VETERAN folk-rock band The Waifs will stop off in Bendigo as part of their 25th anniversary tour.
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Arriving in Bendigo on March 28, the tour fittingly starts in Western Australia, where the band was formed.
Founding member Josh Cunningham said there was an instant connection between the himself and sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson.
“The girls were travelling round Australia and had left Albany on an adventure together to travel and play music. I was doing a similar thing and we crossed paths in Broome,” Cunningham said.
“We were both playing in bands and saw each others gigs and had respect and admiration for the musical aspect. Then we met and had that personal connection.
“We played guitars together and Donna popped the question to start the band.”
The tour will also unveil the band’s seventh studio album, Ironbark, which features 14 tracks as well as 11 bonus tracks.
“We recorded 25 songs but didn’t intend to. We just got together at my place and started laying songs down,”Cunningham said.
“It was going close to 25 songs, one for every year, so on last day we all got around a mic and did live versions of old songs.”
Cunningham said Bendigo is familiar territory for the band who, at one point, relocated to Melbourne.
“We were at The Capital on our last tour, which was just last year,” he said.
“But we have lots of fond memories of Bendigo from when we lived in Melbourne. We have played at the Golden Vine a lot and always had great response.”
In the lead up to the March tour, The Waifs are releasing free downloadable songs each week. The first was made available on January 10.
Alongside that, the trio is also encouraging their fans to get in touch and express how their music has effected their lives.
“We heard people tell those stories and we thought we’d put out there for people to write and share their memories,” Cunningham said.
“Music has helped people through difficult times of grief and loss but, alternatively, people have had music as a soundtrack for celebrations or travels.
“Every time we make album or do a tour, we find ourselves reliving tales of the van but I feel like the real story is the ones of other people who we've touched with our music.”
Cunningham said since releasing the first bonus track, floodgates have opened with fan’s stories.
“It’s a testament to fact that we built our band the old fashioned way by getting out and driving and playing gigs,” he said.
The Waifs play at Ulumbarra Theatre on March 28.