Austral (Vic)
Multi-award winners at the Australian Folk Music Awards (AFMAs), Austral are a fully-charged, four-piece Australian tunes band combining didgeridoo, Irish pipes, high energy fiddling, journeying songs and energetic foot percussion. Based in Melbourne, they are multi-instrumental powerhouses Angus Barbary, Caity Brennan, Rhys Crimmin and Connor Hoy. Their music is infectiously danceable and you may find it hard to resist the urge to get up and join the dance party yourself. Austral are creating energetic new music from Celtic roots (and branches) to great acclaim at festivals at home and abroad and are a rising band not to be missed.
Austral are very excited to be releasing their second album in mid 2026, exploring the traditions of Celtic music and taking ‘trad’ to all new levels. With their own unique Aussie flair and world-class stagecraft, their music explores the potential for originally composed dance bangers that challenge preconceptions about the genre. Known for knocking it out of the park at festivals and being able to get whole crowds dancing with abandon – Austral will get your festival weekend going!
Reviews:
“This album certainly scatters the dust… there’s a depth and variety of sounds here to rival much bigger bands… Austral deserves their place in the Irish musical Diaspora and this recording (Thylacine) promises great things to come from the land down under.”
“They light a room up, if you ever get a chance to be in the presence of this band, do it… it’s a party!”
“Fucking awesome”
– Gina (winner of Alone Australia S1)
Video links:
Beeswing (live concert [song]): https://youtu.be/bsReyzMMD8s?si=9NUlYtzvL_N_oKHm
Woodford Folk Festival 2022 (promotional video): https://youtu.be/oJWAEewmTak?si=jSSub0FvMsqydie5&t=258
National Folk Festival 2023 (live concert): https://youtu.be/0YEjUCv1qu4?si=uAeoKF0d5xP0ScdG&t=825
Queen Victoria Night Markets 2022 (live concert): https://youtu.be/aTzQsTcPdhI
Echidna Studio 2021 (instrumental live recording session): https://youtu.be/gwrOMRFtqf0
Koroit session 2018 (instrumental live recording session): https://youtu.be/Fr3Ztlftarg
