Tag: The Northern Folk

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Noonlight” – Yours, Georgina

I’ve been a fan of Georgie Currie’s voice for years. As one-tenth of Naarm/Melbourne folk-pop act The Northern Folk, her gorgeous vocals always drew me in. While I love what she does in this band, I’m perhaps even more excited by her first EP Noonlight, released under the musical moniker Yours, Georgina. Through listening to these songs, I feel like I’ve gotten to meet Georgie the artist, who is so much more than a vocalist, for the first time.

Georgie’s heart sits so close to the surface in these songs which are united by the central theme of deceit. There’s deceit from past partners who told her things that didn’t turn out to be true. If the former flame in the opening track “If You Wonder” wasn’t capable of love as they claimed, she wonders how they’re all but married to someone new. Then there’s self-deceit, whether she’s convincing herself that dating apps are the answer in “Dog Tired” or looking at an old relationship with rose-coloured glasses in “We Hardly Speak At All.” Georgie flips the script with the closing song, “Who You Gonna Be Girl.” This upbeat country-tinged anthem celebrates the desire to move forward with most honesty. It’s like a breath of fresh air after the emotional weight of the songs that came before.

It’s interesting that an EP built around an exploration of deceit feels like it comes from such an honest, authentic place. The lyrics bring the relationships Georgie recalls, and the emotions they stir, to life so vividly. Coupled with her warm, inviting voice, they really make this EP so special. I love what Georgie does with The Northern Folk, but I hope this isn’t the last time that we hear her making her own music.

Noonlight is out now.

Photo credits: Shannyn Higgins

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Northern Folk Explore New Sound With “Thank God”

The Northern Folk have charmed me with their gorgeous new single, “Thank God.” It’s a bit of a departure from the sound we’re used to from this Naarm/Melbourne-based ten-piece, more pop ballad than alt-folk, but I think it sounds good on them. And you can’t go wrong when their instruments and harmonies combine.

“’Thank God’ is about trusting yourself, an anthem to self-assurance,” explained the song’s co-writer, Paul Dyason. “It explores the idea of being so lost in a relationship that you begin to forget your own voice. But it doesn’t hide from all the ruminating and ruin that may come with finding your way back to clarity; rather, it turns up its collar and leans into the blizzard, knowing there will be better days ahead.”

Take a moment to stop what you’re doing and really appreciate this song. It deserves better than simply becoming the background to your daily tasks. You can thank me later.

Photo credit: Simon Pickering

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Northern Folk Wow Me With “Keep On Coming Over”

Bungambrawatha/Albury-born, Naarm/Melbourne-based band The Northern Folk has blown me away with their new single “Keep On Coming Over.” We’re used to music that’s a little gentler from this awesome act, but they’ve brought a rock edge to this song. It’s fabulous. I love a band that can keep us guessing while continuing to deliver fantastic music. Some acts struggle when they play with genre, but it seems like The Northern Folk really can do it all. The punchier sound reflects the darker themes of isolation brought on by mental illness that the song explores.

“’Keep On Coming Over’ was written in a particularly turbulent period,” explained songwriter Paul Dyason. “It captures moments in a fledgling love where the facade falls away and you hope that what is left is enough. It is a plea for persistence and patience, a snapshot of the hope that accompanies an honest revelation and ultimately an ode to those who feel like their baggage is too much for others to handle.”

The song comes with a gorgeous music video produced by The Northern Folk vocalist Georgie Currie and directed and filmed by the band’s long-time collaborator Mark Day of Another Life Productions. There’s so much to love about this release.

Image credit: Simon Pickering

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Northern Folk Release Dreamy Single, “Jacarandas”

No, your eyes don’t deceive you. The Northern Folk are a very big band. Their press release tells me they’re a 10-piece, so I guess someone had to take the photo! That’s a lot of instruments and voices coming together. However, listening to “Jacarandas,” the latest single from this Naarm/Melbourne-based act, that coming together seems effortless. This song is pure magic. I encourage you to take a moment to stop what you’re doing, press play, and let this one wrap around you. By the time those horns take centre stage, I know you’ll be hooked.

“Jacarandas is a song about longing—both for a person and for the safety and intimacy felt in their company,” explained vocalist and co-writer Georgie Currie. “Without them, the days lose colour and time stretches on. It was the first song we finished for this album, and it was what informed our decision to make an album about how tangled and torrid love can become.”

This is the first song lifted from The Northern Folk’s fourth album, which we’ll hear in 2023. If this song is any indication, it’ll be pretty special. Now excuse me, I’ve got to deep-dive into their back catalogue!

Image used with permission from The Northern Folk

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Northern Folk Play Festivals For “Cold”

I was sure I must have written about “Cold,” the latest single from Melbourne 10-piece The Northern Folk, before. It’s such a cool song, a little brooding with stellar vocals and one of the best sax breaks you’ll hear. It’s so good that they sold out Northcote Social Club when they launched it. Yet I searched my archives and nothing. So I apologise for the oversight.

Now with the release of the clip’s music video, it seems a perfect time to correct my mistake. It was created by celebrated director and producer Mark Day in close collaboration with The Northern Folk. The band star alongside Michael Nikou and Tanya Alers is the clip which represents human consciousness in all its dark, flawed beauty.

“’Cold’ is about the insecurities that tie us down for fear of the unknown, and the emotional distance they create. Shot in the sparse Riverina landscape, a couple find themselves confronted by the manifestations of their insecurities, and must make the choice to be led by them, or to reject them and take control of what they want to be,” the band explains.

Fresh from Woodford and in fine form, The Northern Folk will play a swag of great festivals over the coming months. Here are all the places you can catch them.

25 – 28 January 2019 – Newstead Live Music Festival, Newstead
10 February 2019 – St Kilda Festival, St Kilda
15 – 17 March 2019 – Blue Mountains Music Festival, Katoomba
29 – 31 March 2019 – The Hills Are Alive Festival, South Gippsland

Image used with permission from This Much Talent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Northern Folk Impress With “Cold”

Melbourne 10-piece The Northern Folk blend genres to dazzling effect in their latest single “Cold.” It’s a little folky, a little jazzy, with pop hooks to spare. It starts small but builds beautifully with brassy horns and a full-out stomping chorus.

It sounds brilliant in the studio, but I think this song will take on a life of its own on stage. See The Northern Folk doing their thing at the following festivals and headlining shows.

27 December 2018 – 1 January 2019 – Woodford Folk Festival, Woodford
3 January 2019 – Upper Lansdowne Memorial Hall, Upper Lansdowne
25 – 28 January 2019 – Newstead Live Music Festival, Newstead
15 – 17 March 2019 – Blue Mountains Music Festival, Katoomba
29 – 31 March 2019 – The Hills are Alive, South Gippsland

Image used with permission from This Much Talent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get On Board With The Northern Folk’s New Single

Genre-bending Melbourne-based band The Northern Folk is preparing to release an exciting new single “Get On,” and I can’t stop listening. It won’t officially drop until October 12, but you can wrap your ears around it early here.

Like so many of the best songs, “Get On” came out of feelings of frustration.

“Frustration with religion, politics and absurdly priced scones,” according to male vocalist Paul Dyason. “The consequence was less of a sermon, but more an informative manual that outlines fun ways to not be a dick.”

The track reminds me of something Ed Sheeran might do if he wasn’t a solo act. It builds on that honest, rhythmic lyrical base with lush harmonies, heavy-handed piano, and a rich horns section. The sound is so intricate, with so many elements coming together, but it works so well.

The Northern Folk will take up residency at The Gasometer Hotel in October and tour the East Coast over the coming months.

4 October 2017 – The Gasometer Hotel, Melbourne (with Rose Burgess Trio & Zac Saber)
8 October 2017 – Beer Deluxe, Albury
10 October 2017 – UMSU Tuesday Bands @ Melbourne Uni, Melbourne
11 October 2017 – The Gasometer Hotel, Melbourne (with The Peeks & Domini Forster)
15 October 2017 – Spring Fling St Festival, North Melbourne
18 October 2017 – The Gasometer Hotel, Melbourne (Single launch with Ben Whiting & Joyce Prescher)
19 October 2017 – Transit Bar, Canberra
20-22 October 2017 – Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, Kangaroo Valley
23 October 2017 – Rad Bar, Wollongong
25 October 2017 – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
26 October 2017 – The Black Malabar, Newcastle
27-29 October 2017 – Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Dorrigo
9-11 November 2017 – Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival
12 November 2017 – Healesville Music Festival, Healesville
9 December 2017 – By The Banks Festival, Albury
27 January 2018 – Summer Sounds Festival, Bermagui
2-4 March 2018 – Cobargo Folk Festival, Cobargo

Image used with permission from This Much Talent