Felicity Dowd, Andy Penkow & Ruby Jane: Highlights From This Week’s ‘Grass Roots’

Every week, ABC Country's Grass Roots program shines a light on the best independently released Australian country content. Selected from the hundreds of new tracks submitted, the one-hour program is now available on demand as well as premiering each Monday at 9pm on ABC Country, showing the health of Aussie country music across all its sub-genres. Here are four 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 Dowd – Give And Take

Felicity Dowd is one of the most promising new acts on the country and folk music scene. Last year she was the winner of the Australian Folk Music Award for Youth Artist of The Year, a Toyota Star Maker Grand Finalist and the Gill Rees Memorial Award winner at last year’s National Folk Festival. Her latest single Give And Take sees Dowd experimenting with genres blending Van Morrison’s 1970s soul with her folk and country influences.

Andy Penkow – Shades On Me

Golden Guitar nominee Andy Penkow returns with a more contemporary focused track in Shades On Me. His latest album recently debuted at #2 on the ARIA Australian Country Albums Chart, just behind the iconic Troy Cassar-Daley, and he’s been in Canada of late for live shows, recording and a whole bunch of promo.

Ruby Jane – Hoot N’ Holler (ft. Jen Mize)

A few years back, Ruby Jane signed herself up for The Song Muster, a songwriting workshop held annually in Gympie, and she found herself writing with some of country music’s most respected songwriters. Hoot N’ Holler was a blistering group effort with fellow students – Jessica Chate, Georgia Donachie, Briana Dinsdale and Jayden Leslie, along with mentor Jen Mize. The tune was completed in less than two hours.

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