Next month, Your & Owls Festival will return to Stuart Park in Wollongong with arguably their biggest lineup to date. Courtney Barnett, Bad//Dreems, Bass Drum Of Death, and Angie McMahon are among the incredible roster of acts set to perform.
With only a couple of week’s left until kick-off, we imagine the festival’s organisers are running around like blue-assed flies trying to pull everything together. Nevertheless, organiser Balunn Jones set some time aside to chat with us about everything Yours & Owls.
We sat down with the organisers of Yours & Owls Festival to chat about the festival’s inception, the Wollongong community, and what the future holds.
HAPPY: Could you walk us through the inception of Yours & Owls? How did the festival come about?
BALUNN: We finished up at the shop aka RAD and 12 months went by and we figured we should celebrate our birthday so the first Festival in 2014 was Yours and Owls’ 4th birthday party.
HAPPY: Can you tell me about some of the best moments you’ve experienced at the festival?
BALUNN: Last year I had my haircut at The Local, learned about a rare lobster that is only found of the Illawarra coast, had a poem written for me then went and watched Hockey Dad side of stage to a jam-packed park overlooking the beach then watched Pist Idiots tear up RAD…so many good things all in one day.
HAPPY: What are the most important goals for you when preparing for the festival?
BALUNN: To make sure everyone is happy, safe and everything is set up so we can all have a fun time.
HAPPY: How important is sustainability for you when planning the event?
BALUNN: We we’re always taught that when you leave a campground, you leave it exactly how you found it. It’s one of the most important things that we can advocate, that we can have a good time but no harm comes to the environment because of that. I can’t imagine running Yours & Owls and not thinking about how we can have a positive impact on the local environement.
HAPPY: In what ways have you noticed that the festival has changed or grown over the years?
BALUNN: It’s gotten more professional… there’s not just three of us trying to do everything anymore. The lineup stands out as being really diverse – from rock bands to Aussie pop and even a few party starters.
HAPPY: Is good range important to you when putting together the lineup?
BALUNN: 100%. It brings a good vibe having such a big mix. Different types of people, different moods of the festivals.
HAPPY: What are you most excited for in this year’s festival?
BALUNN: Shooting hoops with the Bungalows.
HAPPY: Local Wollongong artists and community initiatives always seem to be a priority with Yours & Owls. How important is the local community to your festival?
BALUNN: It’s a part of the event. It wouldn’t be a festival without the local community involvement.
HAPPY: Can you tell me about some of your favourite local artists that will be playing this year?
BALUNN: Tuff Mustard are quite the spectacle. Their live show is a truly immersive experience. Also The Pinheads are always a MUST see.
HAPPY: What are you looking forward to in the future of Yours & Owls?
BALUNN: There’s so much more to Yours & Owls than just the festival. Can’t wait to be a part of new projects in the future….not sure what they’ll be but it will have to be bigger and better than Yours & Owls Festival.
YOURS & OWLS FESTIVAL 2019:
Saturday, October 5th – Sunday, October 6th
Stuart Park, Wollongong, NSW
