Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham, Elvis Kernaghan, Courtney Keil: 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.

Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham – Tone Deaf

Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham have returned with the empowering new single, Tone Deaf. A track that recalls retro rock and roll with its Western-inspired lead guitar riff, the pair effortlessly and gradually build to a dynamic number. The duo is as melodic and exciting as ever as they share a song of strength and defiance.

“We’ve all had experiences in life where we feel like we are dancing to someone or something else’s tune and losing a sense of who we are,” Urquhart explained in a statement. “The expectations of others and society at large can easily funnel you into a space where you wake up one day and ask, where am I and who have I become?”

She added, “Being held back and held down is bad enough, but when your oppressor is tone deaf to your needs, it’s time to make yourself tone deaf to their song of control. Tuning out is the first step in healing, but the ultimate growth comes from writing your own song to sing.”

Cunningham said, “Being under the thumb is crazy making in itself, but that gets magnified when you reflect back and realise what you’ve endured. There’s outrage and euphoria all mixed together and it’s quite intense. Because I have a very personal story around that, I just let those feelings filter through my guitar and it all came out a bit like Reg Mombassa’s whammy bar meets the Easybeats!”

Elvis Kernaghan & The Min Min Lights – FIFO

Elvis Kernaghan is a third-generation member of the Kernaghan country music dynasty. Planting his place in the Australian country music industry, he’s teamed up with his band, The Min Min Lights, for the energetic new song FIFO.

The country rocker finds Kernaghan and the Min Min Lights outline the reality of life in remote Australia. In the powerful song, they draw from real-life stories, taking songs from the road and combining them with the band’s raw instrumentation and lyrical honesty. Through FIFO’s runtime, Elvis Kernaghan and the Min Min Lights display resilience.

Elvis Kernaghan & The Min Min Lights are currently on a completely independent tour playing to students in outback schools and First Nations communities, sharing songwriting workshops, recording, and mixing the students’ songs.

Kernaghan said of the track, “FIFO is about the cost of disconnection. We’ve met kids whose parents are gone for weeks at a time, workers who live between airports and dongas, and aunties holding families together. This song is for them. And we didn’t want a label or a bureaucrat to tell us how to tell their stories.”

Courtney Keil – Broke

Broke marks Courtney Keil’s most vulnerable song to date. A tender yet catchy number that showcases Keil’s strong vocals alongside acoustic instruments, the single spotlights the singer-songwriter as she explores a new sonic playground.

On Broke, Keil combines sounds of contemporary country and western film soundtracks, telling the tale of a relationship that felt unbreakable before falling apart. But, like any good cowboy (or cowgirl) film, Keil rides off into the sunset, with her head held high.

Keil said of the emotional new single, “This song is all about working through the pain of a relationship ending, coming out the other side not bitter, but stronger and more self-aware. Just because a relationship breaks down, it doesn’t mean you’re broken.”

Revealing that there’s a bluegrass version of the song on the way, she continued, “We set out to craft a track that bursts with energy and emotion, blending classic country elements of banjo, guitar and rich percussion with a fresh, contemporary edge.

“As a special twist, I’m also releasing a bonus Bluegrass version of the song, as a heartfelt nod to my country roots and showing my deep appreciation for the genre.”

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