Andrew & Lissa Barnum aka Vitabeats

The song-writing-performance duo had a national hit with ‘Boom Box’ (Hot/EMI) in 1985. This was followed by singles ‘Audrey’ and ‘Build it Right’ from the album ‘Spot the Spanner’ 1986.

Vitabeats’ new music, the result of their South Coast NSW metamorphosis, represents a reflective, timeless brand of Indie folk-rock characterized by a mix of poetic lyricism, with Andrew & Lissa’s intimate vocal blend set within the layered atmosphere of Neil Foley’s shimmering production. Their unique cosmic sound is often described as ethereal, passionately local, and earthly grounded.

Key elements and themes in their music:

Love of both ‘country’ and Country in the face of environmental, technological, and social division fueled by nagging questions of Australian identity, and inter-generational inequity.

Defiantly local revealing layers of South Coast identity through place, experiences and observation.

All Vitabeats clips on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewlissavitabeats

Vitabeats on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PyxtzSSm1bM4uGLgaT8D9

Vitabeats on Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/vitabeats/288431487

A.T.Barnum - Vitabeats on Bandcamp: https://vitabeats.bandcamp.com/

Vitabeats Explore South Coast Belonging with New Single Your Country on the eve of album release

by Paul Cashmere on Nov 7, 2026 in News Noise11

Andrew and Lissa Barnum draw on Shoalhaven identity, First Nations perspectives and their connection to the NSW South Coast for a reflective new release produced with Neil Foley.

Vitabeats have released ‘Your Country’, a new single inspired by belonging, kinship and the landscape of the NSW South Coast.

The song, released on Friday 6 November 2026, draws on the Shoalhaven region as Andrew and Lissa Barnum explore the relationship between place, identity and community. The duo describe it as a personal expression of self-determination and kinship, informed by their experiences of living on the South Coast and their respect for First Nations knowledge, language and stories.

“Got a feeling where I belong,” the song declares, establishing the central theme of a track that connects personal identity with a broader sense of belonging to the land and its people.

Andrew and Lissa Barnum provided the musical and artistic direction for Your Country, with Neil Foley responsible for producing the musical atmospheres. Foley, from Old Haunts, has also worked with Vitabeats on their recent recordings.

The release is accompanied by a lyric video that combines Australian songwriting with cinematic visual storytelling, using the surrounding environment to extend the song’s exploration of place and connection.

Your Country is an independent South Coast NSW production released through the Barnums’ own Lifedrum Recordings Australia.

The new single follows Where, released in September 2026. That song examined the cycles of disappearance and rediscovery that have shaped the couple’s musical journey. It continued a return to recording that began with Rise Up in 2023 and a reworking of their earlier song Red Electrics.

Vitabeats’ current creative chapter began after Andrew and Lissa relocated from Sydney’s Erskineville to Meroo Meadow on the NSW South Coast. The change of environment has become an important influence on their recent work, with the landscape and community informing the direction of their songwriting.

The Barnums’ musical partnership dates back to Los Angeles in 1980. Their early creative work included Live Nude Girl before they returned to Australia and adopted the name Vitabeats.

They established themselves on the Australian music scene in 1985 with Boom Box, which reached No. 31 on the Australian charts following national radio exposure and an appearance on Countdown. The follow-up single Audrey also reached the Australian Top 100.

Their debut album, Spot The Spanner, was released through Hot Records in 1985. Produced by John Bee at Studio 301, the album documented the band’s original recording period, which wound down after 1988.

Andrew subsequently released five solo albums through Foghorn Records, while the pair continued their creative partnership and recording activities. They also returned to formal study of Australian songwriting practice.

The move to the Shoalhaven and their renewed collaboration with Foley have provided a new setting for Vitabeats’ recording work. Rather than revisiting their 1980s catalogue, the recent singles have established a contemporary direction informed by their experiences and surroundings.

Your Country continues that independent approach, bringing together the Barnums’ songwriting history with a present-day reflection on identity, community and connection to the South Coast.

Andrew Barnum solo singer-songwriter albums:

Southerly 2006

Feed the Clouds 2010

Memory Collective 2015

Little Phoenix / City / Country 2018

Dear Ancestor 2020

Andrew Barnum Album Reviews:

Across the 16 tracks, Barnum explores his feelings about contemporary society, our lives within it, and the impact of change on those lives. Lissa is still in the mix, alongside daughter Cayenne, together adding their voices to soften the strikingly original vision.” Michael Smith, Rhythms

“Congrats on your own fine work, sounds lovely. Definitely hearing a little Lanois but also puts me in mind of Joe Henry, and a touch and one of my favourite antipodeans Richard Davies. Great stuff!” Glenn Richards (Augie March)

It's a very original album actually that works under certain circumstances, because it sounds quite dark most of the time. If you are used to Andrew's way of singing in that Tom Waits or Nick Cave kinda low speaking voice, then you will love Dear Ancestor for sure. Strutterzine Netherlands 7.8/10

Andrew Barnum on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5djw1VwhmXDAeXoLk1YKLd?si=0weArweBRdirUPRuei4OQA

Andrew Barnum clips on YouTube: https://bit.ly/39cqx6C