With a lineup to rival its huge mountain surrounds, the 2020 edition of the Grampians Music Festival is gearing up to showcase some stellar homegrown talent against the picturesque Grampian Mountain Ranges.
Carving an enviable reputation for celebrating the insatiable talent and diversity of the Australian music community, the Grampians Music Festival offers a unique experience that spans genres (and 360° mountain views) in a nurturing festival environment.
And kicking off a brand new decade of festivities for 2020, punters can expect to partake of some good vibes and wave-making artists, including the likes of Julia Jacklin, Ecca Vandal and These New South Whales to name but a small few. And in the lead-up to the main event, The Soundcheck will be featuring some of the epic musos poised to take the stage come late February next year, with vocalist Zoe Catterall from Sydney indie kweens The Buoys chatting festivals, live music memories and a secret or two.
Q: Tell us a bit more about you/your band – what’s the “too long, didn’t read” version of how you started playing music?
A: The Buoys came together as a sort of community effort and we’ve had so many reshuffles since then. It all started when a friend of mine had posted a status (lol) saying we need more female musicians in the shire, which is where I grew up. I’d always wanted to start a band but none of my female friends played instruments and my male friends were already in so many of their own bands. I messaged my friend who had posted that status and he put me in touch with some girls who were also keen to play. It was a complete blind date, I’d never spoken to or met these girls and rocked up to their house with my guitar and like 3 months guitar playing experience. I think the first song we ever played was Jet or Avril Levigne haha. The chemistry was there and we played our first show the following week and so many after that. Since then members have moved in and out but Zoe has always been there. Zoe met Tess through tinder and both Courtney and Hilary through mutual friends. They brought something new to the table that completely changed how we sound in such a good way.
Q: The 2020 edition of the Grampians is packed full of some insanely talented artists. What are you most looking forward to next February? Any musical crushes on the lineup you’re particularly keen to see live?
A: Cannot wait to see Julia Jacklin again, could watch her a million times! I’m really looking forward to seeing Maddy Jane for the first time and we’re all huge fans of These New South Wales, Pinch Points and Gauci.
Q: And The Grampians is obviously an amazing showcase of some of our best and brightest local talent in a beautiful regional setting that wouldn’t often have a lot of festival options. How important do you think these sort of events are to positively impact rural communities?
A: We can’t wait to see more of what The Grampians is about, and that’s 100% what makes these festivals so important. It brings people who wouldn’t normally know about or come to these places and shows them the beautif rural pockets Australia has to offer. It then gives us a chance to see bands we wouldn’t normally see.
Q: You’ll be throwing down onstage at a festival that seems to be going from strength to strength…but if you briefly cast your eye back a way, describe your first ever gig as a band/artist. Were there any total disasters to report, or did everything go smoothly?
A: Our first ever gig was so fun! We played with Stay at Home Mum (aka Ruby Fields) and it was the first time I’d ever seen an all female lineup in Cronulla. It was the start of feeling comfortable in my skin as a musician in Cronulla. Considering we’d jammed only a handful of times, we smashed it. More importantly for us it was just about having a fun time.
Q: Now for the clichéd “desert island” question. If you/your band were stranded on a desert island with only one other band on the 2020 Grampians lineup for company – who would you pick and why?
A: RAAVE TAPES. Didn’t even blink. That was easy. Funnest. Bunch. Of. People. Ever. Love them with all our huge Buoy hearts.
Q: You’re starting 2020 off with a huge bang obviously, but is there anything else you can reveal about what’s on the near horizon for you/your band?
A: Well we can finally say we’ve finished recording our sophomore EP, so that will be our 2020. We want to take that one around Australia and the rest of 2020 will just be a cherry on top. Will probably put our heads down and keep writing, but we can’t stay away from gigging, it’s too fun.
Q: And finally – what’s one little known fact about you or your band that you’re willing to share with us today?
A: Something only bands we tour with would know, is when we warm up to go on stage, someone is in charge of choosing a weird song, and we’re side of stage juuuust before our set dancing like absolute weirdos and hugging each other, probably seeing who can do the highest tuck jump hahaha.
GOLD (THE BUOYS)
YOU CAN CATCH THE BUOYS IN ACTION NEXT FEBRUARY AT THE GRAMPIANS MUSIC FESTIVAL, TICKETS ARE ON-SALE RIGHT NOW HERE.
FOR MORE GRAMPIANS MUSIC FESTIVAL INFO HEAD HERE,
AND FOR MORE THE BUOYS INFO, HEAD HERE.
BY TIANA SPETER