Music
What is a festival without music? With a grand selection of musicians demonstrating the power of music in many different genres, Vegan Festival Adelaide is certainly a festival. Stretch out on the grass and soak up in the tunes, or take to your feet and dance.
Cal Williams Jr
Multi-award winning Blues singer/songwriter, Cal Williams Jr, combines the gentle fingerpicking of British Folk with the raw intensity of Delta Slide Blues to create a sound that is both intricate and powerful. Blues Blast Magazine, USA, said “Cal Williams Jr’s guitar work is impeccable under his gorgeous voice. A marvellous quilt of tones and textures from this masterful player” and Rhythms magazine said that “Cal’s gentle high tenor voice, delicate fingerpicking and snaky bottleneck fretwork evoke the sound of Mississippi John Hurt in his exceptional guitar playing”. Cal was recently awarded the ARBA Best Blues Soloist Award and was voted in the Top 3 Best Blues Guitarists for the Derringers Music Awards.
“Cal Williams Jr is musically a phenomenon. His unique, impeccable guitar style and singing are exceptional. From the first quick fingerpicking, Williams’ sublime guitar style is striking, with his voice sounding high and heavenly. Great Moose + Mary Trees”
- Rootstime Magazine, Belgium
Millie Tizzard
Millie Tizzard is a vegan, acoustic singer-songwriter based on unceded Kaurna land. Her music is quieting, luscious and melancholy alternative folk that cries out for late-night drives and walks under headphones. Her music holds a mirror to loneliness, to our ghost stories, to far-off stares and the deep breath you didn’t know you needed. The soundtrack to falling apart in order to come back together again.
Kaiyah Mercedes
With songs that resonate beyond their years, Kaiyah Mercedes brings listeners on a lyrical exploration of the realities of growing up in today's world. At the crossroads of creativity and self-discovery, the 18-year-old LGBTQIA+ artist brings vibrant hues of indie pop through her authentic voice, while connecting with listeners to find solace in her melodies and truth in their lyrics. Diagnosed with autism and ADHD at the age of 15 Kaiyah uses her songwriting to translate the world around them and draws sonic inspiration from an eclectic array of influences and experiences around her.
Eliza Dickson
Eliza Dickson is presenting her debut album: ‘Champagne’. She has been working on this record for over three years - writing, recording and conceptualising the arrangements and production - and with the help of her producer, they have captured the influences of her childhood listening (Spice Girls/Destiny’s Child) and influenced by her more recent influences from her time studying Jazz Voice at university (Kurt Elling/Kristin Beradi/Chet Baker/Nina Simone etc.).
Her first EP ‘GOLD’ was recorded at WizardTone Studios (SA) and in New York City with her LA-based producer DrewOfTheDrew. Never before has she spent so much time exploring who she is as a composer and female musician in the Australian music landscape. ‘Champagne’ is a record that builds even further on that growth and is inspired by her time in NYC and LA.
The Domain
The Domain is a Producer, Engineer and Lyricist playfully navigating the intersection of various genres, creating an array of soulful electronic and organic tunes in various forms including Indie Dance, Synth Pop, Vocal House, Soul, Classic Hip Hop, R&B, Indie Pop, even Folk. The Domain has already captured the attention of the world’s biggest blogs, industry leading labels, commercial radio, and iconic Festivals, but it’s not about hype, it’s not about anything except the songs. The project is a culmination and cross-pollination of many influences, with a common theme that’s characterized by sweet down-to-Earth Pop vocals and an absence of ridiculous stupid hihats, screeching annoying synthesizers, or boring 10 minute repetitive drum loops.
Rajimataji
Rajimataji is an Adelaide based Indie Folk artist who mixes grass roots groove, conscious folk and disco fever with lyrics that stir the porridge of the soul! He carries music as a modality of healing and a manifestation of compassion and LOVE! He joins us to celebrate music and compassionate lifestyle choices at this year’s Vegan Festival Adelaide.
Erin Buku + Band
Singer, songwriter, producer and DJ Erin Buku is making waves in the underground circuit, from her home base on Peramangk country in Adelaide. Her music is a delightful blend of RnB, neo soul and hip-hop, taking cues from everything between UK broken beat and 90s pop. Her debut EP Lessons in Love received critical acclaim from Triple J, KCRW in Los Angeles and the BBC in the UK. In 2022, she collaborated with legendary emcee Talib Kweli and played the festival circuit, including Wide Open Space Festival in Alice Springs and Wondermountain Festival in Beechworth. Her new offering The Way is a self-produced call to action for political individuality ahead of her new album due out in 2024. Buku brings unfiltered, introspective songwriting skills paired with ethereal boom bap soul production. Fans of Cleo Sol, Noname, Greentea Peng, Jorja Smith and Blimes Brixton should listen up.
DJ Inkswel
A DJ and vegan for 25 plus years, DJ Inkswel has played womadelaide, Adelaide fringe and toured overseas numerous times playing in London, Dubai, Indonesia, Japan and all of Europe. From a hip hop background Inkswel explores all genres of underground soulful music and is a seasoned producer and party rocker.
