SUNBURNT COUNTRY MUSIC (AUS)
Great Aunt create a symphony out of simplicity. They deploy lyrical sophistication and ruthless musical discipline to leave space for the listener to layer their own interpretation on what’s in the song, to bring their own experiences and, indeed, room to leave their judgements aside. These powerful songs are each shorter than three minutes yet their impact lasts considerably longer, and while the band can’t tour yet these songs can and will travel, most likely to the people who need to hear them the most.
- Sunburnt Country Music, August 2020
COUNTRY QUEER (USA)
[…] The rhythm of their lyrics and sardonic drawl of their delivery reminds me of the anti-folk scene in New York. There is the quick rhythmic meter […] endowed with all the quirk & lettered poise of eccentric intellectuals like Kimya Dawson or Dufus. Their new single details their experience of bigotry in a seemingly wholesome neighborhood. Lyrically it is charged with electric wit and armed with the musical complexity of their respective broad influences.
- Country Queer - Adeem Maria (the Artist), August 2020
TIMBER and STEEL (AUS)
“Melbourne based folk and Americana duo Great Aunt tackle the modern anxiety of missing out on their latest track “FOMO”. with bluesy slide resonator guitar and thumping bass, the vocals in this track are actually more understated than you’d imagine. This is a very modern folk song that pays tribute to the roots of the music it draws from.”
- Timber and Steel, July 2019
NOT A SOUND (USA)
“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. Comprised of songwriters Megan Bird and Chelsea Allen, Great Aunt have been steadily making a name for themselves in the Australian Country Music community since 2016 with their tight harmonies and instrumentals that are elegant in their simplicity.”
- Not a Sound, July 2019
THE SOUNDCHECK (AUS)
“Toying with a heady mix of a wailing steel-body resonator, growling double bass and a beat that'll rattle the rafters, 'FOMO' instrumentally springs to mind days gone by; of speakeasies and tumbleweeds rolling in America's deep south. But this ain't no hoedown and Great Aunt aren't just here to throw down old-timey tones, instead throwing a sharply modern twist to proceedings with their whispered vocals covering the titular modern acronym - the fear of missing out.
Whipping up a release that comfortably blends simplistically bold modern-Americana with contemporary anxieties of craving validation and purpose, 'FOMO' is a captivating homage and expansion on traditional folk genres, and one that signals some significant excitement ahead from the ladies and their upcoming debut album.”
- The Soundcheck, July 2019
LA MUSIC CRITIC - INDIE VOICE BLOG (USA)
“ […] folk-based Americana music tinged with shades of bluegrass and gospel. For an Australian band, they have a great handle on the Americana sound and could quite easily compete with American bands in this genre. […] We would love to see them tour the States, and believe they would be quite successful.”
- Indie Voice Blog, 2018
COUNTRY UPDATE MAGAZINE (AUS)
“For those yet to discover Great Aunt, they’re an Americana/roots duo from Melbourne, a collaboration between songwriter/instrumentalists Megan Bird and Chelsea Allen, drawing attitude and inspiration from their diverse musical backgrounds in punk, blues, jazz and roots music. Sierra Hull meets Tom Waits in Louisiana, you could say. I’d jump on the bandwagon now; these ladies are going to be HUGE!”
- Country Update Magazine (Issue 90)