Sammi Palinkas, Jedd Hughes, Clancy Pye: 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 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.

Sammi Palinkas - What This Woman Wants

Sammi Palinkas has proved exactly why she’s the voice we need in country music right now with What This Woman Wants. An effortlessly sassy, empowering song that puts her personality in the spotlight, Palinkas recalls ‘90s-era Shania Twain with a high energy pop-country anthem with a ripping guitar solo.

Co-written with Australian award-winning producer Rod McCormack (Lee Kernaghan, The Wolfe Brothers) and Emmy-nominated Nashville songwriter Joie Scott (Shania Twain), the single balances Palinkas’ fiery vocals with a modern country sound that radiates confidence and strength.

The 15-track project, No Settlin', is the first taste of Palinkas’ highly anticipated debut album, which is set for release in mid-2025. Like What This Woman Wants, the album uncovers the Australian singer-songwriter’s reflections of love, resilience, personal growth, and her life and career.

Jedd Hughes - Stay (Don’t Be Cruel)

Who doesn’t love a country-rock banger? On Stay (Don’t Be Cruel), South Australian-born and raised, Nashville-based Jedd Hughes sounds like the ultimate rockstar.

Recognised as an in-demand guitarist in Nashville, Hughes entered the studio with his powerful duetting partner, Sarah Buxton, to record the up-tempo tune. Stay (Don’t Be Cruel), originally recorded by Rodney Crowell in 1986, immediately caught Hughes’ attention with its driving feel.

Upon the song’s release, Hughes has spent time reflecting on his career and commented, “Recently, I played a session with Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, and Sam Bush. I was just sitting in the room, thinking, ‘How the hell did I get from the middle of nowhere to moments like these?’”

Clancy Pye - Days Like This

Clancy Pye recently released her stunning new single, Days Like This, where she sings directly to a loving father, wistfully looking back on behalf of daughters who miss their fathers. Her new single offers a poignant reminder of music’s ability to heal wounds.

Inspired by a photo of children who recently lost their father on social media, Pye was struck by the reality that some families continue to exist with heartbreaking losses. Days Like This is primarily anchored by the acoustic guitar and drums, with an electric guitar solo in the bridge. There are also some quiet keyboards in the background, adding to the nostalgia of the song.

Pye said of the song, “Bringing this song to life in the studio was really special. We all shared a similar vision for where we wanted this song to go, and elevating the powerful emotions in the lyrics was at the forefront of our minds.

“As a songwriter and musician, making people feel something when they hear a song you've created is what we're always striving for.”

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