"Why can't we just live at Woodfordia? And why isn't this just how we all live?"

In this episode, Harley sits down with Katie Noonan. It's Katie's 30th year at Woodford, and she's just finished her 30th studio album - serendipitous!

Katie's Woodford journey started in 1995 when she won the Woodford band competition (prize: a ticket to next year's festival). That hook worked, and she's been back every year since, volunteering, performing with her band george, performing solo, with her family, and now with her new album "Alone But All One," which she's premiering at the festival.

But this isn't just a musician's story. It's about growiing up with the opera-singing mum and witnessing the super talented Jeff Buckley at 18, before deciding to become a "musical weirdo." Katie now runs the Eumundi School of Music to provide children with free music education and still references Woodford as her church.

This episode is for:

• Musicians wondering if they can survive making art in the streaming era
• Parents trying to explain to their kids why music matters more than money
• Anyone who's ever left Woodford wondering "why can't life be like this?"

Dive in to hear about:

• Taking on Jeff Buckley's five-octave range (the ultimate artistic challenge)
• Brisbane's unique 90s music scene
• The joys and struggles of Woodford camping

To learn more about Katie Noonan: https://www.katienoonan.com.au/

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guest: Katie Noonan

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Georgia Shaw

Video editing: Amelie Barham

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #KatieNoonan #George #WoodfordFolkFestival #JeffBuckley #AustralianMusic #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You can still dream. And I think that's what keeps me coming back."

In this episode, Harley sits down with Chelsea, the circus programmer who's been shaping what happens under the big top at Woodford for the past decade.

She's someone who's seen the festival from every angle, first as a punter drawn in by friends working the pedal-powered juice bar, then as a performer touring her own contemporary circus company (Scotch and Soda, Cantina), and now as the one deciding who gets to step into that big top circular space at Woodfordia.

Chelsea's story is about choosing creative freedom over institutional validation.. These days she splits her time between programming aerial acts and teaching the fundamentals of being human to five-year-olds, and somehow both jobs make perfect sense.

This episode is for:

• Programmers and curators navigating the messy reality of building festival programs
• Circus artists wondering what it takes to start
• Parents who build carts for their kids and are looking for tips

Dive in to hear about why:

• The buggy meet is a legitimate highlight of the festival where families line up to discuss their carts like hotted-up cars
• A 16-year-old aerialist who came as a punter five years ago, stayed in the circus tent the entire festival, and is now performing at Woodford
• Programming is a puzzle where "it still seems a bit out of order and I'm a bit unsure... but it all kind of works"

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

To learn more about the circus programme: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/programme/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guest: Chelsea Mcguffin

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson

Video Editing: Nicholas Haddow

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #WoodfordFolkFestival #CircusProgrammer #TrashTestDummies #Astrodinotto #ContemporaryCircus #FestivalLife #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Never play for exposure is a big piece of advice that we've taken... It makes a big difference."

In this episode, Harley sits down with three members of Dizzy Days (Aisling, EJ, and Bridget – with Mikaela absent in Melbourne), Brisbane's disco-dance-pop-band, who came together through unlikely connection: a mysterious Facebook post and an awkward audition.

The band is a unique blend of each member's cultural influence, but the artists have found cosmic chemistry in their unlikely network. The trio shares their stories through the years, and how they've mastered the art of staying in haunted prisons and national park bungalows to keep within tour budget.

They're aware about what it takes to survive as emerging artists: never playing for exposure, making the most of resources provided (airport bikkies), and accepting that being a musician now means being an influencer, whether you like it or not.

This episode is for:

• Emerging bands learning the economics of touring
• Musicians wondering if formal training helps or harms creativity
• Artists navigating the pressure of algorithms

Dive in to hear about how:

• You should accept that random friend request
• Post-COVID crowds have changed
• Playing for exposure doesn't pay rent

To learn more about Dizzy Days: https://www.instagram.com/dizzydaysband/?hl=en

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guests: Dizzy Days (Aisling O'Byrne, Bridgette Dabinet, EJ Carey)

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Jack Tindall, Georgia Shaw

Video Editing: Nicholas Haddow, Amelie Barham

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #DizzyDays #AustralianMusic #DIYTouring #EmergingArtists #WoodfordFolkFestival #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.