“Anyone who knows Aboriginal communities knows how we go mad for country music,” Miiesha tells Apple Music. “We all grew up listening to it; it always makes me homesick. I think, for me, it’s the storytelling.” Though the R&B artist might not make country music herself, her comment drives home how important country music is to her community, and many like it. They wouldn’t have known it at the time, but American country heroes like Hank Williams were earning adoring fans far from home, in remote First Nations communities where country music came through on rural radio stations. It’s easy to see why: There’s a shared culture of passing tradition through music—songs, dancing, lyrics, spoken word. Passing stories down through generations is how each world has continued to not only exist, but continuously evolve. It’s no surprise, then, that something special happens when they intersect. Vic Simms and Jimmy Little were early pioneers, with their first songs tracing back to the 1950s, depicting life on the land and the hardships they endured. Since then, artists like Kev Carmody, Troy Cassar-Daley and Ruby Hunter have carried the torch, with songs of life, community and heritage in melodies sung over a mix of traditional instruments and guitars. Dan Sultan, Emily Wurramara and Thelma Plum are among those who came next, bringing new elements like pop, folk and rock to the table, singing about love and loss, discrimination and dispossession, the hopes and fears about the world that surrounds them. At the centre of it all is storytelling: It’s what makes country music country music. It’s what keeps ancient communities alive. This playlist was created by Wiradjuri woman Jaja Dare and the artwork was created in collaboration with Gamilaraay artist Michelle Jackson. Apple acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.