Live at The Bearded Lady, West End, 8 February 2020
The Mouldy Lovers began as a small folk project in Brisbane in 2010 when Louis Whelan and Jade Channells began making music together in high school. Matt Hsu was the next to join a few months later, gradually followed by many, many others as the group exploded into a large collective centred around the inner-city suburb of West End.
With a standard backline of drums, bass and guitar, The Mouldies arsenal also includes a horn section, singers, rappers and a piano accordian, playing material inspired by Romani, Klezmer, reggae, ska and punk music. Band members have come and gone over the years, with the roster including Jen Horn, Henri Paternoster, Nicholas Downing, Caroline Townsend, Gavin Cook, Jessica McFayden, Jonathan Sri, Kat Bermingham and Steph McIntyre.
Mouldies shows are a colossal and joyous force to be reckoned with. They quickly became popular as a live act around Brisbane, and their renown eventually led to shows at festivals across Australia.
The band managed to squeeze into the studio several times earlier on in their career, with the early EPs “Unhinged Hijinks” and “Candy Bling Shoes String” in 2010 and “Kakistocracy” in 2011. Full-length albums “Yonder Ruckus” and “Mondegreen” followed in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
The set you’ll be hearing on this episode was recorded on the occasion of the band’s ten-year anniversary. It was a sold-out affair that raised money for WIRES and the First Nations Communities Fire Relief Fund in the wake of recent bushfires.
The Mouldy Lovers are now on hiatus, though despite what they say during this set, they have performed since, at the Tablelands Folk Festival in October 2020. Many members of the band remain busy with other projects, including Rivermouth, Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra, loulou and Old Semeil.
Includes an interview with Kat Bermingham and Caroline Townsend originally recorded for Exit Stage Zed.
Recorded by Scott Mercer
Mixed by Jonathan Virgona
Show production, engineering and host: Scott Mercer
Originally aired via Zed Digital, 7-8pm, Sunday 24 October, 2021