Waipara Winehouse is delighted to announce that we will be the final venue of Dylan Gossett's The HEADED OUT BACK Tour, of Australia and New Zealand.
Hailing from Austin, Texas, 27-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer Dylan Gossett has quickly become a rising face of Texas Country with his signature blend of Americana and Red Dirt influences and lyricism rooted in his southern upbringing.
Landing on the same weekend as our unforgettable 2025 Dead South show, we’re cranking up the energy for a "mini festival" experience. We’re introducing a second stage and adding six quality artists alongside Dylan for a full day of live music. Complete with a carefully curated lineup of food, drinks and BBQ, this is set to be a toe-tapping inaugural "Wine Country" event.
The first of our “support acts” is The Jack Wharff Band. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia The Jack Wharff Band play a strikingly unique blend of bluegrass, Country and rock. Known for their electric live performances, masterful instrumentation, and their ability to make music that consistently defies the confines of genre, the young band burst onto the scene last year with snippets of jaw-dropping original songs posted to TikTok and Reels.
From Canterbury, New Zealand, The Eastern will also be a part of the day's line up. The Eastern are a string band that roars like a punk band, that swings like a gospel band, that drinks like a country band, that works like a bar band, that hopes like folk singers, and sings love songs like union songs, and writes union songs like love songs, and wants to slow dance and stand on tables, all at the same time.
Katie Thompson is a versatile and prolific alt-country artist hailing from the West Coast of New Zealand. Channelling the timeless fragility of folk, while embodying the visceral energy of Americana, country, rock and blues influences, Katie performs at her very best live, in front of an energised crowd.
The music of Franco-American, Tess Liautaud can not be easily defined. It hangs in the balance of her voice, warm like honey; it carries a depth of raw emotion, delivered with melodic grace and country soul. Her songs are easy listening, in that Jackson Browne, dreaming of Laurel Canyon, Americana sort of way, so it would make some
kind of sense that she’s found a home on the east side of Christchurch, New Zealand, among the folk singers and the rock'n'rollers.
Raised on the Canterbury Plains, Benny Farrar was seven years old when his grandmother gifted him his first guitar. This was mostly played for house guests who, under his mum’s proud orders, would endure a song or six. He’s since gotten a bigger guitar and better at playing it, but his mum has remained his biggest fan. Spending time after high-school in North Carolina deepened his connection to country music and strengthened his confidence as a performer. Drawing inspiration from both sides of the Pacific, Benny blends his Kiwi roots with the influence of American country’s heartland. Now 20, and back home pursuing his dream, Benny delivers crowd-favourite covers alongside heartfelt original songs based on real-life experience and the kind of storytelling the genre is known for. With each performance, Benny continues to honour his late grandmother’s belief in him, building a reputation for country music that feels sincere, engaging, and true to the genre.
Steffany Beck is an award-winning country pop/rock singer-songwriter from Christchurch, New Zealand, known for her powerhouse vocals, heartfelt songwriting and high-energy live performances. Her debut EP PILLARS charted at #6 on the NZ Top 20 Albums Chart, while her single “Country Strong” reached #1 on the Tasmanian & OZCMR Top 40 Country Chart.
With performances at major festivals including Go Live Festival and Nostalgia Festival, opening for Scottish rock legends Deacon Blue on their NZ tour, and becoming one of the first artists to perform at One NZ Stadium, Steffany is fast emerging as one of New Zealand’s bold new voices in modern country music.