UPCOMING
SHOWS
27 Dec - 1 jan
WOODFORD Folk Festival, QLD
Duo shows & Vocal Confidence workshop - Tickets and info HERE
16 - 18 jan
Tamar Valley Folk Festival, TAS
Duo shows & Vocal Confidence workshop - Tickets and info HERE
23 - 25 jan
Newstead LIVE Festival, VIC
CANCELLED DUE TO EXTREME HEAT - More info HERE
Fri 13 Feb
The Royal Dungog Hotel, NSW
Tickets and info HERE
Sat 14 Feb
House Concert, Kandos NSW
For bookings and info please contact Meg Benson via SMS: o425 27o 632
or email us HERE
Don’t forget to like & follow for updates & shows as they are released
They pack emotional punches but bring songs to heal the scars…
Real-life troubadours and masters in the art of connection; they interweave soulful vocals, effortless strings and driving rhythms to form a singular musical voice. Their sound is equal parts contemp-folk, alt-country and acoustic-pop, but no words capture their unbelievable musical kinship, or the deeply heartfelt way they relate to their audiences.
“I may be a pastor, but We Mavericks took me to church”
-Pr. Sloan, Inspire, Germany
We Mavericks have been on a steep rise to countless festival billings and shows at home and abroad, twice nominated “Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Folk Artist” in the Aotearoa (New Zealand) Music Awards, twice nominated “Best Contemporary Duo/Group/Ensemble” in the Australian Folk Music Awards, selection as Spotlight Showcase Artists at Folk Alliance International and are recipients of Australia’s Troubadour Foundation Award.
Although they describe themselves as a folk act, the singles from brand new album “Heart of Silver” have been picked up by the country music scene in Australia- "All This Noise" featured on Country Music TV, "Hold Me" featured on ABC Country's GRASSROOTS and title track “Heart of Silver” enjoyed the spotlight on ABC’s premier country program, Saturday Night Country with Beccy Cole. They are currently touring across the UK, Europe and Australia to wide acclaim.
“...an impressive dynamic” - Sounds of South, Germany
“Simply wow!” - Die Rheinpfalz, Germany
“...an undoubted masterclass in music delivery and songwriting from two classy musicians coming together in perfect harmony.”
- Fatea Magazine, UK
“… the glorious harmonies and touching melodies of We Mavericks…Together they craft exquisite folk music, evoking spirits originating from Appalachia to Alba”
- Ambient Light, NZ
Festival highlights date order:
2025/26 Woodford Folk Festival, QLD
2025 Kelso Folk Festival, UK
2025 FolkEast Festival, UK
2025 Shrewsbury Folk Festival, UK
2025 Wickham Festival, UK
2025 Warwick Folk Festival, UK
2025 Stainsby Folk Festival, UK
2025 Gate to Southwell Festival, UK
2025 Yackandandah Folk Festival, VIC
2025 Blue Mountains Music Festival, NSW
2025 The Last Burke & Wills Folk Festival, VIC
2025 Cobargo Folk Festival, NSW
2025 Illawarra Folk Festival, NSW
2024 Bromyard Folk Festival, UK
2024 Illawarra Folk Festival, NSW
2023 Bundanoon Folk Festival, NSW
2023 Maleny Music Festival, QLD
2023 Tablelands Folk Festival, FNQ
2023 Nanga Music Festival, WA
2023 Folk By The Sea Festival, NSW
2023 Irish and Celtic Music Festival, NSW
2023 Sydney Folk Festival, NSW
2023 Clarence Valley Camp Oven Festival, NSW
2023 National Folk Festival, ACT
2023 Highlands Fest, NSW
2023 Auckland Folk Festival, NZ
2023 Newstead LIVE Music Festival, VIC
2023 Cygnet Folk Festival, TAS
2022 Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival, NSW
2022 Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, NSW
2022 Sydney Folk Festival, NSW
2022 Townsville Folk Festival, QLD
2022 Cobargo Folk Festival, NSW
2022 Tilba Festival, NSW
2022 Riverside Vibes Festival, NSW
2022 Burke & Wills Music Festival, VIC
— Lockdown
2021 Burke & Wills Music Festival, VIC
— Lockdown
2020 Newstead Live Festival, VIC
2019 Wellington Folk Festival, NZ
2019 Folk By The Sea Festival, NSW
2019 Maleny Music Festival, QLD
2019 The Spiegeltent, NSW
2018 Major’s Creek Music Festival, NSW
2018 Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival, NSW
2018 Nanga Music Festival, WA
About
We mavericks
Lindsay Martin
Hailing from the town of Tumut in the Snowy Valleys region of NSW, Lindsay is best known for his particularly sensitive and unique violin accompaniment and work as an independent recording engineer and producer. Though classically trained from the age of seven, he developed an uncanny ability to improvise and weave around performers in any genre. An career musician, he has many strings to his bow and many projects to his name: He has performed as an accompanist alongside many celebrated musicians both in regional Australia and the UK (Enda Kenny, Ciaran Gribbin (INXS), Wendy Matthews, The Bushwackers to name a few), established and directed the music program at the lauded Triple Care Farm residential youth rehabilitation centre, hosted countless violin masterclasses and workshops at festivals and music education camps across Australia and New Zealand, and established his own studio, recording and producing works for both local and international organisations and touring artists through the years (Small Glories CAN, Scott Cook CAN, Phyl Lobel and many more). He’s also a multi-instrumentalist, former closet vocalist, trout hunter, unintentional hair model and medieval archer. Though recognised widely as an excellent accompanist, his song-crafting and vocal ability never had an outlet until he formed We Mavericks with partner Victoria Vigenser. When he’s not playing, you’re most likely to find him at home making bread, mixing tracks or concocting something delicious over a fire. If he’s not out fishing, of course.
Victoria Vigenser
Born in Auckland NZ and raised on the water, Victoria started with a childhood affinity for opera, but found rural folk festivals in her teens and never looked back. Celebrated for a seemingly effortless lyrical dexterity and foot-stomping sense of rhythm, she performs with a conviction that tugs at heartstrings. Though a 21st-century wordsmith, she has a deep love for traditional song from many cultures, rooted in her childhood kapahaka (Maori) and later introduction to Celtic traditional song - even establishing well-loved gathering Tradfest NZ out of an old woolshed. She learned the art of bodhran (traditional Irish frame drum) making as a teenager under the tutelage of craftsman Ian Bartlett, and was a dedicated committee member of the Titirangi Folk Music Club from her late teens, and studied live sound and event production & management at the Music and Audio Institute of NZ. At age 20 she was formally recognised by the Auckland Folk Festival for musical excellence and dedication to folk music. She has toured and performed with many NZ artists including contemporary ensemble Fables, Māori ensemble WAI-TAI, and Anglo-trad project Reverie, as a backing vocalist and accompanist playing rhythm guitar, bodhran and the Appalachian dulcimer. It wasn’t until her collaboration with partner Lindsay Martin that she threw off the cables and dirt of her beloved backstage world and truly stepped up to the mic. Having relocated to Australia to follow her muse, she’s now most often spotted wandering around with a fishing rod in the NSW sun, singing strange things, without any shoes on.
Rachel Johnston
One of Australia's most versatile performing and teaching artists, NZ-born Rachel Johnston is a well known classical and alternative cellist. Her soulful and versatile cello playing has seen her perform with leading non-classical artists across a variety of forums, from festivals to theatre to film, working with artists such as Missy Higgins, Katie Noonan, You Am I, Archie Roach, Meow Meow and Paul Capsis among others. She has recorded award-winning albums for ABC Classics, Chandos and other labels. With postgraduate degrees from the Juilliard School in New York, London University and Canterbury University, NZ, Rachel was one of the last students to study with the legendary Alban Berg Quartet in Cologne as part of the international award winning Tankstream Quartet, touring across the world for over a decade. She became well known to Australian audiences performing as cellist in the Australian String Quartet from 2006-2013. During this time she performed with leading international artists including Pieter Wispelwej, Alina Abragimova, Anne Sophie von Otter, the Juilliard Quartet, Jerusalem Quartet, and many more, as well as Australian luminaries such as Piers Lane, Liwei, Brett Dean, Slava Grigoryan, Sara Macliver, Konstantin Shamray, Fiona Campbell, Marshall Maguire and Andrew Goodwin. Rachel currently resides in Majors Creek, NSW, with her partner, musician/composer Trent Arkleysmith, and their two adorable but slightly villainous small children.
Trent Arkleysmith
A masterful guitarist, mandolinist, cellist and vocalist, Trent’s passion for a variety of folk music from around the globe is evident in all the music he lends a hand to, with his own compositions having been featured in film, radio and commercial recordings across Australia and Europe. Trent studied classical Cello from early childhood, branching out to trumpet and guitar and undertaking studies at the Hobart Conservatorium of music. Moving to Brisbane in the early 1990's Trent immersed himself in the local music scene which saw him collaborate with a wide array of acclaimed Brisbane performers and musicians. He went on to co-found and tour the world with the international award-winning comedy duo, The Oskar and Strudel show, and formed the highly acclaimed Vienna-based troupe The Von Trolley Quartet, touring extensively throughout Europe and beyond. Since moving back to Australia Trent has worked in a number of projects including Musica Viva, acoustic duo Two if by Sea with partner Rachel Johnston, and lent his sound to many other acclaimed original musical projects across contemporary, classical and folk genres. He is also an accomplished recording engineer. When not playing one of the many instruments he has mastered, you’ll probably find him building (more) sheds, being a fireman, or out on the farm wrangling stray sheep.
