Fresh off the success of their debut single and an enthralling East Coast tour, contemporary folkster Rufous Whistler is making their much-awaited Melbourne return with a full-band headline show at the Wesley Anne. Set your sights on the release of their second single, ‘Honey’—a deeply earthy, soul-stirring song that promises to resonate. This is a must-see event for contemporary folk lovers, where tradition seamlessly blends with innovation, delivering a performance as rich and warm as the song itself.

Rufous Whistler is the moniker of Vinny Russell, a versatile singer-songwriter with deep roots in Northeast Victoria (Wiradjuri Country). Known for his campfire-glow voice and multi-instrumental skill, Russell (guitar, bouzouki, mandolin) steps into the limelight and finds his own contemporary folk sound with Rufous Whistler. 

Russell, who spent years lending his instrumental skills to folk and bluegrass acts, The Humbuckin’ Pickups and Knott Family Band, will be accompanied by a cast of talented friends, Steven Hornby (double bass), Lucy McKenzie-McHarg (fiddle, mandolin), and Dylan Knur (mandolin, fiddle, banjo) who help bring Rufous Whistler’s songs to life with 4 part harmonies and soul-stirring melodies that defy the boundaries of contemporary folk. 

Joining Rufous Whistler on the night will be Yours, Georgina. Yours, Georgina is the folk/rock project of Georgie Currie, a Naarm-based singer-songwriter who has just released her EP “Noonlight” to critical acclaim. Her songs deftly weave the hyper-personal with the universal to tell stories about yearning, heartache and growing pains.