The Water Runners Release Murrumbidgee

Here is a new single from The Water Runners – Murrumbidgee

NSW South Coast band, The Water Runners have released a new song this August called Murrumbidgee, celebrating the flood of 1852 and the heroic deeds of two aboriginal men at the time.

The Water Runners play a bluegrass-infused blend of folk, with a dash of country and roots. The band has played at festivals and venues around Australia and has gained a solid reputation for their great story-telling, strong musicianship and engaging live shows.

The Water Runners was voted Best Band in the 2020 Australian National Busking Championships and were finalists in the People’s Choice category of the 2021 Australian Folk Music Awards. The Water Runners continue to incorporate Australian stories in their music, featuring stories from their South Coast home and stories picked up on their travels.

Murrumbidgee, tells the tale of brave two Wiradjuri men, Yarri and Jacky Jacky, who, with others, saved dozens of people in the great flood of Gundagai in 1852. The word Murrumbidgee is taken from its Wiradjuri name Marrambidya, meaning big water. Despite being hailed as heroes, Yarri and Jacky Jacky, along with their families, were kept on the margins of society and the story of these brave men was not given the wide recognition it deserves.

In 2017 a life size sculpture of Yarri and Jacky Jacky was unveiled in Gundagai with plaques telling the story. In 2019, the men received a posthumous bravery award from the Governor-General.

The Water Runners commemorate this amazing Australian story in song with their release of Murrumbidgee.

The new release can be previewed in the video below and is available for download here.

To learn more about the Water Runners visit their website.

In coming months The Water Runners  have performances scheduled in Goulburn, Kiama (Folk by the Sea), Fleurieu Folk Festival (South Australia), Sydney, Nowra and Bundanoon (Bundanoon Folk Festival) and more in the new year.