Artists 2018

This Maleny-based musician, sound healer, shamanic practitioner and Kambo practitioner takes you on a deep, beautiful and exciting journey with heart-opening, earth-connecting songs and tunes from many traditions and cultures.  Acoustic guitar, cittern, voice and...

That the Barleyshakes manage to hold hands with the tradition of Irish music while infusing it with a fresh and contemporary spirit is remarkable. Intense energy, beautiful harmony, and irresistible dance rhythms are responsible for their longevity, performing since...

Quote: "The world has few singers to match Barry Charles even on the basis of his huge range and incredible technique.  But that is only the beginning - Barry adds the magic ingredients of sincere soulfulness, humour and great repertoire. An amazing and heart warming...

 - Roots/reggae six-piece, Bearfoot are making a big splash on the Australian Roots scene with their sun-soaked- yet-dark modern take on roots, reggae & dub. Turning heads, and turning on eardrums wherever they go, Bearfoot’s highly-energetic, sweat-drenched live...

Seven piece band Canta la Tumba, weaves Cuban Traditional Music with upbeat Afro-Cuban groove. Inspired by the sounds of greats like the Buena Vista Social Club and Santana, the bands use of Spanish song, flamenco guitar, double bass, congas, drum kit and brass,...

Formed out of a love for the legendary partnership of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grapelli in the French Hot Club Quintet, and with a nod and a wink to Sigourney Weaver and fine red wine, Cigány Weaver is one of Australia's most exciting gypsy-jazz ensembles, with a...

Bringing fresh life to the best of the tradition, Nicole Murray, John Thompson and Emma Nixon have carved themselves a niche internationally as outstanding performers of acoustic folk music. With rich vocal harmonies, powerful arrangements of Australian classics and a...

An English born, foot stompin' Australian blues & roots musician who began his music career in 2014 performing on the streets, busking and travelling. His "one-man- band" style is a mesmerising blend of foot drums, harmonica and multiple guitars.His debut Album is...

Born out of a love for reggae rhythms and a passion for improvisation, DUB ZOO is a unique and experimental musical collaboration. The result is a transcendental exploration into the uninhibited realm of the deep pocket grind. DUB ZOO is a journey into the world of...

East of West trio plays original music that springs from the rich musical traditions of the Mediterranean and Balkan regions. Entwining Jazz and Middle Eastern classical elements, their intricate melodies tell new stories using oud, double bass and percussion to...

Evoking visions of Parisian laneways, South American sensuality, and the unbridled joy of European folk-music. An energetic, internationally-inspired performance. With  violin, voice, piano accordion and double bass, this group of fiery musicians is sure to appeal to...

“It is about time Australia caught up with Fred Smith. This remarkable singer-songwriter – who at various times reveals influences that range from Paul Kelly via Lou Reed to Loudon Wainwright III to Leonard Cohen – keeps releasing amazingly accomplished albums.”...

Gary Shepherd is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and banjoist who has performed as a soloist at numerous Australian music festivals and in pubs and clubs up and down the east coast 0ver several decades. Best known for his intricate fingerstyle guitar playing and...

For Getano music, dance, storytelling and humour were an influential and integral part of his childhood, growing up in an extended Torres Strait Islander Family. With a mixture of musical styles, from Latin, Blues and Reggae to Folk he has shared the stage with such...

Armed with double bass, banjo, ukulele, resonator guitar, harmonica & vox the conservatoire trained Duo from Perth mash blues, folk, jazz, old time Americana, spoken word & hip hop into a new musical life form that both delights and disorientates listeners...

Be amazed at the spectacle of Light Morphing from Herb Fenn, an inventor, musician and visual artist, Herb does extraordinary things with everyday objects.  Be amazed by moving images reflected from metal, plastic and paper. www.bestartistever.com.au

The Hillbilly Goats, strip back the layers of modern music and transport you on a journey through roots and old time blues. These guys aren’t just a band – they’re a show featuring stories and song combined with tap dancing, bones, big harmonies and regular instrument...

Mine host at the Poets’ Breakfast and other events all around the place. Ian is someone whose poetry has been described as “quirky” and even ‘bent”. He is a master at it and he loves doing it. Bring a poem along and be part of The Poet’s Breakfast. You will be...

The last year has been one huge ride for young Sunshine Coast based singer/songwriter Jason Daniels. After releasing his first EP in October of 2017, debuted at number 9 on the Australian iTunes Chart, he successfully completed an East Coast tour in January. With a...

Back from Ireland with new songs and old, Jenny sings in the raw. Naked. Not covered by the fabric of accompaniment she exposes her more than skin-deep irreverence and humour. Naugh-ty be missed. Jenny has been singing a cappella for many years. She’s funny and...

Soul, roots & reggae troubadours based in the Bundajalung hills of the Byron Bay hinterland. Featuring TK Dread on bass & Hugh Jones on drums showcasing the words & music of songsmith Jesse Morris. Currently touring the release of their new album 'The...

Jevan who spent most of his musical journey playing alongside regular collaborators Seamus Kirkpatrick and Jan Van Dijk as well as founding seminal weird-folk outfit,” One Straw”, performs a rare solo set of instrumental pieces for fingerstyle acoustic guitar....

Karen Law's award winning lyrical folk songs are brought to life by all five members of her immediate family. Harmonies galore, guitars, trumpet, flute, didgeridoo and the kind of family engagement you just can't fake...or hide. With Murray on guitar and trumpet,...

Travelling Australia in her van “Pamela Vanderson”, Kelly Brouhaha’s blend of Alt-Country Blues is as real as it gets. An award winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with achingly soulful vocals, her uplifting music is more than a simple band aid to the blues....

Kevin is well-respected indigenous singer/songwriter with Sydney roots band The Flood.With his acoustic guitar and voice delivering a mix of Roots, Folk, Country and Blues in a distinctly Australian style he delivers songs and stories that come from a life of...

With a combination of lyrical honesty and charming melodies, Lizzie Flynn writes songs that blend a little satirical storytelling with a lot of joyful emotion. Her latest album, You & The Open Sky, is a collection of original songs, which weave audiences through...

Martin goes all the way back to the festival just after the Maleny National, and is harder to shift than stubborn stains.  He calls himself a folk-singer out of sheer bloody mindedness, and will crash tackle anyone who calls him "eclectic”....

"Mindfulness Poet is all about Mindfulness as entertainment using the power of story telling and dynamic performance poetry, as well as plenty of laughter. Come into the story circle and be uplifted, entertained and maybe even inspired by ex-Buddhist Monk, sometime...

Mufassa blends the musical realms of roots, ska and reggae, crafting tasty melodies and smooth vocal harmonies. Led by Dale Mallett (The Floating Bridges), Mufassa has a unique song writing ability that acknowledges his own personal sacrifices, social injustice and a...

If you're looking for a hefty injection of guts and soul, Brophy's your woman. She's a woman's woman and a man's woman in one. Sassy, sexy and with (quite a lot) to say. With comparisons made to the likes of PJ Harvey, Beth Hart & Stevie Nicks, Nicole is a breath...

Rob Longstaff is a New Zealand born, Australian bred, Berlin based Pop/Soul/Blues musician and adventurer. Now based in Berlin Rob has built up a large following around Europe with his powerful vocals, charm, humorous lyrics and passionate guitar style. He likes a...

An acoustic Duo who have just returned from touring the U.K. with their albums "Curious" and "Rogue Folk." Their influences come from the storytelling nature of the Anglo-Celtic traditions and contemporary folk and roots music. With Jay on guitars, bouzouki and banjo,...

Her creative endeavours have spurred (The Rusty Datsuns) as well as her own solo gypsy-jazz/roots works (Bessy-Lou) to fronting latest Goth-Country & Roots outfit “The Long Johns” and becoming a featured vocalist for Funk and Soul supergroup outfit “The New Buzz”...

She's the 'Guitar Queen' from down south, now hitting the Sunshine Coast with her strong musical presence and a long desired hit of culture. Solar's musical prowess is obvious as she combines her incredible guitar skills with techniques and stylings from her various...

The Speakeasy Le Noir is back at Maleny Music Festival. Bonnie Love and Miss Friby have curated a tantalising evening of magnificent vaudevillian vignettes designed especially for your entertainment and pleasure.Featuring powerhouse music, bawdy burlesque, magic,...

Steve Tyson does darkness well with regret-tinged songs of missed chances and jealous-rage murder tales, but on his acclaimed solo album WRONG TRAIN RIGHT STATION, he balances these with songs with a twinkle in the eye or tongue in cheek.  With his band The Train Rex,...

An all-female A Capella ensemble from Maleny. Well known and loved for their lively and eclectic blend of world music and songs of heart and connection. Recent focus has been on songs of Fire Air Water and Earth, and this year they are presenting  a programme that...

Terence is a man who has travelled and absorbed varying cultures, his songs are a sense of story and dream awakening the Valkyries of hope. He will take the audience on a journey of story telling with a unique percussive approach to guitar playing, leaving an...

Since forming in late 2007 the award-winning band has experienced a steady rise in momentum, playing for tens of thousands of people all over the country. Their rich five-part sibling  harmonies and irresistible, tambourine-shaking, guitar-strumming, electrified...

 Excellent original Aussie-flavoured story songs. Ranging from droll to poignant, they are often introduced with stories about their genesis, although the songs convey their own stories through careful phrasing and original melodies.  The arrangements utilise their...

Some of the wildest and most original music you will hear at the Festival.  Drawing on traditional tunes and songs from all over, The JAR also incorporates originals, contemporary pop, rock and modern folk.   The JAR are:  John Druery (double bass, bodhran), John...

Their repertoire features the joys, the struggles, the ordinary little things in daily life - finding the perfect cup of organic coffee, digging deep to get through the day, relationships, wayward lovers, children and moral dilemmas. With swooning five-part harmony...

The Strangest Dreamers mix the flavours of folk, a blast of blues, a goulash of gospel, a flash of funk and the jam in jazz. Stir in Jim Dowling’s and Pat Craigie’s original songs and you’ll be cooking with this band of brothers They are inspired by the concept of...

Recently described as Dixie Chicks meet Bruce Springsteen, Tin Star are inspired by the  folk traditions of sixties America.  They have a talent for distilling folk, country and rock into their own signature brand of earthy roots music bolstered by sweet harmonies and...