Kasey Chambers has many reasons to feel content with her married life at the moment, writes VAUGHAN MAYBERRY.

Despite a large catalogue of emotion-charged pop tunes behind her, it’s hard to imagine Kasey Chambers defying her upbeat public persona.

But even the most positive person would have cracked under the strain of Kasey’s demanding touring schedule and plethora of commitments.

Unfortunately for all music fans, she almost did.

"Just after I finished my last tour I got to the point where I was over it," Kasey admits.

"I’d had enough of the whole touring thing.

"When I got home and spent time with my family I just didn’t feel like writing any more music.

"I didn’t want to make music my main career anymore."

It took an inadvertent trip to her local pub near her home on New South Wales’ central coast late last year to reignite the music flame she’s kept burning for the best part of 20 years.

Along with her husband and fellow musician Shane Nicholson, and father Bill Chambers, Kasey started playing a weekly gig at the local under the guise of the Lost Dogs.

There was no publicity and no hoo-haa, the three just played a bunch of their favourite songs that they had wanted to perform live for a long time, and Kasey slowly got her mojo back.

And returning to her musical and family roots at the local thankfully inspired her to make another record.

This time she wanted to make a record with hubbie Shane, who is an accomplished country artist in his own right.

"We’ve talked about doing an album together for a long time," Kasey says.

"We were just friends before we started going out and got married, and even back then we always said we should record something together.

"But I’m glad we left it until we got together and in the end it was really quite easy for us because we’re together all the time anyway."

Kasey and Shane have collaborated for the first time on their new album Rattlin’ Bones.

The release has already spent time at number one on the ARIA Album Chart and the opening single, Rattlin’ Bones, has snared regular commercial radio play around Australia.

The album is a stark contrast to what either have produced in the past.

This time they have opted for a more pure country roots feel with very little over-dubbing and a heavy reliance on just two vocals and some acoustic guitars throughout the album.

"It’s closer to the real roots of country music," Kasey says.

"We didn’t know the songs would come out that way when we first started because both of our last solo albums were as pop and polished as we’d ever done before.

"I thought to myself I wanna go a full 180 degrees and this music is closer to what we listen to at home."

Fans will see Kasey Chambers perform in intimate acoustic mode with Shane Nicholson and Bill Chambers for the first time in Cairns and experience just how well her inimitable charm, mixed with the stripped-back style of her new music, work together on stage.

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