About The Hillbilly Goats

Festival favourites, The Hillbilly Goats, exude an undeniable passion for mountain music, the instruments and the stories.  Our mission is to strip back the layers of modern music and transport you on a journey that began centuries ago when the Scotts Irish first settled in the Appalachian Mountains of America.  

Our recordings and shows feature award nominated originals, but mostly paint a picture of traditional songs from 1710 through to the 1940’s with a high energy, quirky edge. Featuring banjo, fiddle, bones, double bass, 3 part harmonies and more, we share the history of Mountain Music’s evolution into Blues, Country & Bluegrass.  
 "...the Hillbilly Goats exhibit genuine passion and no lack of expertise or energy in their mission to present a taste of old-time Appalachian folk to Australian audiences....driving fiddle and plonking banjo in tandem provide more conventional impetus. Elsewhere, double bass and harmonica in conjunction with a variety of percussive devices (clogging, washboard, bones and jew's harp) help maintain momentum. Tight four-part harmony singing, with alternating male and female emphasis, adorns most tracks."     - Tony Hillier, The AUSTRALIAN - Aug ‘13
 
Kick yer shoes off, put yer hoe-down & hang on to yer britches!
 
2022 Winners - Folk Alliance Awards - "People's Choice"
2021 Finalists - Folk Alliance Awards - "People's Choice"
2020 Winners - Golden Fiddle Award
2020 Golden Guitar Finalists for "Bleed Me Dry" - Bluegrass Recording
2019 Golden Guitar Finalists for "Gypsy Girl" - Bluegrass Recording
2017 Golden Guitar Finalists for "Cumberland Gap" - Bluegrass Recording
2016 Golden Guitar Finalists for "Rabbit in a Log" - Bluegrass Recording
 

Goat Boy

Bryce Wearne

Goat Boy taught himself harmonica and mandolin at the age of 20. Soon after, he put down his chef tools and ran away with a country band called “Bettathannachookraffle”.  Aboard a fried out Kombi, the trio toured the country giving Goat Boy a taste of musical freedom and adventure.

Picking up a love for Bluegrass along the way he vowed one day to start a bluegrass/mountain music band…. 17 years later, after working solidly to lay foundations in life, he was ready to chase dreams and the Hillbilly Goats were born.

As well as lead vocals, the band keep Goat Boy’s ferocious energy channeled into playing three instruments at a time – drums with his feet, a harmonica in his mouth and strings in his hands (banjo, guitar and resonator).

Filly Goat Fi

Fi Passmore

Fi trained in classical violin and choral acapella singing, working in a professional choir and teaching voice while undertaking a theatre performance degree at Wollongong University. While this may have given structure and technique, that deep soul sound was developed harmonising with her dad’s blues piano or around the campfire with her cousins.

Teaching Drama and English for 21 years, she always yearned to return to the spotlight, and loves bringing the energy of bluegrass and old time stories to life with The Goats. With a little flat foot shuffle, a big ol’ lady double bass, and an even bigger voice, welcome back to the stage - Filly Goat Fi!

Gracie Goat

Nicola Grace

Nicola Grace, an Australian folk artist originally from the rolling hills of South Australia, classically trained on violin at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide. Has been living up in Sunshine Coast after travelling Australia in her van and performing with numerous bands. Nicola released her first single in 2025 and intends to release more music while on the road with The Hillbilly Goats. She loves being able to collaborate with other artists and help their vision come to fruition. Nicola has a deep-rooted connection with the earth and can be found frolicking around forests or soaking up the sun at the beach. She is a passionate woman, living and breathing her craft.