Words by Josie Lyttle

Photos by Elise Abotomey

The coastal city of Wollongong, Australia, is home each year to the electric Yours & Owls festival; an epic 2 day event that showcases the best of Australian artists both emerging and established. In addition to the fully packed Australian lineup is a small collection of international artists, each known in their own right for their individual sound.

Bringing some much needed excitement to the local music scene, this year's Yours & Owls line-up was diverse in nature and captivating in performance. A frequent flyer at the festival, I had the privilege of attending Yours & Owls this year with Pleaser Magazine, with the sole purpose of providing you all with a highlight reel of the weekend, and the artists to keep an eye on.

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Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers

The four piece band has carved out a space in the music industry with a sound that is punk and rock all the while talking lyrics that speak to the highs and lows of being a young adult; love, friendships and sexuality. Teen Jesus’ set on Saturday was all that and more, with stunning vocals and immaculate instrumentals that went from strength to strength, in particular with songs from their new Album and their live collaboration with The Grogans on their song ‘Salt’. I cannot forget to mention their cover of ‘Happier Than Ever’ by Billie Eilish that they had performed only a week beforehand on Triple J’s Like A Version which the lead singer Anna performed with precision and power.

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Go-Jo

The energetic and fun-filled set by Go-Jo was one of my highlights for the weekend. His love for performing was palpable and intoxicating, providing a much needed energy boost for a crowd over half-way through their first day stint. Go-Jo has become a rising star within Australia’s music industry and beyond; his TikTok videos take you on a trip around the world as he uses his travels and the people he meets as inspiration for his new EP’s. We had the joy of witnessing his rendition of ‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac which was performed in a more upbeat tempo indicative of Go-Jo and his animated style. His latest single ‘Mrs Hollywood’ was the final song of the night; which even included a member of the crowd performing an insane guitar solo that left me speechless.

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Vera Blue

The ethereal powerhouse Vera Blue performed at 1.30 on Sunday; the early time slot not deterring the crowd from forming, pushing aside their day one hangovers to come see her stunning performance. Her breathtaking vocals are a uniting force to her electro-pop sound, and her set was a reminder of her standing as a force within the Australian music industry. Gracing us with songs spanning her entire career, Vera’s incredible range both musically and vocally cannot be denied, as she beautifully captures the highs and lows of the human experience. Vera Blue’s sound is in a league of its own, with tempos and rhythms that gave me goosebumps; contradictory to the sunny 26℃ weather that day. For those who are familiar with Enya’s ‘Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)’, Vera performed a stunning rendition of the song that had Vera’s pop sound integrated throughout.

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The Rions

The Rions embodied a cool, calm and collected presence on stage today, creating a seamless act that showcased the band's classic crisp vocals and clean instrumentals throughout the entirety of the set. Never have I wanted to be a part of the music scene more when watching these four; their youthful energy dispersing a vibe throughout the crowd that can only be likened to friendship and camaraderie, makes it impossible not to love these guys. We got to witness the title track from their new EP ‘Minivan’, a beautifully crafted piece that resonates with a crowd such as the one Yours & Owls; a song that puts into music how most of us feel at some point in our lives as we move away from our youth and grow into uncertainty-filled adulthood.

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Peach Pit

I have to of course shout out the international acts in the lineup this weekend. Peach Pit was a name I was not too familiar with going into this weekend, but after their performance on Saturday I hope to become much more acquainted with their work. Their head-banging indie sound delivered soft lyrics coupled with strong instrumentals to a huge crowd who were just as captivated as I was when listening to one of their first live performances in Australia since their inception.

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Old Mervs

For me, these boys were the dark horse of the weekend. I must confess, I was not familiar at all with duo act, but in the week since I will confess to having continued to consume Old Mervs indie-rock content on the commute to work. Still relatively new to the Australian music scene, these two are emerging as a force; their latest single ‘Be There’ is upbeat and smooth, creating the perfect atmosphere for the wild crowd to sing along. A tin (or two) of beer throughout their performance added an air of laid backness to the performance that did not stop the crowd from going insane from kickoff as they jumped straight into performance without stopping for introductions; that would come later.

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Meg Mac

Meg Mac has been a favourite of mine ever since I saw her at my first festival in 2015. And here, 8 years later, she still remains one of my favourite Australian artists. Joined on stage by her little sister and best friend, Meg’s sound is so wonderfully forceful and yet so beautifully soft at the same time. Thanking everyone for joining her in the early time slot on Sunday, Meg belted out track after track, including music from her latest album ‘Matter of Time’, accompanied by incredible instrumentals from the bass and drums. Her set, although early in the day, created a dynamic and energetic atmosphere that set the tone for the rest of the day; a tribute to her popularity and standing as an iconic Australian artist.

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The line-up that kept on giving has followed me this week, as I continue to ride the high of watching so many talented Australian artists in their element. The performances felt intimate and raw, something that Yours & Owls is able to harness perfectly with its collaboration with the local University of Wollongong campus and local artists. For all those that missed out, don’t worry, you can find all these amazing artists on our ‘Y&O 2023’ playlist we made for you; so what are you waiting for…Go get it in your ears ASAP.