Back to the country.
When you have a dog you start going to parks. Your dog meets other dogs. You meet other dogs. And those dogs have humans.
![Back to the country.](/content/images/size/w1200/2024/07/23387f_63d993bc5ab5406398ecb9d6f80f0ac8-mv2.jpg)
I was told it would happen, but there was no way I believed it would. They said things like "You'll get to an age and you'll feel drawn to it" and "I thought it would have happened by now - I don't know anyone your age who still listens to skate punk - but give it time".
It happened. They were right. What was missing for me was a spark. A catalyst.
When you have a dog you start going to parks. Your dog meets other dogs. You meet other dogs. And those dogs have humans.
![](https://gonebutnotforever.com/content/images/2023/11/country_bear_shooter.jpg)
Getting Bear and meeting Shooter in the park is, really, what started me listening to country music. Bear was the catalyst I needed. Or Bear was the catalyst that country music needed.
Shooter's human is Matt Ward, Adelaide-based country musician.
I started listening to Matt's album If I was in Dallas Tonight and it took off from there. Matt's Spotify has a playlist of his favourite country songs and off I went.
I'll write about some of my favourites of Matt's favourites going forward.
Find Matt here: https://www.mattwardmusic.com/