Originating from Albury and now based in Melbourne, the fluid 10-piece indie-folk outfit have been making music together since 2012.

The Northern Folk are regular performers at music festivals and community events all over Australia and in December band members created the inaugural By The Banks Music Festival in Albury.

This year they will share the performance stage with the aptly named Solstice Trio  from Melbourne.

Solstice are a contemporary musical trio working with piano, violin and cello who focus on performing, commissioning and arranging works which move away from traditional piano trio repertoire and span a wide range of musical genres, with a particular interest in performing works by Australian composers.

Also on the musical bill is Beechworth country folk singer-songwriter Benny Williams.

The first Winter Solstice event was held in 2013 as an opportunity for communities to gather on the longest (and often coldest) night of the year to be entertained, enlightened and supported.

The Survivors of Suicide and Friends wanted the event to bring the community together and bring the subject of suicide and mental illness into the public forum to be addressed without shame or stigma.

More than 1000 people attended the first event, which has attracted guest speakers such as 2010 Australian of the Year professor Patrick McGorry over the years.

This year’s key speakers include actor and cancer awareness campaigner Samuel Johnson, former NSW State of Origin and Australia test rugby league hard man Ian Roberts and iconic Australian poet Les Murray.