Charley Castle loves Bluegrass music, but she prefers to call her version of the classic Americana genre “Newgrass”.

Kiama is the next stop for her band, Charley Castle and The Boys In The Well, when they are one of the headline acts at Folk By The Sea from September 11-14.

The festival features 115 concerts over the four days, with performers ranging from Charley Castle and other national acts including multi Tamworth Golden Guitar winner Darren Coggan, dynamic Victorian duo The Weeping Willows and acclaimed Indigenous story-teller Jessie Lloyd, to some of Kiama’s finest, including The Water Runners, Kiama Sea Shanty Club and the Kiama Pipe Band.

Charley and her band will be playing at the Thursday night charity concert at Kiama Leagues Club, as part of the festival’s opening night program at Kiama Pavilion at 10.20pm on Friday (September 12) and again on Saturday at 5pm.

Charley will also join other female artists as part of the two-hour Sirens of the Sea all-female show at 2.45pm on Saturday at the Anglican Church Hall.

Playing with The Boys In The Well - Reuben Ryan (acoustic guitar), Henry Junor (double bass) and George Teasdell (mandolin) – is relatively new for Charley.

The band formed last year after Charley had previously been part of a harmony trio called the Fallen Robins, with her younger sisters Jess and Sarah.

The Fallen Robins performed for eight years at festivals around the country, including Folk By The Sea in 2023, but eventually Jess and Sarah decided to concentrate on non-musical careers while Charley teamed up with The Boys In The Well.

They had early validation, winning the busking award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January, which came with a $2000 prize and two paid festival gigs.

“It is obviously a totally different dynamic than being on the road with your siblings,” said Charley, who hails from Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

“We’re excited to be coming to Kiama for Folk By The Sea, having played there two years ago with the Fallen Robins.

“I have very nice memories of the festival, and it is going to be fun coming back with the band.

“Our music is a blend of Bluegrass, Country and Folk, and we do lots of jumping around.”

Harmonies are also a prominent feature with her new band, whose music can veer from up-tempo party sets to soft and beautiful ballads.

The band has released a seven-track EP of original songs, while also adapting classic country rock and pop songs into Bluegrass for their festival shows.

“It’s fun to experiment and put our style to popular songs - like 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton and even Baby One More Time by Britney Spears and Beyonce’s Texas Hold ’Em.

“I’m not sure you’d call our music Bluegrass though – it’s more Newgrass.”

Charley said she’d been strongly influenced by other Australian Bluegrass-oriented bands like The Button Collective (who have played at Folk By The Sea on multiple occasions), The Morrisons and Kiama’s own The Water Runners.

“Watching those bands, seeing them play Bluegrass with an Australian flavour, got us into it,” she said.

Her band has shared several stages with The Water Runners over the past year, and she is looking forward to doing that again.

Festival director Neil McCann, a member of The Water Runners, says he expects Charley Castle and The Boys In The Well to be one of the most popular acts at Folk By The Sea.

“They’re a great live band,” Neil said. “I think audiences are going to love them.”

Entry for the Thursday night Charity Concert, from 7pm-10.15 at Kiama Leagues Club, is by donation with all proceeds going to Lifeline South Coast.

The Friday-Sunday afternoon festival program based at Kiama Showground Pavilion is ticketed, with details at www.folkbythesea.com.au and there are special prices for youth with children under 12 admitted free.

The festival will wrap up with a free concert at Kiama Bowling Club on Sunday from 5.30pm.