Tim Withano, Annie-Rose Maloney & Pete Cullen: 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.

Tim Withano - Summer Wine

Tim Withano brings vibrant summer vibes to his latest anthem, Summer Wine. Capturing the essence of friendship and the joy of spending time with loved ones, the track is easygoing and breezy, uplifting and fun, and flows like the summer breeze Withano clearly loves.

However, beneath the shiny surface, Summer Wine explores themes of challenges and missed chances. Withano still manages to find hope, though, reminding listeners that the summertime can inspire anyone to pursue a fresh start. His soulful vocals seamlessly intertwine with jangly guitar riffs, showcasing a feel-good atmosphere we all need for road trips and days spent by the beach.

Annie-Rose Maloney - I Run From Pain 

On the banjo-driven I Run From Pain, Annie-Rose Maloney offers up the darker side of country and folk music, evoking the atmosphere you can find in songs by Nick Cave or PJ Harvey.

Maloney revealed that the song just poured out of her. Written in less than half an hour, she mines feelings of overwhelming loneliness and disconnection, with a touch of disassociation playing on her spectacular vocal performance.

Drawing from classic southern drawls, the backing vocals from Angie McMahon, Ruby Gill and Olivia Hally (Oh Pep!) and guitars from Jess Ellwood provide something magical for a special song.

Pete Cullen - Freedom Girl 

A country meets gospel song (at least, with that intro), Pete Cullen finally met the challenge of coming up with a song about “falling in love.”

For Freedom Girl, Cullen found inspiration in his friend Jy-Perry Banks (Michael Carpenter & The Banks Brothers). Eager to explore new songwriting styles, Banks pushed Cullen to write a love song.

Written about his wife of 24 years, Trish, Cullen recalls when he closed his eyes and was taken back to when he fell in love with Trish, remembering what those emotions felt like all these years later. Describing Trish as his “Freedom Girl,” the song is about a couple where two people couldn’t be more different but somehow perfectly complement each other. It’s enough to make anyone swoon.

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