8 Regional Victorian Acts Worth Keeping An Eye On In 2023

Words By Alex Callan

Almost every music fan has rocked up to a gig before, bumped into a bloke they haven't seen in a decade, and being told by that bloke that “the gig scene just isn’t what it used to be.” Maybe it’s not, or maybe that guy is just out of touch.

This is why we thought it might be handy to provide a guide to some of the locals who have been killing it at the moment. If you’re one of the few who tuned into triple j’s most recent Hottest 100 Countdown and questioned whether you still know what ‘hip’ music is, this one is for you.

Here's our take on the eight local acts that we think would be worth your while checking out this year.

Good Sniff

Having made the difficult decision to continue as a two-piece following the death of the group’s frontman and best mate Louie Shearman in 2020, the Bellarinebased garage-rockers have hustled over the last two years, earning themselves a slew of impressive support slots that have seen the group sharing stages with everyone from WAVVES to Skegss. Channelling a dynamic sound that now sees both Lachie Brown and Elias Hodson double up on vocal duties, as well as plans for their debut album, first-ever national tour and their inaugural festival ‘Sniff Fest’ all to be unveiled over the coming months, it seems 2023 is going to be the year for Good Sniff.

Watty Thompson

There are few acts that you could put on while you’re drinking beers with your Dad and Grandad and have all three of you enjoy it: Watty Thompson is that exception. Marking a significant change up from his work with Sheriff and The Neptune Power Federation, Thompson’s newly released solo material is an absolute masterclass in poetic songwriting. Possessing a masterful ability in songwriting, poignantly curated instrumentals and a matured country-tinged style that rivals Tex Perkins, Thompson is one of Victoria’s best-kept secrets.

Operation Karma

As a group only freshly out of high school, Operation Karma have been turning heads over the last few months. Comprised of the Hobbs sisters and Ivy Brand, the all-female outfit have been winning over crowds left, right and centre with their original take on psychedelic alt-rock. Having mastered their craft during their tenure in The Sweethearts, Operation Karma’s output finds itself more expansive than their contemporaries, with Laura Brand’s jazz-influenced percussion and Rachel Brand’s dual abilities as both a keyboardist and a sax player adding layers of complexity to the group’s rawer, psychrock tones.

Rory Jame$

Juiceboxx

When people speak about local acts that are excelling, Juiceboxx isn’t mentioned enough. As one of the artists at the forefront of The Bay Collective (a group of local creatives pushing the niche sides of our local scene to the masses), the Geelongbased rapper has spent the past few years earning his stripes supporting some of the biggest hip-hop acts in the country. With ‘Geelong Shit’ currently sitting on over 150 thousand streams, as well as earning endorsements from the likes of Chillinit and Nerve, Juiceboxx isn't just on the way up, he’s about to blow up.

Similarly to Juiceboxx, Rory Jame$ marks himself as a frontrunner in the local rap scene. With a nonchalant flow, jazzy J Dillainspired instrumentals and a collaborative nature that has seen the Torquay-based artist work alongside local legends from Vanilla Neptune to Juiceboxx and Kaviitá, it’s only a matter of time until jame$ finds himself played on radio stations around the country.

The Prize

When Forte Mag first covered The Prize, their debut single ‘Wrong Side Of Town’ had just been released and was sitting on less than 1,000 streams. It’s now four months later and it is sitting comfortably on 20,000 plays. This is a pretty fair indication that The Prize are an act worth checking out. Channelling a 70’s punk-rock style that will appeal to fans of any age, The Prize have quickly earned a name for themselves through support slots for CIVIC and Sunnyboys, and with appearances locked in for both Boogie and Tent Pole festival, it doesn’t seem like the group’s looking to slow down anytime soon.

Paraquay

Part of my role at Forte is compiling the regional Victorian gig guide every month, and the one name popping up more than any other is Paraquay. Having only released their debut EP in the latter half of 2022, Paraquay are still in their infancy as a band, but considering how hard they’ve hit the ground running, it’s almost a guarantee that they are a name you’ll be hearing a lot more of in future.

Kaviitá

Having first popped up on the gig scene through her work in Bonsoi and The White Flower Society, Kaviitá is finally gearing up to release her debut solo album and if the first two singles are anything to go by, it’s guaranteed to be a hit. Tying together nü jazz/neo-soul with elements of hip-hop and RNB, the once Geelong-based songstress is one of our local scene’s best-undiscovered talents.