Madi Colville-Walker, Jimbo Stokes & More: The 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.

Jimbo Stokes – Same Damn Walls

Scone born and bred, Jimbo Stokes is a fresh voice to the scene making waves across the country with his big and bold branded country music. His second single is as catchy and rhythmic as the first and captures Jimbo’s distinctive vocals in a powerful storyline. Combining traditional country elements with a unique contemporary sound, the song is raw and evocative and the play on ‘walls’ echoes throughout. 

Jimbo teamed up with powerhouse producer Rod McCormack (three-time winner of Producer Of The Year at the CMAAs), Nashville’s Templeton Thompson (Reba McEntire, Jo Dee Messina) and Sam Gay (Little Texas) to write the song, with McCormack also producing it.

Ryan Daykin – Jack And Jill (featuring Kelly Brouhaha)

Written by Ryan Daykin and Kelly Brouhaha, Jack And Jill will engage music fans with the fairy-tale inspired take on a love destined to come crashing down. A tune to tug on the heartstrings, the pairing of Ryan and Kelly’s beautifully contrasting vocals and storytelling, set amidst a background of swirling, woody acoustics, will keep you captivated. An enchanting, country folk-tinged track, Jack And Jill was masterfully produced by industry renowned Matt Fell.

Madi Colville-Walker – Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr

A gentle yet passionate outing, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr, which translates to ‘Free Spirited Woman’, is coated with lush textures draped in bright acoustic guitar and Madi Colville-Walker’s ethereal vocals. Mentored by Emily Wurramara, also one of the key initial inspirations behind the single, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr also nods to fellow Blak artists including Tiddas and Kutcha Edwards, guiding the bright and visceral end result.

William Alexander – Blackwood Train

The new boy from the bush bringing balladeer-ing back has delivered the third single from his upcoming debut album. The town of Blackwood, situated in the Wombat state forest in southern Victoria, is a community rich in music. Particularly old-time traditional music, fiddle tunes and mountain ballads. Home to some of the country’s finest old-time pickers and archivists, William Alexander spent as much time as he could in the area learning songs and sitting in on sessions picking his guitar.

This recording features the same trio as the other two recent releases with Patrick Wilson keeping rhythm on drums and bass guitar. Also featuring again is Tommy Brooks with a fine piece of electric guitar picking.

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