Canadian singer-songwriter Ryland Moranz and Aus/Fijian artist Andrea Kirwin are coming to perform at Church Street Studios in Sydney on Friday 29 November. Tickets are $30 and if you haven't visited Church St Studios it's an enchanting boutique live music venue with limited seating so be sure to book in early to avoid missing out. Doors will open at 6.30pm for 7pm show. This event will be an entertaining evening of songs and stories by two Festival artists who have built their careers on live performances, strong songwriting and their story telling. Check out more information on Ryland and Andrea below...

RYLAND MORANZ (Canadian Singer-Songwriter from Alberta, Canada)

Since his last Australian tour in 2023, Canadian Singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo afficionado Ryland Moranz has been busying himself with recording his 3rd album, Better/Worse, which he has recently released his first single, 'When I'm Gone', and official video for which you can view below. Ryland's enthralling live shows featuring vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica and mandolin wax and wane between stories and songs which feature his poignant lyricism influenced by his favourite literary giants like Kurt Vonnegut and Ernest Hemingway. His original songs are compositional templates determined by Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, or Blaze Foley, whose tragic demise is recalled in Ryland's song, 'There Ain’t New Songs', which, like the ragtime-style 'Run Rabbit Run', is one of many sublime highlights featured on Ryland’s beautiful January 2021 sophomore release, XO, 1945. You can expect a more steeped and refined offering in Ryland's upcoming album soon to be released later this year. His solo shows are punctuated with quick wit and even quicker banjo picking and filled with humorous renderings of tales and songs based on true and imagined narratives. This all makes for a highly entertaining live show whether you are a fan of the banjo or yet to be convinced of it's beguiling sound, don't miss Ryland while he is touring Australia this Spring/Summer.

ANDREA KIRWIN (Aus/Fijian singer-songwriter)

A powerful vocalist and engaging story-teller, Australian/Fijian singer-songwriter Andrea Kirwin began her songwriting journey when she picked up a guitar at age 21 and dropped out of her arts/law degree in Canberra to tour the East Coast of Australia with her first band, the Andi and George band. During 2005 - 2008 she booked independent tours and travelled with the renegade collective of housemates and uni friends to many Folk Festivals in an old retired school bus and performed at The Dreaming Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and Womadelaide. Together Andi and George released 4 DIY albums, which hold a special place in the hearts of the Canberrans who attended some of their legendary gigs at The Front Cafe in Lyneham, including an album launch for their Sun and Moon double album that was shut down by the Riot police back in 2008. In 2009 Andrea went solo and founded Peace Run Records and Agency and went on to release 5 albums under her own label, receiving Queensland Music award nominations for her second album The Story of Us and won the QMA award for Best Children's song for a co-write with Nyssa Ray, 'Love Everybody' and received 2 x QMA nominations in the Folk and World Music categories for her most recent album, Bloom (released in May, 2021).

Andrea's original music has been influenced by her childhood growing up in Townsville as the daughter of a Fijian Preacher and her gospel roots can be felt in her vocal style. A lover of acoustic folk and soul, Andrea's originals use melodies and arrangements that form a lasting impression on the listener and wax and wane between Easy listening tunes and high energy songs. She often performs solo or as a duo with her wife Claire Evelynn on the Celtic Harp and currently is performing as her 13 piece Folk/Funk/World Fusion big band The Yama-Nui Social Club at select Festivals as well. For this show at Church Street Studios Andrea will be opening and performing solo. She'll bring out songs from her 5 album catalogue as well as a few new ones as well.

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