Nigel Wearne: Durango Blues Train

Nigel Wearne saunters after dark in the music of the night, blending blues, jazz & Americana-noir. Hailing from Gunditjmara country in the deep south of Australia, he's a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist with diverse influences such as Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Rickie Lee Jones. A deep thinker and truth seeker with a penchant for all things peculiar, he sings of human frailty, grace and the cosmos; songwriting that cuts to the bone. Nigel has performed at some of the world's most prestigious music festivals including Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (USA), MerleFest (USA), Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (USA), Woodford Folk Festival (AUS), 30A Songwriters Festival (USA), Clonakilty Intl. Guitar Festival (IRE) and Philadelphia Folk Festival (USA). His sophomore album, 'Black Crow' garnered wide critical acclaim including a 4-STAR review in Rolling Stone, a nomination for Best Country Album at the Music Victoria Awards & it debuted at #1 on Australia's AMRAP Charts. His 2023 album, 'The Reckoning' received back-to-back nominations for Best Blues Work at the 2023 & 2024 Music Victoria Awards and a 4-STAR review in The Australian. Rollicking, rumbling, sneering and reflective, 'The Reckoning' is a full band explosion of songs, stories and musical mayhem. Think after dark jazz club meets Ennio Morricone with a dose of soul and rock 'n roll. 2025 marked a return to his roots as a folk songwriter with his latest solo acoustic album 'The Lone Reckoning' released October 17. A raw, emotive, stripped back rendition of his 2023 award-nominated album The Reckoning. www.nigelwearne.com