Norwood play on Friday, February 13 at 6.30pm and on the PS Pevensey on Saturday, February 14.
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Three acts set to perform at the 2026 Riverboats Music Festival in Echuca this month have shared insights into their music and upcoming performances.
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Melbourne alternative folk band Norwood, featuring singer-songwriters Olivia Bolmat (Liv) and Nathaniel Peacock, will open the festival for Baker Boy.
“Norwood is a project that was formed by myself and another musician, Nathaniel, and we have been writing and playing music together for about five or six years now, which feels pretty wild to say,” Norwood singer-songwriter Liv said.
“Most musicians that we talked to who have played Riverboats in the past, have said that it’s one of their favourite festivals that they’ve ever played.”
The band will perform a full set on the main stage on Friday, February 13, opening the festival, and a duo set on PS Pevensey on Saturday, February 14.
Queenie's 2024 debut album, New Moult, emerged from significant personal change, including the end of a decade-long relationship.
“We released at the end of 2024, and it was a few slightly newer songs that I’d written when I started the Queenie project,” Queenie said.
Many tracks were written during lockdown, with Queenie describing it as “a bit of an amalgamation of songs from different eras”.
An unexpected element emerged when nasal surgery altered her vocal sound mid-recording.
“I kind of thought that it was cool because the album was about a lot of change in my life,” she said.
“The album is, like, not mellow, I guess it’s very dynamic, but live, it comes across a lot more rock and roll than it does on the record.”
Queenie is playing a daytime set at Riverboats on Saturday, February 14, at 12.30pm.
Queenie plays on Saturday, February 14 at 12.30pm.
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Melbourne-based artist Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt, who performs as Merpire, released her second album, Milk Pool, in July last year.
The album explores themes of desire and self-acceptance.
“There are a few songs that are probably the sexiest songs I’ve ever written, which I was nervous to release, because, we have parents that listen to our music,” Merpire said.
“But I bit the bullet and released them, and they’re some of my favourite songs to play live now.”
Her live performances offer emotional variety.
“One minute you’re laughing, because I don’t really practice banter. I kind of just see what happens on the day,” she said.
“And then the songs themselves sometimes make people cry.”
Riverboats Music Festival is held on the banks of the Murray, at Aquatic Reserve, Echuca, from Friday, February 13 to Sunday, February 15, headlined by The Living End, Baker Boy and Xavier Rudd, along with 13 other Australian music acts.
For the full chats with Liv from Norwood, Queenie and Merpire, listen to the 2026 Riverboats Music Festival podcast at sheppnews.com.au/podcasts
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