The McClymonts: Mayhem to Madness

By Makayla Muscat

Last night at Panthers Penrith, country music trio The McClymonts kicked off their Mayhem to Madness Tour, playing their first show in over a year.

The pandemic hasn’t stopped Australian sisters Brooke, Sam, and Mollie McClymont from writing and releasing their sixth studio album – ‘Mayhem to Madness’. They are looking forward to playing gigs again and playing songs from the new album live for the first time. “Thank you, Penrith, for all of the love for our first show back in over 14 months,” the trio wrote on Instagram after their sold-out show.

In an article by The Music, Sam described the influence of the pandemic on their personal lives. She says having young kids at home, they were used to mayhem, but the uncertainty of the tour was stressful and having to cancel was disappointing. “We did think about pushing back the album, then we thought it’s been over three years since the last release so we can’t make people wait any longer,” she said.

The McClymonts kicked off the ‘Mayhem to Madness Tour’ at Panther Penrith.

The first single from the new album ‘I Got This,’ for The McClymonts was written about their journey with motherhood, but with everything going on in the world, the trio say the song has taken on a life of it’s own. “From people losing jobs, to struggling with addiction, to kids having to home school in their final year of high school. It has become more of an anthem for everyone right now,” Sam told The Music.

Last night, show goers heard tracks from their latest album live for the first time.

Several people who attended the show say they love the new album, and the trio’s show was amazing as usual. “Such a great show,” special guest Melanie Dyer wrote on Instagram.

“Amazing show as always,” one person said.

“‘Wish You Hell’ was the standout song for me. Brooke’s vocals gave me goosebumps,” another person who attended wrote online.

Since releasing their debut EP in 2006, The McClymonts released six albums, won thirteen Golden Guitars and two ARIA Awards, performed at the Grand Ole Opry twice, toured all over America, and juggled motherhood and careers. After fifteen years in the industry, the trio continue to earn accolades and nominations, including six at this year Golden Guitar Awards. “We just found out we were the second highest selling Australian country album for 2020, behind Keith Urban,” Sam said.

The McClymonts say they are looking forward to what 2021 has in store and hopefully more shows will be on the table soon. For the foreseeable future, the only shows lined up this year are next week at Tamworth (TRECC) and Port Macquarie (Panthers). “Make sure you grab the last tickets,” they said.