Americana from Melbourne Australia with Megan Bird and Chelsea Allen. With special support from Jessye DeSilva!
Raw and austere, simple and bold; full of stomping feet and clapping hands, chants and harmonies, whispered words and soulful lament - that's the music of Great Aunt. Listen, and you'll hear tales of joy and grief, whiskey and wine, gratitude and purpose-seeking.
Formed in 2016, the duo is a collaboration between songwriter/instrumentalists Megan Bird (mandolin, resonator, acoustic guitar, vocals) and Chelsea Allen (double bass, vocals, percussion), and draws inspiration from the traditions of old time, bluegrass, and gospel music, with loving homage to their diverse backgrounds in punk, jazz, roots, soul, and folk music. The instrumentation and arrangements are bare and bold: using only various combinations of mandolin, guitar, or resonator with double bass and percussion, and the sonorous voices of Bird and Allen in harmony.
The duo has delighted audiences at some of Australia's finest music and arts festivals, including Tamworth Country Music Festival, Deni Ute Muster, The GAS, Wintermoon, Healesville Music Festival, and Newport Folk Festival, amongst others.
Great Aunt 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 2021.
"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 Jessye DeSilva (they/them) beams when they sing out a secret. The Boston-based artist weaves tapestries of witch pop and folk rock with their empathetic moral fiber, strengthened by the radical honesty that grounds their buoyant melodies.
Nov 29, 2024, 9 AM to 3 PM
Bennington Community CaféNov 30, 2024, 1:30 to 3 PM
Comedy Series: Tom CotterNov 30, 2024, 7:30 PM