With 2x ARIA #1 albums under his belt, a ten-gallon hat-full of hit singles, and a pair of boots that have tread the path of Country music across Australia to the Lone Star State; Matt Ward is "the genuine article" (Brisbane Courier Mail). The singer-songwriter boasts a fresh sound on his new single, ‘Come Home Safe’ – the first to appear ahead of his third album, ‘The Long Way Home’, set for release on 6th September and available for pre order now.

With its searing tempo and fast-paced, hip-hop like vocal delivery, ‘Come Home Safe’, evolves on Ward’s rough and tumble Americana sound. Between its blistering guitar solos Ward reveals a cautionary tale. “Come Home Safe is about the dangers of forever searching for happiness, without realising it is right in front of you,” tells the singer-songwriter. His literary vehicle; the sprawling backroads of rural Australia. “Gravel roads, hot summer days, bushfires and kangaroos on the side of the road at dusk.”

The South Australian native has spent much of his life conducting environmental conservation in remote parts of the country, and sits on co-management boards with First Nations traditional owners for the Nullarbor area. It’s safe to say there are few stones this troubadour has left unturned. Yet, the idea for ‘Come Home Safe’ came from a yearning to explore somewhere new.

“The writing process for the song was VERY different to my normal approach. I had a recurring dream about a town in regional South Australia that I’d never visited before. I decided to visit this town, and on the way had a really bad car accident! Following this, I had another dream where the melody and vocal style (also quite different for me) came to me - I woke up in the middle of the night and recorded the melody.”

Following that peculiar string of events the rolling stone traced a path south. “Matt Fell let me look after his house for a couple of weeks in the Tasmanian wilderness. It was here that I wrote the song, on the floor of his studio with just my acoustic guitar (and my dog Shooter).”
Ward later reunited with Matt Fell at his studio, Wilder Tasmania, where he and the multi ARIA and Golden Guitar winning producer began crafting the song’s unique sound.

When placing the new single in front of a camera lens, Ward constructed a gallery of breathtaking rural landscapes. “The video for Come Home Safe was all recorded on my farm and surrounding roads on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia.” Shot by South Australian young gun - Jacob Tamas - the day on set turned out to be a scorcher. “The day we shot the video was over 40 degrees, and our camera equipment was starting to malfunction – not to mention us!”

If you couldn’t tell by now that Matt Ward has a rambling spirit then perhaps his 20+ date tour across QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS will be enough to convince. With the new single arriving ahead of his forthcoming album, ‘The Long Way Home’ – due 6th September and available for pre order now – the tour will feature songs and stories from the album. “But with a nod to ‘coming home safe’ – I’ll be starting right here in SA with a 7-date tour in regional South Australia and Adelaide.”

Ward’s 2019 freshman record, ‘Heartland’, hit #1 on the ARIA Australian Country Album chart, while his sophomore album, ‘If I Was In Dallas Tonight’, followed suit in 2021. Both albums produced multiple CountryTown Hot 50 airplay hits and scored the singer-songwriter spots at Groundwater Country Muisc Festival and abroad at Americanafest in Nashville. The songsmith has also been named a finalist 3 years running in the South Australian Music Awards.

‘Come Home Safe’ is the kind of high-energy rock’n’roller that fans love from Matt Ward, yet its unique vocal style breaks new ground for the genre. It’s both beautifully authentic and delightfully fresh. Matt Ward once again proves he’s "everything that is good about Australian Country Music" (Country Music Capital News).