Every week, ABC Country's Grass Roots program shines a light on the best independently released Australian country content. Selected from the hundreds of new tracks submitted, the one-hour program is now available on demand as well as premiering each Monday at 9 pm on ABC Country, showing the health of Aussie country music across all its sub-genres. Here are three of this week's tracks you should have on your radar.
Head here to have a listen to this week’s full episode of Grass Roots.
Rory Phillips ft. Dobe Newton - Dear Mum And Dad
Young country singer-songwriter Rory Phillips shows why he’s made waves within the Australian music industry with the effortlessly poignant new single, Dear Mum And Dad.
Phillips tells a story through a series of letters written by the boy to his parents, going from youthful optimism and bravery to the tragedies of war. He wrote the song alongside Jayne Denham, Andrew Scharf, and Allan Caswell.
Anchored by his acoustic guitar playing and storytelling, Phillips teamed up with The Bushwackers’ Dobe Newton to elevate the power of the song to greater heights. Dear Mum And Dad is a powerful examination of bravery, loss, and the harsh realities of war that Phillips framed through the outlook of a young man and Newton telling the man’s family about his sacrifice.
The Southern Dukes - Free Man
The Southern Dukes embrace country and blues music in equal measure. The Perth-based country rockers have just released their debut single, Free Man, since changing their name from The Eagleton Brothers.
The band are known for their edgy take on country rock music as well as their energetic live shows, carving place within the Perth music scene and capturing the attention of music fans across the country.
With Free Man, The Southern Dukes have released a song filled with infectious energy, featuring raspy vocals and a danceable melody. Telling the story of an escape from Alcatraz prison, the Australian band capture the thrill, tension, and determination of the prison break.
Ryan Sterling - Look Out Melbourne
Ryan Sterling is the kind of artist who is clearly passionate about classic country music.
On Look Out Melbourne, the Australian artist has summoned Johnny Cash energy for a unique track featuring his unique finger picking guitar playing style, signature earnest vocal delivery, and the harmonica. A clever song about journeying on a road trip to Melbourne, Sterling captures the excitement one has about going home.
Sterling recently released High Road, the follow-up album to his critically acclaimed Specks Of Golden Dust. The new record boasts 22 songs and showcases his diversity as an artist and honest storyteller inspired by Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake.
You can listen to the latest full episode of ABC Country’s Grass Roots here.
Countrytown brings you Australia’s best country music news, interviews, charts and more every week! This post was authored by Countrytown and originally published on the Countrytown website. It has been re-published with permission.
