Come celebrate Hihi & The Stitchbirds' first EP - On a Good Day - an exploration of love, and loss, and the pieces in between.

7:00pm - Doors

7:30pm - The Bidibids

8:30pm - Hihi & The Stitchbirds

After a whirlwind 18 months as a five-piece folk band, Hihi & The Stitchbirds are delighted to release their debut EP with five original songs that will make you feel soothed and seen. Written by band members Tess Luff, Elena Saunders and Ellie Stewart, this group of talented musicians invite you into contemplative corners of their brains with a set of gentle and jovial numbers that will entertain and delight.

They will be joined on stage by their friends the Bidibids.

About Hihi & The Stitchbirds:

Hihi & The Stitchbirds are an exciting five-piece musical experiment, based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Pairing rich vocal harmonies with vibrant original music inspired by the folk and Americana playbooks, this band brings something for everyone.

Hihi & The Stitchbirds are:

Elena Saunders - vocals and vibes

Chris Goldsbury - guitar, clarinet and vocals

Tess Luff - guitar, banjo uke and vocals

Matt Hutton - bass uke and vocals

Ellie Stewart - fiddle and vocals

About the Bidibids:

With lush harmonies, intricate arrangements, and beguiling melodies, the Bidibids explore what it means to play folk music in New Zealand. The Bidibids are Sarah August on banjo and guitar, Simon Carryer on cello-banjo, and Brendan Schenk on mandolin and guitar. The trio came together at the 2020 Wellington Folk Festival, where they were each supposed to be playing in different groups. Since then, the Wellington-based band have become regulars at some of the region’s best venues for folk music, including the Mussel Inn, Moon, and the Wellington Bluegrass Society.

Driven by Sarah’s honest, intimate songwriting and Brendan’s blazing musicianship, the Bidibids balance soulful ballads that will tug your heart-strings with upbeat numbers which will get your toes tapping. Influenced by American bluegrass and folk bands like Watchhouse and Nickel Creek, they’re also inspired by local acts like the Eastern and Marlon Williams who are forging an authentic New Zealand folk tradition. You can listen to the Bidibids' debut EP here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6Q8HW5g0FzDl3VYz44OZU5?si=4gIRmfaRSiOUlgxJnVUbuw.