Since August 2024 newly re-appointed Regional Coordinator for the Northern Rivers Niño Haggith has been re-familiarising with the local music scene, engaging in many 1-on-1 consultations with artists and industry, attending events and supporting music creatives, venues and industry to navigate the current local music landscape.
Throughout October & November 2024, Niño embarked on a road trip with Northern Rivers artists Bella Frankie (Evans Head), Ollie Twohill (Murwillumbah) and North-West NSW Artist Kirsty Larkin (Manilla) as part of this year’s MusicNSW Regional Tours - the perfect re-introduction to emerging artists of the Northern Rivers NSW region.
With careful consideration our touring artists were selected from over 180 eager statewide applicants. After much excitement and buildup that also included invaluable professional development sessions in creating marketing assets in Canva, and social media marketing - the tour kicked off at Howl & Moan Records Store in Byron Bay on 19 October. The shop floor was reimagined into an intimate and effortlessly cool venue, creating the perfect backdrop for a fun and eclectic Saturday night showcase. The musicians, meeting for the first time during bump-in, brought a vibrant energy to the night. Shop owner and local music champion, Mario Fraietta, created an exciting & nurturing space akin to NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk’ concert vibe - complete with atmospheric lighting, in-house PA, smoke machine, and brilliant photographer Hamish McCormick (Carnival Cinema) in tow to shoot the show.
On the streets of Byron, punters of the Byron International Film Festival and the usual busy weekend mix of locals and tourists started buzzing about town - the perfect energy for kick off. First up, the mesmerising Bella Frankie hit the stage with their thought-provoking folk fables - a rich tapestry of lyricism and genius in musicianship and storytelling. Their unique palate of instrumentation and performance left the intimate audience yearning for more. Following the Evans Head four-piece, Manilla artist Kirsty Larkin captivated the room with her heartfelt vocals and honest songwriting - a blend of folk, country, blues and rock soaked in goosebump-inducing vocal tone swept the room for 45 minutes straight. Aptly closing the night was Murwillumbah’s indie newcomer Ollie Twohill who thrilled the room with his unique musical stylings. Complete with a loop pedal, guitar tapping, and youthful optimism, he delivered tales of heartbreak, mental health, floods, friends, and dreams. Ollie closed the first night of the tour with an encouraging glimpse of a young emerging artist from the Northern Rivers. The first show was done and dusted - with new friendships and connections made, music shared and a good time had by all.
The following day we ventured to the little township of Eltham just under 20 kms from Lismore, to the famed Eltham Hotel for our second show. The previous night’s intimate record store setting gave way to an outdoor stage with a powerful sound system, drawing an upbeat daytime crowd full of energy and joy. Changing up the lineup, Kirsty kicked off the proceedings with a more uptempo and audience focused set, riddled with the afore-mentioned heavenly vocal tone and incredibly relatable song writing. Ollie then took to the stage with an even more confident stride to his performance the night before, presenting a technically smoother and more engaging set, signifying a distinct comfortability. With the crowd primed, Bella Frankie closed the afternoon with a swell of songs that captivated, and enthralled the audience. What a splendid afternoon and opportunity for our artists! A huge shout to Matt & the whole team at The Eltham Hotel for their continued support for local and touring original music.
It would be two weeks before our little party would meet up again for the final show of The Winding North Tour. This time our path would lead us to Armidale in the North-West of NSW to the Black Gully Festival on 9 November. In its 14th year, Armidale and surrounding folks gather at Black Gully (behind NERAM - The New England Regional Art Museum) to celebrate community, music and biodiversity. This year would be the first time event organisers would showcase artists from outside their region, in not only a unique opportunity for our artists to develop their audience, but also their first partnership with MusicNSW. Nestled in a beautiful, lush reserve, two mobile main stages played centre piece to a little labyrinth of food and community stalls, children’s activities, and biodiversity workshops. Not long after the Welcome To Country and formal proceedings, Bella Frankie hit the main stage. The set, again sublime, was the perfect introduction to their new North-West audience - with their sweet harmonies and song stories echoing through the reserve. Ollie then dazzled the punters at the NERAM Cafe stage, with his infectious grin, musicianship and thoughtful performance skills, prompting cafe punters to their feet. Local Kirsty Larkin then hit the main stage a little later, meandering through a beautiful set of genre-bending tunes, and a special guest appearance by local legend Buddy Knox, thrilling the crowd.
This could not have been a more fitting experience and conclusion to tour - in which all artists learned a little more about themselves, their craft, the business of music and working as a team. With all the challenges of regional touring in mind, The Winding North Tour was a success, new friendships and connections were made, with future projects between artists kindled, and a happy and content regional coordinator inspired for next year’s tours!
Stay tuned for more…
