Radio Woodfordia

This episode was recorded live from the Woodford Folk Festival as part of the 'First Wine of the Day' and might just be better to watch on youtube if you can (not while driving please)Harley Breen alongside his cohost Nikki Britton, who arrives fashionably late after spending 12 hours on the Bruce Highway, light up the Piano Bar delighting the crowd with lots of cracking guests. fruity wine and funnies to keep you giggling. The ep features a custom-built pram vehicle (featuring trap doors, LED lights, an underground esky and a nutty contraption). We introduce a man described as 'Woodford', Costa Georgiadis, who as no beef with his new mate Brett Blake, and a surprise musical performance from the spectacular Jen Wynter.Costa shares why Woodford lit a fire in him that hasn't stopped burning since Bill first extended the invite. The importance of building mud pie kitchens in the children's festival to performing covers in Greek while wearing a silver unitard at 2am, Costa embodies the playful, joyful spirit that makes Woodford wild and special and weird in the best kind of way.Settle in, you might learn a thing or two about wine as well from Woodford's wine connoisseur and Bars Manager Linus Wilson. Muck Yeah!This episode is for:Anyone who needs a bloody laughPeople whose friends went to First Wine and feel FOMO they missed itAnyone who's felt isolated by modern technologyParents looking for ways to pass on childlike wonderFestival-goers who understand why Woodford feels like coming homeDive in to hear about:"Worm alerts"The Bruce Highway and muck in the bottom of fine wineHow to build a multi-purpose Radio Woodfordia promo vehicleHow to play Scrabble and give nil f*cks about a live show right next to you. Awesome.To come to the Woodford Folk Festival and FWOD next year visit: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/FOR MORE:Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.auNikki Britton: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibrittonCosta Georgiadis: https://costasworld.com.au/Jen Wynter: https://www.jennywynter.com/ Brett Blake: https://www.brettblake.com.au/CREDITS: Hosts: Harley Breen, Nikki BrittonGuests: Costa Georgiadis, Brett Blake, Jenny Winter, Linus WilsonProducer: Bree Hickson-JamiesonExecutive Producers: Benny Wallington, Georgia ShawArtwork: Hannah RoseSocial Media: Eliza CowanAssistant: Madeline CorcoranTown Cryer: Ché PritchardCamera Operators: Amelie Barham, Ben 'Tofty' ToftVideo editing: Amelie BarhamMusic by: The East PointersSpecial thanks: Linus and the Piano Bar team Recorded on Jinibara Country#RadioWoodfordia #CostaGeorgiadis #BrettBlake #JennyWinter #WoodfordFolkFestival #HarleyBreen #NikkiBritton #GardeningAustralia #Woodfordia #LivePodcast

"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 eraParents trying to explain to their kids why music matters more than moneyAnyone 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 campingTo 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.auCREDITS:Host: Harley BreenGuest: Katie NoonanProducer: Benny WallingtonExecutive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Georgia ShawVideo editing: Amelie BarhamAudio mastering: Kieron AtkinsonMusic by: The East PointersRecorded on Jinibara Country#RadioWoodfordia #KatieNoonan #George #WoodfordFolkFestival #JeffBuckley #AustralianMusic #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

"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 programsCircus artists wondering what it takes to startParents who build carts for their kids and are looking for tipsDive 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 carsA 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 WoodfordProgramming 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.auCREDITS:Host: Harley BreenGuest: Chelsea McguffinProducer: Benny WallingtonExecutive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-JamiesonVideo Editing: Nicholas HaddowAudio mastering: Kieron AtkinsonMusic by: The East PointersRecorded on Jinibara Country#RadioWoodfordia #WoodfordFolkFestival #CircusProgrammer #TrashTestDummies #Astrodinotto #ContemporaryCircus #FestivalLife #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

"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 touringMusicians wondering if formal training helps or harms creativityArtists navigating the pressure of algorithmsDive in to hear about how:You should accept that random friend requestPost-COVID crowds have changedPlaying for exposure doesn't pay rentTo learn more about Dizzy Days: https://www.instagram.com/dizzydaysband/?hl=enTo come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.auCREDITS:Host: Harley BreenGuests: Dizzy Days (Aisling O'Byrne, Bridgette Dabinet, EJ Carey)Producer: Benny WallingtonExecutive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Jack Tindall, Georgia ShawVideo Editing: Nicholas Haddow, Amelie BarhamAudio mastering: Kieron AtkinsonMusic by: The East PointersRecorded on Jinibara Country#RadioWoodfordia #DizzyDays #AustralianMusic #DIYTouring #EmergingArtists #WoodfordFolkFestival #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

"There's something magical here. If you don't believe in magic or serendipity or whatever, you will by the time you leave."In this episode, Harley sits down with comedian and old friend Jen Wynter, who is a mother of six, a grandmother, and a Woodford veteran since 1998, back when she was throwing mud with hippies.Jen's story is about trust, timing, and the cosmic connections that so many Woodfordian's have experienced from the festival. From losing her wallet (and getting it back with extra cash) to having her mum's folk music legacy unexpectedly intersect with a stranger's memory, Woodford has given her lifelong memories that defy logic.Also, Jen shares her incredible story of meeting a British mum in a children's sandbox at Woodford, who just happened to be childhood friends with comedian-musician, Bill Bailey. Fast forward through years of friendship, and a wild leap of faith, now Jen is writing a TV show starring her comedy hero.This episode is for:Comedians navigating improv, standup, and live performanceWoodfordians with a festival connection storyArtists wondering if they should pitch their heroesDive in to hear about how:Improv saved Jen's sanity when she was raising her childrenThe kindest heckle she ever received was "improvise!"Woodford is the only place you'd lose your wallet and expect it back with moreTo learn more about Jen Winter: https://www.jennywynter.com/To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.auCREDITS:Host: Harley BreenGuest: Jenny WinterProducer: Benny WallingtonExecutive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Jack Tindall, Amelie Barham, Georgia Shaw, Eliza CowanVideo Editing: Amelie BarhamAudio mastering: Kieron AtkinsonMusic by: The East PointersRecorded on Jinibara Country#RadioWoodfordia #JenWynter #JennyWynter #BillBailey #WoodfordFolkFestival #ComedyMagic #Serendipity #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

"I think the thing that has struck me the most is that if you just trust yourself and do the thing that feels the most honest to you, it always goes better."In this episode Harley connects with Georgia Mooney, who landed in Brisbane just hours before this conversation after a 60-hour journey from Prince Edward Island, Canada.She's a solo artist now, but you might know her from All Our Exes Live in Texas, the band that graced Woodford's stages and toured relentlessly for years.Georgia's story is about transformation, from studying jazz at WAPA (where she encountered the rigid, male-dominated world of jazz school), to finding her voice in a four-piece harmony band, to now stepping out on her own with her debut solo record, Full of Moon and her follow-up on the way.She's someone who's done the work. The unglamorous reality of being a touring musician, the loneliness of hotel rooms, the immediate consumption of complimentary biscuits, the strange intimacy of band life that's part marriage, part small business, part creative collaboration.This episode is for:Musicians navigating the shift from band to solo workAnyone interested in what the reality of touring feels likePeople curious about the Festival of Small HallsArtists wondering if formal training helps or hinders finding your voiceDive in to hear about why:Jazz school taught Georgia music theory but she had to unlearn the rules to find her creative voiceRegional audiences bring something to a performance that city crowds simply can't replicateThe stage is the one place you absolutely cannot fake it and that might be what saves live performance from AITo learn more about Georgia: https://www.georgiamooney.com/ To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/To keep up to date with Small Halls Tours: https://festivalofsmallhalls.com/FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.auCREDITS:Host: Harley BreenGuest: Georgia MooneyProducer: Benny WallingtonExecutive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Jack TindallVideo Editing: Nicholas HaddowAudio mastering: Kieron AtkinsonMusic by: The East Pointers Recorded on Jinibara Country#RadioWoodfordia #GeorgiaMooney #FestivalOfSmallHalls #AllOurExesLiveInTexas #AustralianMusic #RegionalTouring #harleybreen #woodfordia