Finalists taking to the St Kilda Festival New Music Competition Stage in 2024 announced.
The 2024 line-up has been revealed for St Kilda Festival’s New Music Competition Stage, which has been unearthing emerging talent at St Kilda Festival since 2007. Baker Boy, Missy Higgins and Client Liaison are just some of the country’s most notable artists who have had their start on the New Music Stage.
St Kilda Festival
- 17 – 18 February 2023
- The New Music Stage will feature on Big Festival Sunday on 18 February 2024
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Proudly produced by City of Port Phillip, St Kilda Festival is renowned as one of Australia’s most iconic free and all ages music festivals, with a focus on celebrating fresh talent. The Festival’s full weekend line-up will be announced in January 2024. In the meantime, the Festival is excited to unleash the following 10 acts who will take to the New Music Stage on Day 2 of the 2024 event, Sunday 18 February, chosen from more than 350 entries from around the country. The selected artists represent a diverse variety of sounds, from electronic jazz rock, rock n’ roll, alternative pop, dance, hip-hop, R&B, to groove-heavy indie rock, and more. The 10 finalists are:
Mulga Bore Hard Rock is a six-piece band of family members hailing from the remote central Australia desert community of Akaye, in the Northern Territory. This group of teenagers, aged 14-19 years old, bring their own style of GLAM hard rock from the hot, dry desert.
Brekky Boy is an electronic jazz rock trio with a sound that draws on artists such as GoGo Penguin and BADBADNOTGOOD. The Montreux Jazz Award nominees have gained international acclaim touring the world with standout performances at SXSW (US), Montréal International Jazz Festival (CA), Montreux Jazz Festival (CH), London Jazz Festival (UK), Jazzahead (DE) and more.
Good Pash is an alternative rock n’ roll band from Sydney. The firebrand quintet made a name for themselves as one of Sydney’s most exciting live acts. Good Pash was originally an experiment, a way to test the waters for each member’s second instrument. Their shows are loud, messy and raucous while still retaining a classic storyteller song style.
Jewel Owusu is a half Filipino and half Ghanaian singer-songwriter and producer, now based in Melbourne. Jewel is a genre-bending force, blending alternative pop, dance, indie, hip-hop, and RnB to create her own sound.
Lewis Coleman’s playful arrangements create songs that are hot, warm, saturated and fun. His latest offering Offline is a collection of songs grounded in a desire to generate a current within stagnant waters.
Mathilde Anne has amassed fierce inspiration from the likes of modern artists Gracie Abrams, Julia Stone, Sir Chloe, as well as all-time legends The Kinks, Blondie, Otis Redding, and The Rolling Stones. Wildly writing from personal experience and feeling, her sights are always set on offering a sense of understanding and representation.
MUDRAT is a multi-talented creative visionary, rapper, singer and writer who has gained acclaim for his use of genre-bending instrumentals alongside passionate delivery, raw lyricism and high-impact production. Creating music that draws from his perspective of the world, cultural roots and political beliefs, he has cultivated a reputation for his versatility, raw energy and powerful live performances. MUDRAT blends punk, metal and hip-hop influences with booming vocals and is set to ruffle a few feathers going into 2024.
Romanie Assez is a Belgian-born, Melbourne-based singer and songwriter who invites her listeners to become immersed in a rich palette of sounds and influences, buoying a natural vocal talent. Her music stems from an innate desire to express creativity through personal and engaging storytelling. In October 2023, Romanie unveiled her debut album Are We There Yet?
TAB Family is a Boorloo/Perth-based unique rhythms and genre-blending music project founded by Nigerian-born producer, DJ and percussionist Ayo Busari. Their sound is Afro-Pop, blending together Alt-Pop, soulful RnB grooves, contemporary Afro-beat influences, and Hip-Hop genres to outstanding local and international acclaim. Their highly anticipated second EP – With Love, From TAB was released in May 2023.
Winten is the moniker of Naarm/Melbourne-based musician and visual artist Bridgette Winten. Winten’s songs are a collection of tenderness and triumph; gently reflecting on themes ranging from alienation to intimacy, romantic and familial heartbreak, growing pains, insecurity, acceptance and the ever-present inner child. Released in August 2023, her debut album Waving To My Girl offers masterful storytelling coupled with delicate-yet-sprawling instrumentation and has garnered high praise and success within the Australian music community and abroad.
“The selection panel had an especially tough job this year, as we received submissions from hundreds of talented artists from across the country. The calibre of the New Music Stage artists this year is top tier. We’re very proud of this line up and we can’t wait to see them perform live on Big Festival Sunday”, said Sullivan Patten, St Kilda Festival Lead.
All artists performing as part of the New Music Competition are in the running for the coveted St Kilda Festival Main Stage opening slot in 2025 and a $5,000 cash prize, voted on by the public. The polls will open on Big Festival Sunday in 2024, via the St Kilda Festival website. Julian Munyard, who took out the competition crown for 2023 after a stellar performance, will be kicking off proceedings on the Main Stage at St Kilda Festival in 2024.
St Kilda Festival’s diverse program features live Australian music, dance performances, workshops, community group activities, food and market stalls, extended business trading, roving entertainment and a dedicated family-friendly stage. Renowned as one of Australia’s largest and longest running free music and cultural events, the Festival brings significant economic benefits to St Kilda while celebrating and promoting Australian talent. The Festival has seen many formats since its inception more than 40 years ago and currently runs across two-days comprised of First Peoples First, a celebration of First Peoples music, culture and community on Saturday, and Big Festival Sunday, the traditional St Kilda Festival day that brings the whole suburb to life. The event regularly attracts more than 400,000 visitors to the foreshore each year.
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