NSW South Coast troubadour Felicity Dowd is back with her catchiest and ‘countriest’ release yet – Rusty Nail – out Monday, August 11, ahead of a showcase appearance in Nashville in September.
Written while sitting in a campground before a festival last year, Rusty Nail leans into old-school country, with a raw acoustic edge and a driving fiddle-and-mandolin groove that brings the story to life.
“I cut my foot on a rusty nail was the first line I wrote,” Felicity said.
“It was completely random – I was just sitting around before a festival and having a bit of fun writing. Then I realised it actually hinted at something I’d been going through in my life. It started as this random idea, and then the rest of the song just came from there.”
“It was almost reminiscent of Pony or Dolly Parton – that old country vibe. And when I started playing it, I had so much fun. I thought, let’s lean into it. Let’s get some fiddle. Let’s get some mandolin.”
The track features Josh Schuberth on drums and Rod Motbey on guitar, with the addition of fiddle and mandolin to really drive the groove. It was also one of the first recordings Felicity has done without backing vocals – a move that gave the song an extra layer of grit.
“It is probably the countriest thing I’ve ever done,” she said.
“I’ve done a lot of serious releases – this one was written as a bit of fun, and it turned out to have this really cool vibe. I hope other people feel that too.”
Lyrically, “Rusty Nail” taps into deeper reflections about learning to face life’s challenges directly.
“Rather than running away from problems, I want to fix them,” Felicity said.
“When I was young, I thought I’d deal with the problem later, but eventually they spike back up. Letting problems sit for a while wasn’t making amends or fixing anything.”
The music video carries that theme visually, showing Felicity fixing a bike and riding back to civilisation- a simple metaphor for repairing what’s broken instead of walking away.
Rusty Nail follows a string of successful releases for the rising singer-songwriter. Felicity continues to add to her accolades that include being a two-time Toyota Star Maker Grand Finalist, a recipient of TSA and Australian Songwriting Awards, and a graduate of the CMAA Academy of Country Music.
She will also showcase at AmericanaFest in Nashville this September.
Rusty Nail – August 11
Australian Folk Music Award’s Youth Artist of the Year (2023), Toyota Starmaker Grand Finalist (2024 + 2025), NSW Folk Federation Young Artist of the Year (2020), and Gill Rees Memorial Award winner at the 2023 National Folk Festival, Felicity Dowd is one of Australia’s most promising up-and-coming musicians!
Inspired by an eclectic and ever-changing landscape of genres her music is diverse, drifting between the boundaries of folk and country. She has always believed a song is only as good as its story, sharing stories of depth, heart, and humour that intertwine the experiences of the world around her. This ideology and passion have been noticed by industry professionals, having already earned this young songwriter 4x Tamworth Songwriting Association Salute Awards, including the 2023 New Songwriter of the Year at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
‘Blue Skies’, her first single released in early March 2021, debuted at number one on the Country Itunes chart and AMRAP chart in its first week. Her third single ‘Handle It’ achieved similar success being named the most downloaded track on Play MPE on release day as well as the number 2 position on the AMRAP chart and 3rd on the Country Itunes Chart. Now having released more singles, and her Debut EP in April 2024, she has found her unique sound amongst country and folk influences.
Hailing from the NSW South Coast, Felicity Dowd has wowed audiences across the country, from main stages at Australia’s most prestigious events (National Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, and the Tamworth Country Music Festival) to support slots with music royalty, the Bushwackers, Neil Murray (Warumpi Band), Josh Cunningham (The Waifs), Felicity Urquhart, Ash Grunwald, the Sunny Cowgirls, Fanny Lumsden and Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea).
Living full-time in her vintage 1976 Millard Caravan, suitably named “Joni Hitch-ell”, Felicity is traveling to a venue near you. So check out the dates page, grab some tickets, and don’t miss the chance to see this incredible artist live!