Magpie Diaries are from Dashville, the music Mecca based in the Hunter Valley NSW. Led by songwriter Matt ‘Magpie’ Johnston, they are an authentically Australian folk-country-rock act that permeate dreamy alternative country sounds which deliver Magpie’s beautiful lyricism and melody, full of relatable stories, that feel honest, hopeful and full of heart.
Magpie Diaries are very much an active family band on the rise, with a huge following that is bellowing out from the Dashville community.
In 2025, after a big creative chapter, dealing with the outcomes of the pandemic shutting down their live music venue, Magpie Diaries finally released their sophomore album ‘Some Kind Of View’, the follow up to their 2018 debut LP, ‘Sanctuary’.
Some Kind Of View was self produced by the band and recorded at Dashville. It has sold incredibly well and gone on to receive much praise from music media and critics, particularly noted for its lush arrangements and unique sound. The album achieved high rotation and feature album on ABC Country. The album was 2SER Sydney’s favourite release for 2025, and noted in a number of ‘best of’ lists at the end of 2025.
The band are well versed with touring Australia, often applying an energy towards country halls and out of the way regional towns. The band have also performed at a number of high profile venues and festivals, including TCMF main stage, Party In The Paddock, Kiama Jazz n Blues, Nannup in WA and Darwin Festival. They are also fan favourites at the popular festivals they run, being The Gum Ball, Nundle Rocks and Dashville Skyline.
Earlier this year, after a wrath of DIY summer touring in support of the Some Kind Of View album, playing their own headline shows and also supports with The Cruel Sea, Fanny Lumsden, William Crighton, Emily Lubitz and Cordovas (US), Magpie and his band mates retreated to the Huon Valley in Tasmania, to record the next album and they did it around the kitchen table, recording 9 songs in 6 hours, in a comfortable, effortless session all songwriters dream of.
Nth NSW/QLD Shows - July 2026
^with Joey Leigh Wagtail & Mandy Hawkes
*with CJ Stranger & Yazmindi
+With CJ Stranger
UPCOMING GIGS
VIDEOS
View all Magpie Diaries videos on the youtube link below
MERCH
Blending soul, country, and ‘70s folk-rock, Some Kind of View is more than a collection of songs - it’s a time capsule, a heartfelt nod to family and to the land. With their trademark harmonies wrapping Magpie’s reflective lyrics in warmth and weight - as heard in singles Go Anywhere, Old Road, Love Is Hard, History, and the newest, Land For Sale, now on high rotation across ABC Country - the album finds Magpie Diaries at their most grounded and inspired yet (Jess even tracking drums with a baby strapped to her back). It's an incredible achievement, and now it's the world's to enjoy.
11 Songs written through the journey of childhood into impressionable manhood. Recorded over the course of a few years 2015-2018, between Dashville, Laguna, Mullumbimby and Nashville. Also available on CD and VINYL (with download card).
