Magpie Diaries remember an old mate and the dreams that never faded

Some songs are written because there's a story worth telling.

Others come from somewhere much deeper, when the memories of someone you've lost are still so close that putting them into words becomes a way of keeping them around. For Hunter Valley songwriter Matt ‘Magpie’ Johnston, ‘Kundabung Rodeo’ is one of those songs. It's an old-fashioned country tune about childhood friendship, big dreams and a mate who never got the chance to see where life might have taken him.

The song tells the story of Alex Lambert, a childhood friend of Johnston's who dreamed of becoming a bull riding superstar. They'd grown up together, spending their days digging in the dirt, exploring the bush, camping beside the river, hanging around the farm, going to school and playing footy. It was the sort of childhood where the days seemed endless and the possibilities even bigger, when the world beyond the next hill was still waiting to be discovered. Alex had a particular kind of courage about him, the sort that makes a young bloke look at a bucking bull and imagine a future riding one rather than running in the opposite direction.

But life doesn't always follow the plans we make when we're young. At just 30, Alex was diagnosed with testicular cancer and tragically passed away, leaving behind a young family and two little children. Johnston began writing ‘Kundabung Rodeo’ around the time of his mate's funeral, drawing on a lifetime of shared experiences and the memories that become all the more precious when someone is no longer there to share them.

‘We'd grown up together, digging in the dirt, trekking the bush, camping by the river, on the farm, school, footy, all of it, since we could walk,’ Johnston recalls. ‘He always had this dream of being a bull riding superstar. It was pretty much the courageous energy that defined him.’

There's something particularly moving about the way childhood friendships stay with us. They're formed long before careers, responsibilities and all the complications of adult life begin getting in the way. The people who knew us back then remember a version of ourselves that sometimes feels a long way from the person we've become. They know the old stories, the places we used to go and the things we once thought we'd do. When one of those friends is gone, it's not just the person you miss, but a whole collection of memories that suddenly seem to belong to another time.

That's really where ‘Kundabung Rodeo’ finds its heart. Rather than dwelling entirely on the sadness of losing Alex, Johnston looks back to the days when life was full of adventure and nobody was thinking too far beyond the next weekend. It's a song about remembering someone as they lived, with all the enthusiasm, courage and dreams that made them who they were.

‘So this song is about holding onto the memories, when life was just boundless adventures waiting to unfold,’ Johnston says. ‘We miss our mate, and hope that people with a similar experience can pull something helpful from the song.’

It's a sentiment that sits comfortably within the best traditions of country music. Long before the genre became associated with enormous stages and polished production, country songs were often simple stories about ordinary people and the things that mattered to them. Friendship, family, loss, home and the passing of time have always been part of that tradition, and sometimes the most powerful songs are the ones that don't try too hard to make their point.

‘Kundabung Rodeo’ is the second single from Magpie Diaries' forthcoming album, Down By The River, due for release in February 2027 through Dashville Community Records. And if the story behind the song feels grounded in a simpler way of life, the recording of the album follows much the same philosophy.

Rather than heading into a large commercial studio with an elaborate production schedule, Johnston gathered a group of musicians in an old apple boat shed beside Tasmania's Huon River. Working with engineer Jethro Pickett, the players settled around a kitchen table and recorded nine songs in just six hours. Cam Henderson, Todd Johnston, Jeremy Marcotte and Louis Gill joined Magpie for a session that sounds like the sort of recording experience many songwriters spend years trying to find.

There's something appealing about that approach. When musicians sit together in a room and play, the music has a chance to develop naturally. People listen to one another, respond to the moment and sometimes discover something in a song that might never have appeared if every instrument had been recorded separately. There's less opportunity to overthink things, and often that's exactly what makes the performances feel alive.

For a band like Magpie Diaries, it makes perfect sense. Their music has always drawn on the meeting point between folk, country and rock, with Johnston's songwriting providing the thread that holds it all together. There's an unmistakably Australian character to the stories, but also a warmth and openness that gives the music a broader appeal. The arrangements can drift into dreamy alternative country territory, yet the songs remain grounded in recognisable people, places and experiences.

Magpie Diaries have grown out of the Dashville community in the Hunter Valley, a place that has become an important gathering point for independent Australian musicians and audiences who value original music. Led by Johnston, the band has developed a loyal following through its recordings and a willingness to take the music well beyond the usual metropolitan touring circuit.

That's another part of their story worth appreciating. While plenty of bands concentrate on the major cities, Magpie Diaries have never been afraid to head down the highway to a country hall, a regional pub or a small festival in a town that doesn't always appear on the national touring map. It's a way of working that reflects the music itself, built around community, connection and the simple pleasure of getting people together in a room to hear some songs.

Along the way, they've appeared at events including the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Party in the Paddock, Kiama Jazz & Blues Festival, Nannup in Western Australia and Darwin Festival. Their previous albums, Sanctuary and Some Kind of View, helped establish their distinctive sound, while Down By The River looks set to introduce a more stripped-back, communal approach to recording.

Throughout October and November 2026, the band will take that new material on the road for a series of album preview shows, mixing songs from Down By The River with favourites from their earlier records. The tour takes in Sydney, Geelong, Melbourne, Dorrigo, Dungog, Kiama, the Shoalhaven and Katoomba, with appearances at festivals, breweries, pubs and community venues along the way. It's the kind of itinerary that suits Magpie Diaries, taking the music to the places and people that have always been part of their world.

And while there's plenty to look forward to with the new album, it's ‘Kundabung Rodeo’ that provides a particularly personal introduction to this next chapter. Behind the melody and the familiar country storytelling is a real friendship, a young family who lost someone far too soon and a songwriter trying to make sense of the absence left behind.

The best songs about losing someone don't always offer answers. Sometimes they simply give us somewhere to put the memories, a place where the people we've loved can still feel close for a few minutes. In that sense, ‘Kundabung Rodeo’ is more than a tribute to an old mate. It's a reminder of those childhood days when the future seemed endless, the adventures were waiting and nobody imagined there might not be enough time to do everything they'd dreamed about.

Alex Lambert never got to become the bull riding superstar he'd imagined. But through an old friend's song, a little of that fearless young bloke who loved the bush, the river and the promise of the next adventure gets to ride on.

‘Kundabung Rodeo’ is out now through Dashville Community Records and available on Bandcamp and streaming platforms. Magpie Diaries' new album, Down By The River, arrives in February 2027.

Magpie Diaries – Down By The River album preview tour

16 October 2026 – Petersham Bowls Club, Sydney NSW, with Charley Castle & The Boys in The Well
17 October 2026 – Stars N Bars, Barwon Club, Geelong VIC
18 October 2026 – Lulie Tavern, Abbotsford VIC, with Huckleberry & The Devil's Dandruff
23–25 October 2026 – Dorrigo Folk Festival, Dorrigo NSW
1 November 2026 – Bandon Grove Hall, Dungog NSW
6 November 2026 – Finding Fillmores, Kiama NSW, with Jono B Smith
7 November 2026 – Weaselstock Festival, Shoalhaven NSW
8 November 2026 – Mountain Culture Brewery, Katoomba NSW, DCR Roadshow