Award winning songwriter Alana Wilkinson continues to emerge as one of the most loved artists on the Australian scene.

Since 2018 Alana has turned heads with a string of triumphant (and much talked-about) major festival appearances (Woodford, Queenscliff, Blue Mountains, Nannup, Port Fairy) showcasing her wit, humour and insightful social commentary. Backed up by successively sold out headline shows and wonderfully received support spots for the likes of Daryl Braithwaite, Tim Freedman, Fanny Lumsden, Clare Bowditch, the Pierce Brothers and Kav Temperley, Alana has enchanted diverse audiences across Australia.

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 a suburban upbringing in a merciless, yet strangely affectionate way, leaving audiences feeling like they’re sitting in her living room, chatting about life over a steaming cuppa.

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 and songs that seep into the consciousness.

Alana Wilkinson has guitar, will travel. She’s completed an extensive Porch Sessions tour with good friends Harrison Storm and Jack the Fox in 2019 and in early 2020 she set out on the Festival of Small Halls autumn circuit with Scotland’s Paul McKenna Band which was due to take over twenty small regional communities across Australia as well as the Port Fairy Folk Festival and the National Folk Festival in Canberra until Covid hit, cutting it all short and putting the music world on pause.

But heck, all of that on the back of the release of just two singles! Alana’s debut offering Closer received extensive national airplay on ABC Radio and was joined in 2019 by Partner in Crime which also achieved triple j play. Alana achieved an unrealised life goal in 2019 when her songs found themselves on rotation for shoppers in retail outlets.

Hello Kmart!

In 2021 Alana welcomed her son Rafferty into the world, albeit very early with a 24 week arrival. With a 3 month stint in the NICU, a dramatic flood evacuation and a year of home oxygen, Raffy has been a constant source of song inspiration. ‘The Haemoglobin Song’, a groovy stank-face uke tune penned to help Raffy avoid his third blood transfusion and ‘With a Boob Out’ a laugh-out-loud song about new motherhood and accidentally flashing the postman, are the newest crowd favourites.

In 2023 Alana’s song ‘Dream Big’ won the renowned Roddy Read Songwriting Award. ‘Dream Big’ will be included on her exquisite debut LP recorded and coproduced with Paul Ruske (Kyle Lionhart, Gretta Zilla) due 2024.

Alana’s recorded output will explode confetti-style with the release of this long awaited record which sees Alana expand her palate of musical colours and textures and delivers the dreamy and inspiring body of work that audiences have fallen in love with at her shows.

Alana Wilkinson in all her sunshiny glory, is always one to watch.

With a voice described as ‘truly astonishing’ by Rolling Stone, Anna Smyrk is a powerful singer and songwriter from Australia. Her songs are indie-pop bombshells, pairing vulnerable lyrics with explosive arrangements and undeniable hooks.

She comes to FAI at the start of a big 2024, which will see her showcasing at SXSW, touring the US for the first time and releasing her debut album.

The last few years have been massive for Anna. She recorded an EP in Nashville with award-winning producers Jake Finch and Collin Pastore (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus). Released in 2023, the record is a smart, multi-layered offering filled with wry observations and muscular arrangements. Singles were added to MTV in Germany and to Apple Music’s New Indie playlist across multiple territories including the USA.

She’s toured non-stop, supporting some of Australia’s biggest artists (Birds of Tokyo, Tim Rogers) and performing at some of Australia’s finest festivals. She’s showcased at international events all over the world, including NXNE (Canada), Folk Alliance International (USA) and Live at Heart (Sweden).

Described by Backseat Mafia UK as “a significant songwriter with an exceptional voice,” Anna Smyrk is a formidable artist on the rise.

From Maitland NSW, singer/songwriter Georgie Winchester performs a folk-rock flavoured live show juggling stomp box, harp, guitar and vocals drawing from influences such as Kim Churchill, Maddy May, The Waifs & Carla Geneve. Georgie is a 2023/24 recipient of the Women In Music Mentorship program working with Al Parkinson through the Australian Independent Records Association. 2022/3 saw Georgie support the likes of Thelma Plum, Kim Churchill, The Rubens, Clare Bowditch, Steph Strings, Andy Golledge, Wil Wagner, Adam Newling, Michael Dunstan & The Whitlams.

In June 2023 Georgie released her debut album titled ‘Follow The Sound’, and celebrated with a two and a half month tour. Georgie has just finished co-producing her next EP with platinum-award winning producer and engineer Garrett Kato. In relation to winning an online songwriting competition, Georgie will be co-releasing a single with Joel Leggett on Jan 12th and they will tour together in March/April 2024. Georgie will be attending the International Folk Alliance in Kansas City USA in Feb 2024 and will be playing six shows at the conference. She will head off on her Aus community tour April 2024 to celebrate the release of her EP as well as spend time recording in the studio with Jack Nigro at Sonora Sudios.

There’s a buzz about Great Aunt – theirs is a joyous and eclectic approach to making music.

Together, songwriter/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 joyful 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, Queerfest (Nashville), The GAS, Wintermoon, Healesville Music Festival, Fleurieu Folk Festival, and Newport Folk Festival, amongst others. They have shared stages with notable acts including Adeem the Artist (US), Joe Crookston (US), 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.

Listen, and you’ll hear tales of joy and grief, whiskey and wine, gratitude and purpose-seeking.

Award winning Australian songwriter Hannah Acfield delivers soulful roots music interwoven with luminous threads of gospel and RnB. Her debut solo album “No Light Without Shade” (2021) garnered praise from fans and critics alike, with The Australian newspaper heralding the release as “a triumph of talent”, and her voice as “an instrument of breathtaking dexterity”.

Remarkably, Hannah’s latest live album was recorded and filmed in one take. “Live at The Aviary” showcases her astonishing vocal and classic songwriting, exquisitely supported by Melbourne’s finest instrumentalists. Described as ‘a performer who weaves magic’, she’s renowned for drawing the audience in with her authenticity, beautiful songwriting, whip-smart humour, and otherworldly voice.

As 2020 got underway, Ottawa-based singer/songwriter Mikhail Laxton was set to open the next chapter of his life with the release of his debut EP, Real, a collection of Soul-folk gems. But what should have been the wider world’s introduction to the Australian-born artist’s immense talent—already established in his homeland through appearances on Australia’s version of The Voice—was lost in the cacophony of pandemic confusion.

Mikhail coped the only way he could, by wiping the slate clean and re-emerging with a new crop of songs drawn from the core of his being. His new album is simply entitled Mikhail Laxton, because it is who he is.

The contrast between his first EP and Mikhail Laxton is striking. On “Something That Was Gone” he takes stock of the past two years in meditative fashion, almost as if channelling Otis Redding’s “Dock Of The Bay.” “Maybe It’s A Good Thing” continues in that vein, suggesting that change always brings hope, regardless of the circumstances. Meanwhile, other tracks take Mikhail’s sound in new directions, such as the deep country-Soul of “Streams,” the sultry, vintage R&B of “Slow Motion,” and the driving rock of “Leaving You With Less.”

Not only does Mikhail Laxton fulfill the promise of his debut, it firmly establishes him as one of the most vital new voices within the Canadian music scene. No matter what genre labels are placed upon him, there can be no disputing that Mikhail Laxton has his own timeless sound, the product of a unique life experience.

Some may call it a ‘Trans-Pacific alchemy’ – the moment when Australian and Canadian songwriters Dan Parsons and Tracy McNeil wrote their first song together in 2020. At a time when the rest of the world came to a stop, the magic of Minor Gold had just begun. Until then, both award winning songwriters had been at the helm of their respective solo careers. This new side road was too enticing not to explore, and with plenty of time on their hands, seeking refuge on the Parsons’ sub-tropical Queensland homestead, they got to work. Their sound echoes 70’s cosmic Americana with an easy charm and potent honesty, but it is the indeterminate perfection of how these two artists’ voices lock in together that hit right where the emotions live inside us. With dynamics ranging from the intense restraint of campfire intimacy through to open throttle abandon, Minor Gold move you – weaving masterful harmonies and deft guitar playing around unforgettable, stripped back performances.

Their debut self-titled album was released to critical acclaim in August 2023. Loved by radio abroad, the album debuted on the ARIA Jazz/Blues and AIR charts at #1 in Australia, and landed on over 30 NACC charts in the Top 10. In addition to playing major festivals in Australia and two national tours, the pair have now completed their first North American tour with additional shows supporting The Teskey Brothers and landed ‘Official Showcases’ at AmericanaFEST 2023 and FAI 2024.

Winners of the 2022 Folk Alliance Australia ‘Youth Artist of the Year’ Oceanique are a twin sister duo from regional Western Australia, based in Melbourne. Their songs are full of close harmonies, wonder and warm melodies. The pair sing in tandem, creating layers of continuous vocal harmonies with stories that bring the listener into their world. A sound that calls to mind the sibling harmonies of First Aid Kit and The Waifs, Oceanique’s music is rich in folk storytelling tradition, painted lightly with elements of modern musical styles.

Twin sisters Maddy and Jess have been crafting their unique folk music since 2019, releasing numerous singles and vastly touring their home state and Australia. They’ve supported artists like Emily Barker and Little Quirks and performed at Folk Festivals across Aus, including National Folk Festival, Cygnet Folk Festival and Australian Folk Music Awards.

In March 2023 Oceanique released their debut album Would The Light Hold Me which received national and international praise, landing them a WAM Song of The Year nomination, RTRfm’s Feature album, Bandcamp’s New and Notable feature and LP reviews from the US and UK.

Celtic-inspired instrumentation, delicate harmonies, and reflective lyrics abound on the sisterly indie-folk duo’s debut album. Oceanique are a special find in an ocean full of art, the twin sister synergy is so clear you can not only hear their connection, but you can really feel it.

From acoustic harmony lead ballads to Bowie-esque sonic soundscapes, Australian four piece ‘Epic Folk’ group The Heart Collectors capture the essence of inspiration, honesty of love, and the nature of the cosmos in their music.

From humble beginnings in regional NSW, the last 7 years have seen the band regularly sought out by some of the biggest international music conferences and festivals in the world, including South by South-West, Folk Alliance International, NAMM, Canadian Music Week, and Global Music Match. They have wowed audiences, representing Australia with their tight vocal harmonies, intricately beautiful musicianship, and larger than life stage presence and performance.

Merging the inspiration of 60’s and 70’s inspired folk and roots music, their latest sound has grown to include delicately played piano, atmospheric electric guitar, melodic banjo, bowed mandolin, and haunting cello. These instruments combine to create intimate acoustic harmony driven songs, catchy folk/pop themes, upbeat “epic anthems” and the cosmic tonalities heard in their current work.

Described by John T Davis, author of ‘Austin City Limits: ’25 Years Of American Music’ as “….Fleetwood Mac with more of an organic, Celtic-inflected lilt of vocals and melody…. Kymrie’s voice is the stuff angel’s wings are made of.” Their much anticipated fifth studio album “The Space Between” is due for release in the UK on October 20th, and the rest of the world on February 2nd, 2024; following the success of their latest no. 5 charting EP release, “Timeless Space”.

Catch The Heart Collectors across the globe, as they grace stages in Australia, USA, and The United Kingdom in 2024.

Get ready to have your heart “collected”.

The Pleasures produce a sound that is raucous and blues-inspired, interrupted by delicate moments of sublime country folk. The band is fronted by renowned singer-songwriter Catherine Britt and modern-day troubadour Lachlan Bryan. Together they bring all of their experience and humanity to the band – as well as two of the most authentic and character-filled voices you’ll hear this or any other year. With that they deliver a masterclass in on-stage chemistry.

Recently nominated for two Golden Guitar awards for Best Group and Best Alternative Album in Australia, The Pleasures are definitely a band you need to see.

They’ve secured a swag of brilliant reviews and radio success in the UK, USA, and Australia, played a bunch of major festivals to date, and spent 12 weeks on the Americana Album Chart with their debut album ‘The Beginning of the End’ which entered the Australian Country Album ARIA chart at #2.

Not for the faint-of-heart, The Pleasures’ debut album plots the lifespan of a fiery relationship from the start, through to the finish and the aftermath. But despite the fire, passion and impulsiveness, the songs are decidedly adult – tackling the complexities and messiness of grown-up attraction and separation.

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.

2017-2023 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 an Official Showcase at AmericanaFest (USA) and appearing at Folk Alliance International (USA), Maverick Festival (UK), Port Fairy Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Out On The Weekend and the Australian Americana Music Honours. In recent years they have supported Lukas Nelson & POTR (USA), Hayes Carll (USA), Iris DeMent (USA), Willie Watson (USA), Eilen Jewell (USA), Cory Branan (USA) and Kevin Welch (USA) and completed national and international tours in support of their three LPs, including sophomore album, Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’, which received four-star reviews in Rolling Stone, The Australian and The Music. A Weeping Willows performance, whether live on location or caught on tape will always delight.