Highway 95 finds the strength to Say Goodbye
By Alan Shipston for Country Music News International Magazine
Highway 95 is an acoustic rock country duo featuring Bob Derschow on guitar and Nicole Bylund handling vocals. Their combined years of musical experience led them to form in 2023 and share a passion for writing and performing original music. Say Goodbye is a traditional ballad that leans heavily on acoustic and electric guitars to tell the sad tale of a relationship that has ended and the only way forward is to let go. “This is what love looks like, in my old faded blue jeans, an open bottle of wine, it’s the sound of silence tonight,” sings Nicole in a plaintive heart tugging voice as she explores the anxiety between holding on to what was and finding the courage to set yourself free.
In this latest Highway 95 single, a lush solo electric guitar in the intro sets the mood of desperate loneliness with a somber tone that gently pulls you into the song. The rhythm section is spartan and leaves plenty of space for the creative arrangement to play out the despair of the lyrics. In an interview with internet media Happy, Nicole had this to offer, “For me, it’s the raw emotion embedded in Bob’s lyrics that truly shape my sound. When I sing our songs, I strive to intertwine real- life experiences with the lyrics, infusing my sound with authentic emotion.” Ballads, by their own description, rely on the vocal to tell the story and emote the experience the listener imagines in their mind. Nicole grips the audience with a heart wrenching delivery of Derschow’s haunting melody as she faces the desolate end of a meaningful relationship that has slipped away.
Ain’t Giving Up On You was Highway 95’s first CD and saw them nominated as finalists in the Australian Country Music People’s Choice Award in the category of best band/ duo. They were also winners of the West Australia Country Music duo / group of the year award, as well as receiving the Gold Medallion Media Award and finalists in the International Singer Songwriting Awards.
Based in Karratha, Western Australia in the heart of the Pilbara mining region, Derschow and Bylund have found extraordinary support from the local community and businesses. With a strong showing of Say Goodbye, Highway 95 will be sure to have more road in front of them.