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

Clancy Pye - Hey Mama

Clancy Pye has released the perfect song ahead of Mother’s Day (in the southern hemisphere, Mother’s Day is this weekend).

The heartfelt new single, Hey Mama, finds Pye’s signature storytelling backed by a warm, acoustic-based sound. For the track, Pye recorded at The Vault Studios with producer Sean Rudd, teaming up with musicians Pete Drummond (Dragon, Southern Sons) on drums, Adrian Davis on Pedal Steel, and her brother Mickey Pye on guitars, banjo and backing vocals.

Hey Mama is a love letter to the most important women in our lives: our mothers. Pye said of the inspiration behind the moving single, “I wrote this song during the COVID-19 lockdown on Mother’s Day in 2020. Being unable to visit my mother or grandmothers and buy gifts for them as I normally would, I was drawn to pause and reflect about what this day really means.

“It got me thinking that we often don’t celebrate our mothers nearly enough for everything they do, so I decided to write this song. I wanted to put into words how I think most of us feel about our mothers, but maybe don’t express often enough.”

Ziggy Alberts - Feeling Blue

The acoustic-led Feeling Blue finds Ziggy Alberts at his best, embracing a country-inspired folk sound with bright melodies and his catchy style of singing.

Pulled from his seventh album New Love, which found Alberts experiencing a new wave of personal and creative fulfilment, the album marked one of his most successful releases to date. And with irresistible songs like Feeling Blue, it’s easy to understand why.

Alberts showcases his most honest and vulnerable storytelling on the track, which was born from navigating uncertain and challenging emotional territory. He said of the emotional song:

“I started writing this song in June 2023 while I was in Europe on break in between tour legs. I remember working on it a lot in Ericeira, Portugal, and Biarritz, France. The opening line says it all: ‘I'm not convinced in all the ways I've been living now.’ It's about being really unhappy - and if you didn't listen to the lyrics carefully, you maybe wouldn’t know, because the song is really upbeat and positive in every other aspect.

“That contrast really reflects where I was at the time - a paradox of emotions / in the balance of opposites. In many ways, it’s one of the most honest songs I’ve written - just calling out my thoughts and feelings as they were. I’m thankful to have come through some of the personal challenges I was facing then.”

Katie Brooke - Relentless

Rising country singer Katie Brooke knows how to write a commanding song. Relentless is a foot-stomper with a classic country melody, acoustic instruments duelling with fiddle and her summery vocals.

The title track of her upcoming album, Relentless was born after an emotional drive home from Brisbane as Brooke grappled with burnout and disappointment. The song just poured out of her and has become Brooke’s most powerful release yet.

Relentless is cathartic and a rally to stay strong and never give up while chasing your dream. The song marks a turning point for Brooke, both in her career and personal life. She said of the single, “I was entertaining the thought of throwing it all in. So, when I got home, I sat myself down and threw all of those feelings into a song.

“It motivates me and reminds me why I do what I do, regardless of outcomes. I’m just here to write impactful, authentic music. Sometimes the work is relentless, but so am I.”

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