Veteran surfer, singer-songwriter and all-round free spirit Donavon Frankenreiter is returning to Australia for a national tour that will include headline shows, festival appearances such as Queenscliff Music Festival, and a very special family lineup.
Speaking with Australian Musician’s Greg Phillips, Frankenreiter expressed his excitement about being back
in a country that’s long felt like a second home. Watch it here.
MORE ABOUT OUR DONAVON FRANKENREITER CHAT
“We’re so excited just to be down there playing music and be back in that country,” he said. This time, the tour will have a strong family flavour, his son Hendrix (who performs as Hrix) will open the shows, backed by Donavon’s seasoned bandmates Matt Grundy and Jara Harris, both longtime collaborators. “It’s going to be Hendrix’s first real tour with his dad… a full family affair,” Donavon said, noting his wife and younger son will also be along for the ride, surfboards in tow.
The tour comes off the back of Donavon’s latest project, Get Outta Your Mind, his first studio album in nearly a decade, which he revisited in three forms, the original, a collaborative re-recording featuring artists like Ben Harper, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Joe Bonamassa, Colbie Caillat, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and Trevor Hall, and an intimate acoustic version. “I’d never made an album and then redid it with friends and then redid it acoustically,” he said. “It’s like three different versions of the same album and I’m really proud of how they all came out.”
For Frankenreiter, the title track’s message is key: stop overthinking and live in the moment. “Comparison is the biggest killer to creativity,” he reflected. “Just let it go and enjoy the moment. If you think, you sink.” It’s a philosophy that shapes his songwriting too. Whether rediscovering old demos like “Alive” or composing something fresh, Donavon says the best songs “just happen naturally.”
Family, music and surf are the pillars of his current world. Watching Hendrix step into his own as a songwriter has been especially rewarding. “It’s exciting to see him dig in,” Donavon said. “A lot of these songs I wrote about him 25 years ago, now he’s in the band playing on them. It’s a full-circle moment.”
Beyond his tour, Frankenreiter plans to experiment with house concerts across the U.S. next year, something he’s never done before and will wrap up his Australian run with an art and music collaboration alongside Melbourne visual artist David Bromley, who designed all the Get Outta Your Mind artwork.
As for what he’s most looking forward to Down Under? “Surfing, seeing old friends, and playing music,” he laughed. “Just enjoying every moment because they come and go quick.”
https://getouttayourmindalbum.com/
ABOUT THE QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL
Queenscliff Music Festival, running from 28–30 November on Wadawurrung Country in the historic seaside town of Queenscliff, Victoria , continues to grow bigger and better, adding comedy stars, genre-bending DJs, immersive art installations and family entertainment to an already loaded lineup.
Festival Director Claire Stickland said: “Queenscliff is so much more than just the music, it’s a celebration of community, creativity and connection. This year’s comedy, arts and family program really brings that spirit to life, giving audiences moments of wonder, laughter and pure joy alongside our world-class music lineup.”
2025 Queenscliff Music Festival Lineup (Alphabetical Order):
Ally Row | Alex Kosenko | The Badloves | Bones & Jones | Chris Cavill | The Cat Empire | Cool Out Sun | Cosmic Psychos | Dom Turner & The Rural Blues Project | Didirri + Rowena Wise | Donavon Frankenreiter | Ella Hooper | Emilia Fol | Fenn Wilson & The Weather | Get Behind The Mule | Grace Robinson | King Stingray | Kit Genesis | Kook Joey | Lewis Love | Little Birdy | Madeline Cope | Mama Kin Spender | Matt Davis | Minor Gold | The Mojo Corner | Munroe | Norwood | Opelousas | Otis Namrell Band | Pierce Brothers | The Preatures | Public Figures | Riley Catherall | Romanie | Ruby Mae | Ruby McKenna | Sex On Toast | Skyscraper Stan & the Commission Flats | The Smith & Western Jury | Squid Nebula | SUNEDEN | Sweethearts | Tex Perkins & Matt Walker | Thelma Plum | Velvet Trip | Victoriana Gaye Trio | The Waifs
DJs: Cool Out Sun (DJ) | Dangerboots (DJ) | Fee B Squared (DJ) | Miss Goldie (DJ) | Mz Rizk (DJ) | Rob Major (DJ)
Comedy: Claire Hooper | Lizzy Hoo | Ben Searle | Nick Capper I Nick Schuller | Tess Birch
Kids: Teeny Tiny Stevies | Peter Coombe | Bebop Circus | Giant Seagulls | Guru Dudu Silent Disco | Krazy Koala Puppet Show | Marimba Taters | Nicholas Ridiculous High Wire | Woody’s World Ukulele
Arts: Chorus Club I Cosmic Wilderness I Imaginary Millions I Playable Streets I Slow Art Collective I Yoga & Live Music
2025 TICKETS ON SALE NOW
CLICK HERE FOR FESTIVAL TICKETS + CAMPING INFO