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With songs about boozy nights, bad decisions, broken hearts and the best intentions, Brooke Russell and The Mean Reds blend vintage Americana with widescreen, dark country. Drawing influence from alt country, jazz and folk styles, the band are also inspired by the songs of Ryan Adams, Joe Henry, Sharon Van Etten, Gillian Welch, Tom Waits and Neko Case. Their debut album, Poor Virginia was released in August 2013, and listed in Basement Discs Top 10 Australian Albums of The Year and Unpaved's 50 Best Albums of 2013. After showcasing at the 2014 Americana Festival in Nashville, the band released a single, Never’s Gonna Take Too Long in April 2015 and an EP of the same name in December 2015. Brooke received a Creative Victoria grant to return to Nashville in March 2016. She was also the 2016 winner of the Darebin Music Feast Songwriters Award for her song Never's Gonna Take Too Long.