A Quick Chat with Michael Ward
Michael Ward sets the stage ablaze with No Regrets, a gritty country-rock anthem out now that’s as unapologetic as its name suggests. Fusing bluesy swagger with the punch of classic Aussie rock, the track explodes with roaring guitar riffs, thunderous drums, and Ward’s commanding vocals, delivering a rallying cry to face the past without looking back. Known for his powerful live shows and emotional candor, the Perth artist has already shared stages with Morgan Evans, The Waifs, and Wolfe Brothers, while racking up WA Country Music Award nods. No Regrets cements him as a force to watch. We caught up with Michael to talk about the single, his journey, and what’s next.
Can you tell us what this track means to you and what you want people to take away from it?
For a long time I held onto some pretty crappy experiences with a lot of negativity, growing up in remote South West WA, joining the Australian army and my time with the ADF and some challenging experiences with girls over the years. I found I had a real angst against my past and regretted numerous scenarios I’d found myself in. This song was the idea of reframing how I saw my own past and how changing my perspective may help me let go of that negativity. The song is about accepting that I can’t change the past and I don’t have to let it define who I am now. In some situations I may even have found that I have benefited from those experiences. It made me tougher, more resilient, that there were numerous skills I’d acquired despite the difficult times I was in while learning them.
Who are some of your influences, and why?
Two major influences for me are John Butler and also Metallica.... yeah, pretty different but both are amazing artists with great longevity and showmanship. What I like most about these artists is their energy when they perform live, it’s captivating and palpable. I feel my song writing swings between these two artists a lot while I also try to stamp my own flavour on things. Sometimes I’m John Butler with songs like In The Trees and then other times I’m channelling James Hetfield as a rhythm guitarist with a crushing riff and driving beat. Go figure....
For this song in particular though I was listening to a lot of country music, Luke Combes’ Aint No Love in Oklahomawhich has that great guitar riff from the start and so No Regrets is a Michael Ward take on that. That song has great energy too, from the first time I heard it I liked the intensity and drive behind it.
What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?
My songwriting usually starts with an idea or concept that really appeals to me, something that I really care about and that I’m passionate about. I like to explore that lyrically, writing out phrases and sections without necessarily trying to bash them into a verse or a chorus. I like to see where the song itself takes me. Sometimes, most of the time, it’s nowhere and that’s ok. Sometimes there is an idea that really hits me and compels me to work on it and develop it further.
From there I’ll usually noodle around on the guitar, try out a pile of archived odd guitar riffs and progressions that hadn’t fit things before to see what fits and sometimes I just try and immerse myself in a song, play without conscious thought to see what my fingers find. I workshop a lot of things with my drummer Ryan, we do a lot of duo gigs together so the song gets road tested and revised. I check and listen back to demo’s to see if the energy I thought a song had is real and if it is then I explore additional elements.
Most of the time I form an idea or a feeling in my head about what I’m chasing without specifying a chart itself and I’ll get the pro’s in the be like, “ok, here’s the basics but I’m chasing something like, feels like, think of.” With the harmonica in No Regrets I asked the harmonica player to think of Paul Kelly’s I’ve Done All The Dumb Things and how that song starts and straight away they were like “oh yeah, I hear that”... and boom, there we are. The elements are usually all added in at the studio during the recording process, it makes it more spontaneous, maybe more time to allow each element to revise their work would be better but I’m happy with spontaneous, I think it keeps it real and less manufactured.
What do you think makes a great song?
I think good songs are songs that feel real, that mean something, that inspire someone or drive change or invoke new thoughts. Sometimes I think that’s why I find it hard to relate to pop songs, not because they are bad but because they don’t always come across as authentic. I also like new sounds, new progressions without it just being unnecessary complexity.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
I would love to do a collab with a female singer, I really like songs that have that dynamic and I’ve really enjoyed working with the likes of Chelsea Gibson and Rachelle Kearney on previous releases. As far as which artists specifically? The Waifs would be amazing however I’m not sure that some of these more driving songs would align with their style. Country queens like Jayne Denham and Amber Lawrence would be epic, they have such strong powerful voices that stand out so prominently. It’s so impressive.
On a local level here in WA, it’d be Claudia Tripp, she’s got amazing pipes and such a great live show work ethic. Her voice I think would really enhance the kind of songs I write too.
When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?
I enjoy my YouTube channel where I interview artists, that’s a blast! Picking through the experiences of other artists and their journey fascinates me. I love researching these artists and formulating questions and flow to get to the real grit and drivers behind their craft. I edit the videos myself too which is also a big part of the fun and creativity.
Who are some local bands we should check out?
Oooft, how long do we have, I was really impressed by Teenage Vertigo. They are pretty amazing live and have great depth to their songs. I’m a big fan of Jonny Reid & Claudia Tripp, both in the country space and just smashing it. Jonny I swear was a born frontman, he’s so effortless when it comes to their live show and his pitch and voice is amazing!
I also like Mitch Santiago, he’s a multi-instrumentalist with so much talent. The show he puts on is unreal and is one of those artists that you just know is on a great trajectory. His production skills too when engineering his sound is simply flawless.
Winter or summer and why?
Oh easy, summer, all day every day. Every winter I head north to Exmouth and Karratha/Dampier to escape the Perth winter. Ryan (drummer) hates the heat but for me I think 30 degrees and a beach nearby is hard to beat. Most of the places we tour to are to get to the sunshine and discover new waves.
What do you have planned for the rest of 2025?
A pretty big tour really, our biggest yet. A few trips each for headline shows and festivals as well as another extensive WA tour. I love being on the road and building the relationships with crowds in different places. This release will see us through to Christmas and then we’ve got more touring already lined up for 2026. I’ve just started contemplating getting back into the studio to look at getting more releases lined up for 2026 and we basically just keep going. It’s hard to beat this life so I figure why stop. Things keep building really well and I’m super stoked for every show and every opportunity we get.
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Michael Ward – The ‘No Regrets’ Australian Tour
Thu 21 Aug 2025 - Mt Augustus Park - East Lyons River, WA
Fri 22 Aug 2025 - The Junction Pub - Gascoyne Junction, WA
Sat 23 Aug 2025 - Under Skies Festival - Gascoyne Junction, WA
Fri 05 Sep 2025 - Kambalda Hotel - Kambalda, WA
Sat 06 Sep 2025 - The Rec. - Boulder, WA
Sun 07 Sep 2025 - The Rec. - Boulder, WA
Fri 19 Sep 2025 - The Grand Hotel - Boulder, WA
Sat 20 Sep 2025 - The Grand Hotel - Boulder, WA
Sun 21 Sep 2025 - The Grand Hotel - Boulder, WA
Fri 14 Nov 2025 - Rosemount Hotel - Perth, WA
Sat 15 Nov 2025 - The Prince of Wales Hotel - Bunbury, WA
Sun 16 Nov 2025 - The River Hotel - Margaret River, WA
Fri 21 Nov 2025 - Treendale Farm Hotel - Bunbury, WA
Sat 22 Nov 2025 - The King River Tavern - King River, WA
Sun 23 Nov 2025 - Wilson Brewing Co. - Albany, WA
Sat 29 Nov 2025 - Roma Country Music Festival - Roma, QLD
Fri 05 Dec 2025 - Exeter Hotel - Adelaide, SA
Sat 06 Dec 2025 - Wangaratta Rodeo - Wangaratta, VIC
Sun 07 Dec 2025 - Workers Club - Fitzroy, VIC
