Charley Castle and The Boys in the Well won the busking slot at Tamworth
For Charley Castle, countless late nights at local gigs during university laid the foundation for what would become a career in music. After graduating from Mosman High, known for its performing arts program, Charley found her way to an array of folk festivals in Sydney. It was here that her love of country music truly took shape. Raised in a music-loving household and having spent several years on the folk festival circuit, Charley was ready to take her music to the next level.
Making the move to Tamworth to study at the Academy of Country Music in 2023, Charley found her place. “I went in thinking this would just be like a songwriters course and a good experience out in the country. It ended up being this massive, life changing thing that connected me with the country music industry and bluegrass music.”
In July 2024, Charley and the band The Boys in the Well came together, an experience which she describes as being an absolute ‘whirlwind.’ Charley met her guitarist, Ruben, at the National Folk Festival the year before, and after a few jams the pair discovered what Charley describes as an ‘instant musical connection.’ The two paired up to run jam nights once a month at the Gasoline Pony in Marrickville. After meeting bassist Henry and mandolin player George shortly after, the band was born.
Charley admits she likes to break the rules of bluegrass. “Bluegrass is something that is steeped in tradition, and it has rules. And we break some of those rules. We’re just doing it our way, and we’re blending it with an Australian sound, which is quite unique.” The folk quartet blends traditional country and folk influences with a modern twist, producing rich, harmony-driven songs.
Charley Castle and The Boys in the Well had a busy 2025, playing a total of 103 gigs, with their biggest accomplishment being the Tamworth Music Festival that January. They performed on the main stage for a crowd of 5,000 people, and won the music festival’s busking competition. “From that main stage slot where we won, we were noticed by a bunch of people in the country scene who we really respected and admired. There has been all these opportunities that have come from winning the busking, and we’re so grateful to have had that.” Prior to the festival, the band had only performed 11 gigs. “I actually look back and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, the amount of trust!’ But it was really fun. It definitely changed things for us. It’s not an opportunity that artists get all that often.”
The band will host a jam nights fundraiser on 3 July at the Gasoline Pony. The night will feature original music from a local artist, followed by a Missy Higgins themed jam along. “It’s become like church, you see people regularly and you’re like, ‘How was your month?’ It’s this little crew and it’s a space that we’re very proud of. ”
See Charley and the band at Newtown’s Palomino Lounge on 12 July, as part of the King Street Crawl. They return to Palomino on 23 July for a single launch, following on from their debut single last October.
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