The Water Runners frontman John Littrich is back from an extended break and a “half-lap” of Australia armed with new songs and renewed energy for the Kiama-based bluegrass band’s return to the festival circuit at the 38th annual Illawarra Folk Festival in January.

Over the years The Water Runners have performed at many significant festivals around the country, from the National Folk Festival in Canberra to the Peak Festival in the Snowy Mountains, Cygnet in Tasmania and three years at Tamworth’s Country Music Festival.

But the Illawarra Folk Festival, to be held at Bulli Showground on January 17-19, has a special place in the band’s heart. After all, it’s home territory – with all but one of the band members calling the Illawarra home - and their shows have always been hugely popular with festival patrons.

Littrich (guitar and vocals) and Neil McCann (banjo, mandolin and vocals) live in Kiama, while double bass player James Turk hails from Gerringong. Danita Harris (violin and vocals) grew up in Bowral and now lives just up the road in Campbelltown.  

“We love the Illawarra Folk Festival, and the joy of getting our music out there to audiences that have watched us over many years. We are so grateful that Illawarra will be the band’s return to festival performing after a six-month break,” Littrich said. “The festival has such a great line-up and we are very happy to be part of that.”

The Water Runners have three spots on the festival program – Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Littrich this year took long service leave from his job as a Law Lecturer at the University of Wollongong, and he and wife Jane headed off around Australia in their trusty VW Kombi Campervan.

“We did what they call a half-lap,” Littrich said. “We headed across to Port Augusta, then up through Cooper Pedy, Uluru, Katherine, Kununurra to Broome, then down the West Australian coast, swimming with the whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth, down through Perth to Margaret River and Yallingup, across to Albany and Esperance, then back home across the Nullarbor.

“We tried to see as much of the country as possible in the time we had, and doing it in a Kombi meant we lived very simply. It was nice to be free from work and all the other responsibilities you have when you are at home. But I must admit I missed playing with the band, and I’ve certainly come home energised to get back into performing,” he said.

Littrich also made sure he came home with some new songs for The Water Runners.

“My wife, Jane, set me a target to write a song a day for week, getting me to pick picking a random word from a box to start me off each time. I tried out one of the new songs, based on the word ‘shelter’, at an open mic night at the Caves Hotel at Yallingup. We’ll be performing some of the new songs at the Illawarra Folk Festival. Neil also wrote a couple of new ones while we were away, so we have some fresh songs for the festival.

“I think we have enough songs in our back catalogue now that we won’t be repeating songs at our sets,” he said. “And I’m hoping to persuade my wayward son to join us on stage if he is free.”

That “wayward son” is Dom, who adds percussion and vocals to The Water Runners, when he is not heading up rap-funk outfit Big Twisty, playing drums with coastal alt-rock band Pacific Avenue, or filming comedy skits for television with The Inspired Unemployed.

Meanwhile, McCann, who “filled in his time” while The Water Runners had a break by taking on the role as festival director for Kiama’s Folk By The Sea festival, has indicated he will stay in that role for next year’s festival – to held at the Kiama Pavilion from September 12-14.

Watch The Water Runners here: https://youtu.be/0pYb-UMVvqU

Early-bird festival tickets and festival information at www.illawarrafolkfestival.com.au

2025 Illawarra Folk Festival line-up:

International and National: Andrea Kirwin and Claire Evelynn, Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, Austral, Barbara Giamalvo (USA), Belly Savalas, Black Joak Morris, Brodie Buttons, Broken Creek, Bush Music Club Inc, Cameron Jones , Charley Castle, Ciarán Wynne (IRE), Concrete Sea, Drizabone D, Eric Bogle, Good Tunes Session, Jan Preston's Boogie Circus, Kejafi, Ken Field's Hoot Band, Mal Webb & Kylie Morrigan, Martha Spencer (USA) and Archer, Maypole with Molly, Mitch King, Peter Mace Bush Poet, Peter Willey, Ray Dimakarri Dixon, Redfern Shanty Club, Riff Raff Radical Marching Band, Robyn Sykes, Rocky Bottom Girls, Rough Town (NZ), Saplings, Shellie Morris, Snez, Stonybroke, Sunday Lemonade, Sydney Irish Ceili Dancers, Sydney Scottish Fiddlers, The Ramshackle Army, The Seben Brothers, The Spooky Men's Chorale, The Strides, The Water Runners, Tuck Shop Ladies, Wadaiko Rindo & Noriko Tadano, We Mavericks, William Crighton, Workhorse, Zumpa.

Local: Anvil: Queen of the Ribbon Gang, AZ-I-AM, Beatmeisters, Carefree Road Band, Gobsmacked!, Gray Read, Illawarra Nature Stories and Songs, Illawarra Union Singers (IUS), Kiama Sea Shanty Club, Koori Voices, Marco and Rusty, Maurie Mulheron, Meridian, Mother Banshee, Murmur, Mz Mally Moo's Music 4 Minis, Nick Moses, Olivia Coggan, R.A.N.G, Rheinberger & Wilson, Shalani, Shanties and Worksongs, Silver Lotus Tribal Bellydance, Slippery John Sausage & His Bayou Brothers, Smith and the Devil, Somesing Laik Zat, Steampunk Vagabonds, StoryBeats, Super Kenny and Magnificent Manda, Tempo Dance, 'That Summer Feeling' - A Jonathan Richman Tribute, The Butter Trackers, The Con Artists, The Dempsey Brothers, The Femme Fatales, The Midnight Feast, The Other Noonans, The Swingaleles, Yoga – Dru Yoga with Erika Steller and Fiona Davis.