Andrea Robertson is a singer-songwriter from the Geelong area in Victoria who released her latest album, Seasons, in 2024. She is also the founder of Americana on the Bellarine, a one-day festival which will be held on the Bellarine Peninsula, near Geelong, on 22 February this year.
We had a wide-ranging chat about her development as an artist, which started when Robertson was very young, influenced by the musical environment she grew up in.
‘I've just always loved singing,’ she says. ‘As a kid I was the youngest of three girls and music was very much a part of our house.’
Seasons was originally planned as a four-volume release, although it was affected by the pandemic, during which Robertson’s songwriting suffered.
‘I think I wrote a lot of music,’ she says, ‘but just lyrically I'd really dried up so it sort of just started filtering in again.’
After she started writing again, what emerged was a full-bodied work that is about life and love in all their complexities.
Something else that suffered during the pandemic was Americana on the Bellarine – the inaugural festival was due to take place in 2020. Now that it’s well underway, it has developed a reputation for bringing the finest Americana artists to the Geelong area. This year it’s headlined by Matt Joe Gow & The Dead Leaves, and features Robertson and her band, Jasmin Adria and Mojo Corner.
‘I wanted to keep it small. I didn't want it to grow too big. I felt like just keeping it as a nice, intimate, micro festival.’
The festival takes place at the Potato Shed in Drysdale. Tickets are available here.
The interview is a long one but that’s because Robertson has such a rich musical life that there was a lot to talk about. Her dedication to music, to performance, to the musical community, is impressive and inspiring. And if you’re in Victoria on 22 February, you can see it in person.
Listen to Andrea Robertson on Apple Music
Listen to Andrea Robertson on Spotify
Cover photo credit: Patrick Callow
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