Cousin Maya blends folk traditions from Ireland, England, Appalachia and the Deep South with just a hint of the blues. Inspired by many, from Aoife O'Donovan to Susana Baca to Ola Belle Reed, Maya has played banjo, guitar and sung solo and with others across Melbourne for the past five years or so, in a range of genres from country, to contemporary R&B to cumbia. Cousin Maya proves any song works on the banjo, as long as you’ve got faith and fast fingers.

Local guitarist and singer-songwriter Rubita brings her soulful, electric sound to The Drunken Poet on October 1st. Known for her captivating vocals and infectious melodies, Rubita was the first female electric guitarist to graduate out of Otago University in 2015, and since then, she's played her songs 'Geraldine' and 'Strange Company' at music festivals and venues across her home country of Aotearoa and more recently, Naarm/ Melbourne.