Backwater

The folks in Backwater play the kind of traditional Bluegrass made famous by Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, Jimmy Martin and the Stanley brothers with a smattering of Carter Family material.

Backwater features Rob Lewis on guitar and vocals, Mark Pottenger on mandolin and vocals, Peter Somerville on banjo and vocals and Maxine Sutcliffe on double bass, fiddle and vocals.

Brushwood

Brushwood is a four piece acoustic band from South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula comprising Joe Cairns (Vocals/Bodhran), Kath Kennedy (Vocals/Fiddle), Michael McGregor (Vocals/Mandolin/Irish Bouzouki/Guitar/Harmonica) and Kyffin Williams (Vocals/Guitar). Expect lively toe-tapping tunes and powerful songs with Joe’s deep baritone voice backed by rich harmonies. Coming from backgrounds in Celtic, traditional Australian, Old Timey and bluegrass backgrounds, their entertaining music reflects a range of influences with themes of love, loss, life, death, mining, convicts, ships and bad habits of various kinds.

Grassy Strings 

Indian Duo Grassy Strings has been making waves internationally, performing at several prestigious music festivals across the globe. Their dedication to sharing their music and passion for bluegrass has made them ambassadors for both Indian culture and this vibrant musical genre.

Their sound is predominantly bluegrass, but they weave in the essence of American folk, swing and different forms as well.  Souvik Hazra on guitar and vocals and Subhankar Dhar on mandolin weave together traditional tunes and bluegrass standards, even incorporating Indian songs in different languages for a truly unique sound.

The Cartwheels

The Cartwheels are Golden Guitar winners Wendy Phypers and Dave Patterson who are joined by talented multi-instrumentalists Pete Fidler and Jacob McGuffie. Their new single, Milking Yard Creek, is The Cartwheels in bluegrass mode with a song about a country homecoming and the emotion and joy that it brings. Milking Yard Creek is the first single from their sixth studio album due for release later in 2023.

They recorded their fifth studio album, ‘The Cartwheels’, in Victoria and Nashville in 2019. The album was produced by Stu Hibberd (Sierra Ferrell, Long Time Coming) and was in the finals of the 2020 Music Victoria Awards for Country Album Of The Year.

Colin Driscoll

The master Bush Poet, Colin has been writing and performing for around 30 years, gaining his inspiration from growing up on the farm, as well as the sights he has seen, the places he has visited and the people he has met. He has travelled extensively throughout outback Australia and has worked as a tour guide in such iconic places as Uluru, Kakadu, The Gulf and The Kimberley. Winner of the prestigious ‘Golden Damper Award’ at Tamworth, Colin has published a book and 3 CDs of his original works. Also an accomplished actor, he has appeared in multiple live musical stage productions.

Colin will hold the Poet’s Breakfast at the main stage on Saturday and Sunday mornings and a number of workshops at the Poet’s Corner throughout the weekend.

Crooked Road

Crooked Road is all about bluegrass, folk, country, gospel, pop and rock. Harmony-driven originals and songs by our favourite musicians. Songs about trains, whisky, death, relativity, love, trucks,, despair, geography, roadkill, rain and lost car keys. We write most of what we play.

As individuals, Crooked Road’s line-up has played in The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, The Skillet Lickers, The Bill Chambers Band, Country Comfort, Shut Up and Deal, Highly Strung, The Bridgland Brothers, Old South Bluegrass Band, The Rank Strangers, Savoir Plunk, The Buckshot Boogie Band, Dingo Ridge, The Borderers, Kelly’s Revenge, The Dags, Spiral Dance, Los Gatos Locos, and The Barkers.

Crooked Road have been regular performers at the Fleurieu Folk Festival, Wirrina Bluegrass and Roots Festival, Sandford Bush Festival, Harrietville Bluegrass Festival, Mountaingrass and the Wooden Boats Festival.

Crooked Road are: Phill Parker on guitar and vocals, Andrew Hook on vocals, mandolin and guitar, Dave Taylor on vocals, double bass and guitar, Leonard Cohen on vocals and dobro.

The Drongo and The Crow

The Drongo and The Crow delivers lively songs and ripping yarns from Australia’s slums, goldfields and bushranger country. We revive the lost tunes of inner city Sydney and Melbourne and showcase them alongside the better known outback standards. Join us in celebrating the sheep-thieves, cut-throats, sly grog merchants and working girls that made this country great.

The Duck Downpickers

A foot stompin’ 3 piece acoustic string band playing a mix of home cooked covers of mountain music of the Appalachians with a taste of Gospel, Jug and Country Blues.

Green Fieldz

Green Fieldz is Keith Rea and Sally Carter creating a storm of high end energy with blazing fiddle, wild guitar work and melodic ukulele. Soaring vocal harmonies add to their unique sound which blends the many musical genres they play into a journey of fun.

Based on the Mornington Peninsula, Green Fieldz have wowed the crowds at Folk, Irish and Celtic Music Festivals in Australia and New Zealand. Their name is synonymous with energetic musical brilliance……. and the crowds are loving it!

Henk Groot

Henk began playing guitar at 12. He’s played gospel, cabaret, folk and country and now plays folk banjo, mandolin and fiddle. An accomplished singer/songwriter, Henk’s ambition is to write the quintessential Aussie folk song.

Henk’s Walk-Ups and Jams are held at the Social Club Saturday and Sunday nights starting at 9.30pm and finishing late. All are welcome. If you want to perform, make sure you get your name on the board before the 9.30pm start time. The board will be up some time in the afternoon.

The ‘Johnny Can’t Dance’ Cajun Band

Appearing for the first time at Sandford Festival, Melbourne’s own ‘Johnny Can’t Dance’ Cajun Band, one of Australia’s leading Cajun/Creole music ensembles and dedicated practitioners of the traditionL dance and social music of rural Southwest Louisiana and East Texas, performing lively Cajun dance grooves for your listening and dancing pleasure. Featuring their four-piece traditional Cajun Dance band lineup, Craig Woodward on accordion/fiddle/vocal, Campbell Shaw on Fiddle, Tom Kendal on guitar and Lloyd
O’Hanlon on percussion. Two-Steps, One-Steps, Waltzes, Blues and Stomps from the Swamps!

Jose Garcia

Whilst embracing a variety of styles, Jose has never forgotten his folk and country roots. “Music is for everyone” he says and so he becomes somewhat of a “musical evangelist”, running jam sessions, playing in various bands and promoting music participation wherever he can.

Jose will be running Jose’s Hotspot marquee over the weekend as well as holding his Jamming and Stagecraft workshops. See the Workshops page for more information.

Austral

Multi award winning band 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.

Possums On The Porch

Possums on the Porch is a duo consisting of Lyndie Jacobson (fiddle, harmonica, ukulele, vocals) and Claudia Collins (acoustic guitar, ukulele, vocals). The ladies decided to form a duo in 2016 to pursue their love of Modern Country Ballads, Blue Grass, Old Timey and Folk Music. Of course, being who they are they cannot help but put theatre and comedy into their act as they do in their everyday lives. You may catch Possums on the Porch at cafés, clubs, wineries, festivals and markets or even busking in the Geelong and Bellarine District.

Ragged Company

Hailing from the vibrant inner-city suburb of Brunswick in Melbourne, ‘Ragged Company’ is making waves in the alt-country music scene. With their soulful melodies and raw, heartfelt lyrics, this five-piece band brings a fresh yet nostalgic sound that captures the essence of country music with a modern twist.

Ragged Company recently rocked a packed house at The Retreat Hotel on Sydney Road, Brunswick, sharing the stage in a thrilling Sunday arvo three-way gig on June 16 .

Their upcoming 12-song recording, set to be released soon, promises to be a showcase of their unique sound and songwriting prowess. Keep an ear out for ‘Ragged Company’ as they continue to carve out their place in the Melbourne music scene and beyond.

The Royal High Jinx

The Royal High Jinx write, play and sing music inspired by European traditions, shaded with gypsy jazz and a pinch of classical virtuosity, while sporting a spectacular wardrobe combining dapper suits and burlesque exuberance.

Sarah (Violin), Silas (Piano, Drums), Jen (Guitars) and Terry (Mandolin) formed the band in Melbourne Australia in 2014 as a way to explore their musical roots and bring their favourite spicy instrumental music and classic continental standards into the modern age.

Their most recent album “Wheel of Poor Choices” was released in March 2017. It features their most popular tunes from their live shows and captures their enthusiasm, craft and cheekiness.

The Rummagers

The Rummagers folk band revel in traditional Irish tunes blended with contemporary folk songs and original compositions themed for the early days of tall ships sailing to new lands, such as the Shipwreck Coast of Victoria. This thigh-slapping trio sail from sweetly sad to rollicking and rambunctious.

Hailing from the Geelong Surfcoast region in Australia, the group comprises of Lewis Strating on fiddle and percussion, Michael Murphy on guitar and Anna Cutler on whistle. The trio share vocal duties, often singing in harmony which has become a highlight and draw card attraction for the group’s performances at music festivals since 2019. Whether you crave for a rowdy folk sing-a-long or are searching for a sweet and beautiful ballad to reflect and reminisce, The Rummagers have you covered! Anchors down, fiddles up!

Together with Strat and Lyndal, The Rummagers will be holding a bush dance at the main stage on Sunday evening. All are welcome, the more dancers, the better!

Sarah & Silas

Festival sweethearts Sarah and Silas play folk/roots music. Their love, skill and connection shine through exciting duelling fiddles and sweet vocal harmonies which dance to the strum of a ukulele and the stomp of a drum. Their song ‘Lockdown’ hit number 3 on the AMRAP Metro charts in 2021. This beaming pair write songs about love, life and gardening catastrophes. Sarah and Silas were also honoured to be finalists for The 2022/23 Australian Folk Music Awards. As seen in The Royal High Jinx, The Bushwackers, Alanna and Alicia and The Beez, don’t miss their live duo show and launch of their new album ‘Hearts in my Coffee’.

Strat And Lyndal

Strat is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has performed and taught in the Australian music scene for more than 30 years. He is passionate about engaging and empowering people in the joy of music making and exploring our identity through music and song.

Lyndal counts herself lucky to have grown up within the folk tradition and has a keen understanding of the power of music to transform lives and communities. Performing on trombone and button accordion she is a performer, community music maker, leadership facilitator, singing leader and music teacher from Gippsland.

Together they have the capacity to get a room full of reluctant participants fully engaged in music and arts making. They have worked supportively and collaboratively on each other’s projects and perform harmoniously – with all meanings of the word! Together they lead performing street bands: ‘Invy Horn Jam’ and ‘Boomulele’, perform as a duo, deeply discuss community music making, run music camps, present workshops, lead parades and play on the porch!

In addition to their performance spots, Strat and Lyndal will be holding workshops over the weekend and participating in the Bush Dance on Sunday evening.

Stumpy Gully

Stumpy Gully is a fun band that was formed to support community events and raise funds for local charities and community groups. The group plays a mix of bush, folk and bluegrass often interrupted by spontaneous outbursts of bush poetry or lively banter.

Andrew Clermont’s Supper Club

Andrew Clermont is a chameleon multi-instrumental musician from bluegrass to Indian, Scandinavian to old time. He is a 3 time Bluegrass Guitar Champion and a Director of the Golden-Fiddle Awards in Australia!

Look for him behind the sound console at the main stage and also Andrew Clermont’s Supper Club on Saturday afternoon.

Tidal Moon

“Acoustic ripples upon a sea of imagination.” Beautiful traditional and original music that has stunned audiences wherever they’ve played.

Barbara Jeffrey is a singer/songwriter/harpist who combines her classical training with folk influences to produce a unique sound. She has performed in various venues around Australia, from Yarra Grange in the Yarra Valley to the Sydney Opera House Reception Hall. She has performed and toured as a member of the classically based trio “Cimarosa” and the Sydney based “Ten Sopranos”.

Whilst embracing a variety of styles, Jose has never forgotten his folk and country roots. “Music is for everyone” he says and so he becomes somewhat of a “musical evangelist”, running jam sessions, playing in various bands and promoting music participation wherever he can.

Barbara’s ethereal soprano voice combines with Jose’s earthy baritone vocals to produce an amazing blend filled with texture and passion.

Tim McMillan And Rachel Snow

Berlin based Aussie duo – fingerstyle percussive guitar meets masterful violin accompaniment and a magical blend of vocals as Tim McMillan & Rachel Snow twirl their musical influences together to create a riveting potion of Celtic rock, folk, metal, classical & jazz. Recently performed at Woodford Folk Festival, Healesville Music Festival and Yackandandah Folk Festival.

Tony O’Rourke

An accomplished multi-instrumentalist on guitar, tenor banjo, Irish bouzouki and mandolin, As a teenager Tony began playing hard rock and anything else above 100 decibels! He also dabbled in finger style and folk guitar eventually falling in love with jazz guitar. Later he began flat-picking and followed up with Irish music sessions. Tony has played alongside some of the most respected names in Bluegrass and Irish music. He has written a number of books and has released three CDs of Irish music. He has won or been placed in a number of writing, singing and playing competitions.

Tony will be holding his guitar, banjo and mandolin workshops on Saturday. See the Workshops page for more information.