The Swagger Queen

Tash Sultana

Tash Sultana, a 19-year-old music sensation from right here in Melbourne, started playing at the mere age of three.

Tash has been busking for approximately four years and making music her living as a full time career.

The self taught artist has grown up teaching herself many instruments including the guitar, the synthesizer, some melodic and drum pads and she also does beat boxing which has carried her right into the music scene.

With a fresh approach to music, this upbeat and passionate musician has written her own songs such as “Pretty Lady” and “Higher”, and will take the country by storm.

Since returning from her trip around Europe for three months, the folk and reggae inspired star has written some brand new stuff, including tracks like  “Notion” and “Jungle”.

“I have only just got back a few weeks ago and will be going on tour again as of next week around Australia.

For Tash the future of busking is bright and vibrant, she says it’s amazing to play in front of so many and for her music it’s like “an open jam right here in the street”.

Tash busks with her unique music on Bourke Street around twice a week and for her a crowd of about 200 people is quiet for her.

Disappearing and reappearing with new and inspiring music for her fans is what Tash does, “sometimes I’ll play two-three times a week and other times I’ll just disappear and people will be like ‘where have you been’ and I’ll come back and be like here I am”, she laughs.

For Tash, 2015 is one of the biggest and exciting years. She is about to release her third EP album and will journey on a national tour to engage others in her soulful music.

Written by Katherine Allen

Photography by Kate Katrina

 

Brothers Who Sing Together Stick Together

Josef and Jan Prasil

Amistat are a German duo consisting of twin brothers named Jan and Josef Prasil.

These super talented twins can sing, play guitar and play piano and together Jan and Josef have been busking for the past four years on the streets of Melbourne while also traveling around the world. Jan has been using his musical gifts for around 14 years while Josef started playing a few years later. 

The pair grew up in Germany but found that busking there was not as nice as it is here in Australia. In Germany they have laws similar to here, where buskers need to get a permit to perform but in Germany the general public find busking to be a nuisance and buskers are frowned upon by business owners. The attitude towards busking in Germany is clearly different to the kind of attitude that the majority of people in Australia have, where it is welcomed and adored by many.

It was because of this they chose to make the massive move to Australia and partake in the great busking culture that we have here. This decision was not made lightly but has benefited their music greatly as they are now able to play to hundreds of people each day on Bourke Street.

“Back home, it’s not like it is here, you don’t see it that much, but its great here.” 

Jan believes that the competition out on the streets is growing and that busking is becoming more popular.

“I cannot say where busking is heading because I do not know. But we will continue coming out here.”

Regardless of busking’s future Amistat will continue performing in hopes of spreading their music as it’s a good way to be noticed. Unfortunately, as you could expect, they’ve had their fair share of weirdos that can cause trouble, but they say that their experience has been mostly great and that they want to continue busking.

“Sometimes strange things can happen, and you know sometimes things can be a bit dangerous but it’s not all bad. We wouldn’t have it any other way haha.”

Amistat performs all their own original songs and are currently selling their EP 'Somewhere Sometime' which features all their own music. They are also using Crowdfunding Pozible to try and raise money so they can record and release their first full-length album, which they are very excited about.

Busking must be working well for them because this duo is on the steady incline and are traveling the world, having recently returned from performing overseas in Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland with new material you can expect great things from these guys!

See more on our Facebook page where you can find these two brothers, a whole bunch of behind the scenes photos, and heaps more!

Feedback is also always welcome so please leave a comment below telling us what you think, what you'd like to see more of and of any great buskers you'd like to see on here.

Written by Kimberly Grima

Edited by Katherine Allen

Photography by Kate Katrina

Into the Wild(hood)

Rod Dalgety and Lauren Harthas

Indie style duo Wildhood has been busking together on the streets of Melbourne for the last six months. The duo, Rod Dalgety and Lauren Harthas, have been hanging out and busking together since January but have been playing separately for a number of years.

Since playing solo and since being introduced to one another by mutual friends at a gig, the pair has been inseparable and harmonized in such a way that it was magical. Working together enabled the pair to gain perspective on each other’s talents and they became the outstanding duo that is Wildhood.

Originally just wanting to busk on the streets of Melbourne, the pair became increasingly popular and started to see an incline of followers every week.

Derived from a spin off of “childhood”, Rod and Lauren made up the name Wildhood.

New Zealand born, Rod moved over to Australia about a year and a half ago to check out the music scene, while Lauren has been around music her whole life growing up with instruments and singing in school choirs.

“A lot of our friends said that we would work really well together and we did, we formed a connection and went from there.”

Performing covers of Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran, the duo is in the process of writing their own songs so they can release an EP and get noticed.

For Wildhood, the future of busking is unpredictable, however Rod feels that busking will always be around and is a great way to get noticed in a “cash driven city”.

“Busking is a really good promotional tool, I think it’s a good way to get noticed. You get really passionate people the come in to listen to your music.”

“A lot of people come to Melbourne for the music, which is great. Once the cash stops and people only have cards it will shift and there won’t be so much promotion” but Rod feels that it will still continue for a long time. Lauren says it’s hard to predict what the future holds, “with the amount of people who use cards these days instead of cash, it’s hard to say how much we would collect.”

Wildhood have a varied audience and love to hang out and play for hundreds every day. Their indie style is a taste that street walkers can enjoy for a long time.

If you want to see more photo's of Wildhood or see some behind the scene's photo's head to our Facebook page.

Feedback is also always welcome so please leave a comment below telling us what you think, what you'd like to see more of and of any great buskers you'd like to see on here.

Written by Katherine Allen

Edited by Kimberly Grima

Photography by Kate Katrina

Amazing Amy

Amy Pollock

“I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it”

Amy Pollock is a young Melbourne based musician who draws people in with her beautiful voice and talented guitar playing on Bourke Street.

The first thing you notice when talking to Amy is her vibrant, bubbly attitude.

When asked why she busks Amy replied it’s because when she left school she “didn’t want a grown up job” and decided to busk, soon realising that she actually really enjoyed it. 

Her talent is immense and it is because of this that people are drawn in; it was this realisation that made Amy want to continue playing her music to people, “It’s good to see people enjoying it”.

Amy has completely immersed herself in the busking culture of Melbourne and has made many friends through frequently playing on Bourke Street. Busking has been Amy’s full time job for the past six months while also playing at the occasional gig or two with the other buskers of Bourke. She can be found playing with her fellow buskers at The Workers Club.

Amy says that she hopes to someday travel around the world with her music but for now she’s happy busking as she has built great friendships and she seems to really fit into the community.

“I have an amazing crowd of people that inspire me, so I can’t really let myself get held back”

Amy is currently writing her new CD and plays all her own music on Bourke. When asked what inspires her to write Amy says she draws her inspiration from everything in the world around her, especially her fellow buskers.

“There’s just so many inspiring people that play here.”

When writing her songs her mind is “running a million miles an hour”, and she admits that like any great artist she can get a bit blocked up and that she finds this frustrating, but it’s not long before she is writing again.

“It’s so inspiring to see everyone and I think ‘Wow I want to be like that, I want to be that good’”

Amy believes that busking will remain around for a long time and recognises that it’s growing quite rapidly because of its ability to get people noticed. Busking is never going to die out “only keep getting more and more popular”

You can find more about our project and Amy on our Facebook page. Feedback is also always welcome so please leave a comment below telling us what you think, what you'd like to see more of and of any great buskers you'd like to see on here.

Written by Kimberly Grima

Edited by Katherine Allen

Photography by Kate Katrina

The Singing Knight

David Knight

Being an avid guitar player at heart, David Knight busks on Bourke street and enthralls the audience with his talent. Enthusiastic about his music, creating new ways to embrace his gift, David shows off his love by adorning a tattoo that says 'Music is what feelings sound like on' his elbow crease.

David has travelled everywhere in Australia apart from the Northern Territory but would love to travel to Europe some day with his music. Only having travelled domestically, David would love to expand to a wider audience.

The gifted artist has performed at local gigs and festivals such as Queenscliff Music Festival and the Apollo Bay Music Festival.  

“Europe is probably the easiest for me to travel to as I know a lot of people there and a lot of friends that could help me. My dad is also English so I have a duel passport.”

David started busking in Melbourne as a way to work and says playing his music was easier than getting a full time job. David has been playing the guitar for 11 years and has entertained audiences around Melbourne for about five years.

David performs a unique style of percussion on his guitar and harmonises with his music. Performing and practicing for hours on end he says that he does get a little sore from playing and had an incident where he experienced RSI from playing too much.

“Even now there are songs that I can’t play anymore, which kind of sucks but unless I decide to stop playing again for a while but I don’t want to do that.”

The musical talent of this uprising Melbourne busker has seen him be the competition for others on the street and will not be long before this musician has made a name for himself.

“Playing and singing is a really good opportunity to expand the audience and I am really excited to continue busking in Melbourne, I think it’s great.”

Mainly writing his own songs, David not only performs on Bourke Street but also at a few venues around Melbourne, engaging his audience with his musical talent.

David sings as well as play the guitar, some of his songs include “Winter” and “Wake up”.

To find out more about David Knight go to our Facebook Page and find his link.

Feedback is also always welcome so please leave a comment below telling us what you think, what you'd like to see more of and of any great buskers you'd like to see on here.

Written by Katherine Allen

Edited by Kimberly Grima

Photography by Kate Katrina

The Weekly Recap

This was it! Our first time out hunting for interviews, strolling through Melbourne’s CBD strapped with a camera, pen, paper and recording equipment, ready to capture street performers in their natural environment. It was a beautiful day, one of the first sunny days we had been blessed with this spring. The group searched for stories from buskers, like an ill-footed new born fawn.

The wind rifled through the streets but the glimmer of the sun left it unnoticed. Our group walk down Swanston Street and passed Melbourne’s State Library, it was peak hour and the bustling crowd went about their business while the buskers accompanied them with a tune, a dance or perhaps a magic show. Commuter’s, students and workers alike enjoyed their day playing chess, eating and basking in the ambience of the music. We found our targets quickly; we spotted two buskers in close proximity of each other and decided to listen to their songs. It was at this point we became keenly aware of how well this project could do. The people watching on held up their phones to capture the music while others lazed about on the greens, simply listening; for the busker the steady clattering of coins into a hat or guitar case brings a smile to their face.

First on Swanston Street we encountered Amadou Suso from The Senegambian Jazz Band (you can find the interview here) playing a beautiful instrument called a Kora. The fascination of his instrument and immersion of Amadou in his music made our team buzz with excitement. The amount of interest Amadou would spark with his presence would be the reassurance the team needed to see the value of their work. Much like your first love the interview was intense short and over quick as a flash but also opened up the possibilities of further story hunting. Laced with a rush of enthusiasm from our first interview the morale couldn’t have been higher.

With our zeal ramped up we advanced towards Bourke Street, a bustling consumer market and one of the busiest streets in Melbourne, not surprisingly it is also the most premium of busking locations. In the midst of trams and department store shoppers this place was a haven for the people involved in the subculture of busking in Melbourne, a merry-go-round of buskers swapped every four hours. It is here we ran into The Elliotts (interview here), they were our second interview and everything seemed to go a lot smoother this time round. Speaking to this band showed us just how far a subculture can span, from personality types to music to success; after all it was this very street that the Pierce Brothers used to perform on.


Robbie Elliot gave us a quick run down on how exactly the busking process in Bourke Street works and the process behind the selection of buskers for the crème de la crème of busking spots. Bourke Street runs by the traditional method of first in best dressed, once on Bourke each busker rotates every four hours so they can all have their time in the spotlight of the busiest parts of the thoroughfare. We learned a lot from the fellas and their three piece band, the fun they provided was infectious.

On a roll we decided to hunt buskers some more, enjoying the sun and music, soaking up the ambience. It was then that we spotted a women plucking at her guitar and singing in a soulful raspy voice. Demi Louise (interview here) perfected our first day with her candid approach to music, warm smile and friendly attitude; seamlessly finishing off our first week into the journey of understanding how busking really does affect us as human beings.

The calm melodies played by these artists often go by unnoticeably as the music briefly encapsulates us. We never really get time to question its effect, we just warm to it for the briefest moment - maybe capture some footage or maybe buy a CD, but never truly engage it in the same manner as we do with other musical platforms. Buskers are often misunderstood as lower musicians, or less professional for one reason or another, though this week has proved the opposite to our team at least. The professionalism, love for music and dedication that Amadou, The Elliot’s and Demi bring is as strong as any musicians and we look forward to interviewing many more like them.

Written by Aleksandar Naumovski

Edited by Kimberly Grima
Photography by Kate Katrina

Demi God

Buskers - What do we really know about them? What are their stories?
Our team hit the streets of Melbourne to talk to those who fill them with music. We hope to find out what it means to be a busker in one of the world's most competitive cities.

*       *      *

Demi Louise

Demi Louise started busking two years ago, she began playing her music in Melbourne but then had the exciting opportunity to go to Europe and busk, playing her music to people in small taverns and various venues. Demi has also traveled to South Korea and the USA to perform her music.

“I’ve been lucky that I have been able to support myself and travel and I just feel really lucky.”

She has been playing her guitar and singing for more than four years and has also now begun song writing. Demi recently wrote the song ‘Rivers Run To Red’ which was released by German ‘The Voice’ winner Charley Ann on her debut album.

With a background degree in science, Demi had hit a fork in the road and was deciding whether to continue and study a Masters in Physiology or pursue her life long passion of being a musician. In the end she decided to defer her masters and continued on her musical career at least for now.

“I don’t think busking will ever get old, I think for me busking is better than performing at a live show, sometimes people make such a big deal about playing to numbers and people and they look down on busking in a way. It’s those seeds of familiarity that you plant in people and I think it’s great for that”

The future is looking bright for Demi Louise who has written a few of her own songs such as “How We Do” and “Sweet Kind”. Demi says she is very happy with where she is at the moment in her life. “I have a Bachelor back up if it’s not for me, it’s not a hard decision to just do it.”

You can find Demi Louise on her very own website or on her Facebook page. If you want to see Demi performing in person you can always head down to Bourke Street or check her social media to see where she's next playing. And if you want to  receive updates or see unreleased photos and other behind the scene action check out our Facebook page.

Written by Katherine Allen

Edited by Kimberly Grima
Photography by Kate Katrina

Bourke Street Boys

Buskers - What do we really know about them? What are their stories?
Our team hit the streets of Melbourne to talk to those who fill them with music. We hope to find out what it means to be a busker in one of the world's most competitive cities.

*       *      *

Robbie Elliott, James Howlett, and Max Missingham

The band The Elliots have been together for around five years now. They started busking after deciding that they were sick of rehearsing at various locations where they would earn little to no money. They realised if they practiced out on the street they would be given money creating a win-win situation for all; this is how it started for them, they have now been playing on Burke Street for six months.

They discovered that Bourke Street in Melbourne was the “Crown jewel” of busking, classing it as one of the best, if not the best, in the world. It is here where meetings held every week to keep all the buskers organized which is run by the council.

All buskers have to comply with a roster, playing for 4 hours each session with half an hour on than half an hour off. There are never more than four acts at once on Burke Street though The Elliotts tend to try and stick to their favourite spot. The Elliotts have played on Bourke Street with the likes of the Pierce brothers and Demi Louise.

The money the band accumulates from busking goes towards funding their travels to places overseas such as Europe so they can promote their music to others, they do this hoping people will enjoy what they hear and the band can get their names out there.

“It’s much better playing on the street as a lot of venues I think are exploiting and I guess you can’t really get the exposure and that’s why we love coming out here” Says Robbie.

“You might go to a venue and pay $10 to get in and then you might not even like the bands”. The Elliot’s play for the people on the street and say that from experience patrons will generally have no expectations “if they really like what they hear then the people will buy a CD.”

The band feels that busking is the ultimate way to put your music out there “It’s much better practice then in the lounge room”.

When asked about the future of busking, Robbie says he feels that it “really rests with the generosity of the people”. He likes to think the future for busking is bright, but is aware that a lot of businesses are making it difficult for individuals, even remarking that a lot of places in Europe have made busking extinct. The music flows within them and is a part of their lives, as musicians he says "it’s really sad as people should have an appreciation for the music out there."

“The future is hopefully solid and this is one of the best spots in Australia, there is more competition, if you are good it’s easy to stand out.”

For more information on The Elliot’s, please check out their Instagram and Facebook.

To receive updates or see unreleased photos and other behind the scene action check out our Facebook page! And as always leave a comment telling us what you think, we'd love to hear what you think of our site!

Written by Katherine Allen

Edited by Kimberly Grima
Photography by Kate Katrina

Swanson Street Sweet-Harp

Buskers - What do we really know about them? What are their stories?
Our team hit the streets of Melbourne to talk to those who fill them with music. We hope to find out what it means to be a busker in one of the world's most competitive cities.

*       *      *

Amadou Suso

Amadou is 28 year old and was born in Africa, he's been playing the kora for 22 years since he was six years old. The kora is the instrument that he plays and it is quite special as it has been in his family for generations and is passed down from father to son.

Amadou traveled to Melbourne approximately six months ago, but has been to Australia before. He has travelled the world playing at various festivals in many different countries. Amadou’s reasoning for busking on the streets in Melbourne is quite different from what you would think, it’s not about earning money, that’s a bonus, it’s because he finds being at home distracting so instead he comes to practice out on the street. On the streets is where the atmosphere and vibes push him on and his love for performing is clear in the way he interacts with the people gathering to watch.

“Its not about the money its about just getting out and practicing here, if I’m going to practice at home I’m going to disturb the neighbors which is really bad haha.” For Amadou, music is in his blood.

Over all Amadou is excited about the future of busking, he is really happy with where his music is taking him at the moment and is booked in for five gigs a week playing the kora, including places like the Melbourne International Festival, Melbourne Arts Centre and Port Ferry next year.

“I think it’s great practice for buskers, it’s good money and it’s better than being on the street and stealing from people, which can be really bad.”

 If you want to see Amadou playing his kora in person you can find him on Swanston Street, don't forget to also visit his Facebook Page.

Ps. All feedback is welcome so drop us a comment to tell us what you think! Or if you really liked it head over to Facebook and give us a like to receive updates!

Written by Katherine Allen

Edited by Kimberly Grima

Photography by Kate Katrina