The Village Feast in Thorpdale, Gippsland celebrates all things local food and produce. Ahead of the event this weekend, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival spoke to some of the artists programmed by ALWAYS LIVE who are playing the event, about all things food and tunes.

From iconic Melbourne restaurants, must-have drinks and signature dishes, they covered all bases. Find out what drink Pirritu can't go on stage without, Jazz Party's favourite place to eat in Victoria, the local Melbourne hotspot Little Quirks are the keenest to try and plenty more.

Are you planning your own culinary adventure to Thorpdale this week? We've got the only playlist you need to soundtrack your foodie discoveries.

Wilson Blackley
Born in regional Victoria’s hilly South Gippsland, Wilson Blackley’s musical journey started at an early age, picking up his first pair of drumsticks at just two years old. He was raised on his mother’s record collection, absorbing a large variety of genres.

Grace Cummings
A spellbinding folk-rock musician from Melbourne who has developed a global audience following the release of her critically acclaimed 2022 album, Storm Queen.

Tim Shiel and Mindy Meng Wang
Early in 2020, in an effort to stay connected as we closed our doors and lost contact with each other, a strange friendship blossomed between avant-garde composer and guzheng master Mindy Meng Wang, and her Melbourne electronic counterpart: the innovative thinker, writer, and radio host Tim Shiel.
Read their interview here.

Jazzparty
Jazzparty are an eight-piece phenomenon from Melbourne fronted by the incomparable Loretta Miller and sporting the co-writing prowess of band leader and saxophonist, Darcy McNulty. Jazzparty erupts on stage and record alike as a living, breathing organism, fuelled by the fire of its own searing musicianship.
Read their interview here.

Pirritu
Pirritu (Brett Lee) is a proud Wangaaypuwan mayi of the Ngiyampaa clan, a creative thinker, educator, storyteller and musician. His music is gentle, honest and melodic, enticing listeners into the depths of his personal journey, singing a story of sadness, love and hope. 
Read his interview here.

Little Quirks
Australian sisters Abbey and Mia Toole have played music with their cousin Jaymi since they were just kids. Their humble busker beginnings quickly evolved into a fully-fledged teenage touring band, the trio unearthing a knack for effortless folk-pop songwriting that brings catchy melodies and pounding rhythms to the fore.
Read their interview here.

Dorsal Fins
Melbourne’s cult pop mystiques, Dorsal Fins, are back after an extended stay in the musical wilderness. Rising from the Hope and Ovens Street studio mile of Brunswick, they've recently peeled back from the epic cast of nine mates, to three, who navigate a kaleidoscopic bag of sun-soaked horns, love-puddle funk, and brat-pop night moves.
Read their interview here.

Mia Wray
Thanks to a belter of a voice, no-holds-barred lyrics and endless charisma, Melbourne artist Mia Wray’s star is on a rapid rise. Her debut single 'Work for Me' was one of the most exciting in recent years, blowing up the triple j text line and gaining widespread support from Spotify, Apple, and one Elton John, who plugged the track on his Beats1 radio show.