Kiama’s favourite folk band, The Water Runners, plan to showcase their upcoming fourth album when they return to the town’s annual folk festival, Folk By The Sea, at Kiama Showground on September 12-14.

The Water Runners recorded the songs for their new album, Shelter, at Syd Green’s Jervis Bay recording studio earlier this year and the album should be released in late September.

Lead singer John Littrich says Shelter is a mix of fast-paced Bluegrass “toe-tappers” and slower songs.

The Water Runners recorded the songs “live” at Green’s studio, before the producer, who is also the drummer in Kasey Chambers’ band, left on a US tour with the iconic Australian singer.

Green is home now and finalising the “mix”, but the physical CD is still a few weeks away.

While the CD is unlikely to be ready to launch at Folk By The Sea, Littrich says he’s looking forward to introducing the songs to the band’s home-town audience at their three sets over the festival weekend.

He hopes audiences will find the new songs “relatable”.

“For example, The Last Train from Central, as the name implies is about trying to make it on to the last South Coast train of the night from Central after a big night out in Sydney,” he said.

“I am sure plenty of South Coast people will be able to relate to that.”

As always, the band has tapped into historical stories for some of their songs.

Littrich’s Mickey Brennan’s Lament tells the story of a 19-year-old miner who died in the 1902 Mt Kembla coal mine disaster, an underground explosion that left 96 workers dead and more than 120 years later remains one of Australia’s biggest industrial tragedies.

“Mickey Brennan had only started working at Mt Kembla mine four days before the explosion, and his was the only victim’s body that was never recovered after the explosion,” Littrich said.

“His father, who also worked in the mine, searched the mine shafts for two years looking for his son. It is such a sad story.”

The band’s mandolin and banjo player Neil McCann – who is also the Festival Director for Folk By The Sea – contributed an award-winning song called Emily Smith, about a man who was the only survivor of a colonial-era shipwreck off Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

McCann wrote the song for a competition when the band was playing at the Fleurieu Folk Festival at Willunga in South Australia in 2023.

“The festival organisers ran a competition for original songs about South Australia, and we were lucky enough to win it with Emily Smith,” McCann said.

“I had recently been on Kangaroo Island with my wife Wendy, and we were really taken by the number of shipwrecks that had occurred in that part of Australia.

“We heard this story about the one person who had survived a particular shipwreck, so I wrote the song from his perspective.”

The Water Runners have deep ties to the Kiama community. Littrich and McCann live in Kiama, while double bass player James Turk hails from Gerringong. Danita Harris (violin and vocals) grew up in Bowral and now lives in Campbelltown.

They have been perennial favourites at Folk By The Sea but missed last year’s festival as the band took a six-month break while Littrich and his wife Jane travelled around Australia.

McCann took that opportunity to put his hand up for the Festival Director’s job and enjoyed it so much that he is back this year with the dual roles of Festival Director and performer.

“I’m really looking forward to combining the roles,” McCann said. “I really learnt a lot about running the festival last year and really enjoyed the experience of doing it in my own town.

“I was keen to continue the role, and I can’t see any problems with also performing this year – there just won’t be any chance to relax and have a few drinks after our shows!”

The Water Runners have three shows during Folk By The Sea. They are part of the line-up at the Thursday night (September 11) Charity Preview show at Group Seven Leagues Club and have shows on Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon at the Showground Pavilion.

Folk By The Sea is presented by the Illawarra Folk Club. It kicks off with a charity preview concert at Kiama Leagues Club on Thursday, September 11, with all proceeds going to Lifeline South Coast.

The ticketed festival starts on Friday evening at Kiama Showground and continues until Sunday afternoon. It will wrap up with a free concert at Kiama Bowling Club on Sunday evening.

The full program and ticket information is available on the festival website folkbythesea.com.au.

FOLK BY THE SEA ARTISTS LIST: Alex Randles (ACT), Ally Row (VIC), Balkan Boogie, Charles Maimarosia (VIC), Charley Castles and the Boys In The Well, Chloe and Jason Roweth, Darren Coggan, Fly Little Sparrow (QLD/NSW), Grace Barr, Graeme ‘The Scotsman’ McColgan, Hand Over Hammer (VIC), Good Tunes, Humbuckin’ Pickups, Jessie Lloyd’s Sing on Country, Kane Calcite, Karen Law (QLD), Kiama Blowhole Buskers, Kiama Pipe Band, Kiama Sea Shanty, Louzco Fouzco, Marco and Rusty, Noel Gardner and Alex Bridge (QLD), Oceanique (VIC), Oliver Roweth, Robyn Sykes, Rhys Crimmin (VIC), Russell Hannah, Scupriri, Slippery John Sausage and his Bayou Boys, Southern Cross Bush Band, Square Pegs, Stonybroke, The Butter Trackers, The Con Artists, The Lofty Mountain Band (SA), The Water Runners, The Weeping Willows (VIC), Whistle, Wood n’ Hide.