Yackandandah-born Darren Paul Maddock enjoyed a brilliant 2021 with two singles inside the Atomic Hundred charts, a music leader for regional Australian independent artists.

Maddock's triumph has inspired his new track, AH-HA!, which is featured on the Atomic platform and will be released on all other streaming sites and available for digital purchase in the coming weeks.

The song is centred on getting up and doing what we want and need.

As live gigs became few and far between after the Black Summer bushfires and COVID-19, Maddock focused on his own music.

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"You get just one shot at anything, including life, so don't waste it by shooting the breeze," Maddock said.

"I really don't want to go to my grave as an expert at singing other people's songs, and I get so much benefit from creating my own works."

Maddock entered the charts with his first song, Expand, released in 2020, was ranked 62 last year, but Break Down Your Wall, which reached number 22, provided a massive thrill.

He hoped his recent success in writing music could lift people's spirits and encourage other people to follow their passion.

"I wasn't expecting to make it into the Atomic Hundred when I listed the songs, so it has come as a pleasant surprise," Maddock said.

Maddock's new single and other songs can be streamed at atomicmusic.com.au.

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