Wade Forster, Brittany Elise, The Humbuckin’ Pickups: 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.

Wade Forster - Honky Tonk Bulldoggin’ Man

His third single since being named this year’s Toyota Star Maker, Wade Forster has returned with an authentic country storytelling tune, Honky Tonk Bulldoggin’ Man.

A cheeky song that tracks the good times the singer has experienced while travelling around the world competing in rodeos, Forster’s confident vocal is backed by driving guitar and drums, a fun fiddle, and an uncompromising vision.

Wade Forster recently began a national tour of Australia, with the first handful of shows already sold out. One of Australia’s hottest country stars, Forster has received his first nomination at the 2025 Golden Guitar Awards for New Talent of the Year. He’ll soon tour in the US before returning to Australia for the Tamworth Country Music Festival and open for Cody Johnson on his tour of Australia and Zealand.

Brittany Elise - Hi, It’s Me

Brittany Elise has honoured her childhood self and sent a message to all the young girls who have been told they can’t be something special or fulfil their dreams.

On Hi, It’s Me, Elise is confident and commanding, which are the exact qualities required for her message of the need to believe in yourself when surrounded by people who won’t believe in you.

A deeply personal song with an uplifting vibe, Hi, It’s Me, is based on Elise’s personal experience that followed an injury that ended her athletic career aspirations in her 20s. After that experience, she turned to another love of hers: music.

Elise said of the track, “There were doubts [about] whether I’d walk or run again, but here I am!  I wrote ‘Hi, It’s Me’ to inspire others to ignore the noise and stay true to your dreams. For me, that’s music.”

The Humbuckin’ Pickups - How The Other Half Live

Perhaps one of the most striking country songs you’ll hear this year, How The Other Half Live by The Humbuckin’ Pickups outlines a powerful narrative that follows the reality of Australia’s ongoing cost of living and housing crises.

With sturdy guitars and drums behind him and a harmonica lending some extra weight to an already poignant song, frontman Ewan Cloonan penned the song about his observations of people living in vans, cars, and tents by necessity rather than choice.

The song—produced by Shane Nicholson—offers an unfiltered glimpse into a devastating reality for many. It brings a hidden truth into the spotlight, and it’s a song filled with empathy and realism.

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