Jimmy Barnes Shares Singles ‘New Day’ & ‘Beyond the River Bend’
The Cold Chisel frontman’s new record, Defiant, arrives June 6 via Mushroom Music.
Image by Jesse Lizotte
Over the weekend Australia’s favourite screamer Jimmy Barnes announced the release of his 21st studio album, Defiant, along with a national tour.
Produced by Kevin “Caveman” Shirley, Defiant arrives June 6 via Mushroom Music (pre-order here) and is the Cold Chisel vocalist’s first album since 2022’s Blue Christmas.
Barnsey has also shared the album’s first two singles: ‘New Day’ and ‘Beyond the River Bend’. ‘New Day’ is a contemporary rocker accompanied by a music video directed by Paul van Kan starring country music star Troy Cassar-Daley and his wife Laurel Edwards, while ‘Beyond the River Bend’ is inspired by Barnes’ family home in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.
The album’s title is also a word that can be used to describe Barnes, who has faced many challenges throughout his life but continues to battle on. Having overcome drugs and alcohol addiction, the Scottish-born singer has had to contend with several health challenges over the past few years, having undergone open heart surgery and most recently, a hip replacement.
“Nobody lives this long without copping some knocks, and I’ve taken my fair share, particularly lately,” Barnes said in a statement. “But none of us can control what life throws at us. We can only control how we respond, and, for better or worse, I’ve never liked to take a backward step.
“It’s no secret that this has caused me some problems over the years, but I’ve finally learned how to turn my stubborn Scottish streak into something positive – something that helps me survive. I didn’t set out to do it deliberately, but now that the album is finished, I can see there’s a recurring theme about the satisfaction you can get from fighting back. That’s why it’s called Defiant!”
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Jimmy Barnes has also announced a six-date national tour kicking off in June. Joined by a nine-piece band, Barnes will perform in his hometown of Adelaide at AEC Theatre on Saturday, June 7, Perth’s Riverside Theatre on Sunday, June 8, Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on Saturday, June 14, Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Saturday, June 21 and Sydney’s State Theatre on Friday, June 27, with the final concert held at the Canberra Theatre on Saturday, June 28.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back on stage with my band again,” Jimmy said in a statement. “I’m so proud of this new record – all the songs mean a lot to me and I can’t wait to share them with you. It’s going to be some serious fun!”
There are three pre-sale options before the general on-sale, with the ANZ Circus pre-sale kicking off today, Tuesday, February 25 at 9:30am local time and running for 48 hours or until allocation is exhausted.
The Frontier Member pre-sale and Jimmy Barnes pre-sale commence the following day, Wednesday, February 26 at 10:30am local time and run for 24 hours or until allocation is exhausted.
General admission tickets go on sale Friday, February 28 at 9:30 am local time. For more information visit frontiertouring.com
Catch Jimmy Barnes at AEC Theatre on Saturday, June 7. For full ticketing information visit frontiertouring.com. Pre-order Defiant here.
Jimmy Barnes The Defiant Tour Australian Dates 2025
Saturday, June 7 – AEC Theatre, Adelaide
Sunday, June 8 – Riverside Theatre, PCEC, Perth
Saturday, June 14 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Saturday, June 21 – The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Friday, June 27 – State Theatre, Sydney
Saturday, June 28 – Canberra Theatre, Canberra
