Produced entirely by Farriss and mastered by Don Bartley, the 12-song Country/Americana collection represents a deeply personal new chapter for the INXS co-founder and contributing songwriter. Shaped by decades of international experience, the storytelling traditions of country and folk music, and the steady rhythm of life on Farriss’ New South Wales farm, The Prospector examines what people spend their lives pursuing—and what they may discover along the way.
“The Prospector’s not just about looking for gold or silver; it’s about looking at things in life, and that’s why I called it The Prospector,” Farriss recently told The Music.
Tonight, Farriss will celebrate the album’s arrival by returning to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The performance follows his December 2024 Opry debut, when Keith Urban joined him onstage for a special performance of the INXS classic “Never Tear Us Apart.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” Farriss recently said of being invited to perform at the Opry on the album’s release date. “It’s beyond reality. I’m a very, very fortunate person.”
For Farriss, The Prospector is more than an album title. It is a statement of purpose—an exploration of the things people seek in careers, relationships, communities, faith and the world around them.
Across the album, Farriss draws parallels between the traditional image of a prospector searching the earth for something valuable and the emotional, spiritual and personal searching that defines the human experience. The songs examine ambition and belonging, hardship and hope, honesty and deception, the value of home, and the importance of remaining observant in a rapidly changing world.
“The important thing is to keep searching for the light, love and happiness rather than searching for the dark side of life,” Farriss says.
The album opens with “Gold Rush To Ghost Town,” a meditation on the cycle of promise, prosperity and disappearance that can shape towns, relationships and individual lives. “Southern Cross Shines” reflects Farriss’ connection to Australia, while “Rolling Home” explores the emotional pull between ambition and belonging—the dream of leaving, the ache of distance and the realization that home may hold more meaning than the world beyond it first promised.
Elsewhere, songs including “Honesty,” “Mending Fences,” “Before You,” “Something Stronger,” “Truth or Consequences,” “Someone For Everyone,” “Looking Everywhere,” “I’ve Got Eyes On It” and “I’ll See You Again” move between intimate reflection, character-driven storytelling and Farriss’ observations of modern culture.
“Truth or Consequences” was inspired in part by Farriss’ travels through the American Southwest and his interest in the history, landscapes and real-life characters of the region. “I’ve Got Eyes On It” examines conflict, power and the idea that not everything people see or hear is necessarily what it appears to be. “Looking Everywhere,” written with Nashville songwriter Jacob Reese Thornton, reflects the broader observational theme that eventually helped Farriss recognize the album’s central identity.
The record also includes songs written by Farriss alone as well as collaborations with Stephen Wilson Jr., Leigh Nash, Steve Bogard, Sam James, Jess Chalker, Ciaran Gribbin, Lawrie Minson, Ryan Necci, Jacob Reese Thornton, Buck Johnson and Wally Brandt.
The Prospector arrives with an expanding visual component that includes six official music videos and an additional lyric video. The previously released songs have introduced audiences to the album’s wide-ranging musical and narrative landscape while reinforcing Farriss’ evolution as a solo Country/Americana artist.
Farriss has recently been featured by CountryTown, MNPR Magazine, WCCB-TV Charlotte, Music Talkers, WOAI / News 4 San Antonio (Sinclair News), Noise11, That Eric Alper, musicradar, Cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer, The Music, American Songwriter, AOL and Scenstr.
The album marks Farriss’ second full-length solo release, following his 2021 self-titled debut. That project delivered high-rotation singles including “Come Midnight” and “Good Momma Bad,” while “You Are My Rock” reached the U.S. Billboard Indicator Top 100. In 2022, “With The Kelly Gang” earned a Golden Guitar nomination for Heritage Song of the Year, recognizing Farriss’ storytelling rooted in Australian history.
Earlier this year, INXS received its first nomination for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and was honored with the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at the 2026 APRA Music Awards.
As a co-founder and contributing songwriter of INXS, Farriss helped shape one of the most influential bands in modern music. The group sold more than 70 million records worldwide and achieved ten Australian Top 10 singles, seven U.S. Top 10 singles, three Grammy nominations, a BRIT Award, multiple MTV Music Awards, seven ARIA Awards and induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
With The Prospector, Farriss honors that creative legacy while establishing a distinct body of solo work rooted in country, Americana, folk traditions and lived experience.
“I’ve been songwriting since I was a teenager,” Farriss says. “The challenge is always there to get it right.”
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