Billie Jo-Porter, Clare Perrott, Leroy Johnson And The Waterbag Band: Highlights From This Week’s ‘Grass Roots’

Every week, ABC Country’s Grass Roots program shines a light on the best independently released country music. 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.

Billie-Jo Porter - Round And Round

Billie-Jo Porter has returned with her most introspective single to date. Round And Round spotlights her soulful vocals, anchored by an acoustic guitar, slide, and drums. It’s a country anthem about finding a way for things to work out—an eternal positive message.

For her latest single, Porter teamed up with multi-award-winning producer and musician Shane Nicholson (Beccy Cole, Lyn Bowtell, Tori Forsyth), working remotely to bring the emotional track to life.

“When I wrote Round And Round, there were some big shifts happening in our family,” Porter said of the inspiration behind her new single. “My partner’s grandma had just had a stroke. It was a moment that really made us stop and take stock.”

She continued, “I found myself thinking a lot about how there’s always another side to every situation. The flip side. You know, the light and the dark, the joy and the heartbreak. Round And Round came from that space.”

Clare Perrott - Philadelphia

Up-and-coming country-folk artist Clare Perrott has made her recorded debut with her vulnerable, impressive single, Philadelphia. After appearing at the 2024/2025 Woodford Folk Festival, the Perth-based musician shares a powerful, melodic number that pulls at listeners’ heartstrings.

Philadelphia finds Perrott’s stunning vocals joined by raw, nylon acoustic guitar as she tells a story of grief following the changes in a relationship. It sees one subject in its story move to another city, with the other knowing that the relationship has permanently changed.

Leroy Johnson And The Waterbag Band - Nhaanpa Puka

Leroy Johnson And The Waterbag Band have stunned with their latest song, Nhaanpa Puka. Another example of the group’s special campfire songs, protest ballads, and tales from the heart of Australia, Nhaanpa Puka translates to “Bony Bream Dead.” It follows the story of the Menindee fish that killed millions of native fish in 2019 and 2024 due to the mismanagement of the river.

Led by the soulful Leroy Johnson, a Barkindji / Malyangappa National Park Ranger, the song contains mandolin, bass, didgeridoo, and harmonies and effortlessly combines the traditional with the contemporary for a special folk meets country track.

As for the Waterbag Band, Johnson is accompanied by a band of friends who met on the road to Mutawintji, one of the world’s most magical places. The song isn’t only about the fish—the Nhaanpa—it’s also about the river, the Barka, our mother.

You can listen to the latest full episode of ABC Country’s Grass Roots here.