Los Angeles songwriter Meg Duffy – AKA Hand Habits – has announced their debut Australian tour for next year. Kicking off in February 2020 and continuing throughout March, the tour takes in appearances at Farmer & The Owl, Nine Lives and Brunswick Music Festival along with a string of other dates, including supporting Aldous Harding at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney.
The dates follow the release of placeholder, the second studio album from the Hand Habits project, earlier this year. It’s a tender collection of dreamy, folk-tinged songs that are both introspective and reflective of our times; and is quietly one of my favourite albums of the year.
Most recently, the songwriter announced a forthcoming EP which features five covers of placeholder stand-out ‘wildfire’ by the likes of Angel Olsen and Lomelda, with proceeds going towards the Amazon Conservation Association.
“Being a touring musician eight months out of the year, you are exposed to a lot of varying degrees of climate change effects in a short period of time. From the gasoline that’s used to fuel touring vehicles, to the massive amount of plastic waste at the end of every show, to the carbon emissions released into the air by all the travel, it’s often not the most environmentally conscious career,” wrote the musician in a statement.
“I wanted to contribute, even if in a small way, to the efforts at work by the people at the Amazon Conservation Association for being dedicated to preserving such a vast and heartbreakingly crucial part of our ecosystem that has been threatened by wildfires, deforestation, and the effects of climate change.
“I believe that writing and performing music can be a healing force, used for good, and not always for capitalizing on emotions and commodifying a personality or lifestyle. People need to be able to relate to each other, in times of joy, and especially in times of sorrow or struggle.”
Check out tour dates – and watch the video for Duffy’s original version of ‘wildfire’ – below.
Hand Habits Australian Tour 2020
Saturday, 29th February
Farmer & the Owl, Wollongong
Tickets: Moshtix
Sunday, 1st March
Nine Lives Festival, Brisbane
Tickets: Moshtix
Monday, 2nd March
The Junk Bar, Brisbane
Tickets: Oztix
Wednesday, 4th March
Enmore Theatre, Sydney (w/ Aldous Harding)
Tickets: Enmore Theatre
Thursday, 12th March
Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine
Tickets: Oztix
Saturday, 14th March
Estonian House, Brunswick Music Festival, Melbourne
Tickets: Oztix
