Country Music Cocktails At Groundwater Announces Line Up

An exciting return to Groundwater Country Music Festival this year is Country Music Cocktails happening on Saturday 18 October at Den Devine Restaurant & Music Hall.

This free afternoon of live music is where festival goers discover the next big names in Australian country, often before they hit main stages across the country.

With over 60 applications from budding country artists  nationwide, organisers say narrowing it down was no easy task.

Event curator Perrin Finlay-Brown from Market the Music explained:

“We looked at so many facets — artist work ethic, momentum, consistency, streaming and chart numbers, touring and performance track record, and industry experience to name a few big ones. We wanted to create a true cross-section of the different sounds and stories from across the country music industry. This is one of the most diverse line-ups we’ve ever had — in terms of gender, age, style, and sound. When it came down to the toughest calls, the tiebreaker was always… which artists do we think will get the most out of this opportunity? Choosing 10 acts from the 67 who applied turned out to be quite a challenge!”

If you’re looking to get ahead of the curve and catch some new voices before they blow up, this is the gig for you.

Country Music Cocktails Line Up

Benson Manor

Queensland duo Benson Manor (Chris Knight and Phil Behrens) blend country, blues, and rock with raw emotion and big energy. Their breakout single Dirty Weekend turned heads, and follow-up Let’s Talk tackled rural mental health with honesty and grit. A Wildcard act in this year’s event, their two original singles are fast closing in on 250,000 streams. With past highlights including a headline set at the Hervey Bay Country Music Festival and support for Phil Emmanuel, Benson Manor are known for their on-stage chemistry and immediate crowd connection. Their debut album is on the way.

Felicity Dowd

A gifted storyteller and 2024/2025 Toyota Star Maker Grand Finalist, Dowd weaves folk, country, and Australiana into captivating songs. Hailing from NSW, she was named Youth Artist of the Year at the 2023 Australian Folk Music Awards, received the Gill Rees Memorial Award, and is a past NSW Folk Federation Young Artist of the Year. Felicity has performed at Woodford, Port Fairy, and the National Folk Festival, and recently showcased internationally at AMERICANAFEST 2025 in Nashville. Her light-hearted storytelling and poetic writing are establishing her as one of Australia’s most promising new voices.

Frecko

From the NSW Central Coast and Inner West Sydney, father-son Americana duo Frecko are steeped in Aussie character and storytelling. Their debut album Dreams Are Hard to Sell hit #1 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart just two weeks after its January 2025 release. Known for pedal steel, grit, and nostalgia-laced lyrics, they’ve followed up with crowd favourites Nashville, Bondi, and Me & My Boy. Their next single Concrete Cowboy drops October 2025 ahead of sophomore album Cowboy Is A State Of Mind (Jan 2026).

Jacynta’lee

Raised in Malanda, Far North QLD, Jacynta’lee blends her country foundation with blues, pop, and rock influences. With a growing catalogue of celebrated singles, her defining 2025 releases Get Me Some, That’s Alright, and Pushing My Luck have gained extensive national radio airplay and premier editorial playlist support. With over a decade of stage experience and appearances at Tamworth, Julia Creek’s Dirt n Dust Fest, Gympie Muster and Tootsie’s on Broadway in Nashville, Jacynta is now on a self-managed QLD/NSW tour ahead of her debut EP release in October.

Kaitlyn Thomas

Powerful and passionate, Thomas is an independent country-rock force originally from rural Victoria, now based in SE Queensland. A 2025 Toyota Star Maker Top 10 finalist, her recent singles have earned high-rotation airplay and playlist placements across Spotify and Apple Music. Her accolades include being a finalist in the Mothertone Gympie Muster Talent Search, a Top 30 contestant on Australian Idol, and winner of Australian Youth Songwriter of the Year. Thomas has performed at Tamworth, Gympie Muster, Bluebird Café (Nashville), and opened for Amber Lawrence, Hayley Jensen, 19Twenty, Casey Donovan, Andrew Swift and Jayne Denham. She’s currently working toward her debut album.

Keely Ellen

At just 18, Ellen is already making major moves in country. From Bundaberg, QLD, she won the Country on Keppel Peter Blundell Talent Search, the Ekka Country Showdown, and the Gympie Mothertone Talent Search, and reached the Top 21 on Australian Idol. Her 2024 debut single Redhead signaled her arrival, and she’s already shared the stage with The Wolfe Brothers, Amber Lawrence, and Max Jackson. A recipient of the Troy Cassar-Daley Scholarship, Ellen continues to blend youthful charm with strong storytelling and aims to release more original music over the next year.

Linc Phelps

Hailing from Gympie, QLD, Phelps brings blue-collar grit and Springsteen soul. A #2 ARIA-charting artist with his second album Faith & Sweat, it has produced multiple #1 country radio singles including Hundred Percent and Dear Mind (feat. Melody Moko). He recently released a reimagined collaboration with Graeme Connors of Prodigal Son. Phelps’ live shows are high-energy and authentic, shaped by influences like Jason Isbell, John Prine, and Bonnie Raitt. A fan favourite at Gympie Muster, Tamworth, and Winton Way Out West Fest, Phelps is now focused on writing and releasing his next album.

Mak & Shar

With 45,000+ fans and a #1 country radio single (Counting Clouds), sibling duo Mak & Shar are Australia’s genre-blending answer to Dan + Shay. Armed with soaring harmonies and live looping mastery, they’ve played Deni Ute Muster, Gympie Muster, and headlined their first ticketed Tamworth show in 2025. Their debut single Kill Me Softly was a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, and every release to date has charted. Proudly self-produced, their upcoming debut album is set to push them into full-time music careers.

Piper Butcher

2024 CMAA Young Achiever Butcher is a soulful alt-country powerhouse from the Hunter. With a voice likened to Stevie Nicks meets Chris Stapleton, Butcher has toured with Brad Cox, supported Killing Heidi and Kasey Chambers, and performed at Americanafest, Bluesfest, and Dashville Skyline. Her recent single Hard Love was added to various Spotify editorial playlists and on high rotation to the likes of KIX Country and ABC Country, spending many weeks in the Countrytown Hot 50 airplay chart. She reached #1 on the iTunes Alternative Album Chart with her EP September, and her music has aired on CMT, 9GO, and Triple J’s TOPS. A Top 24 Australian Idol finalist, Butcher recently made her U.S. debut at Americanafest 2025 and is headed to Airlie Beach Festival and New Zealand next.

Sandee Facy

Originally from Michigan and now based in Melbourne, Facy has become a bold voice in Australian country music. With powerhouse vocals and over 150,000 streams to her name, Facy is known for heartfelt songwriting and fearless female anthems like Lipstick and Boots and Ain’t My First Rodeo. She was the 2024 ASA Country Song of the Year winner, a People’s Choice Award recipient at Tamworth, and has performed at Gympie Muster and across Australia. A #2 ARIA charting artist, she recently played 11 shows at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and has officially released her debut album.

Country Music Cocktails is free to attend and proudly presented by Australian Bitters Co. Seating is limited and table reservations are available now via The Den Devine website.