Songs of the South
Next on
Fri 22 Jan 2027
6:30-10pm
Location
Undercroft - Ground Floor
This event is for
Adults
Ally Friendly
Designers
Researchers
Students
Writers
Event Type
Set under the stars in the State Library’s forecourt, this one-night-only live concert draws together a stacked lineup of leading WA songwriters who share a connection to Kinjarling/Albany or the Great Southern region. The songs and stories performed on the night have all been inspired by this special part of world.
Enjoy a pop-up bar and plenty of room to sit or stand and drift along to the sounds of leading WA musicians, including ThornBird (Vikki Thorn from The Waifs), Sam Carmody and Maatakitj. The night will also include a reading by 2026 Western Australian Premier’s Book Award Winner Mabel Gibson.
The State Library’s exhibition Kinjarling Djinning Ngalak: Country Sees Us will form the backdrop to this special songwriting showcase, giving the audience members the chance to experience this extraordinary exhibition before, during and after the show.
Kinjarling Djinning Ngalak is a Menang-led exhibition which shines a spotlight on the rocky, dramatic, evocative Kinjarling landscape which has long served as an inspiration for artists. At its centre are six newly commissioned video oral histories featuring Menang Elders, which visitors are invited to experience in an immersive kornt / mia-ma structure. This exhibition was developed as part of the State Library’s Dialogues 2029 program as a response to the bicentenary of Kinjarling’s colonisation.
Presented by:
Artist Lineup
ThornBird (Vikki Thorn from The Waifs)
ThornBird, is the electrifying solo project of Vikki Thorn. With a voice honed over three decades at the heart of The Waifs; Australia’s iconic globally touring folk-rock band, ThornBird emerges as a bold new force on the global stage. Her debut self-titled solo album (2022) drew critical acclaim, earning nominations for both an ARIA and a WAMI Award for Best Blues and Roots Album. ThornBird has performed all over the world, singing on stages with Bob Dylan, Keith Urban, Levon Helm and Tony Joe White.
Carla Geneve
Carla Geneve is a singer-songwriter based in Boorloo/Perth Western Australia. Known for her powerful, brutally honest songwriting and ability to turn everyday experiences into songs that feel both deeply personal and universally relatable. Since 2018 she has released a string of four critically acclaimed albums that show the breadth of her songwriting, composition and production. With her brilliant band, Carla’s live shows are built around connection.
Corella Saxophone Quartet
Based on Whadjuk Noongar country, Corella Saxophone Quartet is a contemporary classical saxophone quartet sharing their love of the land through their art. The quartet members consist of Bridget Cleary on soprano, Mia Vuković on alto, Kieran Toye on tenor and Erin Royer on baritone. The group released their debut album Kinjarling in 2023 which celebrates music composed and performed by musicians who know and love this land intimately.
Maatakitj
Nyoongar songmaker Maatakitj (skinny legs like spears) sounds like nowhere else. Dusky guitars and dance fuse with the Indigenous song traditions of WA's deep south, carried as public service announcements for Country. He sings in Nyoongar, one of the many endangered Indigenous languages of Australia. He has performed with Angélique Kidjo, composed for the Kronos Quartet and made the dance album Noongar Wonderland featuring Paul Mac. As Clint Bracknell, he is Professor of Music at UWA.
Mabel Gibson
Mabel Gibson is a contemporary writer and Yamatji woman. She grew up across Perth (Boorloo), Albany (Kinjarling), and Geraldton (Jambinu), experiences that strongly influence her writing. Her work explores themes of identity, mental health, race, family and the experience of growing up First Nations in the 21st century. Mabel’s debut book, CryBaby won the 2026 Western Australian Premier’s Book Award. It is a collection of micro-memoirs that traces her life from childhood to early adulthood.
Madeleine Antione
Hailing from Albany, Madeleine began playing the violin at the age of six. She has studied at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, UWA and the Prague Conservatory of Music. She is a member of the Perth Symphony (PSO), electric string quartet INNEKA and has toured around the world. She composes music as a solo artist and with her band Selfless Orchestra. A passionate advocate for social rights and environmental justice, themes that permeate her albums Sol and The Dying Sun .
New Nausea
New Nausea is a Walyalup based alt-folk/rock project whose principal songwriter Albert Pritchard grew up in WA’s Great Southern. The music spans many corners of guitar-music, bound together with the through-line of Albert’s humorous and emotive lyricism. Their first album Fountain of Struth received a nomination for WAM’s Album of the Year alongside WA giants Tame Impala and Spacey Jane. 2026 sees the band releasing their long awaited second LP Music for Frogs.
Ricky Neil Jr.
The Minang Noongar artist has carved out a reputation for high-energy performances and groove-heavy tracks that get any crowd moving. Backed by a killer band, Ricky has been tearing up stages across Australia, from Nannup Music Festival and Hyper Festival to Lunch Fest and St Kilda Festival. With two sold headline shows under his belt, appearances at BIGSOUND and a run of shows supporting Playlunch, he’s quickly building a name with his very own brand of disco infused pop.
Sam Carmody
Sam Carmody is an award-winning novelist, journalist and songwriter from Albany, Western Australia. His first novel, The Windy Season, a coastal thriller, won the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction. He has won a West Australian Music Industry (WAM) Song of the Year award and released a debut album Shadow in the Dream.
Simon London
Whether band or solo, Simon London’s musical journey has spanned gigs at venues on LA’s Sunset Strip to shows at remote wheatbelt pubs. Better known for the soaring melodies, sweeping soundscapes and the compelling song-writing that has become the backbone of his recording and touring outfit Simon London + the Spirits. The Spirits inhabit the big ocean expanse of sea and sky, space and light of their Menang home. London has always enjoyed the challenge of stripping back his songwriting to its barest form.
Sleepy Soph
Sleepy Soph is an Albany-raised, Perth-based singer-songwriter who captures the bittersweet yearning of youth through dreamy melodies and heartfelt lyrics. Her sound blends indie folk and alternative pop, that explore themes of nostalgia, inner conflict, and love. Releasing her debut EP lucky in November of last year. She creates a soft, cutesie atmosphere for those navigating life’s transitions and lost in daydreams of the past.
Upcoming dates
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Related Exhibition
Kinjarling Djinnang Ngalak
Country Sees Us
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An immersive exhibition centred around newly recorded video oral histories of Menang Elders and a large-scale visual meditation on the Kinjarling/Albany landscape.