Eric Avery (Marrawuy) is among the headline acts for Folk By The Sea in Kiama this September. Photo: Supplied.
Folk By The Sea’s new festival director Neil McCann is orchestrating a symphony of fresh folk performers for the annual music festival in Kiama.
Set to feature 44 acts performing 100 concerts across nine stages at Kiama Showgrounds from September 20-22, Neil has promised a harmonic blend of familiar and fresh acts, including classically trained folk musicians who are striking a new chord in the genre.
It comes after earlier this year sharing that one of his goals in his new role was to broaden the audience and help the event remain sustainable in the long term.
“There’s a new generation of folk festival performers coming to Kiama in this line-up – more and more are classically trained and are setting a new standard for folk music, taking it to a new level and a new audience,” he said.
Among the headliners for the three-day event is Eric Avery (Marrawuy), a violinist, vocalist, dancer and composer from the Ngiyampaa, Yuin, and Gumbangirr people of NSW, who is fast gaining an international reputation.
“He works with his family’s custodial songs and his haunting compositions often feature him playing violin while singing, predominantly in the Ngiyampaa language,” Neil said.
“I have only seen him on YouTube and he is amazing.”
Joining Eric is genre-bending neo-folk band Apolline from Victoria who offer up foot-stomping sets of original songs.
“They have incredible musicianship with innumerable instruments and alluring voices,” he said.
Cigany Weaver, with front woman Jo Davie, is not to be missed. Photo: Supplied.
Neil said Queensland group Cigany Weaver, with front woman Jo Davie’s “soaring vocals and enchanting demeanour combining beautifully with the band’s fiery violin, dynamic guitars and driving rhythm section”, was another act not to be missed.
He said the festival had attracted performers from around Australia, including past Folk By The Sea favourites, Indigenous singer-songwriter Shellie Morris from Queensland and Canberra’s diplomat turned folk singer Fred Smith, who will be performing with his band.
Fred and band will be presenting songs from his rich back catalogue and his new album.
Earlier this year, Neil said the festival had received an overwhelming 250 applications for the 40 spots.
“We had literally hundreds of applications from performers, and we feel that we have selected a really exciting cross-section of artists,” Neil said.
“I am particularly impressed with the young artists who have applied and believe they will bring a lot of energy and broaden people’s perspective about folk festivals.”
Punters can also expect a strong contingent of more traditional folk acts and Illawarra performers, including the Carefree Road Band and The Con Artists, while host town Kiama will be well represented by the Kiama Sea Shanty Club, the Kiama Pipe Band and singer Penny Hartgerink.
Other performers include Allan Stone, Antipodeans, Broken Creek, Bruce Watson, Cymbrogi, Glover & Sorrensen, Hedy Blaazer, Isobel Knight, Jessica Allen, John Fegan, Kelly Brouhaha, Marco and Rusty, Mariah McCarthy, Mike Martin, Peter Willey, Pirritu, Rare Birdz, Redfern Shanty Club, Rheinberger and Wilson, Robyn Sykes, Southern Cross Bush Band and Friends, The Bottlers, The Don’t Be Too Polite Girls, The Gleaners, The Groove, The Other Noonans, The Pie Eaters, Tribal Jewels Dance Co.
Early bird three-day passes at $100 are available until 30 July at www.folkbythesea.com.au
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