Local band giving The Wiggles a run for their money with songs about mozzies, cockroaches and cube-pooing wombats

WATCH out, Wiggles — local kids’ rock band The Gumboots has taken out the Michael McGlynn Newcomer Award at the recent Australian Children’s Music Awards.

The group performs a range of catchy tunes aimed at two to ten-year-olds, including The Mozzie Blues, about a lonely mosquito searching for a friend, and songs about cockroaches, spiders and wombats.

“They are the only animal in the world who poo in cubes!” singer-songwriter and guitarist Melia Naughton said.

The band was also nominated for Best Video for their song Cockroach, which was filmed by Mullumbimby-based filmmaker Zac Lovett.

Naughton said the trio were “utterly chuffed and delighted” to receive the award. They also felt a little starstruck walking the red carpet alongside the Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, Don Spencer and Monica Trapaga from Play School and the Teeny Tiny Stevies at the awards ceremony, which took place at the Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst.

“It really feels like we’ve ‘arrived’ in the children’s music scene in Australia,” she said.

“Just to be nominated for two awards at the event was a supreme achievement. To be visible and acknowledged by the children’s music industry in Australia — we honestly couldn’t be more thrilled and grateful.”

Naughton, who lives in Newrybar, holds a Bachelor of Dramatic Art from the Victorian College of the Arts and a Master of Arts and Entertainment Management from the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney.

She has been involved in several local productions, including co-writing and performing in the musical New Blood, which won the Gold Palm Theatre Award for Outstanding New Work in 2022. She also performed in NORPA’s original production Wildskin in 2024.

Naughton formed The Gumboots in 2023 with Ben Cox from Lismore (drums and percussion) and Bangalow-based Elodie Crowe (bass and harmony) after asking: What do kids listen to after they’ve outgrown The Wiggles and Justine Clarke, but aren’t yet ready for Nirvana or Taylor Swift?

Naughton and Crowe met through the Bangalow Theatre Company while performing in Rent! Naughton also founded the popular community singing group Shire Choir, where she met Cox — the drummer in the Birrell Bros Band, which often accompanies the choir.

“We all have young boys and realised there was a dearth of interesting music that we could play to our kids without wanting to stick a fork in our eye because it is so repetitive, banal, didactic, disengaging,” she said. “Surely our children can listen to music that we as parents enjoy too? We wanted to create music that was fun and appealing and real and riveting.

“The music is raw, rhythmic and authentic. I love storytelling and lyrics so the songs all have dynamic words, but they are catchy and infectious.”

Their songs also include one about a digger — inspired by construction work — and another about a fire engine.

Their debut album, Cos Gumboots Are the Best!, is due for release in early 2026.

“We recorded three of the tracks with ARIA-award winning producer Chris Collins,” Naughton said. “The rest of the album was recorded by Jordan Power; mixed and mastered by Geroge Georgiadis.”

They also worked with local guitarist Luke Bennett and collaborated with Bangalow musician Andy Walker, from kids’ rock band Bunny Racket.

The group’s next single, Leech at the Beach, will be released on November 28.

“It’s all about having a bushwalking adventure but discovering you have a leech on your foot,” Naughton said. “We aren’t aware of anyone else who has written a song about a leech. It’s got a vintage ’60s surf rock vibe to it. We are about to film the music video, which will be stacks of fun.”