BREAK AWAY by THE BEACH BOYS Story by Rowan MacDonald
The Beach Boys were there with us on each and every road trip. Each song had its own special moment to shine along the journey.
PURPLE HAZE by JIMI HENDRIX Story by Chris Hammer
Slowly, I begin to understand. He thinks Australia is an army camp in South Vietnam. He thinks that’s where I’m from. And that’s when he starts screaming. And by screaming, I mean, screaming – in-fear-of-his-life screaming.
LOVE LETTER by CLAIRY BROWNE & THE BANGIN’ RACKETTES Story by Justine Sless
We hit the road. I press play on the album Baby Caught The Bus by Clairy Browne and the Bangin' Rackettes. I lose count of how many times I replay Love Letter.
RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS by THE CARPENTERS Story by N.T. McQueen
As mom and my older sister played The Carpenters on the car stereo I listened to MxPx, Face to Face, Suicide Machines, or Bouncing Souls on my discman.
METROPOLIS by THE CHURCH Story by Nathan Johnson
My mind drifts away with the sublime guitars and complementary vocals. The song unfolds gradually but confidently, like the highway I’m driving on...past Tutye, Boinka, Linga, Underbool...
MY TURN TO CRY by COLD CHISEL Story by John Butler
We’d run out of petrol returning from Mildura. Mobile phones were an invention of the future. We couldn’t even see a house light in the distance, let alone a public phone.
A MOMENT’S GRACE by BOY & BEAR Story by Jesse Maskell
…the crash site, barrel-rolled down the hill at 100 Ks an hour, a miracle we both walked away over a year ago now, sorry for the van, I hate Grafton now…
CRAWLING KING SNAKE by ETTA JAMES Story by Rijn Collins
I think of my past snakes, all those blue eyes and banjos over the years, the late night knocks and needs that kept my heart shielded and my eyes always on the door.
DRIVE ALL NIGHT by GLEN HANSARD Story by Vin Maskell
I’d drive all night with my brother if I could. It would be escapism of a sort but also a rare chance to spend time, a long time, together. We’d pack sandwiches and snacks and drinks. Chocolate. A football. Some of Peter’s surfboards.
WOULDN’T IT BE NICE by THE BEACH BOYS Story by Lucia Nardo
We engaged Joie's Mazda 818's unofficial air conditioning—two windows down and eighty kilometres an hour—and raised our voices in chat and song over the wind streaming into the car.