GIG: WASHINGTON + BIRDS & BELLES

Fresh from a packed show at the Peats Ridge festival, and having just wrapped up their first EP, three-piece indie folk outfit Birds & Belles have hit the road for a tour of New South Wales and Victoria kicking off at the Vanguard in Newtown. Originally a solo artist, Birds & Belles singer-songwriter Shanna Watson joined forces with Cameron Groth on bass in 2005 and the two played as a duo until recruiting Chas Jagger on drums and percussion. Their gigs can be an engaging mish mash of folk, pop and rock, peppered with elements of reggae, funk and swing. But deep down, the band is true to their acoustic roots with pure, clean harmonic compositions driven by Watson’s honest, intelligent lyrics. Ranging from catchy foot-tapping numbers to heart-wrenching, melancholy ballads, their songs are well crafted tales of love, desire, regret and longing delivered with style that’s both earnest and wry. In their Vanguard show, Birds & Belles are supporting up-and-coming Australian sensation Washington, fronted by husky-voiced, award-winning leading lady Megan Washington.

Mar 10, The Vanguard, 42 King St, Newtown, $15 (currently sold out), 9020 6959, thevanguard.com.au