“Great Aunt take an eclectic and joyous approach to making music.
The songs are deeply-felt, revealing, relatable - at once a personal and shared revival.”
There’s stomping feet and clapping hands, bombastic bass drum and resonator, and soaring harmonies - and it’s instantly recognisable as the music of Great Aunt. The stories are deeply-felt, revealing and relatable - and in them, the duo offer up a chance to reveal and share part of yourself.
Formed in 2016, the project is a collaboration between songwriter/instrumentalists Megan Bird (mandolin, resonator, acoustic guitar, vocals) and Chelsea Allen (double bass, vocals, percussion). The music itself draws inspiration from the traditions of Appalachian folk, bluegrass, and gospel music, with a gleeful nod to the pair’s diverse, individual backgrounds in punk, jazz, soul, and rock.
The duo has delighted audiences at some of Australia’s finest music and arts festivals, including Woodford Folk Festival, Blue Mountains Music Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival, Deni Ute Muster, The GAS, Wintermoon, Healesville Music Festival, Fleurieu Folk Festival, and Newport Folk Festival, amongst others. They have shared stages with notable acts including Adeem the Artist (US), Joe Crookston (US), Vika & Linda Bull (AUS), The Weeping Willows (AUS), Sue Ray (AUS), Smith and Jones (AUS), Mary Flower (USA), Paisley Fields (USA), Wiley Gaby (USA), The Belle Miners (CAN), and more.
Great Aunt have recently returned from their third tour of the US, and are currently busy in their home studio, producing and recording their debut full-length album, ‘It's All Downhill From Here’ – due for release in 2024. In early 2024, the duo released two singles, ‘Freeburgh’ and ‘What’s A Girl To Do Now?’ - available on all streaming services, Bandcamp, and YouTube.
”Americana usually calls to mind the bayous of Louisiana, the pocket communities of the Appalachian mountains, or the great plains of the American heartland, but Melbourne, Australia’s Great Aunt prove that, despite its name, not all great Americana comes from the United States.” - Not a Sound (USA)
