Jenny Mitchell 'Mr Cotter’s Ridge'

There’s something special about a song that brings a local story back to life, and that’s exactly what Jenny Mitchell’s new single 'Mr Cotter’s Ridge' does.

Featuring Australian "free-range bluegrass" band Midnight Chicken, who joined Jenny on her tour through the South Island earlier this year, the track is inspired by the remarkable true story of Mr Cotter, a farmer from the 1860s who refused to clear the native trees and bush from his land despite government pressure to do so.

Speaking about the track, Jenny Mitchell says:

"Mr Cotter was a real person, a farmer from the 1860s who refused to strip his land of trees & bush despite the government forcing everyone to do so at the time. I wrote it with a woman who’s family have farmed next door to what was Mr Cotter’s farm for many generations & people in the area still call it 'Mr Cotter’s.' I found the whole story so inspiring & can’t wait to share the song."

Written by Jenny Mitchell and Jenny Churchill, Mr Cotter’s Ridge captures the spirit of resilience, community and connection to the land that sits at the heart of so many rural New Zealand stories.

Listen to Mr Cotter's Ridge below:

With songs of grace and grit, Jenny Mitchell is a Melbourne-based storyteller from the deep south of NZ. Between opening for The Lumineers and Kasey Chambers, her recent NZ tour generated over 200 Safe Nights for women escaping domestic violence and her new 2x Golden Guitar nominated album, Forest House, is as nostalgic as it is powerful.

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