Michael Carpenter, Katie Jayne, The April Family: 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 9 pm 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.

Michael Carpenter And The Banks Brothers - Running Out Of Gas

Sydney’s own Michael Carpenter And The Banks Brothers recently released their fourth album, Splitsville, and they’ve landed on Grass Roots with the bluegrass banger, Running Out Of Gas.

The new single is an album highlight and even stars some special guests – Abbie Ferris and Hamish Davidson – while showcasing the band’s instrumental prowess and impressive production.

Displaying their growth since releasing their first album in 2020, Running Out Of Gas finds Jy-Perry Banks keeping the rhythm steady, Carpenter on the bass, fiddle, and dobro (and singing with Ferris), and Zane Banks handling everything with strings: banjo, acoustic guitar, and mandolins. It’s irresistible.

Katie Jayne - I Don’t Get Mad, I Get Even

Katie Jayne is unafraid on her ferocious new single, I Don’t Get Mad, I Get Even. She’s equally brave to pen her own number to a classic. A saying we’ve heard a lot on television and in films, we can guarantee that you’ve never heard it like this.

Joining forces with co-writer Troy Kemp and producer Jared Adlam, Jayne also enlisted Tim Crouch on fiddle and mandolin and Reece Baines on drums.

She said of the sassy empowerment anthem: “I love the energy in this song. The room felt electric when we wrote this, and that same energy was expertly captured in the studio with Jared. It’s the sequel to Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats. He should have listened to her song first!”

The April Family - Too Much Of A Good Thing

The latest promo single from their album, Baby I’m Gone, The April Family have launched Too Much Of A Good Thing, assuring listeners that there’s never such thing as too much of The April Family.

Led by vocalist Kylie Whitney and featuring harmonies from Michael Carpenter and Casey Atkins, the latest track from The April Family is authentic country from its roots. The track is raw yet engaging, punchy and groovy, and features heavenly twin electric guitar playing.

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