The ultimate showcase of Western Australia’s next big musical exports is taking over Burswood Park this month.
Set to ignite the WA Day Festival on November 21 and 22, the Discovery Stage is putting local, homegrown talent firmly in the spotlight.
Curated by RTRFM 92.1, this year’s stacked lineup promises everything from soaring indie-pop and guitar-heavy alt-rock to infectious Afro-house and soulful Persian fusion.
While the festival’s main stage packs a star power punch with established WA favourites, the Discovery Stage is all about giving thousands of festivalgoers a front-row seat to their next local obsession.
Among the massive roster of emerging acts set to rock the park are indie-pop juggernauts Joan and the Giants, The Forever Party, Ayo Busari and Tchega.
They are joined by guitar-driven alt-rockers BLUSH, the contemporary sounds of Coco Elise, rising indie-rockers POLLY and Iranian-born, Perth-based vocalist Tara Tiba, who brings a stunning blend of traditional Persian musical influences and modern arrangements to the stage.
Rounding out the jam-packed bill are Adele Oliver, Symmetrical Dogs and Stellar Moon ensuring every corner of WA’s vibrant music scene gets its time to shine.
For Tchega’s Carole Katz, taking the stage this year hits a deeply personal milestone.
“I’m celebrating my 20th year living in Australia this month, so it’s super special to be part of the WA Day festival lineup,” Ms Katz said.
“Being part of the festivities in that way makes me reflect on my journey thus far. What a blessed and joyful ride.
“We’re very proud to bring something different and unique to the stage representing our Indian Ocean islands.
“There are lots of local gems on the WA music scene that deserve to have more platforms to be discovered.”
That sense of home-grown pride is echoed across the lineup.
Ayo Busari and talented band mate Alyssa Dalao are promising high vibes, infectious rhythms and plenty of crowd participation.
“Very, very excited. I’ve always wanted to play WA Day,” Mr Busari shared.
“I’ve been to a few ones in the past and it’s just been amazing going there with friends and seeing all of the amazing acts. It’s interesting now a few years later, I’m going to be playing one of the stages.
“People should bring their dancing shoes because there’s going to be lots of dancing, lots of big smiles, we have a lot of songs that are very good sing-alongs.”
Ms Dalao agrees the festival offers an unmatched platform to showcase the incredible diversity brewing within Perth’s local creative scene.
“It’s a surreal experience and a great opportunity to showcase Afro-House electronic music,” Dalao said.
“This opportunity is an amazing way to show the vibrancy of WA. There are so many different genres, so many different cultures, and so many different talented people in one place.”
Fresh off supporting massive touring acts like Matt Corby, The Cat Empire and Macy Gray down in Margaret River, Finn Alexander of indie outfit The Forever Party said the WA music community is unlike anywhere else in the world.
“WA is probably the hardest state to get a career in music off the bat because we’re so far away from everything,” he said.
“But I think that breeds this beautiful little microcosm of really, really talented musicians.
“You look at The Southern River Band, who are headlining one of the nights this year — they’ve been at it for 10 years in the WA scene, just playing the regions, doing the hard yards, and now they’re headlining the festival.
“I think that’s a testament to what can happen from platforming emerging artists, like the ones that are going to be playing on the Discovery Stage.”
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