“Andrea Kirwin has a rare voice that runs deep....deep enough to carry you back to an era where the way an artist delivered their message was everything.” - LIOR
"I find there are many competent yet mediocre musicians out there and Andrea was way above anything I had heard for a long long time."
- KRISTINA OLSEN
A powerful vocalist and engaging story-teller, Andrea Kirwin has carved a path for herself in the Australian Music Industry that is like no other. At age 21, Andrea picked up a guitar and dropped out of her law degree to tour the East Coast of Australia with her first band, the Andi and George band, in an old retired school bus to Festivals such as The Dreaming, Woodford Folk Festival and Womadelaide, releasing 4 albums in a whirlwind 2 years from 2007 - 2008. In 2009, Andrea went solo and founded Peace Run Records and Agency and went on to release 5 albums under her own label, receiving a Queensland music award for her fourth album, a co-write with Nyssa Ray for Best Children's song, and 2 x Queensland music award nominations in the Folk and World Music categories for her most recent album, Bloom (released in May, 2021)
Andrea's original music crosses many genres, and can be best described as blend of her three favourite music styles; American soul, Australian folk and world rhythms from the Pacific and Portuguese traditions. Her Fijian roots can be heard in her impressive vocal ability which ranges from her contralto lower tones that she inherited from her grandmother, Radini, who was a master weaver back in the village of Levukaidaku, Matuku, Fiji, to her powerful gospel soul wailings. Andrea brings an element of weaving into her song arrangements layering rich harmonies together with strong melody lines throughout her music. There is an underlying community spirit behind all that Andrea does, which is the pacific island way, and it is this passion of inclusiveness that culminated in the recording of her most recent album, 'Bloom', in 2021, which features her 13 piece band, The Yama-Nui Social Club (Named after the Buena Vista Social Club, but based around Andrea's favourite recording studio, Yama-Nui, on the Sunshine Coast).
With over 15 years performing to audiences across Australia and New Zealand, Andrea has gathered fans who've become great friends over the years and have become her musical village. Her music community are an incredible support of her original music and her entrepreneurial pursuits through Peace Run Records and Agency, which has been making waves on the Sunshine Coast. Fiercely independent, Andrea made the decision in 2020 to remove her albums from streaming platforms and start a Patreon page to allow people to be a part of her creative journey. This allowed Andrea to open up a shopfront for Peace Run Records and Agency in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast and has become a beacon for independent Artists and lovers of live music. Most weekdays you can find Andrea with her border collie Bear at the shop, working on various events and expanding Peace Run Records and Agency. In the past 12 months Andrea has started programming events which is an exciting opportunity to link great independent artists with audiences at boutique events. For more information on the exciting things coming, please visit:
Career Highlights
Programmer for Queensland Music Festival Sunshine Coast event (Aug 2023)
QLD Music Awards Judge for 2023 entries in the Blues and Roots Category
Peace Run Records invited to Export Music Industry Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Turtle Island (Feb 2023)
Current programmer for Sunshine Coast Council monthly live music events including 'Nambour Forecourt Live' and 'The Lowe Down' (2023)
Two songs from 'Bloom' nominated as Finalists for the Folk and World categories in the 2022 Queensland Music Awards
Delegate to Break Out West Music Conference, Canada. 2022
Guest Programmed Caloundra Music Festival 2022
Programmed Rockhampton River Festival main stage Sat 8 Oct 2022
Tracy Chapman East Coast Tour 2022 - 9 Dates
Woodford Folk Festival Small Halls Tour of Regional QLD (Nov 2021)
QMusic Panelist for Connect Music Industry series (July-Aug 2021)
Programmed the Live and Local Festival, Sunshine Coast (2021)
Programmed Nambour Forecourt Live (2021)
Represented Australia as part of the Global Music Match (2021)
Emerging Curator role with Creative Arts Alliance and RASN network (2021)
Women in Music Mentorship Mentor for Apra Amcos (2021)
Winner of QMusic Award with Nyssa Ray for Children's song of the year (2021)
Sunshine Sounds Tour with Katie Noonan and Louise King (2020)
Ukulele Intensive Workshop facilitator, Woodford Folk Festival Bushtime (2020)
Opened up Peace Run Records shopfront in Nambour during Covid (2020)
Carol Lloyd award finalist (2019)
Cole Clark Guitars Endorsement (2017)
Representing multicultural Artists from QLD at Bigsound QLD (2016)
Receiving a Regional Arts Development Fund ($6000) grant to help
4 songs from 'The Story of Us', highly commended in the
Queensland Music Awards, 2016
3 East Coast Australian Tours
The Andi and George Band in 2007 - 2009
2 x East Coast Tours in 2008 around the Australian Folk Festival Circuit
FESTIVALS PERFORMED AT IN 2022
National Folk Festival (ACT)
Sunshine Sounds Festival (QLD)
Gympie Music Muster (QLD)
Horizon Festival (QLD)
Palm Creek Folk Festival (QLD)
Sunshine Coast Mardigras (QLD)
Woodford Folk Festival (QLD)
FESTIVALS PERFORMED AT IN 2021
Festival of Small Halls (QLD)
Horizon Festival (QLD)
Regional Flavours Festival (QLD)
Festival of Water (QLD)
Noosa Eat and Drink Festival (QLD)
Melt Queer Festival (QLD)
Brisbane Festival (QLD)
Sunshine Sounds Festival (QLD)
Sunshine Coast Mardigras (QLD)
FESTIVALS PERFORMED AT IN 2020
Bushtime, Woodford Folk Festival (QLD)
Blooms and Tunes, Brisbane (QLD)
Bushtime, Woodford Folk Festival (QLD)
FESTIVALS PERFORMED AT IN 2019
Noosa Food and Wine Festival (QLD)
Horizon Festival (QLD)
Space Girls (QLD)
Brisbane Festival (QLD)
Booin Gari (QLD)
Fibre Arts Festival (QLD)
Pride Festival Sunshine Coast (QLD)
Regional Flavours Festival (QLD)
Pomona Music Festival (QLD)
FESTIVALS PERFORMED AT IN 2018
Artisan Weekend Songwriting Facilitator, Woodford Folk Festival (QLD)
Noosa Food and Wine Festival (QLD)
Noosa Festival of Water (QLD)
Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival (NZ)
Brisbane Festival (QLD)
FESTIVALS PERFORMED AT IN 2017
National Multicultural Festival (ACT)
Fairbridge Folk Festival (WA)
Wintermoon (QLD)
Palm Creek Folk Festival (QLD)
Echuca Winterblues Festival (VIC)
Sunshine Coast International Readers and Writers Festival (QLD)
Horizon Festival - Dawn awakening (QLD)
Caloundra Music Festival (QLD) *With Thump and Bearfoot
Island Vibe Festival (NSW)
FESTIVALS PERFORMED AT IN 2016
Valley Fiesta (QLD)
West End Festival (QLD)
Horizon Festival (QLD)
Maleny Music Festival (QLD)
Four Winds Festival (NSW)
Majors Creek Folk Festival (NSW)
Quandamooka Festival (QLD)
Bigsound Music Expo (QLD)
International Readers and Writers Festival (QLD)
and many more wonderful Festivals and Community events
