The Farmer & The Owl Festival made its successful debut in March, within the steel lined laneways and lush urban parklands of McCabe Park in the heart of Wollongong. 4,000 music addicts descended on the spacious lots and secluded post-industrial alcoves for a day of music consumption and discovery. Farmer & The Owl returns in 2020, serving up a fresh collective of garden-fresh, magnificent sounds for your listening pleasure.
Once again, the line-up has been affectionately curated by your favourite artists from the Farmer and The Owl label family of Hockey Dad, Bad//Dreems, Totally Unicorn, The Pinheads, TEES and Tropical Strength.
Saturday February 29th, 2020
MacCabe Park Wollongong
First Line-up Announcement
Hot Chip
Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats || Sleaford Mods
Weyes Blood|| Fat White Family|| Drab Majesty
Miss June|| Body Type || Rebel Yell
Second Line-up Announcement
Alex Cameron || Mom Jeans || The Murlocs
Hand Habits || Jack Ladder & The Farmlanders
Press Club || EGOISM ||Shady Nasty
Third Line-up Announcement
Cable Ties || Horror My Friend || The Buoys
SPOD || 100 || Wash || Mini Skirt || Blistar
Described by The Guardian as “the greatest British pop group of their generation”, audio adventure addicts Hot Chip (UK) will make their triumphant return to Australia in 2020, bringing the party to the people of Wollongong! Hot Chip have transcended musical trends while remaining adoringly aloof at the absolute cutting edge, with albums such as 2006’s breakout The Warning, 2008’s brilliant Made in the Dark and more recently One Life Stand (2010) all gathering effusive praise and individual cult followings. With a career littered in accolades including Grammy nominations, multiple Mercury Prize nods, several Gold albums and even a feature on The Simpsons, Hot Chip are one of the most decorated and much-loved bands in recent memory. Farmer and The Owl will be fans first chance to see tracks from their acclaimed new album A Bath Full Of Ecstasy, live!
The brainchild of mercurial Cambridgeshire mystic Kevin Starrs, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats (US,UK, CANADA) have been making extraordinary music since 2009. Always too bold and idiosyncratic to be easily pigeonholed, they emerged from an obscure corner of the labyrinthine English underground as shadowy purveyors of a new and overwhelmingly psychedelic take on the gruff and gritty rudiments of hard rock and turbo-blues, powered by the dark, lysergic heart of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and drenched in woozily macabre imagery. Steeped in both the wayward melodies and mischievous arrangements of psychedelic pop and the dissonant thunder of proto-metal and doom!
Sleaford Mods (UK) are one of the most important, politically charged and thought-provoking bands in music today. Stumbling into the music scene in 2013 at a time of political and creative austerity, their breakthrough album Austerity Dogs surprised many and caught the moment, spearheading a punk renaissance and paving the way for a generation of new artists. Five critically acclaimed albums later, Sleaford Mods find themselves lauded for exhilarating and brutally brilliant live shows and heralded as Iggy Pop’s favourite band; still paving the way for those who follow.
Weyes Blood (US), is the moniker of California-based artist Natalie Mering. Titanic Rising, her fourth album and Sub Pop records debut, has received unanimous critical acclaim. Listen closely to Titanic Rising, and you’ll also hear the jazz of Hoagy Carmichael mingle with the artful mysticism of Alejandro Jodorowsky and the monomyth of scholar Joseph Campbell. Re-imagining the Titanic disaster as a metaphor for climate catastrophe, Weyes Blood designs her own universe to soulfully navigate life’s mysteries. Manoeuvring through a space-time continuum, she intriguingly plays the role of melodic, sometimes melancholic, anthropologist.
Fat White Family (UK) have always been a drug band with a rock problem, their legendary live show – part exorcistic pagan ritual, part violent bacchanalian assault of the senses have made headlines in all the right outlets around the globe. Seven years into a career defined by collapsing masculinity, Celtic mysticism, pound shop shamanism, provocation, eroticism, wanton violence, joy, radical empathy, narcissism, hog-like indulgence, personality defects and a fondness for both extreme left and right-wing aesthetics – and some of the best musical performances this fractured world has ever witnessed! The South London-spawned band return, like true rock n roll phoenixes, rising from the ashes of a band implosion, with their 3rd, post implosion studio LP, Serfs Up!
Drab Majesty (US) is the solo project of Deb DeMure, the androgynous alter-ego of L.A.-based musician Andrew Clinco. With its combination of reverb-drenched guitars, synth bass lines, commanding vocals, and rhythmic drum machine beats, this project is a stark departure from Clinco’s previous stints as drummer in Marriages and Black Mare. Dubbed “Tragic Wave” and “Mid-Fi” by DeMure, Drab Majesty eloquently blends classic ’80s New Wave and hints of early 4AD with a futuristic originality. When DeMure’s imposing 6’ 4” figure assumes the stage, Deb’s playful, harlequinesque appearance, tempered by an ominous body language, and clashing with the dreamy, ethereal melodies comes across as a web of contrasts. The result is a perfect balance between seemingly conflicting messages, between the high and the low, the drab and the divine.
Miss June (NZ) is what happens when angst matures. Raised in the embers of punk rock, Miss June harness jagged, noisy guitars filtered through the unrivalled stage presence of frontperson Annabel Liddell, unafraid, unapologetic and ready to wake up the music scene. Described as “some unholy union between Sonic Youth and Le Tigre” the NZ four piece combine elements of post-punk, no-wave and rock and hold close their DIY roots while creating a blistering, reckless sound full of melodic hooks and overdriven riffs that are at once immediately recognizable and yet entirely their own.
Rising Sydney-based, trash can girl band, Body Type (AUS) swan down the freeway to Wollongong on a wave of praise from global tastemakers. Two EP’s, 2018’s self-titled and 2019’s EP2, that spawned six radio singles between them that caught the ears of folks at BBC’s Beats 1, The Fader, NME, DIY Mag all hailing their scuzz rock sounds as the next big thing cool kids around the world need to wrap their ears around. They have toured nationally and across the ocean including slots at Live At Leeds, Hit the North and Great Escape, we are proud as punch to have them as neighbours and are stoked they coming over to play!
Rebel Yell (AUS) is the solo project and moniker of Sydney via Brisbane electronic/techno artist Grace Stevenson. Known for her demonic-like musical force, Grace has produced some of the most mesmerising, brooding techno anthems in the country. Fearlessly pushing the boundaries of Australia’s club scene, Rebel Yell is a powerful mega-hex of techno, industrial beats, who commands her dance floors with pulsating bass lines and hypnotic mechanical rhythms.
Australian singer songwriter Alex Cameron is best known for his solo career, a high-concept act in which Cameron initially adopted the persona of a failed entertainer. Releasing his debut, Jumping the Shark, for free via his website in 2013, he has toured extensively with Mac DeMarco, Kevin Morby, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Angel Olsen. Narrative and character have remained central within work since his 2017 record Forced Witness, and that remains on show in his latest LP, Miami Memory, however this time, with more of a personal touch, it is a love letter to his partner, showcasing vulnerability, tenderness and lust throughout.
Mom Jeans are an effortlessly likable group of friends who proudly embrace their love for sad punk and emo. The quartet is lauded for stream-of-consciousness lyrics and energetic performances that prompt audiences to shred their worries and simply bounce along. By trading the sappy for heartfelt and the melodramatic for truthful, Mom Jeans have created a brand of emo that’s self-aware but not self-indulgent.
The Murlocs share members across King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Crepes, ORB and Baked Beans, ‘Uncle Murl’ as they’ve been affectionately dubbed, set themselves apart for their signature blend of old-world rhythm, blues and psychedelia, bolstered by the unmistakable vocals and harmonica breakdowns of Kenny-Smith. Forged in their homelands of Victoria’s Surf Coast near Geelong in 2011, across the course of two EPs, four albums, and a dynamic presence on the live circuit, The Murlocs have established themselves as a much-loved staple of the international psych and garage scene.
The Hand Habits project emerged after Meg Duffy moved from Up-State New York to Los Angeles; it started as a private songwriting outlet but soon evolved into a fully-fledged band with Meg at the helm. Hand Habits’ debut album, Wildly Idle (Humble Before The Void), was released by Woodsist Records in 2017. The LP was entirely self-produced and recorded in Meg’s home during spare moments when they weren’t touring. Wildly Idle (Humble Before The Void) is a lush, homespun collection of folk songs that found Meg in an exploratory state as an artist moving out on their own for the first time. While placeholder inspires a sense of ease, simple questions rarely beget easy answers and Meg honors the indescribable joy and profound sorrow that comes with figuring things out, one step at a time.
Jack Ladder has long been regarded as one of Australia’s most distinctive performers, he is one of those rare artists that marries a finely-honed songwriting craft with an ever-widening sonic palette. Since 2005 Jack Ladder has released four albums: Not Worth Waiting For, Love is Gone, HURTSVILLE and Playmates. Backed by his band, The Dreamlanders (Laurence Pike, Donny Benet and Kirin J. Callinan), Playmates was his most acclaimed and adventurous album to date, somehow combining bristling rock, ominous synth-pop and even warped country.
From conception in a garage in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, Press Club is the fuzz-addled, kicked-in speaker bass of Iain MacRae, the razor-sharp guitar tones of Greg Rietwyk, the merciless drumming of Frank Lees, not to forget the emotionally charged vocal deliverance of Natalie Foster. August 2019 saw the four-piece release their second album, Wasted Energy, which landed at #4 in the AIR album chart and #15 on the ARIA Australian Album chart and saw the band embark on their second assault of the UK and Europe for 2019 including performances at Reading and Leeds Festivals as well as Reeperbahn Festival.
EGOISM is an indie-pop duo from Sydney’s inner west, formed from the teenage connection of Scout Eastment and Olive Rush, when their heated discussions about music became a drive to create something together. Their introspective lyrics, pristine pop melodies, and shoegaze influence quickly became a distinctive sound as the duo cut their teeth and assembled a band in Sydney’s thriving inner-west scene.
Shady Nasty are a Sydney-based trio that formed in 2015. Their art is a dynamic experiment that draws from alternative forms of punk and hip-hop. The trio have recently finished their debut LP which is anticipated for a mid-2019 release. It offers vignettes of their young adulthood unfolding in the diversity of Sydney; modding cars, Chinese heritage, making ends meet, menace and love. Coupled with a raucous live show and a bold aesthetic, Shady Nasty embody a fresh and compelling ethos.
Fusing riot-grrrl energy with an unmistakable garage-rock urgency, Cable Ties have gone far beyond a well-kept Melbourne secret and have long since evolved into a national treasure. The power trio deliver brisk drums, churning bass and piercing post-punk guitar to meld with vocalist Jenny McKechnie’s defiant, resonant vocals and lyricism. Describing the end result as “smouldering feminist anthems,” the band’s must-see live show has endeared them to audiences both nationally and internationally.
Although they call the rolling hills of Adelaide home, Horror My Friend are absolutely no strangers to Wollongong. In fact, over the years it’s more or less become their second home. They’ll be sharing plenty of old favourites, as well as a few numbers from their upcoming third album. Expect thrashing guitars, noise-rock freakouts and at least a few fist-wielding sing-alongs.
Sydney legends The Buoys are set to bring their hugely catchy indie-rock arsenal. It’s been a huge 2019 for the four-piece, scoring love from both triple j and FBi for their cracking singles ‘Inside Outside’ and ‘Gold’. No, it’s not just a clever name – The Buoys are the real deal.
He’s the coffee-sipping, synth-shredding, head-banging, jacket-wearing, mic-swinging cult figure with over 20 years in the game. He’s SPOD, and if you haven’t yet experienced his VHS-released (yes, seriously) fourth album Adult Fantasy then you absolutely need to do yourself a favour.
100! It’s 100! In just under two years, the garage-punk outfit have become the talk of the town as far as Sydney’s music community is concerned. Wowing crowds across a downstairs residency at the Lansdowne, not to mention festivals like Bad Friday and Secret Garden plus an extensive run in support of fellow Sydneysiders Pist Idiots.
Byron Bay’s WASH are grungy, lo-fi and thrashy – no bells and whistles, no gimmicks, no bullshit. Currently working on the follow-up to 2018’s Undercover Slimo, the trio are no doubt going to make quite the splash for their Farmer & The Owl debut.
Mini Skirt might have a cute and carefree connotation to their name, but that’s exactly how they get you. Watching them perform might remind you of the first time you saw Eddy Current Suppression Ring or perhaps The Peep Tempel – something gritty, hard-hitting and just that little bit too real. Having just released fantastic new single ‘Pretty’, Mini Skirt will have even more new music to share when they hit the stage at the end of February.
Starting out as a one-man band for one Noa Deane, Blistar has since expanded into a full band with a rollicking, mane-thrashing sound recalling the likes of Mudhoney, The Vines and FIDLAR. Having dropped their second album Hot Head back in July and played with local legends The Pinheads on their recent tour, Blistar will be coming in hot for the festival. Hang ten with these legends, and don’t kook it.