FOLK BITCH TRIO

Compelling storytellers on and offstage, it was our pleasure to speak to Folk Bitch Trio about where they’ve come from, what lies ahead, and where the band are finding meaning in this chapter of their life.

Words by Lucy Andrews

Folk Bitch Trio’s musical style is not easily classified. The primary way Gracie Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington and Heide Peverelle work their magic is through timing: the band treat every breath with respect, and every lyrical verse is woven with elasticity stretching back and forth between each musician. Their three-part harmonies are delicately constructed, blended together with a certain expertise that only comes from years of experience and a close personal bond.

After a delightful hour spent chatting to the band at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne’s inner north over a pot of beer, it’s clear their musicianship is built on stems from their friendship.

“We’ve grown up in very supportive communities,” Gracie says. “Our high school was very supportive, and our parents too; it’s given us a sense of, you know, gentle, quiet self-confidence.”

The Folk Bitch Trio members tell an absorbing tale of how ordinary lives can lead to extraordinary experiences. Gracie, Jeanie and Heide are childhood friends turned housemates and bandmates. The supportive environment that nurtured the trio is the same in which they work and play today.

Jeanie’s father, Craig Pilkington, is a producer and sound engineer at Audrey Studios in Coburg, where the band recorded their first two releases. Her mother is a musician as well, so music was always something around her in her childhood.

Gracie used to work behind the bar at the Northcote Social Club, when Courtney Barnett and Julia Jacklin – musicians they now share stages with – were gracing the bandroom. Heide currently works at Milk! Records, an artist-run label founded in 2012 by Barnett and Jen Cloher.

The organic growth and natural chemistry of the band members is something that can be felt when listening to their music. One of their first tracks, Edie, is a delicate, guitar-driven ballad that showcases the vocal prowess of the three singers. After its release, it was featured prominently on the radio and social media, which gave the group a boost in popularity that helped propel them forward.

When the Grammy-nominated singer songwriter Phoebe Bridgers reviewed the song for Triple J Unearthed, she said it reminded her of the sound of her indie folk super-group Boygenius with an added 1940s vibe. “I love that, that’s awesome,” she said.

The past year, they’ve gone on to collaborate with the six-piece country rock and roll bad boys in Bones and Jones for a jangly and heartful two-song release. They also as well as dropped three singles of their own: Summer Love, and most recently, the double-hitter of Lost and Shiver. The band is still in its early days – fans are patiently waiting for a debut album – but they’ve already made great strides from where they first began.

When discussing who they’ve played with and who they’re set to play with this year, Jeanie and Gracie are all tongue in cheek, not attempting to hold back their chuckles at the absurdity of how far they’ve come.

“We’ve been really lucky; we’re gonna be on the same bill as Angel Olsen,” Gracie adds. “A lot of it is quite ridiculous, like us supporting Julia Jacklin last year, which for our 17-year-old selves would have been hilarious,” adds Jeanie. “We never would have put ourselves on the same stage as her.”

When they were growing up, singing together was often more tempting than focusing on their school work. Still, they never imagined where they’d be three years on. “We were teenagers when we started singing together,” Gracie explains. “Our chemistry was really fun. It was in high school, and often we did it to procrastinate studying for our year 12 exams.”

This year the band are investing their time and creative energy into making music and touring, with their sights set on international stages and an attitude of “we’ll see where it takes us” propelling them forwards. “We’re definitely taking it slowly,” Jeanie says. “We want to make sure that everything we release we’re proud of and feels like a reflection of what our songs sound like live.”

The trio is set to grace the stage of the upcoming Port Fairy Folk Festival, happening from March 10 to Match 13 in the charming seaside town. The Folkie, as it’s been nicknamed, is the perfect place for the band to show off their talents – they’re clearly fans of the event, as this will be their second year back. Founded in 1977, the Labour Day weekender has become a longstanding tradition for folk fans across Australia, beloved for its lighthearted, community-focused spirit.

Aside from a range of musical talent, the festival also hosts a plethora of other activities including themed shows, workshops, instrument makers, food trucks and bars, as well as circus performers and puppet shows for the little ones. Located just under four hours out of Melbourne, visitors can make a weekend trip out of it by booking accommodation at the rent-a-tent site, nearby caravan parks and campgrounds, or one of the hotels, beachside villas, and bed-and-breakfasts in Port Fairy or the neighbouring Warrnambool.

This year, Folk Bitch Trio will perform alongside 48 other local and international folk heroes. The lineup includes Billy Bragg (ENG), Liz Stringer, Niamh Regan (IRE), William Crighton, Josh Pyke and Judy Collins (USA) are only a handful of the artists that are set to play across the four-day fest.

As for where the Folk Bitch Trio are finding meaning in this chapter of their life, each of the band’s members carries the influence of wise old souls within them: Joni Mitchell, Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Jeff Buckley and Bob Dylan are just a handful of names in their musical repertoire.

The influence of Americana folk singer-songwriters with minimal instrumentation and themes of love, loss and hope revealing themselves in what is sung and what is left unsaid is not lost on anyone who has listened to the band perform.

The trio is young and have a lifetime of experiences and work ahead of them to experiment with and develop their sound. However, they believe it will stay the same, as Jeanie explains. “It will always be the three of us singing together. The most important thing is that we want to keep our sound as true to the experience of singing together as we can while exploring the potential.”

Folk Bitch Trio are playing Port Fairy Folk Festival from March 10 to 13.

Of that number, 55% are female and the average age is 26. Staff are earning an average of $500 per week and are working in an industry categorised by strong competition, physical demands, and conflicting personalities - all of which is done in the public eye. Industry leaders are change catalysts who set the tone for organisational culture and it’s about time that culture changed.

The hospitality industry was designed to provide an enjoyable experience. Whether that enjoyment comes from food and beverage, accommodation, travel and tourism or entertainment, industry providers ensure that everyone is taken care of. But who takes care of the hospitality staff? Mind and Strength Support (MASS) specialises in mental health training and consultancy for hospitality.

MASS was born from founder David Spargo who combined his love and passion for hospitality with his love and passion for supporting people. We caught up with Spargo to discuss the issues the hospitality industry faces, why MASS was something the industry needed, and his mission to reduce the harmful impacts of stress and increase mental health wellbeing within the hospitality industry.

“There are a lot of psychological risks and hazards within the hospitality workspace and I don’t think we are addressing them as an industry,” Spargo says. “We still have a long way to go.

“It’s got to start somewhere and I am hoping to be part of that change within Melbourne and hopefully wider in Australia, in time, to address some of these issues and help businesses better support their staff.”

Discussing the issues the industry faced, the following critical items stood out; substance use, stress, financial pressures including increased cost of living, and the fact that investment in staff is lacking. However, the most pressing issue in the industry is a lack of education and support around mental health and wellbeing. A survey conducted by MASS shows that 83% of staff in the industry don’t have access to counselling. Spargo says it is a poor result compared to other industries. “We don’t really have a huge or a strong union in the industry. So governing bodies for hospitality workers’ rights are still in development, whereas if you look at other trades and other areas they have a much larger advocacy group which has a lot more funding behind it.”

Whilst he acknowledges that the cost of counselling services might be a barrier for businesses, the costs of not offering these services is a lot higher. “If I was to look at