First festival out the gate

Award-winning opera singer and songwriter Jess Hitchcock is an Indigenous performer, composer and singer-songwriter with family origins from Saibai in the Torres Straits and Papua New Guinea. Melbourne-based Jess is breezing into the Australian folk music scene, with the sweet sounds of her ukulele, mesmerising vocals and debut LP, Bloodline. She is performing live at Castlemaine State Festival set for March 19-April 4.