Katie Brooke on digging in and creating her second album Relentless

When I spoke to northern New South Wales artist Katie Brooke about her single ‘Can’t Fake That’ she described it as being inspired by some people who fall into the ‘big hat, no cattle’ category. Country born and raised, and now living back on the land after a few years spent in Tamworth, Brooke was in a position to assess both the size of hat and the amount of cattle, and she did it with a wry smile.Those bona fides, however, are still in effect and in evidence on her second album, Relentless, which she recorded with longtime collaborator Rusty Crook. And it’s not just the bona fides belonging to her life on the land but her life as an artist Brooke is qualified to sing about being relentless, and how that’s required when you decide to be an artist. The title track came about after she had a period of doubt. She then learnt to trust her instincts and the result is an album that is about living with heart, holding your nerve and staying connected to the things you care about. In doing this Brooke has cultivated her own sound, which we discuss in this interview. As she says, ‘I think I really needed to find that space that's just mine, and I feel like hopefully this record has achieved that.’ We also talk about what happened to her and her loved ones during the floods in Lismore, NSW, from which the town is still recovering, and captured in the song ‘Higher Ground’.Relentless is an experience rich in story and emotion. In the course of our chat Brooke said she hopes to create ‘a heart-led legacy’, and there can be few goals more worth pursuing. This album is part of the legacy, for her and for anyone who takes it to their own heart.Listen to Relentless on Apple MusicListen to Relentless on SpotifyFor more Sunburnt Country Music:InstagramFacebook YouTubewebsite Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.