She might be one of country music’s brightest new stars, but Dasha says life on the road isn’t always glamorous.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail backstage at a Nashville show, the Austin hitmaker, born Anna Dasha Novotny, revealed the darker side of her whirlwind rise to fame, admitting the pressures of touring have taken their toll.
‘The road’s really hard. It’s very tiring, and a lot of people don’t really talk about that side of it,’ she confessed.
‘There’s not a lot of mental downtime or physical downtime. The toughest part is just finding ways to ground yourself.’
Her secret? Keeping life simple.
‘Playing pickleball, cooking dinner, talking to my family, reading at night – those things keep me sane. And smoking a joint helps too. It’s nature’s medicine. It helps your brain shut off real fast,’ she admitted.
She might be one of country music’s brightest new stars, but Dasha says life on the road isn’t always glamorous
Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail backstage at a Nashville show, the Austin hitmaker revealed the darker side of her whirlwind rise to fame
Dasha’s new single Oh, Anna! was born out of what she describes as a ‘full mental breakdown.’
‘I lost sight of that confidence and fearlessness I’ve always had. I was suddenly saying, “I don’t know” to everything, and that wasn’t me,’ she explained.
‘So I wrote Oh, Anna! as a letter to my younger self. I cried so much in that session – it was like the best therapy ever.’
The song, which has since become a fan favourite, is now the cornerstone of her upcoming project.
‘It’s about rewinding and reminding people who I really am and where I come from. It’s been so satisfying as an artist and as a girl to just say, hey, this is actually me.’
Now, the American star is set to bring her honest lyrics and high-energy show to n audiences as part of the CMC Rocks 2026 line-up in Queensland.
‘It’s gonna be my first time playing a show down there, and I heard that the crowds are just so involved and dedicated,’ she said.
‘I really feed off the audience, so having a crowd like that it’s just gonna be magical.’
‘The road’s really hard. It’s very tiring, and a lot of people don’t really talk about that side of it,’ she confessed
‘There’s not a lot of mental downtime or physical downtime. The toughest part is just finding ways to ground yourself’
Dasha promised plenty of surprises on stage, including one Aussie tradition she’s already embraced.
‘Obviously, we have to do some shoeys – because why would we not?’ she laughed, before revealing her first shoey happened spontaneously in Canada.
‘I saw some girls doing it in the audience and they threw me a beer and I was like, well, I can’t not do it now. Everyone was watching. It wasn’t planned, but it was so fun.’
The festival, which will take place from March 20 to 22 at Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich, Queensland, is set to draw more than 23,000 fans across five days.
Billed as ‘s largest international country music festival, it has become a pilgrimage for local and international fans alike, with nearly half of the audience travelling from interstate and many returning year after year.
Celebrating its 19th anniversary in 2026, the event first launched as CMC Rocks The Snowys in 2008 before moving to its permanent home at Willowbank in 2015.
This year’s bill is one of the biggest yet, featuring headliners Jordan Davis, Old Dominion and Riley Green, with Old Dominion returning to the stage for the first time since 2018.
They will be joined by an all-star roster of international acts including Carly Pearce, Tucker Wetmore, Gavin Adcock, Tyler Braden and Hudson Westbrook, alongside local favourites James Johnston, Casey Barnes, Wade Forster and Sara Berki.
Dasha promised plenty of surprises on stage, including one Aussie tradition she’s already embraced. ‘Obviously, we have to do some shoeys – because why would we not?’ she laughed
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While her breakout hit Austin exploded thanks to TikTok, Dasha insists she isn’t chasing viral moments.
‘I think Austin did so well because the song was just really good,’ she said.
‘The line dance went viral, but it wouldn’t have if the song wasn’t what it was. So I just focus on making music I’m proud of. The rest will work itself out.’
And while her sound crosses into pop, she says her heart will always be in country.
‘I’m always going to be grounded in country music. I grew up on bluegrass. It’s all about the storytelling – three chords and the truth. But I also love a big hook, so the pop influence comes naturally too.’