Festival set to be charmed

On track to sell-out for the fourth year in a row, the Queenscliff Music Festival has dropped its second line up brimming with first class entertainers.

Joining Courtney Barnett, Sarah Blasko, Kasey Chambers and The Whitlams is ARIA award-winning rock legend and vocal powerhouse Dan Sultan and the Sahara’s Sultan of Shred, Bombino (described by Noisey magazine as ‘the world’s best guitarist’).

Amongst an eclectic selection of local talent is Melbourne sisters Charm of Finches, having wowed crowds with their stunning ballads 18-year-old Mabel Windred-Wornes said herself and sister Ivy, 15, were excited to join the program.

“Ivy and I haven’t officially performed on the QMF bill, but we’ve been in the festival’s Foot-in-the-Door competition before,” she said.

“This year we applied and got in. We’re both huge fans of Kasey Chambers so are really exciting about seeing her again, we’ve been fans since we were very young.

“When we first started playing music we were in a trio called The Highway Sisters with our friend and we use to sing a lot of Kasey’s old-time country songs – we were lucky enough to open for her at the Murwillumbah Country Roots Fest and meet her then.”

Mabel said the duo both sing harmonies and she plays guitar whilst Ivy plays violin (fiddle-style) inspired by Celtic sounds.

“We play our own original material that has folky vibes, I also play cello on some of our recordings and Ivy plays banjo on stage – occasionally I play ukulele and glockenspiel,” she said.

“Our mum played in bands throughout the nineties and was always a choir leader, so we’ve always been around music. We also went to a Steiner school where you’re singing a lot of English and Celtic folk songs.

“We learnt a lot of folk there, also harmonies and you have to pick up a string instrument so that’s where I learnt the cello. We were immersed in music.”

Mabel said they’ve been singing together their entire lives and busking and performing gigs from eight years of age.

“When I was 12 I started writing my own songs and then Ivy would bring her harmony in. For a school project I wanted to make an EP I thought it would be a small project, but it snowballed and became a proper CD that we released professionally in 2014,” she said.

“Most people think we’re a lot older than what we are and are always surprised when I’m talking about the songs and explain I wrote this in year seven.

“We can’t wait to perform on the train this year for QMF. We sat opposite Marlon Williams when he performed and were starstruck. It seems like a really fun gig to play.”

For more information on this year’s Queenscliff Music Festival that’s running November 23-15 go to qmf.net.au