuted at number 12 on the Tasmanian Top 20 Chart last week.
“I communicate as much as I can through Facebook with radio presenters everywhere and I just always make sure I thank them as well and try to communicate with them,” she said.
“That seems to have helped with this single’s release, and it’s just so important just to follow up a play with a thank you.”
She said she was grateful to Gregory Studio and Hall in Greytown for their support with the release of her latest single.
Dyson first started singing as a 15-year-old with the Masterton Country Corral group under Poppa Johansson.
After shifting to Auckland in the 90s, she started working with covers bands, and as a backing singer with two Top 10 Kiwi recording artists.
About three years ago, the Makoura College old girl returned home to Wairarapa with her young son, settling in Featherston and returning as well to her country roots with songs she penned, and through a syndicated country music radio show, An Hour of Country.
Her latest single comes after an earlier release three years ago, How I’ll Remember You, which she said did not chart, but did lead her to performing in Tamworth, Australia.
She gigs regularly around the North Island, and will be performing at the Wairarapa Country Music Festival in January.
She said the next step from here was to undertake a crowdfunding project which would allow her to finish up her EP and record two or three more tracks.
