From Crumbling Down to The Catch
Since releasing Crumbling Down in November 2025 a single off the new album ‘The Catch’, it has gained some momentum. A song depicting some of the aspects in Australia’s rural communities. The highs and lows of farming, Crumbling small towns and their communities.
And amongst all that -
There’s a moment at the end of a long day in a shearing shed when the noise drops, the tally’s counted, and the body finally catches up with the work. It’s a feeling you can’t fake, and one you don’t forget. On ‘The Catch’, John Stokes bottles that moment - raw, rhythmic, and unmistakably Australian.
Produced and recorded by Shane Nicholson at Ziggy Tone Studios in Melbourne, ‘The Catch’ lands with a sound that feels both timeless and lived in. Bright mandolin cuts through earthy drums, layered against a dreamy bed of guitar, while John’s vocal carries the grit and character of someone who’s done the miles - not just written about them.
The song traces its roots back to a poem scribbled during long stretches working in shearing sheds - a world John knows intimately.
“When you’re bent over shearing sheep all day, sweeping the board or any of the jobs in a shed - there’s a peaceful calm when the end of the day arrives,” recalls the singer-songwriter. “We loved Friday’s - we called it ‘POETS’ day - Piss Off Early Tomorrow’s Saturday!”
That lived experience runs deep through ‘The Catch’. It’s not just storytelling - it’s documentation. The language, the pace, the competition, the camaraderie - all of it baked into a song that honours the culture of the shed without sanding off its edges.
“I tried to remain true to the poem and some of the slang or jargon that we would use in the shed. Shane asked about the meanings. For example, “ducks on the pond” means Ladies are coming into the shed - no swearing! Of course, the title of the song “The catch” has a couple of interpretations but mainly it means you get the last sheep before the knock off bell goes. This could give you the highest tally for the day. Yes, it’s competitive!”
Following on from his previous single ‘Crumbling Down’ - which reached #48 on the CountryTown Hot 50 Airplay Chart, ‘The Catch’ continues to carve out John Stokes’ lane: grounded, hard-earned songs that speak from the inside out. Already recognised ahead of release, the track landed in the Top 10 of the TSA Songwriters Competition in 2025.
It’s the next step toward a forthcoming album set for release later in 2026 - a body of work shaped by years on the land, in the air, and on the road. From shearing sheds to cockpits, rodeo arenas to marathon courses, John’s life has been anything but ordinary - and that sense of momentum carries through everything he writes.
John will be taking that restless spirit on the road throughout 2026, with upcoming appearances including the DAG Sheep Station Songwriters Retreat and Kiama Country Music Festival.
With ‘The Catch’, John Stokes cements himself as a voice carved from the grit and rhythm of real life. His poignant stories and rugged vocal speak with an earned authenticity - because for John, the work doesn’t stop when the day ends - it just changes shape.
And there’s always one more catch.
