Here’s where you can see the 14 Australian artists playing Folk Alliance International in New Orleans this week

On Wednesday, the Folk music scene is heading to New Orleans for the 32rd installment of the Folk Alliance International Conference, presented by Folk Alliance International, the world’s largest gathering of the folk music industry and community.

Usually the February conference is held in Kansas City, but this year – following a year in Montreal in 2019 – the conference is being held a little bit earlier in the year (this week!), and in New Orleans.

It’s a unique event in that the entire conference takes place in the one hotel, with rooms throughout the hotel being used as venues. This year 14 Aussie acts will be a part of the event, as it takes over the Sheraton New Orleans. They aren’t all artists you would have heard of; some are at the start of their booming careers (like the headline artist pictured in this article, Dobby), and others, like Hat Fitz and Cara, are veterans of the industry looking to break into, and take advantage of, the International market.

Áine Tyrrell
Alice Skye
Charm of Finches
Colin Lillie
Dobby
Emily Warramara
Francesca De Valence
Hat Fitz and Cara
Hussy Hicks
Little Georgia
Nigel Wearne
Saije
This Way North
Tom West

Though folk is in its name, in reality it crosses a diverse array of genres as that list of Australian talent will show you – including Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Francophone, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Indigenous, Latin, Old Time, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, and Zydeco. And you may as well add “Australiana” to that list as well.

The conference draws 2,900 artists and industry (agents, managers, publishers, labels, festival/venue presenters, promoters, media) dedicated to folk music. Delegates who attended the 2019 conference represented 48 countries, including of course Australia – with the 2020 installment proving no different. You can learn more about our 2020 conference here: https://folkconference.org/nola.

And as for where you can see the Australian artists during the week, here’s a look at some of the showcase events where they’ll be featured, including a number of events put on by our friends at Sounds Australia, in collaboration with the NZ Music Commission, who are representing their artists, including Eden Iris, Troy Kingi, South For Winter, George Jackson and Tami Neilson.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22

AINE TYRRELL OFFICIAL SHOWCASE
RHYTHMS BALLROOM i, 2ND FLOOR

9:00pm Áine Tyrrell

THURSDAY JANUARY 23

REALLY SOUTHERN FOLK (IN THE ROUND)
AN AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND SHOWCASE
ZULU ROOM (829)
10:30pm
Emily Wurramara (AUS)
Alice Skye (AUS)
Eden Iris (NZ)

11:10pm
Charm of Finches (AUS)
Troy Kingi (NZ)
Hat Fitz & Cara (AUS)

11:50pm
Tom West (AUS)
Nigel Wearne (AUS)
This Way North (AUS)

12:30am
Hussy Hicks (AUS)
South For Winter (NZ)
Saije (AUS)

1:10am
George Jackson (NZ)
Colin Lillie (AUS)
Áine Tyrrell (AUS)

1:50am
Francesca de Valence (AUS)
Little Georgia (AUS)

INDIGENOUS MUSIC SUMMIT
INDIGENOUS VOICES ROOM (1209)

1:25am Alice Skye

FRIDAY JANUARY 24

SOUNDS AUSTRALIA OFFICIAL SHOWCASE
RHYTHMS BALLROOM I, 2ND FLOOR
4:40pm This Way North
5:30pm Emily Wurramara
6:20pm Saije
7:10pm Hat Fitz & Cara
8:00pm Alice Skye

REALLY SOUTHERN FOLK (NIGHT #2)
AN AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND SHOWCASE
ZULU ROOM (829)

10:30pm Tami Neilson (NZ)
11:00pm Colin Lillie (AUS)
11:30pm Eden Iris (NZ)
12:00am Little Georgia (AUS)
12:30am Saije (AUS)
1:00am Alice Skye (AUS)
1:30am Emily Wurramara (AUS)
2:00am This Way North (AUS)
2:30am Tom West (AUS)

INDIGENOUS MUSIC SUMMIT
INDIGENOUS VOICES ROOM (1209)

12:35am Emily Wurramara

SATURDAY JANUARY 25

COLIN LILLIE OFFICIAL SHOWCASE
RHYTHMS BALLROOM i, 2ND FLOOR

4:40pm Colin Lillie

INDIGENOUS MUSIC SUMMIT
PRIVATE RECEPTION EVENT (OPEN TO FAI BADGEHOLDERS & DELEGATES)
RHYTHMS BALLROOM III, 2ND FLOOR

9:20pm DOBBY

REALLY SOUTHERN FOLK (NIGHT #3)
AN AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND SHOWCASE
ZULU ROOM (829)
10:30pm Charm of Finches (AUS)
11:00pm South For Winter (NZ)
11:30pm Hussy Hicks (AUS)
12:00am Áine Tyrrell (AUS)
12:30am Nigel Wearne (AUS)
1:00am Troy Kingi (NZ)
1:30am George Jackson (NZ)
2:00am Hat Fitz & Cara (AUS)
2:30am Francesca de Valence (AUS)

For more details about the conference, which takes place from January 22-26 in New Orleans, head here: https://folkconference.org/nola. For the 2021 and 2022 events, the conference will return to its regularly scheduled time in February, and its home of Kansas City, MO, USA.