Jake WhittakerIt’s all gas and no brakes for Jake Whittaker, the Stockleigh, Queensland native and recent recipient of the Countrytown Breakthrough Artist Of The Year Award.
Since placing in the top six for Australian Idol in 2025, Whittaker has been releasing new music and building a raving fanbase hungry for his hallmark feel-good anthems.
Releasing his In My Blood EP today, Countrytown spoke to Whittaker about his nascent body of work, which marks his first release outside of his chart-climbing singles.
Naturally, Whittaker showed his trademark warmth and humility about the EP, taking it in his stride and saying he will likely be found toasting the occasion with dinner out with his family – a tradition of sorts.
Tomorrow night is the launch show of his EP, where Whittaker will perform a hometown show at Beenleigh Tavern with Natalie Pearson and support from Keeley Ellen.
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Four singles have already been released from the EP: Trouble With You, Boots On, Hooked On Her, and its title track. Girl With A Boat and Silverado In The Sunset have completed the EP, and are packed with more Whittaker as he steps into new terrain.
Silverado In The Sunset was co-written with his best mate and music producer, Jared Adlam, with the two also collaborating on Hooked On Her. Silverado In The Sunset is a slower, emotive track that does well to capture an earnest and intoxicating feeling in time.
The last tune on his six-track EP, it rounds out a solid release and stands on its own from the former fun and bouncier music we have seen from Whittaker.
“We kind of just drew inspiration from that idea of that young love vibe,” Whittaker explains. “I guess it's just the here and now. Nothing beats this moment that we're in together. And you know, maybe one day we'll end up putting roots down and getting married, but all I'm thinking about is right now.”
Boots On, an earlier-released single, captures that essence of Whittaker that many fell in love with on Australian Idol; that country boy looking to have a good time. The video clip that accompanied Boots On further solidified that image, with the camera following Whittaker arrive at the pub to meet friends and turns into dancing and a live performance.
“That one-take kind of vibe was the plan to try to make it interesting constantly,” he says. “We drew inspiration from a few different videos we have seen to try and make that work, like Red Solo cup from Toby Keith and a few other artists.”
There’s no doubt that Whittaker is comfortable in front of a camera, but after talking to him its clear that his live performances are really what drive him, with much anticipation for his headlining shows, festivals and support gigs coming.
“To be coming back, headlining something, and releasing an EP all at once, it’s special; it feels good,” he enthuses. “It’s like a full circle moment from all the hard work I’ve been doing in the last couple of years.
“It’s starting to get some notice, and some traction and things are working for me. I'm just pumped to be out there, get on stage and play hometown shows.”
Whittaker said that when he writes music, he is always thinking of a live audience and how he will perform it – noting that a festival slot (“I just want to go off like a frog in a sock”), is different to a more intimate headline show.
He admits there are many artists he would like to play with, noting that Keith Urban would be the dream, but he is happy to settle for the many talented names he is fortunate to be supporting in the coming months, like the Wolfe Brothers.
“I'm really stoked,” he gushes. “They’re some fellas I've been looking up to for a long time in my life, and to be able to get asked to go and do some shows with them, I was pretty stoked. I'm looking forward to having that.
“The two big festivals I'm really looking forward to are Country Fest, that's gonna be an absolute hoot and holler that one,” he adds, “And of course, the Gympie Muster. That's probably my favourite festival.”
From now until the end of the year, Whittaker will be performing at a range of shows around Australia, and wearing the heavy crown of Countrytown Breakthrough Artist Of The Year, we wager that he is going to be invited along to many more shows and festivals.
Whittaker says he is still pinching himself over snagging the win. “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it,” he admits.
“I was so chuffed, you know. All my peers that I was there alongside, who are all amazing artists there… I kind of looked to go support one of them and cheer them on to get the award. I was quite surprised. I was very grateful when it came out with my name, and the whole night I kept looking down at that award to make sure it was actually my name written on there.”
Jake Whittaker’s In My Blood EP is out now. Tickets to his album launch and tour dates supporting the Wolfe Brothers are on sale now.
Jake Whittaker – In My Blood EP Launch
Saturday, May 9th – Beenleigh Tavern, Beenleigh, QLD
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body
