BIO
AUSTRALIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER
LUTHIER & TRUTH SEEKER
"warmth flecked with grit...beauty awaits"
rolling stone
Nigel Wearne saunters after dark in the music of the night, blending blues, folk and Americana-noir. Hailing from Gunditjmara country in the deep south of Australia, he's a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist with diverse influences such as Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Gillian Welch. A deep thinker and truth seeker with a penchant for all things peculiar, he sings of human frailty, grace and the cosmos; songwriting that cuts to the bone.
Nigel has toured Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK and Canada and he's performed at a long list of music festivals, including the MerleFest, Port Fairy Folk Festival and Adelaide Guitar Festival.
His sophomore album, Black Crow garnered wide critical acclaim including a 4-STAR review in Rolling Stone, a nomination for Best Country Album at the Music Victoria Awards and debuted at #1 on the AMRAP Charts. Singer-songwriter, luthier, poet and gleaner; Wearne paints lyrical pictures with “the narrative-fuelled prose of Paul Kelly” (Beat Magazine).
"intoxicating New Orleans-tinged Americana" POST TO WIRE
“an eruption of energy, rhythm and melody” RHYTHMS MAGAZINE
“poignant and mysterious” MAVERICK MAGAZINE UK
Check out Nigel's luthier work HERE.
UPCOMING FESTIVALS
2023 – Cambridge Folk Festival (UK)
2023 – Mile of Music (USA)
2023 – Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (USA)
2023 – AMERICANAFEST Official Showcase (USA)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2023 – Folk Alliance International OFFICIAL Showcase, Kansas City USA
2023 – AmericanaFest UK OFFICIAL Showcase, London UK
2023 – UK Winter Tour
2022 – Music Victoria Awards Nominee – Best Folk Work for 'Above The Bit'
2022 – Australian Folk Music Awards Finalist – Contemporary Album of The Year for 'Above The Bit'
2022 – Folk Alliance International OFFICIAL Showcase*Virtual
2021 – Folk Unlocked Showcase*Virtual
2020 – Folk Alliance International Showcase, New Orleans USA
2020 – Canadian Winter Tour
2019 – Folk Music Ontario Showcase, Toronto CANADA
2019 – Canadian Fall Tour
2019 – Folk Alliance International OFFICIAL Showcase, Montreal CANADA
2019 – Canadian Winter Tour
2017 – Triple j Unearthed Winner – Port Fairy Folk Festival Competition
2017 – New Zealand Tour
2016 – 'Drawing Circles' Double Album Release
2013 – Music Victoria Awards Nominee – Best Country Album for 'Black Crow'
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
2023 – MerleFest (USA), Old Settlers Music Festival (USA), Healesville Music Festival
2022 – Adelaide Guitar Festival, Cobargo Folk Festival, The River Folk Festival, Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival
2021 – Port Fairy Folk Festival March Concert Series
2020 – Cygnet Folk Festival, Blue Skies Music Festival (CANADA)*Virtual
2019 – Troubadour Festival (CANADA), Maldon Folk Festival, Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival
2018 – Port Fairy Folk Festival, Cygnet Folk Festival, Wintermoon Festival, The River Folk Festival, Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival, 2 Worlds
2017 – Illawarra Folk Festival, Birregurra Festival, Blackwood Festival, Surrey Hills Music Festival
2016 – Adelaide Fringe Festival, Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival, Nightjar Festival, Wallaby Creek Festival, Tablelands Folk Festival
2015 – Blackwood Festival, Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, Happy Wanderer Festival, Mount Beauty Music Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival
2014 – Cygnet Folk Festival, Majors Creek Festival, Fleurieu Folk Festival, Newstead Live! Music Festival, Boolarra Folk Festival, Blackwood Festival
2013 – Wallaby Creek Festival, Wirrina Bluegrass Festival, Kingston Harvest Festival, Kyneton Music Festival, Avoca Music Festival, Fiddlehead Festival
2012 – Port Fairy Folk Festival, Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Black Mountain Unplugged, JamGrass Music Festival, Folk, Rhythm & Life
