Piper Butcher ProfileWade Forster has described Piper Butcher as one of the most underrated female country artists in Australia at the moment, and he’s right.
But things will change now, following the release of her new EP, Directions. Featuring the single Better, which Countrytown premiered back in June, Butcher has shared four more songs of pure Australian country music goodness.
Out today via Community Music, the EP’s five tracks were produced by Andy Mak (The McClymonts/Brooke & Adam) and co-written with Austin Mackay and Kingswood’s Alex Laska. They’re songs that are begging to be heard.
“I am so proud of this collection of music,” Butcher commented in a statement.
Adding that this year, she’s followed a new direction with her songwriting, opting for up-front, honest storytelling rather than using metaphors for all her songs, she explained that the change in style has “encouraged me to find inspiration in more places and delve deeper into other people’s music to learn from as well. All of these songs are me down to a tee."
The EP’s title, Directions, stemmed from Butcher’s love of all musical genres. “I’ve always created music with the idea of serving the song, and I wasn't trying to stick to a certain sound or brand,” she said.
“But it’s evident to me now – I’m a country artist, through and through. And this feels like the first EP I’ve released that is cohesive and packed to the brim with my musical identity.”
To celebrate the release of the Directions EP, Butcher, who has landed ARIA and AMRAP #1 hits, received support from triple j and other Australian radio networks, and was named a finalist for Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2026 Countrytown Awards, has shared a track-by-track breakdown of the EP.
Directions EP, Track by Track by Piper Butcher
Porcelain Pillars
This fell out just before I travelled to Nashville for the first time to showcase at the Sounds Australia Aussie BBQ for Americanafest, and I had the best time sharing it there before it even hit AU dirt! I was inspired by many love stories, but mostly my parents, as they’re high school sweethearts. They, however, have much more of a happy ending!
I had the pleasure of working with TAFE NSW students for the music video, to give them an opportunity to gain work experience while studying. I contacted local community spaces, and even my neighbours, for different locations to shoot in, and we spent 12 hours shooting the video!!
The Bullet
I co-wrote this song with Austin Mackay a while ago, and we both sat on it and kept going about our usual recording and touring schedules.
When it came time to think about a collection of work, I begged him to take this one, but I didn’t want to do it without his voice on it!! So just before he went to America, I got him in the studio for a day to track a verse and some other elements…and it was the perfect icing on the cake! I think he truly makes the track. Two Novocastrians always make a right!
Never Know You Again
This song came from a place of true confusion, as I’d never come so close to loss in this way before. The lyrics are a reflection on the relationship I had with this person before we lost them to the battle of mental health. I felt confronted with emotions of shock, confusion, frustration and sadness. They came in like a massive punch to the gut. I’m still trying to process it all.
I was so grateful to co-write this song with Alex Laska from Kingswood, who let me blurt out all of my mixed emotions and helped me sort them into this piece. The main message I would like people to take away is that the world is always going to be a better place with you in it - so if you're struggling, please talk to someone, and it's okay to be afraid!! Even if you don't know it, someone is always thinking of you.
Better
I wrote this song late last year, when I tried a new writing style. This was me being upfront with myself, and almost having a joke about the ebb and flow of life and how often I wanted to sit and eat a whole tub of ice cream to forget about the world. I have my ups and downs with mental health and imposter syndrome, so I just wanted to frame my feelings in a fun and relatable light.
It’s the song I go wild on vocally that I want people to scream in the car too! A reminder to not take yourself seriously 100% of the time. If you watch the music video for this song, that message is definitively clear. I had so much fun that day, creating absolute chaos (less fun cleaning it all up). And a special thanks to YOU, Countrytown, for premiering it!
Lover’s Lane
The final track is a song I’ve sat on for many years, trying to get right. The song originally spilled out in 30 minutes, as I was sitting on my bed conspiring about how I could convince someone to go on a date with me. That day, I watched a movie called Pleasantville, and was swooning over the set designs and classic ‘50s picture-perfect romance - so that’s the vision I had writing this!
Even though I penned this back in 2023, it’s taken time and maturity to deliver it with the perfect country twang. It’s almost my favourite song I’ve ever written, and the first song I ever showed my producer Andy Mak! Lovers Lane was such an anomaly in my recording back then, as most of my music was dark and really bluesy. It took me a long time to find a place for it and to push myself to write in new ways!
Directions is out now via Community Music.
