Sunshine Coast Musicians to Know Right Now
Pricey performs at The Big Weekend at Blackflag Brewing. Photo: Dameeka Middleton for YELO.
Pricey, Phil and The Blanks and Billy Howler are among a growing mix of Sunshine Coast songwriters, bands and live acts building audiences beyond the region.
The Sunshine Coast has always had a quietly strong music scene. From coastal indie bands to singer-songwriters, local artists continue to release new music, tour and grow their audiences across Australia.
Some are already known well beyond the Coast. Others are building momentum through new releases, live shows, festival appearances and steady community support. These are some of the artists currently shaping the local scene.
For a broader list of local acts, explore the Sunshine Coast bands and musicians directory.
Pricey
Pricey is one of the Sunshine Coast’s most recognisable contemporary music exports, known for his work with The Chats and his solo material.
There is a loose, sunburnt confidence to what he does: coastal rock energy, sharp songwriting and the kind of humour that feels like it came straight out of a car park after a gig.
Even with big stages behind him, Pricey still feels tied to the Coast’s pub, punk and festival circuit. That local thread runs through the songs, the shows and the way his name still lands around here.
Pricey living up to his rockstar name outside The Presynct, in Nambour, on the Sunshine Coast. Photo: Ben Russoniello.
Quick note: Coast-grown, stage-tested and still carrying that loose, unmistakable larrikin rock energy, Pricey keeps one foot in the local scene while carrying the legacy of a founding member of The Chats.
Phil and The Blanks
Phil and The Blanks do not really enter a room quietly.
The band is known for big-energy live shows and a genre-bending sound that pulls from hip hop, rock, pop and funk without sitting neatly in any one lane.
Fronted by Connor Hanson, the quartet brings its own kind of visual chaos to the stage: part fishing gear, part psychedelic fever dream and part “what did we just walk into?”
With a growing catalogue of music and regular appearances on local stages, Phil and The Blanks have built a reputation as one of the Sunshine Coast’s most entertaining live acts.
Quick note: chaotic in the best way, with big choruses, loose edges and the kind of stage energy that somehow haunts you at 2am.
Billy Howler
Billy Howler is the Sunshine Coast dark horse with the wolfish name, the raw talent and the kind of stage presence that makes people look twice.
His sound sits somewhere between alternative rock, moody groove-driven songwriting and something a little more primal around the edges.
It is at the shows where Howler’s presence really unfolds, with layered rhythms, immersive arrangements and a slower, mesmerising pull.
Billy Howler feels like one of the Coast’s wild cards with serious breakout energy. Word on the street is he is off to Nashville next, and honestly, that tracks.
Quick note: a gentle dark horse with serious pull, making beautiful, ambient songs that linger long after they end. Nashville is next, and so is something special.
Calan Mai
Few Sunshine Coast musicians have built an audience as steadily as Calan Mai.
Blending indie folk with atmospheric pop production, the project has reached listeners well beyond the region through streaming, radio and touring.
Behind the project is singer-songwriter Jordan Lawrence, whose songs lean into emotional storytelling and cinematic arrangements that feel both intimate and expansive.
There is a patience to the writing and a polish to the production, but it still feels connected to the same regional songwriting scene that has kept local artists moving between small rooms, festivals and national attention.
Quick note: polished, atmospheric and big-hearted, Calan Mai is one of the Coast’s most export-ready sounds, with songs that feel carefully built without losing their emotional centre.
Drew Wilson
High-school teacher and songwriter Drew Wilson brings a sharp sense of melody and lyricism to his music.
His songs draw on classic storytelling traditions while staying grounded in modern indie-folk and country-leaning production.
He has opened for Ben Lee and played some of the Coast’s bigger stages, building a steady live presence through honest songwriting, strong hooks and a grounded connection with audiences.
That mix of classroom-by-day, songwriter-by-night gives his music a lived-in quality: carefully made, but still plain-spoken at the centre.
Quick note: grounded, melodic and full of everyday heart, Drew writes the kind of songs that feel easy to love. He has supported Ben Lee and performed on a stadium stage.
Beaudi Dwan
Beaudi Dwan brings stripped-back arrangements and a raw, expressive vocal style that lets the songwriting speak for itself.
When he is not performing his own music, Dwan is often travelling Australia working as an electrician on major tours, supporting some of the biggest names in music including Pink and Metallica.
There is a working-musician feel to his story, with one foot in the world behind the stage and the other in the quieter, more personal work of writing and performing his own songs.
Back home on the Coast, Beaudi Dwan continues to release new material and perform locally, carving out his own place in the region’s music landscape.
Quick note: raw voice, road-tested work ethic and a songwriter’s eye for the quiet details. Beaudi is the real deal, with a lived-in sound shaped by both the stage lights and the hard work behind them.
Looking to book Sunshine Coast musicians for a show, support slot or event?
Get in touch via the YELO artist bookings page.
Want to discover more local acts?
Visit the Sunshine Coast bands and musicians directory for more artists from across the region.
Discover more Sunshine Coast artists on YELO playlists
Discover the musicians coming out of the Coast right now, from indie songwriters to rising local bands helping shape the region’s music scene.
Check what’s on this month → Sunshine Coast Gig Guide
