Port Macquarie's Mick Hambly and Lauren Valatiadis, formerly known as Lennox Lust, are starting to find their feet on a whirlwind musical journey across America.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hambly once roamed the Port Macquarie music scene with performances at Finnian's Irish Tavern and local restaurants but is now touring with Valatiadis in Nashville, Tennessee.
The international move also comes with an unexpected band name change to Leaving Lennox.
"We didn't go into too much detail about the name change. The main reason was that we felt Lust was being misunderstood over in the USA," said the pair.
"We thought Leaving Lennox was fitting due to our journey as a couple and the significance of Lennox, being the place we first lived together in Australia."
The pair are booked in for performances across the United States as a headline act for Princeton Kentucky's Annual Artisan Festival.
They are also expected to perform at the Big Red Apple Festival in Georgia and the 10-day Frank Brown International Songwriting Festival.
The duo's debut release of Wayward Minds was announced in 2015 and was followed by performances at Port Macquarie's Wildwood Festival, Purple Sanctuary, Byron Bay and at Hard Rock Cafe in Surfers Paradise.
The team is expected to release a new single, Old Love, in July featuring Aaron Sterling on drums.
"Officially we've got our feet here in our new home in Nashville, Tennessee," said the pair.
"We are releasing new music soon with some big names.
"We're also doing a string of festivals across several states this summer, promoting the release of our new music."
Valatiadis and Hambly were winners of the folk single of the year at the 2019 Banks Radio Australia Awards, vocalmatch songwriting competition and the Akademia music awards.
They will be looking to add some American silverware to the cabinet as they contest the 2019 Josie Music Awards, the world's largest award show for independent musicians.
Up for grabs during the September event are three awards including best pop/contemporary duo, best folk/Americana/bluegrass duo and best folk/Americana/bluegrass single of the year.
Hambly is also nominated for musician of the year.
What else is making news, sport?
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.
