Echuca local Gareth Leach to play the Echuca Country Music Festival

The line-up includes headliner Casey Barnes with Beccy Cole, Amber Lawrence, Andrew Swift, Hayley Jensen, Tori Darke and returning Echuca local Gareth Leach with his band the Narrative of Hope.

Gareth's musical journey began in earnest during his teenage years, learning to play piano as a young child in Echuca.

“I've been playing music for as long as I can remember, really,” he said.

“I guess when I hit Year 7 back in the mid-’90s, that was when we all got into rock music and all that sort of stuff, started growing our hair and being drawn to rock bands.

“I grew up in Echuca, and it was you either kicked a ball or found something else to do and I found something else to do, which was music.”

The musician describes his sound as alternative country music, not your standard pop country music.

“A bit more inspired by traditional country music, a lot more banjo, older sounds and different textures,” he said.

His influences span multiple genres and decades.

“Back in the day, artists like Willie Nelson paved the way for me,” he said.

“Growing up in the ’90s, Australian rock music was and even heavy metal music has been a big influence on me.”

Gareth and his band maintain a busy performance schedule.

“We play a monthly residency here in Melbourne, and we hit the festival scene, so we play a lot,” he said.

“We have been playing a place called Moon Dog Wild West, which is in Footscray.”

The venue holds special appeal for the band.

“It is a really cool venue, it is a three-storey Honky Tonk, with bucking bulls and they have the band playing behind barbed wire, chicken wire, it’s got a really cool vibe,” Gareth said.

“We play there roughly every second Saturday of the month.”

The band has extensive festival experience.

“We have played the main stage at the Deni Ute Muster before, we have played the main stage of Tamworth,” Gareth said.

“We have generally played most of the country music festivals all around Australia.”

Gareth is excited about performing alongside fellow artists at the Echuca festival.

“Everyone on the Echuca Country Music Festival billing, they are all really great people,” he said.

“We love hanging out with Andrew Swift, he has been a mate of ours all the way through the journey.”

He particularly enjoys the camaraderie of the country music scene.

“I think the Australian country music scene, while it is growing and getting bigger and bigger, there is still a great sense of mateship and support for one another,” Gareth said.

The band will have merchandise available at the festival.

“Absolutely, you will be able to pick up copies of our last couple of albums on CD and records and all that sort of stuff” Gareth said.

The band’s latest single, Reasons, is a cover of a John Farnham song.

“We did a bluegrass spin on it, and it was number one on the Australian country radio charts towards the end of 2025,” Gareth said.

The band has a new EP called Blues, grass and gospel, which came out in February.

Fans can find more information about Gareth Leach's music at garethleach.com

“Come along to the festival and support the artists there, because it is a great opportunity for us to put faces to names,” he said.

Tickets and information for the Echuca Country Music Festival are available at regfest.com.au

Gates open at 11.30am, with performances running throughout the day.

For those not wanting to drive, transport options include day shuttles running from town to the racecourse from 11.30am to 2pm, and night shuttles returning from 9pm to 10.30pm.