Australian blues musician Kaliopi Stavropoulos joins Australian Musician Magazine’s Greg Phillips to talk about the new single with her band The Blues Messengers “Watermelon Man,” her upcoming album A Day at Woodstock, and her recent musical journey through Greece.
Kaliopi Stavropoulos’ latest release, “Watermelon Man,” sees the Australian blues musician and her band, the Blues Messengers, putting their own brassy blues spin on Herbie Hancock’s classic instrumental. Stavropoulos first encountered the song through her work as a music teacher, where she taught it to brass bands and VCE students. After years of hearing and teaching the familiar melody, she rediscovered the song through Buddy Guy’s version, which particularly inspired her with its driving blues groove. Rather than simply reproduce Hancock’s original, Stavropoulos took Buddy Guy’s interpretation to the Blues Messengers, who developed their own arrangement while retaining some of the song’s essential elements and pushing others further into blues territory.
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The recording reflects Kaliopi’s commitment to a live, traditional blues sound. “Watermelon Man” was recorded with the band playing together at Woodstock Studios in Melbourne, with no overdubbing or correction of the main performance. The live approach allowed the musicians to capture the communication and interaction that happens naturally when they play together. The track forms part of the forthcoming album A Day at Woodstock, which takes its name from the single day on which the album’s basic tracks were recorded. Kaliopi is keen to preserve the character of those performances, although she is allowing some flexibility as the individual singles are developed and released. She is considering additional vocal elements, including the possibility of inviting former students with strong gospel voices to contribute a choir part to one of the tracks.
There is no firm release date yet for A Day at Woodstock, although Stavropoulos is aiming for the first half of 2027. Another single is expected before the end of 2026, with a further release or the album itself potentially following the January break. She hopes eventually to release the album on vinyl, believing the format suits the authentic live recording. The album also reflects the continuing evolution of the Blues Messengers, with Stavropoulos preferring to allow the music and the band’s journey to develop naturally rather than adhering to a fixed release schedule.
Her recent extended stay in Greece has been another important part of that journey. As a Greek-Australian, Stavropoulos has increasingly wanted to spend more time in Greece and is restoring a home on Nisyros, an island she describes as one of Greece’s best-kept secrets. What began as a personal and cultural connection unexpectedly developed into an opportunity to become involved with the Greek blues scene. While visiting friends, she played a video of the Blues Messengers to a promoter, which led to introductions to established Greek blues musicians and ultimately to an invitation to perform with Elias Zakos of Blues Wire in Thessaloniki.
That performance opened the door to further opportunities, including appearances as a guest artist with other established Greek blues acts such as Blues Cargo. Stavropoulos also became involved in developing a blues event on Nisyros, working with local promoters and the island’s mayor to bring musicians together. The initiative developed into Lava Blues, which brought musicians from Greece, Europe and Melbourne together and eventually connected Kaliopi and her collaborators with the European Blues Union and the European Blues Challenge. She was particularly struck by the depth of the European blues community, its sense of camaraderie and the friendships that developed through the performances and festivals.
Rather than setting out a rigid international plan, Kaliopi sees these experiences as the beginning of a potential connection between Australia, Greece and the wider European blues scene. Her time overseas has also given her a renewed appreciation for the Blues Messengers and the musicians she describes as her chosen family. Returning to Melbourne, she is excited to be reunited with the band and to continue performing and developing the music they have created together.
The release of “Watermelon Man” will be celebrated with a free launch at The Espy Basement in St. Kilda on October 1st , where the Blues Messengers will perform a short opening set before meeting the audience and presenting their main feature performance.
For Kaliopi, the event represents more than the release of another single. It is also a celebration of returning home, reconnecting with her band and continuing a musical journey that is increasingly reaching beyond Australia into the Greek and European blues communities.
Watermelon Man is released on October 1st and launched at a free gig at The Espy.