Rising country artist Sammi Palinkas set to release debut album “No Settlin'”
Australian country artist Sammi Palinkas is gearing up to release her highly anticipated debut album, No Settlin’, on September 19. Produced by award-winning Producer Rod McCormack (Lee Kernaghan, The Wolfe Brothers, Paul Kelly) and co-written with acclaimed Nashville songwriters Sally Barris, Templeton Thompson, Sam Gay, and Joie Scott, the 16-track collection is an intimate snapshot of the little life lessons Palinkas has gathered over the past five years. The record weave’s themes of resilience, love, and personal growth into a musical journey that is as empowering as it is heartfelt.
Palinkas has been steadily teasing singles from the album over the past two years, already making waves on the charts. A deluxe edition featuring bonus tracks is in the works for 2026.
“The hook we wrote for my track ‘No Settlin”- ‘No settlin’, I’m happy on my own’ – felt like the biggest life lesson of them all,” Palinkas shares. “It summed up exactly where I was in my life. When we finished recording that song, I turned to Rod in the studio and said, ‘Ok, I think we’re done now.’ That’s when I knew we had finished the album.”
The album’s focus track, Never Known Better, is a sassy, upbeat anthem with the sparkle of Dolly Parton, sass of Shania Twain, and the modern edge of Emily Ann Roberts. Co-written with McCormack and Barris, the song celebrates the joy of unexpectedly falling in love with someone who turns out to be nothing like you first imagined in all the best ways. It’s the classic “don’t judge a book by its cover” story, wrapped in a feel-good ending.
The playful visualiser captures the nostalgia of giddy first love. Palinkas sits on a bed with an old-school telephone, glowing as she replays the details of an unforgettable date – perfectly evoking that moment when you just can’t wait to call your best friend and spill the tea.
No Settlin’ is more than an album – Palinkas partnered with longtime collaborator Bonnie Jarrett (BonnCreative) to create a world consisting of 16 hyper-stylised scenes and visualisers, each one a dollhouse-like vignette bursting with colour and personality, and an acoustic video to match.
“I kept getting told I looked like Western Barbie, and I was determined not to become just another blonde country singer,” Palinkas explains. “So, I decided to have some fun with that idea and built a whole little world around the music. I mocked up the concept with AI and shared it with Bonnie, after 48 hours of filming across four days, 17 sets, 19 costume changes, and a small army of wonderful people – we brought my vision to life.”
Palinkas has already carved out her place in the Australian country music scene. Her debut single Meet in the Middle hit #3 on the iTunes Country Chart and #8 across All Genres, while follow-ups You’ve Lived, Don’t Blink, and Let Your Hair Down all reached the Top 10. Both Meet in the Middle and No Settlin’ broke into the CountryTown National Airplay Top 50 and were named semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC).
From winning a national singing competition at just eight years old, to performing at events like the VFLW Grand Final, Palinkas has pursued music with tenacity. Along the way, she has collaborated with top songwriters in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville, and earned recognition from both the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and the ISC.
To celebrate the release, Palinkas will headline her album launch at George Lane, St Kilda (VIC) on September 19, before joining a top-tier lineup including Zac Brown Band, Jackson Dean, James Johnston, Casey Barnes, Kasey Chambers, Daryl Braithwaite and more, at the renowned Australian country music festival Savannah in the Round in October.
With a bold creative vision, powerhouse vocals, and a catalogue of songs that speak to life’s biggest lessons, Sammi Palinkas is quickly proving herself as one of the most exciting new voices in Australian country music. The album and focus single will be supported by digital marketing, radio distribution, and merchandise.