Artist Of The Week: Michaela Jenke

CountryTown is proud to announce South Australian singer-songwriter, Michaela Jenke as our Artist of the Week! 

Born in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia in a small town called Nuriootpa, Michaela has been singing for as long as she can remember. She started performing in school choirs during primary and high school. She was introduced to country music in high school. Inspired by Hank Williams, Gillian Welch and Oasis, she began writing songs and learning guitar after graduation.

Michaela’s debut EP, Diamonds Outta Dirt (2017), was recorded and produced by one of Australia’s most respected musicians, Bill Chambers. Since then, she has caught the eye of numerous big names in the Australian country music scene; having performed with and supported artists including Catherine Britt, Adam Harvey, Amber Lawrence, Andrew Swift, Matt Ward and many more.

Michaela has worked hard to study and explore her craft – having graduated from the CMAA Senior Academy of Country Music in 2017, winning the Tamworth CMF Coca-Cola Battle of The New Stars in 2018 and has hosted her own radio program ‘Counter Country’, on her local community radio station from 2018 - 2020.

May 2020 saw Michaela team up with Melbourne alt country outlaw, Gareth Leach for the release of their duet collaboration, My Crime, the song debuting at #3 on the iTunes Country Chart. Her 2021 single, Stop & Stare, peaked at #36 on the Countrytown Hot 50 Country Airplay Chart. The accompanying music video for the strong self-empowerment track was recorded at the Deni Ute Muster – we premiered it here. 

Her latest single Wanted was written by Michaela, alongside her now husband, Reid Sampson, as well as swamp blues extraordinaire, 8 Ball Aitken. 

The tale of a no-good ramblin’ man in the eyes of a former lover, Wanted transports the listener into the wild west, with the gallop of drums, the dirty guitar tone, the lonesome fiddle whistle, and the dance of the Spanish guitar. It’s a big atmospheric sound with a storyline that’s fit to be the soundtrack to any blockbuster western movie.

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Follow Michaela on her Facebook page here.