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Short version
Melbourne bluegrass duo Justin Vilchez and Daniel Watkins of The High Street Drifters talk about their new song ‘Fine Times’, inspired by the Holden Commodore that takes them all over the land to shows and festivals, with a few hiccups along the way.
Long version
The High Street Drifters are a bluegrass band from Victoria led by mandolinist Justin Vilchez and guitarist Daniel Watkins. They released a self-titled debut EP in 2024 and have been nominated for several Golden Guitars.
The band started as a four-piece with Vilchez and Watkins in Melbourne and the other two members in Adelaide. Now it’s a two-piece at the core and they build the band around that, with members including fiddle player Naomi Jones from Newcastle, banjo player William Louis from the NSW Blue Mountains, and bass players from either Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, with the popular Jordy Hickey among them.
The band composition is a matter of who can make the gig. ‘We’re so grateful for all the people that do play with us,’ says Watkins. ‘We love showcasing great Australian musicians in the band.’
It’s clear in this interview how much Vilchez and Watkins love bluegrass music, and indeed they each run bluegrass jams: Vilchez at the Brunswick Green in Brunswick on the third Wednesday of the month and Watkins at Redwood Tasting Room in Fitzroy North on the first Tuesday of the month.
‘We just love playing music with people,’ says Vilchez. ‘I guess a big part of it is trying to raise the scene in Australia for bluegrass music.’
The High Street Drifters have themselves played at a lot of festivals, mainly of the folk variety, although this year they played the Gympie Music Muster.
‘Getting into the country music festivals has been the most exciting new revelation for the band,’ says Vilchez. ‘Showing people that we don’t need big electric amps and drum kits to put a full energy to it.’
They spend a lot of time on the road, much of it in Vilchez’s Holden Commodore – which was the inspiration for their latest single, ‘Fine Times’.
‘I’m putting my life on the line for this car,’ says Vilchez of the sometimes hairy experiences on the road, ‘and I feel like it puts its life on the line for us too every time we take it one of these eight-hour drives up the country.’
Fine times are had in the car, and great times by the listener of this song – and it sounds like seeing The High Street Drifters live would be even better. It was wonderful to meet them and find out more about their music.
Listen to ‘Fine Times’ on Apple Music
Listen to ‘Fine Times’ on YouTube
