Sonic Travels is a music festival with endless destinations—no passport necessary

Posted on 17 November, 2022

Back for its second rendition, Ainslie Salon: Sonic Travels features its most diverse line-up yet.

Reverberating its rich sound waves from Wednesday 23 until Saturday 26 November, this mini music festival will guide us on a musical journey around the world like no other. And the best bit? We don’t even have to leave Canberra.

The festival refuses to confine itself to one genre, creating a space for soul, punk, experimental, hip-hop, and post-rock styles to intersect unexpectedly, serving up a rich listening experience for Canberra audiences.

As festival curator and self-proclaimed ‘music nerd,’ Sia Ahmad explains, each carefully curated night will take you on a slightly different journey—a visionary arc of intimacy, diversity, and transformative soundwaves.

“I wanted to create a different vibe for each night. So, every night will have three acts with a big focus on local artists. But we also wanted to bring them together with interstate or, in the case of Friday’s night, international artists also. So, it is diverse, but at the same time, it does feel very cohesive. There is really a taste of all genres for people to fall in love with,” explains Sia.

But this intimate journey is never far from change, shifting in energy the following night at the hands of Lost Coast, Lynden Bassett—tapping into dark post-rock metal with tinges of experimental filtering through.

Saturday show stoppers Ajak Kwai, Brass Knuckle Brass Band and Ike(from)Pluto will take you to your final destinations. With Sudanese singer, Ajak Kwai putting groove, funk and soul front and centre—transforming the building with her rhythm-heavy beats that are almost impossible not to dance to.

For festival headliner Anna, the intimate and community-focused space that is Sonic Travels was something her band—Moody Beaches—jumped at the opportunity to be a part of.

“We’ve just started doing shows again over the last year, but it’s all been locally based because of the great thing that shall not be named. So, we were really excited to not only travel to Canberra but be part of a festival that is such a safe space because inclusion is always our focus.” she says.

And for Moody Beaches fans (or soon-to-be fans), audiences can expect some new songs from this grungy Melbourne-based band. With upbeat tracks posing moments of introspection—speaking to these challenging, ahem, continually unprecedented times.

“‘We’ve finally gotten around to recording our album. It’s not released, but we will be playing a lot of our newer songs, which touches on the anxiety that lives in the modern world. And the apathy and the anger that brings and what people have to grapple with,” says Anna.

“We don’t have solutions—we’re not, we’re not an economist or politicians or anything, but it is like articulating those emotions. And there’s a little bit of humour and stuff in there, always. As well as a bunch of lovely harmonies too. So, it’s the release of anxiety, not the cause of. Hopefully.”

Moody? Yes. As joyful as a trip to the beach? Also, yes.

Local artists Sesame Girl will also use Sonic Travels to showcase fresh sounds, giving listeners a sneak peek into her new record, ‘lucky charms.’

“We’ve got our record coming next month, which we are excited to play at this festival—and it’s going to take listeners on my journey a little bit. It’s a coming-of-age story that features songs I wrote when I was 16, and it goes through some breakups and mental health struggles. So, I think there is something in there that everyone can relate to,” says Heather from the band.

As Sonic Travels prepares to take Canberrans from Ainslie to afar, what continues to remain unshaken in the Ainslie Salon series is its focus on a beautiful ‘bridging the gap’ musical experience. One that takes our hand and gently guides us into a world we at times didn’t know existed—but perhaps don’t want to leave.

“When you curate good music or good experiences, people will want to come because they trust us as an organisation to put on something that is a quality experience,” says Sia.

“And we’re providing an opportunity for audience members to just take a punt and come along. You don’t have to come along every day, but any night that people do come, you are guaranteed a good time as well as the chance to discover something completely new. Which for music lovers is a really exciting opportunity.”