Just months after welcoming her first child and collecting two Golden Guitar Award nominations, Sara Berki is wasting no time getting back to business.
The rising Australian country star has released her latest single, “One Hand In The Cookie Jar,” via Warner Music Australia, delivering a sharp-tongued, steel-soaked anthem that proves some of country music’s oldest themes still have plenty of life left in them.
First unveiled during her standout appearance on the CMC Rocks main stage earlier this year, the track quickly became a fan favourite among festival crowds eager to hear more from the singer-songwriter. Now officially released, it arrives as the first glimpse of what promises to be another busy chapter for Berki.
Built around a tale of infidelity and deception, “One Hand In The Cookie Jar” leans into classic country storytelling while showcasing Berki’s knack for clever songwriting. Rather than spelling everything out, she layers the song with vivid imagery and subtle clues – Chanel No. 5 lingering on a collar, lipstick stains caught in a beard, and sightings at a notorious Texas watering hole – creating a playful mystery before the truth finally catches up.
“This is a song that I started over a year ago and it has always received a great reaction in the live shows,” Berki explains. “It’s a classic cheating song but I wanted it to be a bit clever and not give it away too easily. I wrote it with sharp imagery referencing Chanel No. 5 perfume on his collar, Pirate Red shaded lipstick through his beard and being caught down at the infamous Lee Harvey’s bar in Texas. It’s playful, retro and witty.”
Produced by longtime collaborator Simon Johnson, whose previous work with Berki includes tracks from her Heartline EP as well as fan favourites “Drinking For Free” and “Tear You Apart,” the song balances heartache and humour with soaring pedal steel, a driving rhythm section and a vocal performance that captures both vulnerability and defiance.
The release continues a remarkable run for Berki, who has quickly established herself as one of Australia’s most exciting country music exports. Over the past few years she has amassed more than 10 million streams, accumulated over 11 million YouTube views and built an impressive catalogue of original music while steadily expanding her audience both at home and overseas.
Last year alone saw Berki embark on her first national headline tour, release both the In The Neon and Outrun EPs, earn a coveted Spotify billboard in Times Square and make her CMA Fest debut in Nashville. She also ticked off a performance at the legendary Bluebird Café, a rite of passage for many aspiring country artists.
Back home, she continued her festival dominance with appearances at Ridin’ Hearts, Groundwater Country Music Festival and Savannah in the Round, opened for Rob Thomas in Brisbane and performed before the 2025 NRLW Grand Final at Accor Stadium.
One of the defining moments of Berki’s rise came in 2024 when her performance of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at Brisbane’s Gabba exploded online, attracting more than 22 million combined views and cementing her status as one of Australia’s most-watched country artists.
Add an APRA Professional Development Award to the mix, alongside a growing international audience and a reputation for combining traditional country storytelling with modern sensibilities, and it’s clear Berki’s trajectory continues to point upward.
If “One Hand In The Cookie Jar” is any indication, she’s got plenty more stories left to tell.
“One Hand in the Cookie Jar” is available now through Warner Music Australia. You can keep up to date with Sara Berki through her website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Header image credit: James Simpson.
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