The inaugural local showcase will include Echuca-Moama duo The Wildlings, an indie-folk duo formed in 2023 by Drew Walker and Ryan Gay.
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The Riverboats Music Festival has introduced a new local showcase slot for 2026, giving regional bands the opportunity to perform in front of 6000 people.
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The inaugural local showcase will feature Echuca-Moama duo The Wildlings, who will open on Saturday, February 14 at 11.30am.
The Wildlings, made up of Drew Walker from Echuca and Ryan Gay from Rushworth, are an indie-folk duo who began collaborating in 2023.
“We came about in 2023 when Ryan produced a song of mine and then we decided to join forces, and it has been one hell of a ride,” Drew said.
The duo describe their sound as indie-folk with accessible pop melodies, incorporating moody songwriting with striking harmonies.
“We mainly write songs from the boy and the girl's perspective,” Drew said.
“Our recent song is called Feel of Fire, and we have found that most of the time it is a call-and-response boy-girl kind of scenario.
“Some songs I start on the piano and then I go to Ryan, I’ve got this verse, do you like it?
“And he either does or he doesn’t and then he writes a second verse and I think that is how our songs turn into a call-and-respond number most of the time.”
The Wildlings describe their music as indie-folk with accessible pop melodies, focusing on moody songwriting and striking harmonies.
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Drew, who handles vocals and keyboard, taught herself the instrument as a teenager.
“In my family there is a lot of amazing pianists, they can read sheet music and I can't,” she said.
“I've got this great Nord, it is a great rocket ship, but I am an ordinary astronaut. I love synths, they are cinematic.”
The pair are excited about their home-town performance.
“We are really excited to be doing Riverboats, can't believe it really,” Drew said.
“Because we have always wanted to perform at Riverboats and having been in the Echuca area, I've always wanted to be part of a local lineup, if they had done one and here it is.
“It is a bit surreal.
“It is in my home town, and I have always wanted to play on that stage, on the main stage.”
The duo will be opening for The Living End, which Drew described as “pretty nice on the resume”.
They plan to lap up the festival, with Drew particularly looking forward to seeing Xavier Rudd on Sunday.
“He wears no shoes on stage, just like I do, which makes it so much easier to perform,” she said.
For their Riverboats performance, the duo plan to keep it simple.
“I'm pretty sure for Riverboats, it will be just the two of us,” Drew said.
“We think at this stage, we just want to showcase our vulnerability of what we can do.”
Drew and Ryan are working on releasing new material before the festival.
“Hopefully, we are working on having a song or two, maybe out just before then,” Drew said.
The Wildlings can be found on all streaming platforms and have self-produced YouTube videos.
If you would like to listen to the Wildlings and see why they are part of the local showcase at this year’s Riverboats Music festival, go to linktr.ee/thewildlings
Riverboats Music Festival runs from February 13 to 15 at Aquatic Reserve Echuca along the Murray River.
The 2026 lineup includes The Living End, Xavier Rudd, Baker Boy, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks and Paul Dempsey among others.
The duo are excited to perform at their home-town festival and will be opening for The Living End, adding a significant achievement to their resume.
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