LineUp

Kari & Gar play mostly Irish, Canadian and American fiddle tunes, mixed in with Gar’s original songs. Gar’s gravel-edged voice is accompanied by finger-picked and strummed guitar, alongside Kari’s vibrant New England style of fiddle playing. 

Sophie Rose Raymond is the lead singer of Raining Roses, a rock/pop band from Rockhampton. She has been writing and performing on various stages since she was 11 years old. With over 13 years of stage experience under her belt, Sophie is no stranger to live performances and can tailor her performances to suit any crowd.

Gwyn Ashton is on top of the list of the new wave of modern blues rock artists, as spearheaded by The Black Keys, Jack White, Seasick Steve et al. A first class entertainer, he oozes stagecraft and showmanship, combining songs and stories from a road well-travelled with dextrous guitar playing, basting out drum beats on Bill Ward’s old Black Sabbath drum kit, grinding fuzz bass lines with his thumb while viciously attacking his guitar with a bottleneck slide, singing and blowing blues harp into a lofi radio microphone.Inspired by the likes of Hendrix and David Lindley, Ashton’s ‘guit-arsenal’ includes a rack full of electric and acoustic instruments including lap slide, resonator, 12-string and old pawn shop guitars.

Mark Easton has been part of the blues scene since releasing his first album ‘Coast to Coast’ in 2000. Mark taught himself throat singing, Mongolian horse fiddle, Kazakhstan Dombra and Siberian jaw harp and started to mix it in with blues, and middle eastern folk music. He uses unique instruments from around the world to create something truly original and exotic.

According to legend, Hellhound Brown is the reincarnation of Howlin’ Wolf’s second cousin once removed. Born at a young age somewhere in the South with six fingers on his left hand and a gold front tooth, he is a black man trapped in a white man’s body. By day he loiters around cemeteries and by night he plays the blues. His music is ancient and futuristic, blending tradition with technology.

Freight Train Foxes are a folk duo built around the talents of Queensland songwriters, Pat Kenny and Kelsey Berrington. Armed with the sonic influences of Passenger and The Lumineers, the pair wield their unique brand of suburban acoustic folk, which manages to wound and soothe simultaneously. Finalists at the 2023 Queensland Music Awards for ‘Best Folk Song’ for their track, ‘Fly to You’, their impressive catalogue of songs continues to garner praise from critics and fans.

Andy ‘Zeebz’ Stanhope is a Singer/Songwriter based in Tannum Sands, Central Queensland and has been a part of the local and broader music scene for over the last 20 years. Utilising open tunings and drawing on influences from blues and roots genres, Zeebz sings and performs using 12, 6 string and lap steel slide guitars. 

could best be described as indie folk/blues, but it’s best to expect the unexpected with these guys, as no two releases sound the same! Their dedication and infectious stage-presence has landed them several noteworthy gigs and festival slots across the country, including Initiation Festival, Wallaby Creek Festival, Woodford Festival of Small Halls and Dragon Dreaming Festival. Harding’s House have performed alongside impressive local and international names like Bootleg Rascal, Blair Dunlop and more.

Karen Thomsen is not just a singer but a storyteller; a woman who has lived life and experienced the best and worst of what the universe has to offer. Her dulcet, bluesy tones make her easy to listen to, no matter what genre she delivers.