The Waifs’ Vikki Thorn will join with Melbourne roots outfit Row Jerry Crow and a revolving cast of other talented folks as Keep The Circle Unbroken kicks off again in 2023 and crosses Victorian borders for the first time in its short history. Vikki and other guests will each perform a mix of their own material and songs from the classic country music and folk songbook which serves as a wellspring for the music of today.

Keep The Circle Unbroken began in 2020 as a series of concerts presented across many of Victoria's iconic regional towns featuring an incredible line-up of Victorian musicians, spanning two generations, and performing songs inspired by one of the most influential albums in the history of popular music, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1972 album Will The Circle Be Unbroken. 

With border closures and the likes the original performances saw a strictly Victorian cast of guests, including the likes of Tim Rogers, Mick Thomas and Kylie Auldist. 2023 will see it head out of Victoria for the first time, so it is only fitting that the list of featured artists this time is topped by Vikki Thorne, one of the most beloved singer/songwriters from the other side of the country.

The roots of Keep The Circle Unbroken go back to 1972 when Californian country-rockers the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band released an album that reconnected divided US generations at odds due to the perpetuating Vietnam War, hippie counterculture and a troubling Richard Nixon presidential term. Featuring collaborations with old time country legends such as Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson and Mother Maybelle Carter, the triple LP Will The Circle Be Unbroken – which was named after the classic song made famous by the Mother Maybelle and the First Family of Country music, the Carter Family - revealed an authenticity and spirit of togetherness that captured the imagination of rock music lovers and brought a whole new generation into the traditional music. In many ways it anticipated the more recent alt-country and Americana movements, which have similarly reached beyond country music’s traditional audience to appeal to audiences attuned to more alternative forms 50 years after its original release, the spirit and music of Will The Circle Be Unbroken comes alive in the live show that is the concept of Row Jerry Crow’s mandolinist and songwriter Delsinki and fiddle player John Kendall. It’s a spirit that goes beyond just the music. Says Delsinki: “In a world that seems to be at each other’s throats every other second, and not LISTENING to each other, we wanted to create a musical message that would inspire everybody to stop and reflect on what is important in life. Putting our heads together we thought we'd get our eclectic bunch of mates all together in one room and show the connection and artistry that comes from music. We got an incredible response”.

This live show is an audible bridge stretching across generations, cultures, sexes, politics, race, and musical genre. The circle of artists represents the sitting around a campfire, being at the family dinner table, or at a traditional music session, like that which the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band created for the recording of their triple LP. And just their Will The Circle Be Unbroken album included fly on the wall studio conversations between players talking about the songs, Keep The Circle Unbroken cherishes the stories and revelations and the artists bring to the stage with them.

For the early 2023 Keep The Circle Unbroken tour, Vikki Thorn, and the members of Row Jerry Crow - some of Victoria’s most revered musicians including the aforementioned Delsinki and John Kendall and Screaming Jets co-founder and songwriter Paul Woseen - will be the only constants. They’ll pick up a couple of different singers and a banjo player is each different city or region. The featured artists will each perform a mix of their own material and songs from the classic country music and folk songbook - including of course songs from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's original Will The Circle Be Unbroken collection - which serves as a wellspring for the music of today.