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For KING & COUTRY are returning to Australia!

Multi-Grammy Award winning and RIAA Platinum-selling for KING + COUNTRY return to their roots in 2024 with “The Homecoming Tour”.

The special New Zealand and Australia arena circuit will kick off in Auckland on May 16 and will continue through June 2 in Brisbane.

Ticket pre-sale for the tour begins on Thursday, February 8 at 9am. To access the pre-sale, enter the code HOMECOMING at the link here. Tickets for the general public will go on sale Monday, February 12 at 11am.

The brother duo made up of Joel and Luke Smallbone will visit 10 major cities across Australia and New Zealand to bring fans an anthemic and encouraging evening of stories and songs including selections from their fourth studio album, “What Are We Waiting For?” as well as reflections from the forthcoming feature film “Unsung Hero”, and more.

The Smallbone brothers said, “Can you believe it!? Five whole years since we last played in the southern hemisphere. It’s time to return. Time for a homecoming. And with it, we’ll be bringing music from our latest album ‘What Are We Waiting For?’, footage from our forthcoming film ‘Unsung Hero’, an electrifying, high energy live show, and more. We hope to see you at The Homecoming Tour across Australia and New Zealand this autumn.”

The tour announcement follows on the heels of for KING + COUNTRY’s latest singles “Checking In (featuring Lee Brice)” and the re-imagined Michael W. Smith classic hit song, “Place In This World” from their forthcoming “Unsung Hero” movie inspired-by soundtrack. Their family biopic and Joel Smallbone’s directorial debut film, “Unsung Hero” (see trailer here), will release in theatres nationwide on April 26.

For KING + COUNTRY

“THE HOMECOMING TOUR”

5/16 Auckland, NZ Eventfinda Stadium
5/17 Wellington, NZ Michael Fowler Centre
5/18 Christchurch, NZ Christchurch Town Hall
5/20 Perth, AUS RAC Arena
5/23 Adelaide, AUS Adelaide Entertainment Centre
5/24 Melbourne, AUS John Cain Arena
5/25 Canberra, AUS Royal Theatre
5/31 Sydney, AUS Aware Super Theatre at ICC Sydney
6/1 Newcastle, AUS Newcastle Entertainment Center
6/2 Brisbane, AUS Brisbane Entertainment Centre

For KING + COUNTRY is one of the music industry’s most respected and decorated duos, and are currently nominated for a 2024 Grammy Award multi-Platinum recording artist Jordin Sparks for their recently released song, “Love Me Like I Am”. The single is up for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song” and marks the eighth Grammy nomination of the duo’s career (with four wins).

“Love Me Like I Am” was the duo’s 13th #1 hit single on Billboard’s Christian Airplay Chart, followed by their recent single “What Are We Waiting For?”, which marks their 14th number one track (and ninth consecutive number one hit single) on Billboard airplay.

Brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone have been awarded four Grammy Awards, an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, 10 GMA Dove Awards, and 17 K-LOVE Fan Awards. Their 13 number one songs have produced an astonishing 2 billion career streams. The RIAA Platinum-selling act’s live show has been hailed as a must-see concert event that continues to wow sold-out crowds whether in the U.S., Australia, Germany, Netherlands, or New Zealand

“What Are Waiting For?”, released this year, became the duo’s second Top 10 album on the Billboard 200; following their RIAA Gold certified album, “Burn The Ships”, which also debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. The duo has had seven consecutive number one songs including “For God Is With Us,” “Joy”, “Together” (featuring Kirk Franklin and Tori Kelly), and the 11-week Platinum smash, “God Only Knows”.

The global hitmakers have collaborated with a diverse list of artists including Jordin Sparks, Hillary Scott, Dolly Parton, NEEDTOBREATHE and Timbaland, amongst others.

Joel and Luke Smallbone are committed to various philanthropic efforts focused on human trafficking, children in need, as well as numerous programs in support of the arts.

In addition, “Unsung Hero”, Joel Smallbone’s directorial debut film from for KING + COUNTRY Entertainment has been picked up by Lionsgate with a theatrical release date of April 26, 2024. Titled from the duo’s song of the same name that was dedicated to their parents, the biopic follows the Smallbone family’s immigration from Australia to the United States.

Ticket pre-sale for the for King & COUNTRY “Homecoming Tour” begins on Thursday, February 8 at 9am. To access the pre-sale, enter the code HOMECOMING at the link here. Tickets for the general public will go on sale Monday, February 12 at 11am.

Celebrating 20 years of life-changing radio

Life FM Gippsland president Yvonne Coffey and station manager David Braithwaite.

Donate to Life FM’s 20th Birthday Appeal here.

In the early hours of October 29, 2003, a new era began in radio and for the Christian community in Gippsland. It was then a new community radio station, Life FM, first went to air on the 103.9 frequency.

Two decades later, 1039 Life FM Gippsland is still going strong, broadcasting positive, uplifting music and messages of hope across the region.

Life FM also features locally-made programs such as “Gippsland Perspective”, which covers local news and events, “Light Up Latrobe” and “Make Gippsland Great Again”.

One person integral to getting Life FM on the air was Deb Bye, a former manager at ABC Gippsland who was CEO of Gippsland Christian Broadcasters, the organisation behind Life FM, from 1999 until 2015.

Deb said she was motivated by a desire to give the Christian community a place in Gippsland radio which hadn’t previously existed.

“In 1999, when I started doing deputations to tell people we wanted to start a radio station, I met a lady in South Gippsland, who said, ‘I’ve been praying for Christian radio in Gippsland for 20 years’. For me, that was like a rubber stamp, I was on the right track,” Deb said.

Until Life FM was able to afford a link between the studio in Sale and the transmitter on Mt Tassie, a loop of content, downloaded on to a hard drive and connected to the transmitter, was broadcast.

“We’d drive up to Mt Tassie once a month or more, and we’d switch over the hard drives. It was full-on,” Deb said.

“If we went off air, we’d have to drive back up and press a button to turn it back on again.

“The night we (first) went on air was amazing, we started getting calls at two in the morning.

“People started calling us from W Tree and Gelantipy (in East Gippsland) and places like that. God had just opened up the whole of Gippsland to something that we had said, ‘it’ll probably just be around the Sale area’, but people in Paynesville, Bairnsdale and Omeo, they could all hear us, and down to South Gippsland.”

Former production team leader and station manager Randell Green said Life FM had made a positive impact in the lives of people in Gippsland over the past two decades.

“I remember one pastor in Traralgon said he had a young guy come to his church because he was driving home from work one day, and just happened to be listening to Life FM. Something in it touched him, he decided to seek out God and came to this church,” he said.

“You often heard testimonies like that. Even if they didn’t become Christians, they might have heard something that was uplifting and encouraging for them.”

Current station manager David Braithwaite acknowledged the efforts of people like Deb and Randell as well as the many volunteers who helped make Life FM what it had become.

“Without their vision and efforts, we may not have had a Christian radio station in Gippsland, created for Gippsland,” he said.

“Twenty years on air is a milestone we’re proud to have reached. It’s a big achievement, but we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of listeners – through memberships and donations – as well as local churches, businesses and community organisations.

“To all who have helped us over the years, a massive thank you and we look forward to that support continuing.”

David said there was still a place for Life FM in the Gippsland media landscape.

“Now more than ever, there is a need for uplifting and family-friendly music and messages that encourage and inspire,” he said.

“Times have been tough for most in recent years, and people need a sense of hope. At Life FM, we aim to play a part in providing that.

“We are part of the Gippsland community, and we also aim to tell Gippsland stories.

“It is this mix of music, messages and stories that makes Life FM unique in Gippsland. There is something for everyone on Life FM.”

To mark the milestone, Life FM will host a range of events, including a trivia night, shopping centre displays and, early next year, a celebration night.

Life FM will also hold its 20th Birthday Appeal. Donations, which can be made via the Life FM website, help keep Life FM on the air. Donations $2 and over are tax-deductible.

People also can support Life FM by becoming a member for just $10 a year or becoming a sponsor.