Chick Ute: The Song That Launched Jayne Denham Into The Ute Muster Circuit
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Before social media, before streaming, there was the CD single and in 2006, that's exactly how Jayne Denham's music career kicked off.
Her debut song Chick Ute*, from her first album Sudden Change in Weather (2007), was written for all the girls who drove utes because, as Jayne puts it, "I just thought girls who drove utes were cool."
Co-written with Matt Wakeling, Adele Wakeling, and Paul Denham, the song came together with the kind of raw honesty that country music does best. No one could have predicted how far it would travel, charting at number 2 in Norway, 4 in Italy, 5 in the Netherlands and Denmark, and reaching number 12 on the European Country Music Association chart.
The music video featured a ute owned by Jo Chisholm, whom Jayne had seen driving around town. It was blinged up in pink, and she desperately wanted her to be the star. It also featured many great women and their utes in various styles.
"It was supposed to be girls racing their utes on a rally track that we had hired," Jayne said, "but it rained, so we just created a fun party and everyone showed off their utes."
At the time, Jayne had no idea what a "Ute Muster" was, but the song soon changed that. Invitations started pouring in from ute musters across Australia, introducing her to a culture she hadn't known existed and launching an entire chapter of her live-music career.
"That's when I realised the song had connected with something much bigger than I ever planned," she says.
Girl Power Bluegrass STREAMING FOR THE FIRST TIME
And now, after years of fans asking, the acoustic version, a bonus track from the original printing of the CD single, is finally available on all streaming platforms.
On release day, 27 March, Chick Ute (Acoustic) shot straight to number 1 on Apple Music's Pickers Bluegrass playlist, proving the song always had a bluegrass heart, whether it was intentional or not.
Jayne smiles when she reflects on how much that one song changed her path:
"I kind of got known for being the girl cheering on the girls." In a world that's still catching up on the girl power belief, it's clear her timing was just right.
CHICK UTE LYRICS
I was born at the foot of the mountain
Far from the city and the sea
So it came as no surprise
That a ute was the right thing for me
It's a chick ute kinda thing
We've got room on the back for our logs and dogs
It's a chick ute kinda thing
Got a roo bar roll bar one tonne fun
Riding high over the mountain
No one will ever know where we are
And if it gets too late to head on home
We'll sleep on the tray under the stars
Got a trucker radio
Turn up the stereo
When your motor's ready to blow
You know I've got the grunt to give you a tow
And when my diesel needs some loving
We'll go to Boot, and he'll fix this ute
Chick Ute was written by Jayne Denham, Matt Wakeling, Adele Wakeling, and Paul Denham.
Stream Chick Ute with Jayne Denham
Stream Chick Ute (Acoustic) now, wherever you listen to music. And if you were one of the sixty who turned up for the original video, you know who you are.
This one's for you.
*What's a ute?
A ute, short for utility vehicle, is an Australian term for a passenger vehicle with an integrated open rear cargo tray. Think pickup truck, but with its own distinct culture, shows, and fierce community pride.
The ute was popularised by Ford Australia in 1934, reportedly after a farmer's wife wrote in requesting a vehicle to "go to church on Sundays and take the pigs to market on Mondays."
Traditionally built on passenger car chassis for a smoother ride than a truck, modern utes now include the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.
The ute is a cultural phenomenon in Australia and New Zealand, beloved by tradespeople and country music fans alike.
And yes, in the promo video for this release, Jayne is behind the wheel of one, holding the original CD single.
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