Following the success of her heartfelt single She’s a Bird, South Australian singer-songwriter Jo Page takes a bold turn into darker territory with Here Lays She That Hated Everyone, the final single before the release of her debut EP, Reckless & Redeemed, arriving on 4 th September.Fuelled by thunderous drums, gritty guitars and unapologetic attitude, the country-rock anthem tells the story of a woman the world wrote off long before she stopped caring what it thought. Equal parts tongue-in-cheek and cautionary tale, the song explores what happens when heartbreak, disappointment and betrayal harden into bitterness.Rather than celebrating becoming the villain, the song asks a confronting question: How are villains created in the first place?
“We are rarely one thing or the other,” says Page. “Within the same person can exist hope and despair, faith and doubt, forgiveness and resentment. Some days we soar. Other days we struggle beneath the weight of everything we’ve carried.”
That tension forms the beating heart of Reckless & Redeemed.Blending country, rock, soul and blues, the eight-track EP is a collection of stories about what it means to be human. Through cinematic storytelling, deeply personal testimony and unflinching examinations of grief, faith and survival, Page explores the contradictions that live within us all.From the outlaw grit of Fire in His Eyes and the rebellious swagger of Here Lays She That Hated Everyone , to the nostalgic warmth of When We Knew Nothing, the resilience of She’s a Bird and the vulnerable honesty of Keep On Keepin’ On , the record moves through every corner of the human experience.Because life rarely asks us to be one thing or another.Sometimes we are reckless.Sometimes we are redeemed.Most of the time, we are both.Standing as the shadow to She’s a Bird’s light, Here Lays She That Hated Everyone is more than a single. It is the key that unlocks the emotional landscape of Reckless & Redeemed, a record that invites listeners to sit honestly with every part of themselves, even the pieces they would rather leave in the dark.
An International Songwriting Competition semi-finalist, Jo Page has spent more than 16 years performing across Australia, opening for artists including Eskimo Joe, Birds of Tokyo, Daryl Braithwaite and Shannon Noll. Her recent singles Fire in His Eyes , When We Knew Nothing and She’s a Bird have earned support from ABC Country, Apple Music editorial playlists and radio stations nationwide, establishing her as one of Australia’s rising independent country-rock artists.Adding to an already exciting year, Page has been selected to participate in The Campfire Sessions, a songwriting initiative presented by the CMAA Academy of Country Music in partnership with the Gympie Music Muster. Held during Pre-Muster in August, the program will see Jo collaborate with fellow emerging artists while being mentored by award-winning songwriters and respected industry professionals.The experience will provide Jo with the opportunity to develop new material, expand her songwriting skills, and build valuable industry connections. As part of the program, she will also perform at the Academy Showcase during the Gympie Music Muster, giving audiences a glimpse of one of Australia’s rising country music talents.In other news, Jo has also been announced as a finalist in the prestigious Listen Up Music Competition, an award-winning mental health music charity that celebrates original songwriting while raising awareness and supporting mental wellbeing through music. Jo will perform in the Adelaide Final at the Rhino Room on 19th September.With Reckless & Redeemed arriving on 4 th September, Jo Page continues to build a catalogue of songs that explore the beauty, heartbreak and contradictions of being human.