https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/travel-accom daily 0.75 2025-08-09 https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-08-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53dbbca5e4b090699000a2b6/1407168681806-E4D3N3J92EL0Z1LPUFT7/010_edit.jpg Contact https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/home daily 1.0 2026-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1517730379945-4JCNS4UHSFIFLKVUJ96W/IMG_0544.JPG.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/462951ce-f790-4df9-9e36-0ed2628fdbb0/The+River+Folk+Festival+Presents+-+Stringmania+and+Friends+A4+WEB.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/350278f7-7716-433c-bdb3-9b252b743801/The+River+Folk+Sessions+-+Jo+Davie+%2B+Follow+the+Robin+WEB.jpg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724540378571-BEPP69A8AS3G4OP7E881/Amadou+Suso+1200x1000.jpg Home - AMADOU SUSO Amadou Suso comes from Gambia in West Africa and is part of a Mandinka tribe that have been playing the Kora for centuries. The Kora originated in Gambia 750 years ago and Amadou is a direct descendant of the first kora player; Korea Musa Suso. Originally it was a 7 stringed instrument but over time has evolved into the 22 stringed instrument you see today and is affectionately known as the African Harp. Variously described as a prodigy, mesmerising and the Jimi Hendrix of Kora, Amadou first started playing the Kora when he was 6 years old and was shorter than the instrument itself. He has since traveled the world and brings to life the depth of mandinka history and fuses it with contemporary mastery of the African harp. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725531555438-8VPMFHLHFJYFQZPQARON/MZAZA+1200x1000.jpg Home - MZAZA Two-time Queensland Music Award winners MZAZA are committed to delivering Balkan-French inspired sounds to folk lovers around the world... Led by enchanting French-Sephardic vocalist Pauline Maudy, this group of musicians from around the world has been mesmerising audiences with powerful and inspired performances. The impressive musicianship of MZAZA – deftly realised with accordion, violin, percussion, double bass and Flamenco guitar – embraces diversity, the old and the new, the familiar and the foreign, through timeless melodies. It is the timelessness of the music and stories that fuels an intense live show, an unforgettable musical journey, that has enraptured audiences at MONA FOMA, Queensland Music Festival, Cygnet, National and Woodford Folk Festivals, and visited airwaves internationally. Jaw-dropping technique, unique compositions and captivating shows have earned Mzaza supports for the likes of the Violent Femmes (USA) Yasmin Levy (Israel), Melbourne Ska Orchestra (AUS), Baba Zula and Baro Banda (Turkey), and DJ Click (France). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724540389680-9AP1E0F5UNEFJDBTA4S4/Kerryn+Fields+1200x1000.jpg Home - KERRYN FIELDS Fuelled by reverence, integrity and a deep spiritual connection to the human experience, New Zealand songwriter Kerryn Fields paints timeless musical portraits that do what others rarely can: bring us home to ourselves. In the realm of storytellers, Kerryn Fields emerges as a widely adored figure. Celebrating her official showcase at Folk Alliance International 2024 with an acoustic EP, 'The Folk Singer', that dives deeper into Fields' personal journey. Exploring themes of creation, climate change, and chronic illness, where every note echoes the resonance of a true folk luminary. Radiating warmth, humour and a depth of character that’s palpable as soon as she enters a room, Fields utilises music and storytelling as a vehicle for doing what she does best: making peace with her own human existence. It’s because of this startling ability to meet and embrace herself so willingly that others feel able to do the same. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724540386250-15CCTROB9IKWRJQEBG64/Pirritu+1200x1000.jpg Home - PIRRITU Ngiyampaa man and First Nations singer-songwriter Pirritu’s (Brett Lee) music is gentle, honest and from the heart. Strange and melodic chords frame this songwriters vocals that weave around his lyrics like a gentle wind, enticing you into the depths of his personal journey, singing you a story of both sadness, love and hope. Pirritu (meaning ‘Brett’ in Ngiyampaa Language) was adopted by a non-Aboriginal couple as a newborn baby and raised to be proud of his Aboriginality, to follow his cultural journey and to connect back to family, culture and language - a journey he began when he was 14 years old. Two things drive his continual thirst to connect to his people, country, language and culture - his one year old daughter and his passion for music. To deepen his understanding of his mother tongue, Pirritu volunteers with the Ngiyampaa Language Project to test materials being created for the purpose of updating the Ngiyampaa Grammar written by Tamisin Donaldson in the 1970’s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724540399472-PQJA22LFD9RTKWWY6JK3/Austral+1200x1000.jpg Home - AUSTRAL Winners of Traditional Folk Album of the Year at the 2022 Australian Folk Music Awards, Austral will transport you into full festival party mode. They are a high-energy, four-piece Australian Celtic group combining didgeridoo, Irish pipes, high energy fiddling, journeying songs and energetic foot percussion. Whether you see them on stage or at the session afterward, Austral will get your festival going. HUP! Austral features Angus Barbary on fiddle, vocals and mandola, Caity Brennan on fiddle and vocals, Rhys Crimmin on guitar, percussion, didgeridoo and vocals, and Connor Hoy on Uilleann pipes, flute and whistle. Austral's music is infectiously toe-tapping and you may find it hard to resist the urge to get up and dance yourself. They have developed their own high-energy live stage sound and have a debut album hot off the press. Austral are carving a new face for Celtic music in Australia and are a band not to be missed. Austral have recently released their debut album 'Thylacine', to widespread acclaim, winning them an AFMA and a nomination for the Music Victoria Awards. They are hitting the festival scene, ready to start a few festival dance parties. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724543438802-U78XMK5P9AP4B7YUVI3U/Stringmania+1200x1000.jpg Home - STRINGMANIA CONCERT Stringmania is an immersive residential camp for musicians who are passionate and curious about traditional and contemporary string music. Stringmania is for people who seek musical, cultural, and personal enrichment through the support of an open minded, vibrant and inclusive community, providing a forum to explore our identity as multicultural Australian musicians. Classes are self-selected, and divided by ear learning ability and confidence, rather than age or instrumental skill. The camp is built around four daily primary instrumental classes. All instruments are welcome, with a focus on fiddle, cello and double bass. If you are not a bowed strings player, you are welcome, but need to be self-sufficient enough on your instrument to ensure you progress in your learning. Complementing these primary instrumental classes are electives in rhythm, improvisation, dance, song, thought-provoking panel discussions, skill swaps, master classes and more. The camp culminates in a celebratory public concert where we all take to the stage at The River Folk Festival to share what we’ve all created with the local community, our friends and family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578136163-EXS1OOB4ST9QOC5BFG5Z/The+Weeping+Willows+1200x1000.jpg Home - THE WEEPING WILLOWS 3 x CMAA ‘Golden Guitar’, 2 x Australian Folk Music and Music Victoria Award winners, The Weeping Willows (Laura Coates and Andrew Wrigglesworth) are a couple of old souls, steeped in Bluegrass tradition and draped in Gothic Americana imagery. They regale their audiences with stories of sunshine and romance, God and The Devil, murder and decay. Real music. 2017-2024 has seen The Weeping Willows nominated for 14 x CMAA ‘Golden Guitar’ awards, 7 x Australian Folk Music Awards (AFMAs), 4 x Country Music Channel (CMC) awards, 2 x National Live Music Awards (NLMAs), performing Official Showcases at AmericanaFest (USA) and Folk Alliance International (USA) and appearing at Port Fairy Folk Festival, National Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and more. In recent years they have supported Iris DeMent (USA) and Willie Watson (USA) and completed national and international tours in support of their three LPs, receiving four-star reviews in Rolling Stone, The Australian and The Music. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578136166-K9JP0NP6M6D0PKKFVVJF/River+Folk+Restrung+1200x1000.jpg Home - RIVER FOLK RESTRUNG The River Folk Restrung project takes professional performing artists and arranges their music so they can perform with a string orchestra and a harp! Orchestrated by Mickey & Michelle, who combine their deep love of songwriting and careful orchestration to add luscious layers of colourful harmony to the Festival's already high calibre program. The orchestra is made up of string members from all over Australia, from professional to amateur string players. The project acknowledges the enormous amount of skill among folk fiddlers and harnesses those powers for a one off performance of extreme beauty. So come along for an extra special performance, featuring some incredible acts like you’ve never heard them before. Previous collaborations include: Scott Cook, Ngaiire, The Maes, Lucy Wise, Parvyn, The Crooked Fiddle Band, Pirritu and many more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578114585-EMUHFNQPL7AKZSO4VN5M/Broken+Creek+1200x1000.jpg Home - BROKEN CREEK Broken Creek weave compelling musical reimaginings of Australiana for banjo, guitar, fiddle and voice that tell stories from Australia’s past and present. Erin and Lachlan Heycox grew up in rural Victoria steeped in bushbands and balladeers. Named for the creek Erin grew up near, ‘Broken Creek’ signals a love of country and traditional folk music with an adventurous musical bent to “break” with the conventional. Broken Creek’s second album ‘Yeah Nah’ features songs about small-town Australia, tunes inspired by the land and subversive interpretations of traditional Australian songs. Broken Creek’s debut album ‘Small Town Anthropologies’ was a finalist for FAA Traditional Album of Year (2022). Broken Creek share their music and stories with audiences across the country, from stages at festivals (Cygnet Folk Festival, CresFest, Newport Folk Festival, Tablelands Folk Festival, Shepparton Arts Festival) to support slots with Australian music legends Fanny Lumsden, The Bushwhackers and the Weeping Willows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578122551-Z3UGGH4F8260EOH0J4YP/Mandy+Connell+1200x1000.jpg Home - MANDY CONNELL Inspired by Kate Rusby and Kristina Olsen, Connell's passion for lyric and story is amplified by her unique guitar work and a voice of strength and tenderness. Beloved for her traditional singing and her songwriting alike, Connell's performances have you feeling like she's given you all of herself. From her early years in rural Victoria to her many years of performing across Australia and the UK, with the likes of Scott Cook, David Francey and Kris Mizzi, Connell has fronted five piece festival favourite Stray Hens and is the creator and host of web series An Otherwise Quiet Room with a sparkling and insightful take on the current music scene and the living folk tradition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578126318-6ZSQT7ZY57MAU2DAUGXX/Oceanique+1200x1000.jpg Home - OCEANIQUE Hailing from the deep south of regional WA, Oceanique combines close harmonies, wonder and warm melodies. Now based in Melbourne/Naarm, twin sisters Maddy and Jess craft music rich in the folk storytelling tradition with seamless blood harmonies and reflective lyrics. A sound that calls to mind the sibling harmonies of First Aid Kit and The Waifs. Oceanique have been crafting their unique folk music since 2019, awarded Folk Alliance Australia’s ‘Youth Artist of the Year’ (2022) and Port Fairy Folk Festivals ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ (2024), seeing them playing some of Australia's most prestigious folk festivals across 2023-24 including National Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and more, along with supporting artists like The Waifs and Emily Barker. As well as performing their own headline shows across Australia, Oceanique released their debut album 2023 and a live EP April 2024 which received national and international praise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578112500-CID21PHQP4AFBGUD72UY/Ailsa+Mitchell+1200x1000.jpg Home - AILSA MITCHELL An emerging talent in the folk scene, Ailsa Mitchell’s nature-inspired compositions evoke a sense of intimacy akin to artists such as Joan Shelly, Vashit Bunyan and the Weather Station. "Orange and Blue," her debut EP, was produced by Josh Barber and has been warmly received since its release in April 2023. She has also had the good fortune to share her music on stages like the National Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Loch Hart Music Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival, and Wonder Mountain Festival. Recent releases of singles like "Wytch" and "Hey Hi Hello" highlight her versatility. Leading with curiosity, her playful approach to songwriting infuses her sound with a unique charm, captivating audiences with its tender simplicity. In 2024 she was honored to receive both the Johnny Dennis Award and Little Bridge Residency and is excited to share her music and continue making new works. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578120638-997YTZX2X8KJ2HOX425G/Follow+the+Robin+1200x1000.jpg Home - FOLLOW THE ROBIN Melbourne singer/songwriter Follow The Robin creates Indie/Folk music that is both enchanting and delicate. Through poetic lyrics and spellbinding melodies her music captures the raw emotions of humanity and ventures into the ethereal unknown of the worlds beyond our own. Since 2020, Follow The Robin has performed regularly, supporting artists such as Little Green and Steve Baker and The LiveWires (which marked her debut international performance in Germany) as well as headlining at some of Melbourne’s most loved venues. A finalist in the 2023 AFMA’s Follow The Robin continues to create new music daily with a debut EP coming in 2024. https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/sponsorship daily 0.75 2025-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/621be2ef-7790-4c4e-af3d-b0ea7a5bc8ba/Black_RGB_Horizontal.jpg Sponsors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1552380771245-5PCRUA087QYYD8AE2ACH/Yarra+Ranges.jpg Sponsors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/0eaa6977-33ab-4e69-aced-d21ca1a9cbcf/BRANCH+Logos+_JPG_+WHITE+1034+x+423+CB+Warburton+and+Yarra+Junction++Jun-2020.jpg Sponsors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/72619b6c-aa88-4bbd-9e66-ac6576b12401/Yarra+Valley+Hot+Springs.jpg Sponsors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/12d1d6f3-251f-4611-9a1e-7676e3073484/Warburton+Motel.jpg Sponsors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/b30bc8e8-7afc-428b-82d7-afb8e687f2e5/Warburton+Pharmacy+Logo.jpg Sponsors - 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TINPAN ORANGE Tinpan Orange are one of Australia’s most loved brother-sister outfits. With the ethereal and mesmerising Emily Lubitz at the helm, joined by her brother, guitarist Jesse Lubitz and violin virtuoso Alex Burkoy, Tinpan Orange’s heavily stylised dark-folk-country music combines the highest levels of song-craft with an aching, sweeping romanticism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222961497-YVQI4YCYA5Y9YKLAHONP/The+Maes+-+Hi+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - THE MAES Melbourne, Australia’s The Maes (formerly The Mae Trio) bring their unique contemporary twist on folk music with their sophomore album, Take Care Take Cover. The Maes are sisters Maggie (banjo, guitar and vocals) and Elsie Rigby (violin, and vocals). Elsie and Maggie grew up steeped in music playing in their family band and spent their childhood going to music festivals and camps, choir rehearsals and concerts. “The Mae Trio songs are powerful, the vocal harmonies soar, and their own instrumental prowess is impressive” Penguin Eggs "quite simply breathtaking" Rhythms Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222914145-3JVPEYVDGH1ULDEDE6YH/Opal+Ocean+Low+Res+shot.jpg 2018 Artists - OPAL OCEAN Opening the borders of genre, acoustic guitar duo Opal Ocean fuses together Rock and Flamenco techniques to create their own unique wall of sound. After meeting in 2013, Alex and Nadav have been taking the world by storm with videos of their distinctive genre going viral on social media. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520223000784-AUXBYZ3QF774C7RT32IL/Tullara+-+Low+Res+2.jpg 2018 Artists - TULLARA Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tullara, has quickly developed the reputation as one of Australia's brightest up and coming performers. Renowned for her percussive finger tapping, guitar playing wizardry (not to mention the power of her voice), Tullara has an endearing stage presence full of raw, powerful honesty and swagger. Tullara has racked up performances at festivals including: Woodford Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and Mullumbimby Music Festival, just to name a few. “Tullara has a way with words and a way with that guitar. She's a gifted artist just at the beginning of what looks to be a promising adventure ahead.” - John Butler https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222875034-1HS9IUK9RI22S4TIEYCO/Miss+Eileen+and+King+Lear+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - MISS EILEEN & KING LEAR Miss Eileen and King Lear are a brother/sister duo from Melbourne. Mixing rock, folk, pop, and laden with strong harmonies, they have created a unique sound that compliments their dynamic personalities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222788623-58FRDID3LDUJFRKK9U90/Bean+Project+-+Low+Res.jpeg 2018 Artists - THE BEAN PROJECT From the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia come The Bean Project, a vibrant brass-folk quintet blending the raw sounds of folk, jazz and singer-songwriter - most aptly described as 'the odd marriage of James Taylor and The Cat Empire'. Named the Folk Alliance of Australia’s 2016 Artist of the Year and having performed at Port Fairy Folk Festival, The National Folk Festival and Folk Alliance International (USA) in 2017, The Bean Project released their debut album 'Naked Trees', described as being "like a good whisky - strong, woody and rich." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222755710-OOMZXJ9ENCYRAHT1UZAL/Alice+Night+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - ALICE NIGHT Alice Night performs stripped back folk songs with rich narrative, one part political, two parts personal. Her live shows are an intimate experience of empowered vulnerability with an authenticity that is palpable. “...the tone to Alice Night's voice is just irresistible.” Dave Ruby Howe - Triple J Unearthed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222776333-DY13IWBDIBIBR4T8HV6T/Babaganoush+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - BABAGANOUSH Raw tastings of the best Gypsy Music, Balkan Beats & Greek Folk. Babaganoush are an energetic exuberant, rapturous dance band for indulging in ancient folklorique sounds with an edge of unequivocal conviction. Authentic and exquistely heartfelt, the band has an organic beauty that is rare and unforgettable. Don’t miss them! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520226618623-KR90HFKWH6WDO7HFWWYI/Cass+Curran+-+Low+Res.PNG 2018 Artists - CASS CURRAN Cass Curran - singer, songwriter, storyteller - delivers a wholesome blend of folk, country, jazz, swing, soul and gospel in a rich, unique and authentic vocal style. Cass’s sets combine original songs with personally flavoured covers, the whole lot peppered with relatable short stories and garnished with joy and laughter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222828334-M5JJEYW2E4QQJUIHVS57/Cath+Connelly+-+Hi+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - CATH CONNELLY A popular performer at concerts, festivals and venues across the globe, Cath Connelly delights the audience with her skills on the Celtic harp. Combining storytelling with harp music, you are in for a treat as her performance brings out the best of the Celtic harp tradition. The performance includes a selection of tunes from Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as some original compositions. What a delight! “Spiritual director, retreat leader, and one of the world’s finest Celtic harpers. Her music sits in that liminal space where music meets spirituality.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222829289-E7RIKGDOK4PUI3QZ5U58/Girl+on+the+Hill+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - GIRL ON THE HILL Girl on the Hill is young singer-songwriter, Sadie, and her brother Charlie. Performing unique indie-folk songs on guitars, ukes, drums and a fiddle, the duo own the stage with their youthful vibrancy and musicality. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222838719-RTKA6M15262PYHVAZ1MD/Guyy+%26+the+Fox+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - GUYY & THE FOX Soaring violin meets acoustic guitar in this award winning, international touring duo. Guyy & the Fox are known for their dynamic and captivating performances as well as their eclectic songwriting, ranging from epic instruments and haunting ballads to energetic world music. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222862658-81N6H7SHPOF5IVUAZNAU/Khristian+Mizzi+-+Hi+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - KHRISTIAN MIZZI Khristian Mizzi is a Melbourne artist known for his heart-opening original songs and his intimate live performances. Mizzi’s songs explore humanity, social injustice, and hope, inspiring and enlivening audiences wherever he plays. With a folk sound that recalls the greats of the 1970’s Contemporary Folk movements, Mizzi creates a connection with the past while offering a fresh new voice to the 'words and chords' tradition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222863164-QVV2IERZH6RV57M0GMGA/Little+Giants+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - LITTLE GIANTS Little Giants is a funky folk duo (sometimes trio) with a fresh new flavour. Playing a variety of covers and originals the girls harmonies alone capture the audience, while the infectious energy they play with makes you just want to get up and groove during their energetic and engaging live shows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222864895-6B5NHJMDC5XZT0RKYPJX/Lucy+Pierce+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - LUCY PIERCE Lucy’s music weaves intimate narratives of raw heartfullness and tender vulnerability, as the cadence of her songs trace threads of meaning-making, drawing on myth and dream, quest and grief, to navigate the journey of her own becoming. Authentic and raw, this is music of the heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222884039-VZ8YHMFOTTW1W12DKBYP/Nia+-+Jacinta+Birchall+-+Hi+Res+WEB.jpg 2018 Artists - NIA DANCE WORKSHOP - WITH JACINTA BIRCHALL & SANTHA PRESS Start your day at the River Folk Festival with an inspirational dance to fabulous music! Jacinta Birchall and Santha Press have extensive performance backgrounds. They are also both local Nia Technique (www.nianow.com) facilitators who are passionate about creating a space where everyone feels comfortable to move in their own body's way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222895246-FZONJJOO3RY39MZI5GU5/Nia+-+Santha+-+Hi+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - NIA DANCE WORKSHOP - WITH SANTHA PRESS & JACINTA BIRCHALL Nia is an hour of movement fun that conditions your whole body to great dance music from all over the world. Find your own way of moving at your own pace in a friendly and supportive space. The Saturday session will include Nia's 5 stages, inspired by Feldenkrais work with Jacinta. Sunday's session with Santha will begin with a languorous, relaxing vocal meditation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222903001-1K66V6WET0BOAJERLRJD/Nigel+Wearne+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - NIGEL WEARNE Nigel Wearne is a folk/country singer-songwriter, luthier, poet and gleaner. Equipped with personally handcrafted instruments, he melds finger-style guitar, clawhammer banjo, folk and honest storytelling. “One of Australia’s emerging songwriters” (Tone Deaf) with “the narrative-fuelled prose of Paul Kelly” (Beat Magazine). “Warmth flecked with grit… beauty awaits” 4 Stars – Rolling Stone Magazine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222925860-XL4CY70YCOJS7NFA7HOM/Phoebe+like+the+Moon+-+Hi+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - PHOEBE LIKE THE MOON Phoebe like the Moon is a Byron Bay born, Warburton-based folk musician, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, whose powerful stage presence, mesmerising voice, and intricate melodies have won the hearts of all who hear her. Phoebe’s songs are stories, weaving a tapestry of haunting folklore and fairy tales like a map of her heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222926606-E0PL59P16MZL1PSRY80E/Spiritus+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - SPIRITUS Spiritus are a New Soul/Roots group fronted by three powerful Chilean/Australian women. Their music is a translation of personal experience, thoughts and feelings expressed through exploration of genres, intricate vocal arrangements, use of syncopation and punchy lyrics. Spiritus will captivate you and have you hanging off their every word. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222953119-RA8WDZ20IV14ZXBX15ZQ/Tamwah+-+Hi+Res.JPG 2018 Artists - TAMWAH Tamwah is a spirited song woman, radiating out of Byron Bay, Australia. Vivaciously intertwining Afro-Brazilian rhythms, Roots, Hip Hop, Soul and Jazz into a Tropical, cosmic flow that produces a lasting connection with listeners. Tamwah's music is quintessence of her multi-ethnic linage; Aboriginal, European, Afro Portuguese & Sinhalese. Tamwah's a poet & beat maker with two EP's, an LP under her belt & a NEW single, “Beijos”. Live, Tamwah is a flavourful mix of Acoustic and Electro. She symbolises strength, femininity, love & service to mother earth thru her songs. May your heart & mind be ready for the revolution! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520766825866-EEO94X2XC77K3U57TUGX/Tamwah+-+Birds+of+Paradise+Workshop+-+Hi+Res.JPG 2018 Artists - Birds of Paradise Dance & Sound Workshop with TAMWAH In this dance & sound workshop,Tamwah is your multicultural & multi dimensional guide to exploring & grounding your spirit with the elements. She will take you on a fun journey of discovery & play through your energy centres (chakras.) This unique flow of cultural practices/dance movements, breath work & sounds are gathered from around the world with the intention to activate your light frequency body & fill you with JOY! You will sweat and work your body, spirit & mind in a temple space. All to a jammin sound track! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222953791-IKZDFUWQL4JM76Z00ECP/The+Anecdote+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - THE ANECDOTE A captivating and fire-spirited acoustic trio. With cello, trumpet, percussion and vocals, their music is a marriage of sculpted songs, poetic lyrics and improvisation. Drawing from elements of folk, world music, reggae and jazz, They are a dazzling and stunning live experience impassioned in performance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222983062-O2H3X2J7D97ET8OGCG0L/Tom+Richardson+-+Hi+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - TOM RICHARDSON Described as the best opening to a festival yet at Port Fairy Folk Festival, it's not uncommon to experience people laughing, crying, dancing and singing - often long after the show has finished.Tom is seen dancing over his pedals, creating beautiful soundscapes of vocal harmonies, guitars, effects and percussion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520222992585-2H4J9A4AV3EGJYJO5JQT/True+Spirit+Revival+-+Hi+Res+1.jpg 2018 Artists - YOGA LOVES MUSIC - WITH TRUE SPIRIT REVIVAL Imagine a yoga practice, merged with live music, humour, playfulness and connection. Step into a soulful blend of contemporary grooves, weaved with traditional mantras and paired with heart wisdom. A workshop combination of live sound and a yoga practice fuelled on waves of vibrational soundscapes & collective breath, invoking the highest connection to our true essence and awakening of mojo! B.Y.O YOGA MATS FOR YOGA IN THE PARK ON SATURDAY MORNING! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520223009070-D94276SGHMM8PYV8OE1R/Wayward+Nightingales+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - THE WAYWARD NIGHTINGALES Three women who have journeyed with a respect for the land they have walked on bring you old tales, new takes and unsung histories ... With slide guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin they offer their own style of folk-roots-country. Three distinctive voices resonate, creating a unique and intimate sound from this Northern Rivers Collective. The Wayward Nightingales offer you something authentic and beautiful - that type of beautiful with enough dirt and soul to keep it real. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520223021340-SRE6938V34FHV262FZBG/Zac+Saber+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - ZAC SABER Zac Saber is a singer-songwriter with a unique twist. With a style that lends from somewhere between folk, pop and blues he utilises soulful vocals, blues influenced harmonica, intricate guitar styles and foot mounted percussion to achieve a sound far larger than the quantity of his band members. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520223013699-4V5XTP3TQWRECBR46GI0/Woody%27s+World+-+Low+Res.jpg 2018 Artists - WOODY'S WORLD UKULELE SCHOOL The Woody World Band are renowned for entertaining and engaging children around Australia. Their live shows have been likened to a Teddy Bears’ picnic with Dr Suess at Woodstock. Woody inspires young hearts and bodies with his acclaimed live show that celebrates original kids music, colourful puppetry and theatrical adventure. Woody has taught in the classroom, in music education and in the outdoor setting for more than 15 years. Alongside his performing, Woody runs Woody’s Ukulele School, which offers kids (6+) and parents a lovely introduction to the ukulele. These popular workshops encourage family music making so arrive early to secure your spot. LIMITED UKES AVAILABLE! "Put Woody's World at the top of your list." Kids in Adelaide Audiences were captivated and inspired watching Woody perform" Melbourne Recital Centre "A truly magical, heartfelt and fun experience" Adelaide Festival Centre https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1520767310722-KDF6ZPE87HEQSWIBDXZQ/Childrens+Activities.jpg 2018 Artists - Children's Activities! The River Folk Festival will be hosting a Children's Activity Space in St Mary's Hall on Saturday 17th March from 12noon-4pm. All children must be accompanied by a ticket holding adult. Activities include: - Chillout space with books and cushions - Clay Play ($5) - All Day Art - Face painting ($5) - Animal Mask workshop - Storytelling and shadow-puppetry https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/2019-artists daily 0.75 2019-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702887450-TKOYAEALID12I6I5VOV9/Cass+Curran.jpg 2019 Artists - CASS CURRAN Cass combines story, humour and song to serve up a mix of folk, country, jazz, swing, soul and gospel that’s as wholesome and hearty as a home cooked dinner. Unique takes on old favourites blend with gutsy originals in the telling of relatable tales, mostly about that old chestnut – Love. Cass will follow up her debut release, Travellin’ Home, a country influenced album of songs of love, loss and recovery, with a swing/jazz/soul album of crazy love songs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550713144143-SWIBWQK4XQMB0Z5HRM4Q/Cath+Connelly.jpg 2019 Artists - CATH CONNELLY You are in for a treat as this popular performer returns to delight us with storytelling and the lyrical sounds of the Celtic harp. Cath’s performance will include a selection of tunes from Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as some original compositions. Relax and enjoy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702893098-DW5EH6PL1XZNWT006SPN/Charm+of+Finches.jpg 2019 Artists - CHARM OF FINCHES Charm of Finches are Melbourne sisters Mabel and Ivy Windred-Wornes. They sing dreamy harmonies: haunted folk tunes about heartbreak solitude and whispering trees and are a beloved fixture on the Australian folk festival circuit, known for their unique and beguiling sound, their signature interwoven sibling harmonies and honest soulful songwriting. "folk purity...affecting and emotional" – The Music https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702899573-W9WWO0RN1NR9MGW4TY4J/Dana+Sipos.jpeg 2019 Artists - DANA SIPOS (CANADA) Dana Sipos is an acclaimed Canadian songwriter's songwriter. "Delicate, slightly strange and completely mesmerizing (Gold Flake Paint UK)," Dana tours extensively throughout North America and Europe. Her new album, Trick of the Light, released on Roaring Girl Records in May 2018, is described as a "luminous and compelling work (Exclaim!)." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550713106860-ZBI3G5ZDY0FD753M06TE/Hannah+Schmidli.jpg 2019 Artists - HANNAH SCHMIDLI With her debut LP at the age of 14 and her most recent release in the middle 2018, Hannah has carved out her own niche in an indie folk acoustic styling; her melodies, beautifully blended harmonies and powerful lyrics belie her now 17 years of age. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702898973-5Y56ZQ1NNMZK0I8UT3YA/Hello+Tut+Tut.jpg 2019 Artists - HELLO TUT TUT Hello Tut Tut takes its audience on an high energy, stimulating musical safari shaped by the aesthetics of cultures from around the world. Exploring their heritage through a unique blend of gypsy, klezmer, balkan and latin sounds, they will entertain with a finesse, charm and intensity that will get you up and dancing! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702903477-432T8JC3UEB9VU5T7NJ8/Joyce+Prescher.jpg 2019 Artists - JOYCE PRESCHER Dutch-born folk singer Joyce Prescher performs her poetic lyrics and haunting melodies in an intimate acoustic show. Joyce’s beautifully crafted songs explore concepts of home, identity, love and death. Her moving performances are not to be missed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702906804-AC8FVOWD2F39GGNG0YSR/Khristian+Mizzi.jpg 2019 Artists - KHRISTIAN MIZZI 2017's Troubadour artist Khristian Mizzi plays intimate, heartfelt Folk songs comparable to Folk music of early 70's Folk artists. Award winning songs and a voice 'like a warm hug', Khristian pulls audiences into his sphere with poetic, lilting tunes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702926733-MFZ6DGB0OEUL59NZ57J3/Lily+and+King.jpg 2019 Artists - LILY & KING Lily and King create rousingly catchy music that sits somewhere between a captivating 40's nightclub routine and the raw, rambunctious spirit of New Orleans street buskers. Dixieland punk, junkyard blues, sailor songs, weird carnie show tunes and the odd bit of curious pop, their music is joyful, beautiful and a bit dirty and wicked too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702912853-T9XZQVYMCO8NQTCK9MHE/Lucy+Pierce.jpg 2019 Artists - LUCY PIERCE Lucy’s music weaves intimate narratives of raw heartfullness and tender vulnerability, as the cadence of her songs trace threads of meaning-making, drawing on myth and dream, quest and grief, to navigate the journey of her own becoming. Authentic and raw, this is music of the heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702927272-YY5LVPXAK75JXQ4MPQT8/Lucy+Wise.jpg 2019 Artists - LUCY WISE Lucy Wise has delighted audiences across Australia and internationally with her soulful voice and masterful storytelling. Her third album, Winter Sun received 4.5 stars in The Weekend Australian, and explores themes of love, joy and sadness, friendship and the relationships people form with their environment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550713059481-DESL0J9H3RFMY3WP5YPB/Malcura.jpg 2019 Artists - MALCURA MALCURA are a “Heavy Flamenco” trio from Melbourne, Australia formed in 2013. From their beginnings as buskers in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall, Malcura have emerged as one of Australia’s most unique and exhilarating acts. Their music is as intricate and unpredictable as it is romantic and uplifting, fusing Flamenco instrumentation with Latin rhythms and a Rock’n’roll mentality. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550702939167-65QO02RVMY9U796JMZUX/Mandy+Connell+Trio.jpg 2019 Artists - MANDY CONNELL TRIO Mandy Connell is a treasured secret in the Victorian music scene. She’s what Scott Cook calls a ‘lifer’ – touring for nearly 20 years as herself or with bands. These days Connell is the creator and host of a brilliant duets series ‘An Otherwise Quiet Room’. A brilliant performer, Connell has the ability to hold you still in the chambers of her heart- with a crack in her voice or a bend on her Jack Spira guitar. “Even Mandy Connell's line-check is impressive. Her lyrics are inspiring. ‘The Garden’ is glorious, and showcases the purity of her voice to perfection” – Brydget Chrisfield, The Music. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1552515239834-75BG5JSCJA817UWARQ8W/Nia+-+Santha+-+Hi+Res.jpg 2019 Artists - Nia Dance Start your day at the River Folk Festival with an inspirational dance to fabulous music! Jacinta Birchall and Santha Press have extensive performance backgrounds, and are both local Nia Technique (www.nianow.com) facilitators who are passionate about creating a space where everyone feels comfortable to move in their own body’s way. Nia is an hour of movement fun that conditions your whole body to great dance music from all over the world. Find your own way of moving at your own pace in a friendly and supportive space. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1552515100499-YY2EK4U91FZCELTSO3QK/Orpheus_in_the_Underworld.jpg 2019 Artists - Orpheus in the Underworld Orpheus in the Underworld is a contemporary take on the Ancient Greek tale of love, lust and loss. A musician journeys to the under­world to take his lover back from the god of death. Along the way he meets a horny goat-man, a hip-hoppin ferryman and a 3-headed death-metal dog. Told through original songs with a sound spectrum encompassing gypsy jazz, rock, funk, and heart-rending ballads. Morphing effortlessly between narrator and characters, song and spoken word, this show exists in the immediacy and intimacy of true storytelling. Entranced audiences, with their hearts on their sleeve, travel the path with Orpheus. Pondering the reasons, examining their responses, never taking their eyes off the man in front of them. The show has received critical ac­claim and its fans include a Hell’s Angel through to a Pulitzer prize winner. All have been left examining... What have you done for love? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550709442437-4GDJX4VQRQTJDD5E8LFQ/Phoebe+like+the+Moon.jpg 2019 Artists - PHOEBE LIKE THE MOON Phoebe like the Moon is a Byron Bay born, Warburton-based folk musician, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, whose powerful stage presence, mesmerising voice, and intricate melodies have won the hearts of all who hear her. Phoebe’s songs are stories, weaving a tapestry of haunting folklore and fairy tales like a map of her heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703397384-UNQMMHID7NACVAT5EDG8/Red+Tail+Ring.jpg 2019 Artists - RED TAIL RING (USA) Michigan-based, Red Tail Ring are Laurel Premo and Michael Beauchamp. Together they create intricate arrangements of original folk music and traditional ballads with banjo, fiddle, guitar, and lush harmonies. “The very best of the 21st century’s minimalist and highly original folk music... a peerless duo.” – American Roots UK. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703442701-1YL07PG5LZVP2QMS6L64/Sage.jpg 2019 Artists - SAGE Classically trained yet folk inclined, cellist-singer-songwriter Sage crafts mesmerising songs and stories born from a collision between her musical worlds. Swapping out the much-loved acoustic guitar for a cello, she proudly represents an exciting trend among contemporary string players across the world. Sage has shared her music with local Melbourne audiences at events including White Night Melbourne, Folkscray!, the Longplay String-er Songwriter Residency, and as a finalist for the Alex Legg Memorial Scholarship. In 2019 Sage is set to release her first single produced by fellow genre- transcending artist Vaudrey. Her sound is an alternative blend of ethereal vocals, raw cello accompaniment, and lush harmonies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703497627-O8A4VQHKCI9DL0INE4Y9/Santa+Taranta.jpg 2019 Artists - SANTA TARANTA Santa Taranta is a Melbourne-based band playing a mix of original music and traditional music from southern Italy. The group has won over crowds at the National Folk Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, Piers Festival, Fairbridge Festival, Illawarra Folk Festival as well as many concerts at prominent Melbourne music venues. Santa Taranta plays Pizzica, Tammurriata, Stornelli, as well as Polkas from the barbershop and the occasional serenade d’amore, with a contemporary, worldly flair. They will infect your blood and keep you dancing like a spider and weeping like la Madonna… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703467368-8IKR887JLUEGF9SG482V/Scott+Cook.jpg 2019 Artists - SCOTT COOK & THE SHE'LL BE RIGHTS (CANADA) Canada's Scott Cook has distilled the stories collected over a decade touring across Canada, the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia into straight-talking, keenly observant verse. In 2017 he released his sixth studio album, Further Down the Line, which earned his second Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, and comes packaged in a 132-page book containing a look back, in words and pictures, on his last decade of near-incessant travel. Having already completed six tours of Australia, 2019 finds him back in Australia with a new intercontinental stringband, consisting of fellow Canadian Bramwell Park on banjo, and Aussie comrades Esther Henderson on fiddle and Liz Frencham on upright bass. All the hard miles notwithstanding, he still believes that songs can change your life, and your life can change the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703521563-OHTZA4LB59TO5GWHPQBK/The+Seduceaphones.jpg 2019 Artists - THE SEDUCEAPHONES The Seduceaphones are a Balkan Brass Band that at the heart of Melbourne’s World Music scene. Their unique musical style is a powerful fusion of both culture and innovation drawing from Yugoslavic Brass traditions and Melbourne’s ever evolving music scene. They are a full body experience that never fails to move the crowd in new and unusual ways! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703473277-LG64F9XIN95QQD7CU4VP/Spiritus.jpg 2019 Artists - SPIRITUS Spiritus are three powerful Chilean-Australian women who’s Neo-Soul infused Roots music is a translation of personal experience, using intricate vocal arrangements and emotional storytelling. With syncopation and punchy lyrics, Spiritus will captivate, enrapture and have you hanging off every word. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1552515079415-EEJE856KPH16TAJ6TR00/Stringmania+Image.jpg 2019 Artists - Stringmania Workshop Bring your fiddle (or other stringed instruments) and come make some music with some Stringmanics! Come and learn a Celtic tune, some tricks and techniques, and get a taste of the fun and the traditional music on offer at Stringmania camp. All levels and all ages welcome. Directed by international fiddle superstar Alasdair Fraser and supported by the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, Stringmania is an immersive traditional music camp for string musicians from beginner to advanced, who are passionate or curious about contemporary and traditional music. Stringmania 2019 runs from September 30 till October 6 right here in Warburton. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703510066-U6Z1VHDXVK1UBDB8L4N6/The+Anecdote.jpg 2019 Artists - THE ANECDOTE A captivating virtuosic and fire-spirited acoustic trio. With cello trumpet percussion and soaring vocals their music is a unique marriage of sculptured songs poetic lyrics fiery improvising and spacious interweaving. Drawing from elements of folk, world music and reggae. The Anecdote are a stunning live experience, impassioned in performance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703512906-OAVG0I7LCXIPIFWFFD3P/The+Bean+Project.jpeg 2019 Artists - THE BEAN PROJECT From the eastern suburbs of Melbourne come The Bean Project, a vibrant brass-folk quintet blending the raw sounds of folk, jazz and singer-songwriter - most aptly described as 'the odd marriage of The Cat Empire and James Taylor'. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703527707-7ZCXS3MGX7DQVEIJHEQX/Tinman.jpg 2019 Artists - TINMAN Born out of a New Year’s Eve campfire sing-along, Tinman are a contemporary folk outfit in love with their heritage and building into new territory. Infused with the unusual voicings of mandolin, cigar box guitar, piano accordion, ukulele and dreamy vocals, the quartet come together to create an electric live performance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703524814-HC2DFMR3O1ITB49TEF5Y/Tom+Richardson.jpg 2019 Artists - TOM RICHARDSON Tom Richardson is your newest oldest friend. And his brand new offering - Promise of the Light - will leave you feeling as fulfilled as your most inspired coffee date. Toms songwriting, story telling & intricate guitar playing are a delicate balance of grace, truth and passion, evident of an artist whose soul shows signs of unpaved back-roads, with sleeves stained by countless hearts from all corners of the globe. Appreciating the liberation in exploration and privilege of forging relationships with listeners and cultures around the world, Tom has performed in 15 different countries, reflected in musical arrangements better categorised by emotion and experience, rather than genre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550703535232-UGN84BLKUO7E5F85MIE3/Woody%27s+World.jpg 2019 Artists - WOODY'S WORLD Woody's World - Music 4 kids, has been touring the country for the past three years. Woody is thrilled to return to his home tour to release his second album - Ukulele Kids. Festival workshops encourage patrons to get involved in this community celebration of music and performance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1550708743334-WWULBIZ81S83BG80UP2D/Yoga+Loves+Music.jpg 2019 Artists - YOGA LOVES MUSIC Imagine a yoga practice, merged with live music, humour, playfulness and connection. Step into a soulful blend of contemporary grooves, weaved with traditional mantras and paired with heart wisdom. A workshop combination of live sound and a yoga practice fuelled on waves of collective vibes & breath, invoking the community spirit of Woodford & awakening the festival mojo! Yoga loves music is an invigorating hybrid of live performance and physical practice. This fusion spans genres and moods, sometimes leading to spontaneous dance but other times inviting soulful moments of quiet contemplation. It's a natural marriage between two disciplines that, at their core, are designed to bring about freedom from within & a sublime state of mind. This merging of the sonic and the physical, while not devoid of ridiculous moments, marks an evolution in the way we experience yoga! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1552516283301-ZBF42SI3LBJXRRJG7BPA/Childrens%2BActivities.jpg 2019 Artists - Children's Activities The River Folk Festival will be hosting a Children's Activity Space in St Mary's Hall on Saturday 16th March from 12noon-3pm. All children must be accompanied by a ticket holding adult. Activities include: - Chillout space with books and cushions - Clay Play ($5) - (Fundraising for Yarra Valley Community Pottery Studio NFP) - Felting with Naomi - All Day Art - Face painting https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/sessions daily 0.75 2025-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/58ddc9c6-f113-45d7-b8ca-19edb5525b36/The+River+Folk+Festival+Presents+-+Stringmania+and+Friends+A4+WEB.jpeg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1e79c05a-db47-420b-b6db-32b904577e42/Shark+%26+Fox+2500x2000.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/76e11936-76a3-455b-b0a8-badca22df3f3/Stringmania+2500x2000.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/3e34b7a8-c42d-4077-8a19-3cee5eee7cf1/Gamelan+DanAnda+2500x2000.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/f0d68ad4-4dfa-4191-833d-90fd33435deb/Seduceaphones+2500x2000.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/0b8cbf6f-19a0-47e6-8d2a-e670e5ccc26c/Lily+%26+King+2500x2000+2.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/5f3f25a8-ee05-4610-9c6a-5bfb72dc67fb/The+River+Folk+Sessions+-+Jo+Davie+%2B+Follow+the+Robin+WEB.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/621ae291-e9dc-4d26-94e3-88aed3c66fc6/Jo+Davie+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/aa18792d-b2cc-41b8-bebf-98117e3e07d4/Follow+the+Robin+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/3c4c616e-2987-4abe-a4a7-12158928dae3/Cigany+Weaver+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/5bb28de0-c549-427f-889c-a208ca042f61/Apolline+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/708922a7-8410-47f9-bb05-a140f3485a94/Shark+and+Fox+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1e491784-783f-42c8-aa0a-d69c62347c84/Guanaco+Trio+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/000ec6f5-9233-40dc-907b-bbb878cb6a42/ER-20-square.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/7498d544-3841-424f-b79b-24c94b8bb406/mickey___michelle+-+square.jpg River Folk Sessions - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1616461484867-798K2DH6QOKRXNTWTZMU/Saije+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1616461635652-LBYDJR9AUKD9NNX4GT0F/Pia+Nesvara+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1616462871060-31M8UTT5LW9F4A1PJVE5/Pirritu+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1616463346839-LPR0OU03UXVT5NGWCMMA/Nigel+Wearne+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1621997309530-B5FXRCTA1KYUCB4723I7/Kerryn+Fields+SQUARE+2+WEB.jpg River Folk Sessions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1616463498142-G3GX33YSVYAQMQSPBRE3/Phoebe+Laidlaw+SQUARE.jpg River Folk Sessions https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/2022-artists daily 0.75 2023-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1579484666774-0DMT50JJPWW166D1D3WC/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists - THE NORTHERN FOLK Hailing from Albury, NSW - now based in Melbourne, The Northern Folk, are a collective of 10 musical ambitionists spreading their unique brand of folk/pop/stomp/rock into the roots of small towns and big cities alike. Combining two powerful vocalists, roaring horns, bashful bass and addictive percussion, their big, diverse sound proves flexible both on stage and on record, and is continuing to earn them a following wherever they travel. "The Northern Folk fall into a beautiful and untouched musical category that sets them apart from the rest... one of the country’s most dynamic groups to perform both live and in the studio." - AAA Backstage https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1627793893246-2U7YT6MTJ80071KEPAS5/CiganyWeaver_RFF2020.jpg 2022 Artists - CIGÁNY WEAVER Formed out of a love for the legendary partnership between Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grapelli, Cigány Weaver, is one of Australia's most exciting gypsy-jazz ensembles, with a dedicated and passionate following around the country. Their sound is reminiscent of jazz Manouche, traditional swing and Romani music, interwoven with compelling originals and the band’s reinterpretations of classics from popular culture. Through virtuosic and energetic live performances, Cigány Weaver invoke everything from subtle toe-tapping to exuberant dance floor foot-stomping. “Cigány Weaver’s self-titled debut showcases exquisite and vibrant instrumentation and breathtaking vocals brought together by a perfectly in-sync band.” — MiMM | Calen Le Couteur https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662688933200-5ELQZ8EY414XE0JR399M/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists - GINA WILLIAMS & GUY GHOUSE Ancient language, contemporary music, stunning vocals, poignant stories and guitar brilliance. Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse use their music and performances to highlight one of the most beautiful and rare languages on the planet; the Noongar language of the southern corner of Western Australia. As conduits of a fractured past, they have made it their mission to become agitators for a hopeful future, by rewriting the script through song. Because the only way to address intergenerational trauma is to bring healing and invite everyone back to the campfire. They are a multi-award-winning duo, but don’t let that fool you – they’d much rather allow their performances and the power of the music they create speak for itself. Because even tho there are less than 400 speakers of Noongar language left, their work has always been about what connects us. You don't need to understand the words; love, loss, joy all means the same things no matter how you say it. “Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse are stunning artists whose music is a celebration of life, community and a shared humanity.” — Caroline Moore | Artistic Director, Port Fairy Folk Festival https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1630037756713-9D5V72SU84GF77IT6CM4/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists - ALANA WILKINSON After a wild year inside the house, folk singer and pop punk poet Alana Wilkinson is back with a big bag of new songs showcasing her wit, humour and social commentary. Combining delicate melodies with disarmingly insightful vignettes about the human condition, Wilkinson is a smiling assassin. Her songs skewer ex-lovers, would-be suitors, ridiculous social norms and the absurd challenges of suburban life in a merciless, yet strangely affectionate way. She's been compared to Australian success stories like Courtney Barnett and Emma Louise, and even to the idiosyncratic Tim Minchin yet Wilkinson is carving her own path through the undergrowth, raw and unadorned. Equally at home in the intimate confines of a house concert or in the expansive surrounds of a festival, Wilkinson engages audiences with revealing and hilarious stories accompanied by guitar or uke and the caustic wit and theatrical delivery that serves her so well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1659064721515-ZG9I5V0VQEK0YGBH9YQ7/Monique%2BClare%2B-%2BForest%2Bpress%2Bshot%2Bhi%2Bres.jpg 2022 Artists - MONIQUE CLARE With only her voice, four strings and a cello bow, Monique Clare carves out a musical landscape to get lost in. Driving rhythms collide with intricate cello lines; heart-tugging harmonies weave through compelling vocals. Her lyrics speak to the ruminations of her generation and dive deep into the universal experiences of love and loss. Live, Monique is mesmerising and cathartic. She draws listeners into her storytelling, sifting through the raw, the imperfect and the unspoken. Always seeking connection, she craves the rush of an intimately honest performance. Monique's fearless and intrepid nature craves adventure, from teaching cello in war-torn Afghanistan to leading groups of listeners up a mountainside in the dark for a sunrise concert. She jumps into cold water as a ritualistic reminder that anything is possible. Through her songwriting, Monique challenges her listeners to do the same: be vulnerable and courageous. “Bold, clever and vivid… Icicle sharp vocals…reminiscent of the incredible voice of Kate Miller-Heidke” - BMA Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1630038198465-PUAYDT3IIUGS8JHI05NC/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists - RUTH HAZLETON One of Australia’s most highly regarded folk singers, Ruth Hazleton is an award-winning instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. In a career spanning over 25 years, she has toured nationally and internationally and worked with some of the world’s most iconic folk musicians including Andy Irvine (IRE) and Nancy Kerr (UK). Equipped with an electric guitar and a 5-string banjo, Ruth began her solo journey in 2019, releasing Daisywheel, produced by acclaimed musician Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty). The album was nominated for ‘Best Folk Album’ at the 2020 Music Victoria Awards and described as "...compelling and intimately fierce" by Living Tradition – UK. Daisywheel is a lyrical voyage of history, struggle & resilience in song and a collision of ancient and contemporary. At times unapologetically political, the repertoire incorporates the many influences that have shaped Ruth’s musicianship over the years including British trad, old-time American & Eastern European musics. Ruth is joined onstage by Melbourne’s Fiona Steele on guitars and vocals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1630038007674-GA8G4A3UMY10XFLH3M2Z/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists - RICH DAVIES & THE LOW ROAD Rich Davies & The Low Road deliver a ‘foot stomping contemporary folk attack’ (Mick Thomas), featuring trad-roots instrumentation, 5 part gang-vocals and emotive narrative-driven songs. Drawing from Davies' Scottish heritage they combine their love of folk traditions – encompassing celtic, mountain music, and even shanty – with 60’s Folk Revival influences and a healthy dose of Springsteen-meets-the-Pogues attitude into a rousing sweat-drenched symphony of wild, visceral, contemporary folk’n’roll. And then, just when you let your guard down, they'll bring you to tears with a well-crafted heart-wrenching ballad. 2021 saw Rich Davies & The Low Road showcase the band’s charismatic and take-no-prisoners performance for Folk Alliance International, subsequently releasing that live performance both as an EP and on YouTube. Davis was also invited to take part in the prestigious Global Music Match program co-presented by Sounds Australia, Showcase Scotland Expo, and East Coast Music Association. The Low Road are currently recording the follow-up to first album ‘Ghosts’ for release in 2022. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1630037901237-VPLX6HMWEMW9GV6GZK43/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists - LIZ FRENCHAM After years of lending her groove, grin and musicality to a host of songwriters, (Scott Cook (CAN), Chris While and Julie Matthews (UK), Kristina Olsen (US), Fred Smith, Mic Conway, Michael Waugh, Miriam Lieberman, John Flanagan) double-bassist/singer extraordinaire, Liz Frencham, has taken some time out for her own songs and stories. In 2019 she enlisted the talents of multi-instrumentalists Pete Fidler and Josh Bennett and wrote, produced and engineered an album 'Love and Other Crimes' set to launch in 2020. Despite launch plans being scuttled by COVID19, the album scooped up glowing reviews and a nomination in the Victorian Music Awards Best Folk Album category. Liz, Robbie and Jacob are ecstatic to finally bring the new album to a real audience at last! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1660453155477-7MFNKQLE6ZF0JFXRGJW2/Above+the+Bit+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists - ABOVE THE BIT Lauded songwriters in their own right, Luke Watt & Nigel Wearne join forces to go Above The Bit. Skirting the fringes of blues, country and outlaw folk, their diverse influences include Richard Thompson, Tom Waits and the spirit of Woody Guthrie. Above The Bit shines a light on true tales of mutiny and civil disobedience that lie in the shadows of Australian history. Nigel Wearne is "one of Australia's emerging songwriters" (Tone Deaf) and Luke Watt is "the real deal… so real you feel you already know him" (ABC Radio). Together, they tap into the psyche and emotive fabric of their subjects, harnessing the power of narrative and verse with an informed historical approach and social conscience. Some tales don’t heal unless they’ve been told. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689546419-5EG9K3KTUWAW0HVMV9YC/The+Good+Behaviours+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists - THE GOOD BEHAVIOURS The Good Behaviours play freshly pressed chamber folk in a sentimental and uplifting way. Celebrated jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist Nick Henderson began his love affair with the banjo during the pandemic, and has combined with respected heavyweights to bring you the goods! Nick is joined by festival favourites Chris Stone (fiddle) and Holly Downes (double bass) of the String Contingent and Emily-Rose Sarkova (accordion) of Chaika. Completing the picture is Felix Lalanne (guitar), finalist of the Montreux jazz guitar competition and together they make a veritable super group of the Australian Folk and Jazz scenes. Inspired by his dog Miles, and the banks of the Hawkesbury River (Dyarubbin) where he grew up, Nick’s tunes could be described as old-time-meets-post-rock; the intersection of danceable grooves and moving melodies. These musos are as well trained and good looking as a prize winning pooch, so prick up your ears and get ready for this years’ best in show. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1627793916063-374NOTBAGI7IPSOD2WTE/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists - ANNA SMYRK Folk troubadour Anna Smyrk has come a long way since growing up on a lavender farm in Central Victoria. Her music paints stunning pictures of places she’s lived- from remote islands in the Pacific to a dusty city in Cambodia. Anna’s 2019 EP was premiered on Double J, featured in Folk Radio UK magazine and spun on BBC, ABC and community radio. AU Review called it "a glorious piece of musical storytelling," while the Soundcheck said it "packs a heart-rending and elegant punch." Anna has performed at Port Fairy Folk and Queenscliff Music Festivals and had song writing mentorship from some of Australia’s finest, including Henry Wagons and Jeff Lang. When Anna isn’t touring, she works in international development. The next 12 months will see her splitting her time between advocacy work in the Philippines and touring her new record around Australia and the UK. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1581571179624-BH7RFD1SF6CG4CF5P578/Todd+Cook.jpg 2022 Artists - TODD COOK Todd Cook’s emotive lyrics, earthy tones and raw appeal connect to a wide variety of listeners. His songs float from intricate folk fingerpicking styles to driving rhythms that stir the soul. His stories of Australian landscapes and people are accompanied with mesmerising instrumentation and a depth that always engages and entertains. 
 
 Drawing inspiration from both the lush green fields of Gippsland where he grew up, and the rich, remote areas of the Northern Territory. Each song reveals a meeting place for sounds, techniques and lyrics that connect north to south, remote to mainstream, and traditional to contemporary.

 Todd combines intricate folk/finger picking guitar, passionate singing, Irish Bouzouki and didge to portray vast landscapes and vivid storytelling. His live shows received rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and all of his previous releases have had wide airplay nationally on Triple J as well as internationally. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689034525-2P25CO8QSQKARQW6UADT/Pia+Nesvara+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists - PIA NESVARA Arm-in-arm with her flamenco guitar, Pia Nesvara brings flavors of her Chilean roots in a blend of gutsy vocals, hard-hitting rhythms and brazen lyrics to create her ‘soul meets indie/folk-songwriter’ sound. She’s a well respected singer-songwriter, grown up and out of the hills of the Dandenong Ranges, where she's loved for her years of generosity in the community's music scene. Branching out into the Melbourne Scene, Pia is already making a mark, not only in her efforts co-founding the Live Monthly Jam Space and Conversation ‘FemJams’, and also with a run of shows in the past year alone (multiple of which sold out) that have included colorful events with the likes of; Bar Oussou, The International Folk Alliance (representing of Melbourne’s Songwriters), Airey’s Music Fest, a sold out inner city House Concert and supported selling out The River Folk Festival’s first run of 2021 ‘River Folk Sessions’ in Warburton. This year has already seen Nesvara collaborate with rising Melbourne artists in project ‘Melbourne Songwriters Collective’ and is fresh off the back of their debut festival show at The National Folk Fest (curated by Katie Noonan). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689534257-TBU6VHP67BBE25ER2SXF/Melbourne+Songwriters+Collective+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists - MELBOURNE SONGWRITERS COLLECTIVE Melbourne Songwriters Collective presents 3 songwriters in the round: small but powerful Chilean-Australian artist Pia Nesvara, swirly bedroom producer Chev Person, and introspective and playful artist, STAV. Their live showcases bring out each songwriter's unique story and are full of surprises. Spontaneously joining in on each other's songs with harmonies, their performances look like improvised instrumental melodies and subtle percussive grooves intertwined with intimate stories, of joy, sadness and life experiences with honest sharing of their songwriting processes. As culturally diverse, female-identifying musicians, the Collective are aware of the importance to push and elevate their music and share their stories. MSC is community oriented and has an ethos of sharing musical expression, and sharing stories and cultures interactively with audiences. The Collective’s live set can be seen as a mix of folk/singer-songwriter and soul, combining guitars, keyboard and 3-part vocal harmony - written both individually and collaboratively. Their debut performance via the Folk Alliance (Folk Unlocked) in Feb 2021 saw the group representing Melbourne songwriters on an International online stage, sharing each other’s songs, songwriting insights and intimate stories of culture and experience. They have since set in stone the vision of this community - as one built from their individual artistry and love for songwriting. Aswell as being ready to dive head first into recording their Debut Album, The Collective are fresh off the back of 2 highly commended debut festival shows at The National Folk Festival (Canberra) and are scheduled to play Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Late October 2022. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1579484866347-3Y3H7YA5HEUOLZJJ47K6/Tinman.jpg 2022 Artists - TINMAN Born of a campfire sing-along, Tinman is a group of friends making dreamy acoustic folk music. With a sound infused by the traditional acoustics of mandolin, cigar box guitar, piano accordion and ukulele, Tinman dance around the genres of folk, gospel and pop, never settling for too much of the same. Swapping out instruments and allowing seductive 4 part harmonies to linger in the air, their music tells stories of east coast road trips, explorations of the heart and finding home. Tinman are a dream combination that come together to create an electric live performance. As you soak in this year’s festival, come alongside these storytellers and magic weavers and be transported for a little while... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689481848-RMWXPGZFKSEAU6FF4GKO/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists - PHOEBE LAIDLAW Phoebe Laidlaw is an emerging Melbourne based singer songwriter who currently studies music performance at Boxhill Institute. Inspired by artists such as Julia Jacklin, Angie McMahon and Greta Ray her style can be explained as somewhere between indie pop and indie folk, always with the focus of her voice, rich beyond her years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689543002-VTTB3TAJ0SU8MM163LEH/Yarra+Valley+Drummers+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists - YARRA VALLEY DRUMMERS Yarra Valley Drummers play traditional West African Rhythms and are led by Master Drummer Kofi Kunkpe. Kofi is a world renowned percussionist and bass player from Ghana (West Africa) and now resides in the Yarra Valley. Kofi formed Yarra Valley Drummers in 2017 and has continued to grow the group since then, expanding their extensive repertoire with complicated Rhythms and songs. Yarra Valley Drummers has become a regular featured act at festivals and markets. Bringing high energy, dance and fun wherever they go! https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/2022-artists-copy daily 0.75 2024-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1579484666774-0DMT50JJPWW166D1D3WC/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists (Copy) - THE NORTHERN FOLK Hailing from Albury, NSW - now based in Melbourne, The Northern Folk, are a collective of 10 musical ambitionists spreading their unique brand of folk/pop/stomp/rock into the roots of small towns and big cities alike. Combining two powerful vocalists, roaring horns, bashful bass and addictive percussion, their big, diverse sound proves flexible both on stage and on record, and is continuing to earn them a following wherever they travel. "The Northern Folk fall into a beautiful and untouched musical category that sets them apart from the rest... one of the country’s most dynamic groups to perform both live and in the studio." - AAA Backstage https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1627793893246-2U7YT6MTJ80071KEPAS5/CiganyWeaver_RFF2020.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - CIGÁNY WEAVER Formed out of a love for the legendary partnership between Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grapelli, Cigány Weaver, is one of Australia's most exciting gypsy-jazz ensembles, with a dedicated and passionate following around the country. Their sound is reminiscent of jazz Manouche, traditional swing and Romani music, interwoven with compelling originals and the band’s reinterpretations of classics from popular culture. Through virtuosic and energetic live performances, Cigány Weaver invoke everything from subtle toe-tapping to exuberant dance floor foot-stomping. “Cigány Weaver’s self-titled debut showcases exquisite and vibrant instrumentation and breathtaking vocals brought together by a perfectly in-sync band.” — MiMM | Calen Le Couteur https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662688933200-5ELQZ8EY414XE0JR399M/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists (Copy) - GINA WILLIAMS & GUY GHOUSE Ancient language, contemporary music, stunning vocals, poignant stories and guitar brilliance. Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse use their music and performances to highlight one of the most beautiful and rare languages on the planet; the Noongar language of the southern corner of Western Australia. As conduits of a fractured past, they have made it their mission to become agitators for a hopeful future, by rewriting the script through song. Because the only way to address intergenerational trauma is to bring healing and invite everyone back to the campfire. They are a multi-award-winning duo, but don’t let that fool you – they’d much rather allow their performances and the power of the music they create speak for itself. Because even tho there are less than 400 speakers of Noongar language left, their work has always been about what connects us. You don't need to understand the words; love, loss, joy all means the same things no matter how you say it. “Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse are stunning artists whose music is a celebration of life, community and a shared humanity.” — Caroline Moore | Artistic Director, Port Fairy Folk Festival https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1630037756713-9D5V72SU84GF77IT6CM4/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists (Copy) - ALANA WILKINSON After a wild year inside the house, folk singer and pop punk poet Alana Wilkinson is back with a big bag of new songs showcasing her wit, humour and social commentary. Combining delicate melodies with disarmingly insightful vignettes about the human condition, Wilkinson is a smiling assassin. Her songs skewer ex-lovers, would-be suitors, ridiculous social norms and the absurd challenges of suburban life in a merciless, yet strangely affectionate way. She's been compared to Australian success stories like Courtney Barnett and Emma Louise, and even to the idiosyncratic Tim Minchin yet Wilkinson is carving her own path through the undergrowth, raw and unadorned. Equally at home in the intimate confines of a house concert or in the expansive surrounds of a festival, Wilkinson engages audiences with revealing and hilarious stories accompanied by guitar or uke and the caustic wit and theatrical delivery that serves her so well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1659064721515-ZG9I5V0VQEK0YGBH9YQ7/Monique%2BClare%2B-%2BForest%2Bpress%2Bshot%2Bhi%2Bres.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - MONIQUE CLARE With only her voice, four strings and a cello bow, Monique Clare carves out a musical landscape to get lost in. Driving rhythms collide with intricate cello lines; heart-tugging harmonies weave through compelling vocals. Her lyrics speak to the ruminations of her generation and dive deep into the universal experiences of love and loss. Live, Monique is mesmerising and cathartic. She draws listeners into her storytelling, sifting through the raw, the imperfect and the unspoken. Always seeking connection, she craves the rush of an intimately honest performance. Monique's fearless and intrepid nature craves adventure, from teaching cello in war-torn Afghanistan to leading groups of listeners up a mountainside in the dark for a sunrise concert. She jumps into cold water as a ritualistic reminder that anything is possible. Through her songwriting, Monique challenges her listeners to do the same: be vulnerable and courageous. “Bold, clever and vivid… Icicle sharp vocals…reminiscent of the incredible voice of Kate Miller-Heidke” - BMA Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1630038198465-PUAYDT3IIUGS8JHI05NC/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists (Copy) - RUTH HAZLETON One of Australia’s most highly regarded folk singers, Ruth Hazleton is an award-winning instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. In a career spanning over 25 years, she has toured nationally and internationally and worked with some of the world’s most iconic folk musicians including Andy Irvine (IRE) and Nancy Kerr (UK). Equipped with an electric guitar and a 5-string banjo, Ruth began her solo journey in 2019, releasing Daisywheel, produced by acclaimed musician Luke Plumb (Shooglenifty). The album was nominated for ‘Best Folk Album’ at the 2020 Music Victoria Awards and described as "...compelling and intimately fierce" by Living Tradition – UK. Daisywheel is a lyrical voyage of history, struggle & resilience in song and a collision of ancient and contemporary. At times unapologetically political, the repertoire incorporates the many influences that have shaped Ruth’s musicianship over the years including British trad, old-time American & Eastern European musics. Ruth is joined onstage by Melbourne’s Fiona Steele on guitars and vocals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1630038007674-GA8G4A3UMY10XFLH3M2Z/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists (Copy) - RICH DAVIES & THE LOW ROAD Rich Davies & The Low Road deliver a ‘foot stomping contemporary folk attack’ (Mick Thomas), featuring trad-roots instrumentation, 5 part gang-vocals and emotive narrative-driven songs. Drawing from Davies' Scottish heritage they combine their love of folk traditions – encompassing celtic, mountain music, and even shanty – with 60’s Folk Revival influences and a healthy dose of Springsteen-meets-the-Pogues attitude into a rousing sweat-drenched symphony of wild, visceral, contemporary folk’n’roll. And then, just when you let your guard down, they'll bring you to tears with a well-crafted heart-wrenching ballad. 2021 saw Rich Davies & The Low Road showcase the band’s charismatic and take-no-prisoners performance for Folk Alliance International, subsequently releasing that live performance both as an EP and on YouTube. Davis was also invited to take part in the prestigious Global Music Match program co-presented by Sounds Australia, Showcase Scotland Expo, and East Coast Music Association. The Low Road are currently recording the follow-up to first album ‘Ghosts’ for release in 2022. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1630037901237-VPLX6HMWEMW9GV6GZK43/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists (Copy) - LIZ FRENCHAM After years of lending her groove, grin and musicality to a host of songwriters, (Scott Cook (CAN), Chris While and Julie Matthews (UK), Kristina Olsen (US), Fred Smith, Mic Conway, Michael Waugh, Miriam Lieberman, John Flanagan) double-bassist/singer extraordinaire, Liz Frencham, has taken some time out for her own songs and stories. In 2019 she enlisted the talents of multi-instrumentalists Pete Fidler and Josh Bennett and wrote, produced and engineered an album 'Love and Other Crimes' set to launch in 2020. Despite launch plans being scuttled by COVID19, the album scooped up glowing reviews and a nomination in the Victorian Music Awards Best Folk Album category. Liz, Robbie and Jacob are ecstatic to finally bring the new album to a real audience at last! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1660453155477-7MFNKQLE6ZF0JFXRGJW2/Above+the+Bit+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - ABOVE THE BIT Lauded songwriters in their own right, Luke Watt & Nigel Wearne join forces to go Above The Bit. Skirting the fringes of blues, country and outlaw folk, their diverse influences include Richard Thompson, Tom Waits and the spirit of Woody Guthrie. Above The Bit shines a light on true tales of mutiny and civil disobedience that lie in the shadows of Australian history. Nigel Wearne is "one of Australia's emerging songwriters" (Tone Deaf) and Luke Watt is "the real deal… so real you feel you already know him" (ABC Radio). Together, they tap into the psyche and emotive fabric of their subjects, harnessing the power of narrative and verse with an informed historical approach and social conscience. Some tales don’t heal unless they’ve been told. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689546419-5EG9K3KTUWAW0HVMV9YC/The+Good+Behaviours+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - THE GOOD BEHAVIOURS The Good Behaviours play freshly pressed chamber folk in a sentimental and uplifting way. Celebrated jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist Nick Henderson began his love affair with the banjo during the pandemic, and has combined with respected heavyweights to bring you the goods! Nick is joined by festival favourites Chris Stone (fiddle) and Holly Downes (double bass) of the String Contingent and Emily-Rose Sarkova (accordion) of Chaika. Completing the picture is Felix Lalanne (guitar), finalist of the Montreux jazz guitar competition and together they make a veritable super group of the Australian Folk and Jazz scenes. Inspired by his dog Miles, and the banks of the Hawkesbury River (Dyarubbin) where he grew up, Nick’s tunes could be described as old-time-meets-post-rock; the intersection of danceable grooves and moving melodies. These musos are as well trained and good looking as a prize winning pooch, so prick up your ears and get ready for this years’ best in show. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1627793916063-374NOTBAGI7IPSOD2WTE/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists (Copy) - ANNA SMYRK Folk troubadour Anna Smyrk has come a long way since growing up on a lavender farm in Central Victoria. Her music paints stunning pictures of places she’s lived- from remote islands in the Pacific to a dusty city in Cambodia. Anna’s 2019 EP was premiered on Double J, featured in Folk Radio UK magazine and spun on BBC, ABC and community radio. AU Review called it "a glorious piece of musical storytelling," while the Soundcheck said it "packs a heart-rending and elegant punch." Anna has performed at Port Fairy Folk and Queenscliff Music Festivals and had song writing mentorship from some of Australia’s finest, including Henry Wagons and Jeff Lang. When Anna isn’t touring, she works in international development. The next 12 months will see her splitting her time between advocacy work in the Philippines and touring her new record around Australia and the UK. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1581571179624-BH7RFD1SF6CG4CF5P578/Todd+Cook.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - TODD COOK Todd Cook’s emotive lyrics, earthy tones and raw appeal connect to a wide variety of listeners. His songs float from intricate folk fingerpicking styles to driving rhythms that stir the soul. His stories of Australian landscapes and people are accompanied with mesmerising instrumentation and a depth that always engages and entertains. 
 
 Drawing inspiration from both the lush green fields of Gippsland where he grew up, and the rich, remote areas of the Northern Territory. Each song reveals a meeting place for sounds, techniques and lyrics that connect north to south, remote to mainstream, and traditional to contemporary.

 Todd combines intricate folk/finger picking guitar, passionate singing, Irish Bouzouki and didge to portray vast landscapes and vivid storytelling. His live shows received rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and all of his previous releases have had wide airplay nationally on Triple J as well as internationally. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689034525-2P25CO8QSQKARQW6UADT/Pia+Nesvara+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - PIA NESVARA Arm-in-arm with her flamenco guitar, Pia Nesvara brings flavors of her Chilean roots in a blend of gutsy vocals, hard-hitting rhythms and brazen lyrics to create her ‘soul meets indie/folk-songwriter’ sound. She’s a well respected singer-songwriter, grown up and out of the hills of the Dandenong Ranges, where she's loved for her years of generosity in the community's music scene. Branching out into the Melbourne Scene, Pia is already making a mark, not only in her efforts co-founding the Live Monthly Jam Space and Conversation ‘FemJams’, and also with a run of shows in the past year alone (multiple of which sold out) that have included colorful events with the likes of; Bar Oussou, The International Folk Alliance (representing of Melbourne’s Songwriters), Airey’s Music Fest, a sold out inner city House Concert and supported selling out The River Folk Festival’s first run of 2021 ‘River Folk Sessions’ in Warburton. This year has already seen Nesvara collaborate with rising Melbourne artists in project ‘Melbourne Songwriters Collective’ and is fresh off the back of their debut festival show at The National Folk Fest (curated by Katie Noonan). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689534257-TBU6VHP67BBE25ER2SXF/Melbourne+Songwriters+Collective+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - MELBOURNE SONGWRITERS COLLECTIVE Melbourne Songwriters Collective presents 3 songwriters in the round: small but powerful Chilean-Australian artist Pia Nesvara, swirly bedroom producer Chev Person, and introspective and playful artist, STAV. Their live showcases bring out each songwriter's unique story and are full of surprises. Spontaneously joining in on each other's songs with harmonies, their performances look like improvised instrumental melodies and subtle percussive grooves intertwined with intimate stories, of joy, sadness and life experiences with honest sharing of their songwriting processes. As culturally diverse, female-identifying musicians, the Collective are aware of the importance to push and elevate their music and share their stories. MSC is community oriented and has an ethos of sharing musical expression, and sharing stories and cultures interactively with audiences. The Collective’s live set can be seen as a mix of folk/singer-songwriter and soul, combining guitars, keyboard and 3-part vocal harmony - written both individually and collaboratively. Their debut performance via the Folk Alliance (Folk Unlocked) in Feb 2021 saw the group representing Melbourne songwriters on an International online stage, sharing each other’s songs, songwriting insights and intimate stories of culture and experience. They have since set in stone the vision of this community - as one built from their individual artistry and love for songwriting. Aswell as being ready to dive head first into recording their Debut Album, The Collective are fresh off the back of 2 highly commended debut festival shows at The National Folk Festival (Canberra) and are scheduled to play Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Late October 2022. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1579484866347-3Y3H7YA5HEUOLZJJ47K6/Tinman.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - TINMAN Born of a campfire sing-along, Tinman is a group of friends making dreamy acoustic folk music. With a sound infused by the traditional acoustics of mandolin, cigar box guitar, piano accordion and ukulele, Tinman dance around the genres of folk, gospel and pop, never settling for too much of the same. Swapping out instruments and allowing seductive 4 part harmonies to linger in the air, their music tells stories of east coast road trips, explorations of the heart and finding home. Tinman are a dream combination that come together to create an electric live performance. As you soak in this year’s festival, come alongside these storytellers and magic weavers and be transported for a little while... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689481848-RMWXPGZFKSEAU6FF4GKO/image-asset.jpeg 2022 Artists (Copy) - PHOEBE LAIDLAW Phoebe Laidlaw is an emerging Melbourne based singer songwriter who currently studies music performance at Boxhill Institute. Inspired by artists such as Julia Jacklin, Angie McMahon and Greta Ray her style can be explained as somewhere between indie pop and indie folk, always with the focus of her voice, rich beyond her years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1662689543002-VTTB3TAJ0SU8MM163LEH/Yarra+Valley+Drummers+1200x1000.jpg 2022 Artists (Copy) - YARRA VALLEY DRUMMERS Yarra Valley Drummers play traditional West African Rhythms and are led by Master Drummer Kofi Kunkpe. Kofi is a world renowned percussionist and bass player from Ghana (West Africa) and now resides in the Yarra Valley. Kofi formed Yarra Valley Drummers in 2017 and has continued to grow the group since then, expanding their extensive repertoire with complicated Rhythms and songs. Yarra Valley Drummers has become a regular featured act at festivals and markets. Bringing high energy, dance and fun wherever they go! https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/2023-artists daily 0.75 2024-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699763962161-DNNO03E2Y4HO8TA64BI1/image-asset.jpeg 2023 Artists - APOLLINE Apolline is a lively group of young folkies, fuelled by the love of all things Celtic and copious amounts of M&M’s. Equipped with alluring voices, innumerable instruments and an extensive collection of colourful socks, the group views folk music through fresh eyes, creating bold new arrangements of old classics. With foot-stomping sets, original songs and a dash of sisterly bickering, Apolline brings a unique experience of genre-bending folk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764010042-IYKNPZWCJFQJ55Y8CJTA/Charles+Maimarosia+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - CHARLES MAIMAROSIA Charles Maimarosia is a unique and extraordinary Solomon Islands singer and musician, raised in the remote Pipisu village of Malaita. He is renowned for being a singer of important custom knowledge, drawing equally on traditional and contemporary musical styles. Charles developed a profound interest in ‘Are’Are music at a young age after inheriting his first hand made coconut shell ukulele from his father. He has performed in Taiwan, through Europe and North America in 2022 Charles received the MAV Diaspora Award at the Music Victoria Ceremony and in January 2023 performed in Honiara as part of the Australian High Commission/Wantok Musik Concerts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699763995757-BVTQWT6I27CHQ4MZHKHY/Emily-Rose+Sarkova+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - EMILY-ROSE SARKOVA ARIA nominated Emily-Rose Sarkova is one of Australia’s most vivacious musical chameleons. Her songs and soundscapes are a kaleidoscope dream of contemporary folk, where the listener is bathed in intricate, relevant lyrics of weight and beauty, underpinned by profound but constantly fresh acoustic and electric worlds. At home on most keyboard instruments, her solo sets weave golden vocals together with piano, synths and accordion. Most recently a finalist for the prestigious Art Music Awards in Best Jazz Work for her album 'Upon These Open Skins', Emily-Rose’s music is always thoughtful and highly crafted. Her latest escapades find her collaborating with award winning Canadian producer and multi-instrumentalist Jaron Freeman-Fox, developing a string project with her quintet ‘Emily-Rose and The Wild Things’, releasing an album with singer-songwriter duo ‘Little Clouds', ambient improvisations under ‘Slow Streams and chamber-folk with ‘The Good Behaviours’. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699763997909-DQXDSVS33AN6JCB9VVQY/Great+Aunt+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - GREAT AUNT There's a buzz about Great Aunt - theirs is a joyous and eclectic approach to making music. Together, songwriters/instrumentalists Megan Bird and Chelsea Allen draw inspiration from the traditions of folk, bluegrass and gospel music, and their diverse backgrounds in punk and jazz, to craft modern musical stories. The instrumentation and arrangements are bare and bold: using only various combinations of mandolin, guitar, or resonator with double bass and percussion, and the elegant voices of Bird and Allen in harmony. The duo has delighted audiences at some of Australia’s finest music and arts festivals, including Woodford Folk Festival, Blue Mountains Music Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival, Deni Ute Muster, The GAS, Wintermoon, Healesville Music Festival, amongst others. They have shared stages with notable acts including Vika & Linda Bull (AUS), The Weeping Willows (AUS), Sue Ray (AUS), Smith and Jones (AUS), Mary Flower (USA), Paisley Fields (USA), Wiley Gaby (USA), The Belle Miners (CAN), and more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764001399-AHJOQZN5EOZH5GCQ7HRT/Gusto+Gusto+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - GUSTO GUSTO Finalists for the 2023 Australian Folk Music Awards’ Artist of the Year, Gusto Gusto is West Preston's best dressed band, playing music to make you dance. A flamboyant seven-piece show with a hefty dose of audience participation and non-stop dance tunes, Gusto Gusto play loud, happy music that's guaranteed to fill the dance floor and make you feel good. We’re also kind of funny. In 2022, the band hit the ground running with a frenetic first year that included performances at some of Australia's most notable music festivals, including Woodford Folk Festival, Cresfest and Cullulleraine Music Festival. They also completed a sold-out summer tour with shows across Melbourne, Canberra, and Brisbane. Secret Dance Party, Gusto Gusto’s second EP is out October 2023 with a national tour including shows at Tablelands Folk Festival (QLD), Illawarra Folk Festival (NSW) and Cygnet Folk Festival (TAS). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764031754-KL738MQAHRGBYWC52TRN/Isabel+Rumble+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - ISABEL RUMBLE Isabel Rumble invites listeners into a cocoon of reflection on the subtleties of love, nature and human relationships. Drawing upon a strong folk roots influence, Rumble offers a contemporary sound likened to Laura Marling and Mazzy Star. Isabel’s intuitively crafted songs define an observant and soul-stirring emerging young artist. A new voice on the Australian festival scene, 2023 has seen Isabel play on various stages including Cygnet and Cobargo Folk Festivals, Party in the Paddock and PANAMA. Her debut album Bird Be Brave, produced by Luke Plumb (The Maes, Ruth Hazleton), was released in March. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764033143-33QAZEIAOJUPDZXDKPDL/Jo+Davie+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - JO DAVIE Graced with jazz sensibilities, exceptional vocal technique and a four-octave range, singer-songwriter Jo Davie offers up genuine story-telling. Bursting onto the scene as runner-up to the 2018 Folk Alliance Young Artist of the Year, she is winning audiences and accolades across Australia, having showcased at many festivals including Woodford Folk Festival, The National Folk Festival, and Cobargo Folk Festival. This year Jo supported ARIA-winning artist Katie Noonan at QPAC Concert Hall, Sydney Festival, Darwin Festival and Bleach Festival to sold-out audiences. Whether performing her own songs or soaring above her band 'Cigány Weaver', she sings with heartfelt simplicity, technical skill and impressive versatility. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764004230-0Y1O4FRIV1TLEWG4HHD3/John+Flanagan+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - JOHN FLANAGAN John Flanagan is a devotee of melody and meaning. His music pulses and shimmers with childlike honesty and sage-like wisdom. His latest album Manhood Method Actor brings to life the soulful folk-rock sound of the 70s, taking inspiration from the likes of Jackson Browne, CSNY and Bonnie Raitt. The album hit #3 on the AIR ‘100% Independent’ charts and it has been nominated for best Contemporary Folk Album in the Aus Folk Music Awards. Sepia-toned stories on the widescreen of now; toe-tapping singalongs to mend your broken heart. Flanagan is a festival favourite and has been described as “one of Australia’s finest lyricists” (Timber & Steel). Flanagan has released 4 albums and has fronted a variety of band line ups. Foremost he is a songwriter and storyteller with the ability to move an audience to tears and have them dancing with joy all in the same set. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764014137-G9JNG4HLX0R215QOEE5J/Mickey+%26+Michelle+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - MICKEY & MICHELLE Descending from the mountains are harp and fiddle extravaganza Mickey & Michelle, whose energetic and virtuosic performances have captured hearts throughout Australia and New Zealand. Often described as the highlight of the festival, Mickey & Michelle weave a gorgeous “chamber-folk” tapestry of original Celtic music infused with vocal harmony and fiery improvisations. The duo's inception began with a wild idea to tour the length of New Zealand on foot for 6 months. This adventurous spirit continues to fuel their creativity, drawing inspiration from the beauty of the natural world. Through their carefully crafted lyrics and instrumentals, listeners are invited to reflect on their own relationship with nature. Having honed their craft on the festival circuit, Mickey & Michelle exude a natural comfort on stage that comes from years of close collaboration. One minute the duo share a cheeky anecdote from their travels, the next they unleash an original tune of dexterous wizardry, leaving the audience in tears. Beyond their performances, Mickey & Michelle are vibrant and enthusiastic teachers, spreading their tunes through workshops, music camps and inviting participants onstage. So come see the duo for yourself and don’t be surprised if you’re greeted by an orchestra of young and old, playing new Australian music. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764016419-TSI5IY9MJ4AT72YOEQU0/Saije+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - SAIJE Saije is an award-winning, indie folk duo whose soulful harmonies, dynamic guitar-lines and percussive breakdowns breathe life into heartfelt stories. Their songwriting is crafted from the depths; stirring melodies bound together with graceful lyricism, and through multitasking techniques, the pair create a full-bodied sound enriched by flavours from their travels around the globe. After being awarded Folk Alliance Australia’s ‘Young Artist of the Year 2019-2021’ at the National Folk Festival, Saije has toured extensively in Australia, throughout Canada in 2020 and most recently a 43-date Europe and UK tour through 9 countries in 2023, playing a plethora of sold-out performances and festival appearances, including at Woodford Folk Festival (AUS), Blue Mountains Music Festival (AUS), Doolin Folk Festival (IRE), Tribal Gathering (CZ) and Magpies Nest (UK). They continue to uplift both national and international audiences through their unifying performances and a warmth that fills small halls and overflows from large festival stages. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764020173-BOB22BMHJ5Z2GVATPYRQ/The+Good+Behaviours+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - THE GOOD BEHAVIOURS The Good Behaviours play contemporary folk wrapped in old time banjo. Celebrated jazz musician and clawhammer aficionado Nick Henderson composes music described as chamber-folk-meets-post-rock and is inspired by the flowing Hawkesbury River (Dyarubbin) he grew up on. Past performances include closing out the River Folk Festival in 2022 and supporting Natalie and Brittany Haas on their recent Australian tour. Equally as comfortable on stage or acoustic in-the-round, The Good Behaviours’ performances are highly dynamic, taking audiences members on a cathartic and emotional journey. Joined by Felix Lalanne, The String Contingent’s Chris Stone and Holly Downes, and Chaika’s Emily-Rose Sarkova, they make a veritable super group spanning the Australian Folk and Jazz scenes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1699764008059-5QMSCQIVZDKQVCLPS63N/The+Maes+1200x1000.jpg 2023 Artists - THE MAES The Maes (sisters Maggie and Elsie Rigby) grew up the children of folk musicians, immersed in folk festivals, choir rehearsals and campfire sessions. This formative experience helped to shape two of Australian folk music’s most respected songwriters, singers and instrumentalists. The sisters have been touring the world since 2014, playing some of the world’s most prestigious roots music festivals, including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in the USA, Edmonton Folk Festival in Canada and the Woodford Folk Festival and WOMADelaide in Australia. Their 2019 self-titled release, ‘The Maes’ won Best Folk/Roots Album of the Year at the Music Victoria Awards; their second consecutive win in this category after their Nashville-produced release, ‘Take Care Take Cover’ won the title in 2017. Alongside these accolades, their song ‘Driving Ali Through Mining Towns’ was shortlisted for the 2019 Vanda & Young Songwriting Award. https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/2024-artists daily 0.75 2025-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724540378571-BEPP69A8AS3G4OP7E881/Amadou+Suso+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - AMADOU SUSO Amadou Suso comes from Gambia in West Africa and is part of a Mandinka tribe that have been playing the Kora for centuries. The Kora originated in Gambia 750 years ago and Amadou is a direct descendant of the first kora player; Korea Musa Suso. Originally it was a 7 stringed instrument but over time has evolved into the 22 stringed instrument you see today and is affectionately known as the African Harp. Variously described as a prodigy, mesmerising and the Jimi Hendrix of Kora, Amadou first started playing the Kora when he was 6 years old and was shorter than the instrument itself. He has since traveled the world and brings to life the depth of mandinka history and fuses it with contemporary mastery of the African harp. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725531555438-8VPMFHLHFJYFQZPQARON/MZAZA+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - MZAZA Two-time Queensland Music Award winners MZAZA are committed to delivering Balkan-French inspired sounds to folk lovers around the world... Led by enchanting French-Sephardic vocalist Pauline Maudy, this group of musicians from around the world has been mesmerising audiences with powerful and inspired performances. The impressive musicianship of MZAZA – deftly realised with accordion, violin, percussion, double bass and Flamenco guitar – embraces diversity, the old and the new, the familiar and the foreign, through timeless melodies. It is the timelessness of the music and stories that fuels an intense live show, an unforgettable musical journey, that has enraptured audiences at MONA FOMA, Queensland Music Festival, Cygnet, National and Woodford Folk Festivals, and visited airwaves internationally. Jaw-dropping technique, unique compositions and captivating shows have earned Mzaza supports for the likes of the Violent Femmes (USA) Yasmin Levy (Israel), Melbourne Ska Orchestra (AUS), Baba Zula and Baro Banda (Turkey), and DJ Click (France). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724540389680-9AP1E0F5UNEFJDBTA4S4/Kerryn+Fields+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - KERRYN FIELDS Fuelled by reverence, integrity and a deep spiritual connection to the human experience, New Zealand songwriter Kerryn Fields paints timeless musical portraits that do what others rarely can: bring us home to ourselves. In the realm of storytellers, Kerryn Fields emerges as a widely adored figure. Celebrating her official showcase at Folk Alliance International 2024 with an acoustic EP, 'The Folk Singer', that dives deeper into Fields' personal journey. Exploring themes of creation, climate change, and chronic illness, where every note echoes the resonance of a true folk luminary. Radiating warmth, humour and a depth of character that’s palpable as soon as she enters a room, Fields utilises music and storytelling as a vehicle for doing what she does best: making peace with her own human existence. It’s because of this startling ability to meet and embrace herself so willingly that others feel able to do the same. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724540386250-15CCTROB9IKWRJQEBG64/Pirritu+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - PIRRITU Ngiyampaa man and First Nations singer-songwriter Pirritu’s (Brett Lee) music is gentle, honest and from the heart. Strange and melodic chords frame this songwriters vocals that weave around his lyrics like a gentle wind, enticing you into the depths of his personal journey, singing you a story of both sadness, love and hope. Pirritu (meaning ‘Brett’ in Ngiyampaa Language) was adopted by a non-Aboriginal couple as a newborn baby and raised to be proud of his Aboriginality, to follow his cultural journey and to connect back to family, culture and language - a journey he began when he was 14 years old. Two things drive his continual thirst to connect to his people, country, language and culture - his one year old daughter and his passion for music. To deepen his understanding of his mother tongue, Pirritu volunteers with the Ngiyampaa Language Project to test materials being created for the purpose of updating the Ngiyampaa Grammar written by Tamisin Donaldson in the 1970’s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724540399472-PQJA22LFD9RTKWWY6JK3/Austral+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - AUSTRAL Winners of Traditional Folk Album of the Year at the 2022 Australian Folk Music Awards, Austral will transport you into full festival party mode. They are a high-energy, four-piece Australian Celtic group combining didgeridoo, Irish pipes, high energy fiddling, journeying songs and energetic foot percussion. Whether you see them on stage or at the session afterward, Austral will get your festival going. HUP! Austral features Angus Barbary on fiddle, vocals and mandola, Caity Brennan on fiddle and vocals, Rhys Crimmin on guitar, percussion, didgeridoo and vocals, and Connor Hoy on Uilleann pipes, flute and whistle. Austral's music is infectiously toe-tapping and you may find it hard to resist the urge to get up and dance yourself. They have developed their own high-energy live stage sound and have a debut album hot off the press. Austral are carving a new face for Celtic music in Australia and are a band not to be missed. Austral have recently released their debut album 'Thylacine', to widespread acclaim, winning them an AFMA and a nomination for the Music Victoria Awards. They are hitting the festival scene, ready to start a few festival dance parties. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1724543438802-U78XMK5P9AP4B7YUVI3U/Stringmania+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - STRINGMANIA CONCERT Stringmania is an immersive residential camp for musicians who are passionate and curious about traditional and contemporary string music. Stringmania is for people who seek musical, cultural, and personal enrichment through the support of an open minded, vibrant and inclusive community, providing a forum to explore our identity as multicultural Australian musicians. Classes are self-selected, and divided by ear learning ability and confidence, rather than age or instrumental skill. The camp is built around four daily primary instrumental classes. All instruments are welcome, with a focus on fiddle, cello and double bass. If you are not a bowed strings player, you are welcome, but need to be self-sufficient enough on your instrument to ensure you progress in your learning. Complementing these primary instrumental classes are electives in rhythm, improvisation, dance, song, thought-provoking panel discussions, skill swaps, master classes and more. The camp culminates in a celebratory public concert where we all take to the stage at The River Folk Festival to share what we’ve all created with the local community, our friends and family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578136163-EXS1OOB4ST9QOC5BFG5Z/The+Weeping+Willows+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - THE WEEPING WILLOWS 3 x CMAA ‘Golden Guitar’, 2 x Australian Folk Music and Music Victoria Award winners, The Weeping Willows (Laura Coates and Andrew Wrigglesworth) are a couple of old souls, steeped in Bluegrass tradition and draped in Gothic Americana imagery. They regale their audiences with stories of sunshine and romance, God and The Devil, murder and decay. Real music. 2017-2024 has seen The Weeping Willows nominated for 14 x CMAA ‘Golden Guitar’ awards, 7 x Australian Folk Music Awards (AFMAs), 4 x Country Music Channel (CMC) awards, 2 x National Live Music Awards (NLMAs), performing Official Showcases at AmericanaFest (USA) and Folk Alliance International (USA) and appearing at Port Fairy Folk Festival, National Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and more. In recent years they have supported Iris DeMent (USA) and Willie Watson (USA) and completed national and international tours in support of their three LPs, receiving four-star reviews in Rolling Stone, The Australian and The Music. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578136166-K9JP0NP6M6D0PKKFVVJF/River+Folk+Restrung+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - RIVER FOLK RESTRUNG The River Folk Restrung project takes professional performing artists and arranges their music so they can perform with a string orchestra and a harp! Orchestrated by Mickey & Michelle, who combine their deep love of songwriting and careful orchestration to add luscious layers of colourful harmony to the Festival's already high calibre program. The orchestra is made up of string members from all over Australia, from professional to amateur string players. The project acknowledges the enormous amount of skill among folk fiddlers and harnesses those powers for a one off performance of extreme beauty. So come along for an extra special performance, featuring some incredible acts like you’ve never heard them before. Previous collaborations include: Scott Cook, Ngaiire, The Maes, Lucy Wise, Parvyn, The Crooked Fiddle Band, Pirritu and many more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578114585-EMUHFNQPL7AKZSO4VN5M/Broken+Creek+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - BROKEN CREEK Broken Creek weave compelling musical reimaginings of Australiana for banjo, guitar, fiddle and voice that tell stories from Australia’s past and present. Erin and Lachlan Heycox grew up in rural Victoria steeped in bushbands and balladeers. Named for the creek Erin grew up near, ‘Broken Creek’ signals a love of country and traditional folk music with an adventurous musical bent to “break” with the conventional. Broken Creek’s second album ‘Yeah Nah’ features songs about small-town Australia, tunes inspired by the land and subversive interpretations of traditional Australian songs. Broken Creek’s debut album ‘Small Town Anthropologies’ was a finalist for FAA Traditional Album of Year (2022). Broken Creek share their music and stories with audiences across the country, from stages at festivals (Cygnet Folk Festival, CresFest, Newport Folk Festival, Tablelands Folk Festival, Shepparton Arts Festival) to support slots with Australian music legends Fanny Lumsden, The Bushwhackers and the Weeping Willows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578122551-Z3UGGH4F8260EOH0J4YP/Mandy+Connell+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - MANDY CONNELL Inspired by Kate Rusby and Kristina Olsen, Connell's passion for lyric and story is amplified by her unique guitar work and a voice of strength and tenderness. Beloved for her traditional singing and her songwriting alike, Connell's performances have you feeling like she's given you all of herself. From her early years in rural Victoria to her many years of performing across Australia and the UK, with the likes of Scott Cook, David Francey and Kris Mizzi, Connell has fronted five piece festival favourite Stray Hens and is the creator and host of web series An Otherwise Quiet Room with a sparkling and insightful take on the current music scene and the living folk tradition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578126318-6ZSQT7ZY57MAU2DAUGXX/Oceanique+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - OCEANIQUE Hailing from the deep south of regional WA, Oceanique combines close harmonies, wonder and warm melodies. Now based in Melbourne/Naarm, twin sisters Maddy and Jess craft music rich in the folk storytelling tradition with seamless blood harmonies and reflective lyrics. A sound that calls to mind the sibling harmonies of First Aid Kit and The Waifs. Oceanique have been crafting their unique folk music since 2019, awarded Folk Alliance Australia’s ‘Youth Artist of the Year’ (2022) and Port Fairy Folk Festivals ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ (2024), seeing them playing some of Australia's most prestigious folk festivals across 2023-24 including National Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and more, along with supporting artists like The Waifs and Emily Barker. As well as performing their own headline shows across Australia, Oceanique released their debut album 2023 and a live EP April 2024 which received national and international praise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578112500-CID21PHQP4AFBGUD72UY/Ailsa+Mitchell+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - AILSA MITCHELL An emerging talent in the folk scene, Ailsa Mitchell’s nature-inspired compositions evoke a sense of intimacy akin to artists such as Joan Shelly, Vashit Bunyan and the Weather Station. "Orange and Blue," her debut EP, was produced by Josh Barber and has been warmly received since its release in April 2023. She has also had the good fortune to share her music on stages like the National Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Loch Hart Music Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival, and Wonder Mountain Festival. Recent releases of singles like "Wytch" and "Hey Hi Hello" highlight her versatility. Leading with curiosity, her playful approach to songwriting infuses her sound with a unique charm, captivating audiences with its tender simplicity. In 2024 she was honored to receive both the Johnny Dennis Award and Little Bridge Residency and is excited to share her music and continue making new works. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a769edb8fd4d275323f9c06/1725578120638-997YTZX2X8KJ2HOX425G/Follow+the+Robin+1200x1000.jpg 2024 Artists - FOLLOW THE ROBIN Melbourne singer/songwriter Follow The Robin creates Indie/Folk music that is both enchanting and delicate. Through poetic lyrics and spellbinding melodies her music captures the raw emotions of humanity and ventures into the ethereal unknown of the worlds beyond our own. Since 2020, Follow The Robin has performed regularly, supporting artists such as Little Green and Steve Baker and The LiveWires (which marked her debut international performance in Germany) as well as headlining at some of Melbourne’s most loved venues. A finalist in the 2023 AFMA’s Follow The Robin continues to create new music daily with a debut EP coming in 2024. https://www.theriverfolkfestival.com/read-me daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53dbbca5e4b090699000a2b6/1408024912028-NID23B61L4HJ0B3VYYKL/image-asset.png Read Me Photography by Julia Robbs