Rising Australian country artist Sammi Palinkas returns with her brand-new, uplifting single \u201cA Little More Backroad,\u201d a feel-good modern country anthem that celebrates home, heart, and taking the long way on purpose.\u000f\u000fCo-written with award-winning Producer Rod McCormack (Lee Kernaghan, The Wolfe Brothers, Paul Kelly), \u201cA Little More Backroad\u201d blends infectious melodies with nostalgic country storytelling to deliver an upbeat, contemporary anthem full of warmth and heart – the kind of song you can\u2019t help but sing along to on the drive home.\u000f\u000fMusically inspired by the \u2018 90s country era and the stylings of Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, and the timeless sentiment of John Denver\u2019s \u201cTake Me Home, Country Roads,\u201d the song is about staying connected to where you come from, no matter where life takes you. It reflects the mindset, memories, experiences and values that shape us early and continue to guide us forward.\u000f\u000f\u201cThis song isn\u2019t about taking the fastest route \u2013 it\u2019s about slowing down and choosing the familiar, honest road. The one that feels like home, even when you\u2019re far from it,\u201d Palinkas said. \u201cRod and I wanted to write something that makes you want to wind down the window, sing along at the top of your lungs, and hug your friends. It\u2019s a reminder that real silver linings are family, friends, and the people, places and values that raised you \u2013 the parts of you that stay true no matter where you are or what you\u2019re going through.\u201d\u000f\u000f\u201cA Little More Backroad\u201d is Palinkas\u2019 first release since her highly anticipated 16-track debut album \u201c No Settlin\u2019\u201d , released in late 2025 and named by CountryTown as one of the Best Australian Country Albums of 2025. Continuing her themes of empowerment, growth, resilience, and self-worth, the single sets the tone for a new creative chapter and an active release campaign that will see Palinkas deliver new music approximately every six weeks throughout 2026.\u000f\u000fThe release is accompanied by a picturesque performance music video directed and edited by Palinkas herself, and cinematography by Director of Photography and longtime collaborator Bonnie Jarrett of BonnCreative. The music video was filmed on a backroad in Upper Plenty, Victoria, with drone cinematography by Steve Gilbert, and marks a visual return to denim, jumpsuits and wide-open spaces for Palinkas.\u000f\u000f\u201cI wanted this music video to celebrate small-town values and country life,\u201d Palinkas said. \u201cIt needed to feel simple, sun-soaked and honest, and to set the tone for all the new music I\u2019m releasing in 2026. I fell in love with video editing last year and wanted to create a music video that brought joy to those who watch it, just like that feeling you get when you choose to take a backroad that reminds you of home.\u201d\u000f\u000fPalinkas has already made a strong impact on Australia\u2019s country music scene. Her debut single \u201cMeet in the Middle\u201d debuted at #3 on the Australian iTunes Country Chart and #8 across all genres, with multiple follow-up singles landing Top 10 positions. Both \u201cMeet in the Middle\u201d and \u201cNo Settlin\u2019\u201d broke the CountryTown National Airplay Top 50 and were named semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). Singles \u201cDon\u2019t Blink\u201d and \u201cRead Between the Lies\u201d earned her a \u201cOne\u2019s to Watch\u201d nomination from Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).\u000f\u000fFrom winning a national singing competition at just eight years old to performing at major events including the VFLW Grand Final, Palinkas has dedicated her life to music. She has collaborated with leading songwriters across Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville, and continues to gain recognition from respected international organisations including NSAI and ISC.\u000f\u000fFollowing a standout 2025 that included her debut album release, headline shows, and performances at major Australian country festival Savannah in the Round (headlined by Zac Brown Band, Jackson Dean, and an enviable lineup of Australian country talent), Palinkas now turns her focus to a packed 2026, with more new music and tour dates on the horizon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rising Australian country artist Sammi Palinkas returns with her brand-new, uplifting single \u201cA Little More Backroad,\u201d a feel-good modern country anthem that celebrates home, heart, and taking the long way on purpose.\u000f\u000fCo-written with award-winning Producer Rod McCormack (Lee Kernaghan, The Wolfe Brothers, Paul Kelly), \u201cA Little More Backroad\u201d blends infectious melodies with nostalgic country storytelling to … Continue reading “Sammi Palinkas – A Little More Backroad”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2706"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2707,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2706\/revisions\/2707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}