“A free and fabulous summer” was the inspiration for Amber Lawrence’s spacious, celebratory playlist. The much-decorated Aussie country singer/songwriter looked to both established radio classics (Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69”, Men at Work’s “Down Under”) and more recent favourites (Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart”, Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits”) while making sure to represent some of country music’s brightest stars along the way. “Whether you’re by the sea or by the bush, these are the tunes to put you in the Aussie summer mood,” Lawrence tells Apple Music, envisioning “road trips, days in the sun and long-awaited time with friends and loved ones”. Liberate yourself with her playlist now, and read on to find out why she made certain selections. Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like” “The song of the year, let alone the song of the summer. Get your groove on, or even try to learn the dance for some summer fun.” Ben Lee, “Catch My Disease” “Look, maybe ‘Catch My Disease’ is not a song title that inspires us just as we’ve come out of lockdown, but boy this takes me back to summers in my twenties. Such a great singalong!” James Blundell and James Reyne, “Way Out West” “This is the Australian outback’s summer song. Feel the hot air rising and the red dirt beneath your feet. This song will really inspire you to have an ice-cold beverage while singing along like it’s the early 1990s!” Cass Hopetoun, “Who Needs Hawaii” “Honestly, who needs Hawaii when we’ve got the beaches of Australia—or the rivers. Just mix a margarita, chill out and settle in!” Amber Lawrence, “Ice Cream Meltdown” “A song from my [second] children’s album. This relates to the double meaning of an ice cream meltdown—there’s the ice cream that melts because it’s hot, and then there’s the childish meltdown that follows when you drop your ice cream! Haha ... this song is pure fun!”