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!”

READ MORE: The Jungle Giants Add Adelaide Date To Their National Tour

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

---