T he High Street Drifters

The High Street Drifters are a bluegrass band from Victoria carving out a distinctive place in the Australian music landscape. Led by mandolinist Justin Vilchez and guitarist Daniel Watkins, the band features a rotating cast of some of the country’s finest bluegrass musicians on fiddle, banjo, and bass. Their sound delivers the drive and precision of modern bluegrass while reflecting the stories and landscapes they’ve grown up around.

Known for rich vocal harmonies, breakneck instrumentals, and heartfelt original songwriting, The High Street Drifters bring a fresh and unmistakably Australian voice to the genre.

Their self-titled debut EP established them nationally, earning the 2025 AFMA Award for Debut Album of the Year and a CMAA Golden Guitar nomination for Bluegrass Recording of the Year for the single Back to the Hills. Recent releases Words for Leaving and Snakes Reach received further CMAA Golden Guitar nominations, while the band are currently in the studio recording their debut full-length album and touring extensively.