HAILING from Wollongong, Tumbleweed's Richie Lewis says there's a lot to like about the Beechworth Music Festival.
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After being part of the alternative rock explosion of the early 90s, playing a large part in fuelling the genre's popularity in Australia, Tumbleweed have settled into their own groove since reforming in 2009 and releasing a new album in 2013.
“When we began, things were going at 100 miles an hour, 24/7,” Lewis said.
“We had some amazing opportunities, did some incredible things and ticked off a lot of our list.
“After we took a big break (from 2003 to 2009) the original lineup got back together and we looked at things from a different perspective – we only played for enjoyment.”
With that in mind, the alt-rock frontman believes the Beechworth festival will be the perfect place for Tumbleweed to take the stage.
“We've travelled through Beechworth before, but haven't really been able to stay,” he said.
“Being able to get a feel for the cultural side of it will be really cool.
“The community aspect of it, I think that's what makes the festival a bit different, it's got a different feel to it.
“You see the big stuff everywhere, but this is something else, it'll be really cool.”
Though the band's time at the forefront of the alternative genre's clash with the mainstream in the 1990s is behind them, Lewis said the alternative music was still a unique genre, despite achieving more mainstream success.
“We were never trying to fit in, or do something in particular – we found a bond together by being into the same sort of music,” he said.
“Through those influences we naturally and organically created our very own sound.
“At that time there were a lot of bands coming though, there was a big distinction between alternative and mainstream with no aspirations of commercial success.
“It was a celebration of the loser and the underdog, which hit a critical mass.”