If you thought Kincade Stevens was about to play it safe, think again. His new single Money, Fame, Fortune, out now, leans all the way into contrast - musically explosive, but thematically introspective, it’s just unpredictable enough to keep you on edge.
Rather than easing listeners in, the track kicks off with a bold Hammond B3 line that feels bold and soaring, before veering sharply into baritone guitar territory. By the time the four-on-the-floor rhythm lands, the track has become a propulsive pulse - country inflected but bigger, bolder, and ready for the stage.
Behind the scenes, Stevens made a deliberate shift. Instead of self-producing, he brought in Blue Mountains multi-instrumentalist Josh Schuberth at Fireswap Studios - a collaborator whose résumé includes work with Josh Pyke, Alex Lloyd and Shane Nicholson.
"I wanted to see what would happen if I handed the keys to someone I trusted," Stevens says. "The result is bigger and wilder than anything I could have built alone. We’ve got percussion layers, Western-cowboy atmosphere, and balls out rock-and-roll energy."
The lineup also includes 2026 Grammy nominee Michael Cleveland, whose fiddle performance slices through the track with striking intensity, adding another unexpected texture to an already stacked arrangement.
But while the sonics go big, the message pulls inward. Inspired by the Buddhist concept of ‘Dukkha’ - the idea that desire fuels suffering - Stevens uses the song to interrogate ambition and the endless pursuit of validation.
“It's an idea that really resonates with me”. Says Stevens. “I think we all fundamentally know we can’t find happiness in anything outside ourselves, but we never stop chasing that validation. I kind of wrote this song as a reminder to myself."
It’s a song about chasing money and fame that quietly questions the chase itself. The track has a high impact on the surface, yet is reflective at its core.
Countrytown brings you Australia’s best country music news, interviews, charts and more every week! This post was authored by Countrytown and originally published on the Countrytown website. It has been re-published with permission.
