July 10, 2026
HAYDEN PHILLIS DIGS DEEP INTO MESSY MODERN LOVE WITH NEW SINGLE STICK POKE TATTOOS
Merging Australian country artist HAYDEN PHILLIS unveils his gripping new single STICK POKE TATTOOS, an energetic, roots-driven country rock release that blends gritty storytelling with magnetic emotional honesty.
For Hayden, the song came together in an unusually organic way, sparked by equal parts musical inspiration and real life unfolding in real time.
"I wrote the chorus right after seeing Tyler Childers in concert. I’d gotten home late and wanted to play something up-tempo that still had a bit of darkness about it. So, I pulled up voice memos and while playing saw my friend had been messaging about rather problematic behaviours from a girl he was casually dating and just reading through the story of what was going on with him was enough to spark the song idea."
Over time that idea grew almost on its own.
"After that I kept adding to it whenever something new would happen with him or with someone else and eventually those stories came together, and I finally ended up with STICK POKE TATTOOS. The tale of my friends' failing relationships and their fears that came with it."
The release marks the first taste of new music from Hayden’s forthcoming second album, recorded earlier this year at The Rabbit Hole Recording Studio, where Brandon Dodd once again stepped behind the desk after producing Hayden’s acclaimed debut record TOO YOUNG.
Built with a live-band philosophy that prioritised chemistry and feel, the sessions featured an impressive cast of musicians including drummer Syd Green, bassist and mastering engineer Jeff McCormack, Brandon Dodd on electric guitar, and Hayden himself tracking with his trusted Maton Messiah Jumbo.
One late addition would prove to be the finishing touch.
"This song was a bit of a problem child for a while at the mixing stage. I felt like something was missing when it first came out of the studio, and I just couldn’t quite figure out what it was. We messed around with volumes and dynamics and eventually decided to add some fiddle, and it just clicked!"
That final layer came courtesy of fiddler Claire O’Meara, helping push the track toward its full-bodied Americana character - somewhere between modern country rock, folk grit and the Appalachian influences Hayden has increasingly embraced as his songwriting continues to evolve.
While still only early in his career, Hayden’s rise across the Australian country scene has been rapid.
A three-time graduate of the CMAA Academy of Country Music, Hayden first found recognition busking on Peel Street during the Tamworth Country Music Festival before building momentum through a string of acclaimed releases from debut album TOO YOUNG.
Those early releases landed editorial playlist support across Apple Music playlists, including Southern Craft, New in Country, and Aussie Country, while his singles consistently charted through Play MPE download and streaming charts. Industry praise quickly followed.
ABC Country described him as "the voice of an angel and the heart of a troubadour proving you're never Too Young to impress”, while Country Music News International praised his songwriting as “a compelling arrival that promises a significant and impactful career."
The accolades have continued stacking up, with Hayden named a Top 10 Finalist in Tamworth’s Best of Buskers, a Top 12 Finalist at both the Gympie Music Muster Mothertone Talent Search and the EKKA Country Music Showdown, while also performing at major festivals including the National Folk Festival and Boots N' Beats.
Along the way, he has shared stages with Australian country artists including James Johnston, Wicker Suite and Felicity Dowd.
The foundations of Hayden’s storytelling, however, stretch back much further. His parents first met at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 1996, long before Hayden would eventually carve out his own place within the same community decades later. Raised in southern Sydney but carrying a family lineage shaped by coal miners, farmers, shearers and musicians, that deep connection to working-class Australian stories has become central to his writing.
Outside music, Hayden spends much of his downtime building online video games, with one of his creations currently outperforming his streaming numbers. As he puts it with characteristic humour, some fans might still be deciding whether that says more about the games... or the music.
With STICK POKE TATTOOS now introducing a bold new chapter sonically, Hayden is preparing for a huge second half of 2026, including an appearance at the upcoming Hats Off To Country Festival from 10th – 12th July, before heading to Nashville later this year for an extended ten-week stay immersed in the songwriting culture of Music City.
"I'm heading to the United States in August for quite a while and really wanted to get a first single from this catalogue out into the world. I’ll be spending about 10 weeks living in Nashville from September till November. I’m heading across with family, so it’s not a work trip as such, but I’ll be there soaking up everything that Music City has to offer."
haydenphillis.epkplus.com.au
For Hayden, the song came together in an unusually organic way, sparked by equal parts musical inspiration and real life unfolding in real time.
"I wrote the chorus right after seeing Tyler Childers in concert. I’d gotten home late and wanted to play something up-tempo that still had a bit of darkness about it. So, I pulled up voice memos and while playing saw my friend had been messaging about rather problematic behaviours from a girl he was casually dating and just reading through the story of what was going on with him was enough to spark the song idea."
Over time that idea grew almost on its own.
"After that I kept adding to it whenever something new would happen with him or with someone else and eventually those stories came together, and I finally ended up with STICK POKE TATTOOS. The tale of my friends' failing relationships and their fears that came with it."
The release marks the first taste of new music from Hayden’s forthcoming second album, recorded earlier this year at The Rabbit Hole Recording Studio, where Brandon Dodd once again stepped behind the desk after producing Hayden’s acclaimed debut record TOO YOUNG.
Built with a live-band philosophy that prioritised chemistry and feel, the sessions featured an impressive cast of musicians including drummer Syd Green, bassist and mastering engineer Jeff McCormack, Brandon Dodd on electric guitar, and Hayden himself tracking with his trusted Maton Messiah Jumbo.
One late addition would prove to be the finishing touch.
"This song was a bit of a problem child for a while at the mixing stage. I felt like something was missing when it first came out of the studio, and I just couldn’t quite figure out what it was. We messed around with volumes and dynamics and eventually decided to add some fiddle, and it just clicked!"
That final layer came courtesy of fiddler Claire O’Meara, helping push the track toward its full-bodied Americana character - somewhere between modern country rock, folk grit and the Appalachian influences Hayden has increasingly embraced as his songwriting continues to evolve.
While still only early in his career, Hayden’s rise across the Australian country scene has been rapid.
A three-time graduate of the CMAA Academy of Country Music, Hayden first found recognition busking on Peel Street during the Tamworth Country Music Festival before building momentum through a string of acclaimed releases from debut album TOO YOUNG.
Those early releases landed editorial playlist support across Apple Music playlists, including Southern Craft, New in Country, and Aussie Country, while his singles consistently charted through Play MPE download and streaming charts. Industry praise quickly followed.
ABC Country described him as "the voice of an angel and the heart of a troubadour proving you're never Too Young to impress”, while Country Music News International praised his songwriting as “a compelling arrival that promises a significant and impactful career."
The accolades have continued stacking up, with Hayden named a Top 10 Finalist in Tamworth’s Best of Buskers, a Top 12 Finalist at both the Gympie Music Muster Mothertone Talent Search and the EKKA Country Music Showdown, while also performing at major festivals including the National Folk Festival and Boots N' Beats.
Along the way, he has shared stages with Australian country artists including James Johnston, Wicker Suite and Felicity Dowd.
The foundations of Hayden’s storytelling, however, stretch back much further. His parents first met at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 1996, long before Hayden would eventually carve out his own place within the same community decades later. Raised in southern Sydney but carrying a family lineage shaped by coal miners, farmers, shearers and musicians, that deep connection to working-class Australian stories has become central to his writing.
Outside music, Hayden spends much of his downtime building online video games, with one of his creations currently outperforming his streaming numbers. As he puts it with characteristic humour, some fans might still be deciding whether that says more about the games... or the music.
With STICK POKE TATTOOS now introducing a bold new chapter sonically, Hayden is preparing for a huge second half of 2026, including an appearance at the upcoming Hats Off To Country Festival from 10th – 12th July, before heading to Nashville later this year for an extended ten-week stay immersed in the songwriting culture of Music City.
"I'm heading to the United States in August for quite a while and really wanted to get a first single from this catalogue out into the world. I’ll be spending about 10 weeks living in Nashville from September till November. I’m heading across with family, so it’s not a work trip as such, but I’ll be there soaking up everything that Music City has to offer."
haydenphillis.epkplus.com.au