I have been thinking recently about the impact that Covid-19 has had on Australian performers and audiences – the decimation of the industry, our tentative return, and the trepidation still felt by musicians and music lovers across the country. We have, of course, been focused on rebuilding as we should, but it cannot be overstated how significantly the sector has been hit, and how challenging it continues to be to sustain a creative practice. Right now, we are in the throes of a deeply troubling wave of this virus, and the commitment to creation despite these ongoing challenges is more important than ever. It felt truly poignant arriving at the Fitzroy Town Hall for the Leaps and Bounds Festival – Yarra’s winter music festival and a true celebratory offering of local talent – to hear new works performed by four acclaimed home-grown artists who have been trying to get on stage together since Melbourne’s 2020 stage four lockdown.

Croissants & Whiskey (clockwise from top left: Ryan Williams, Miranda Hill, Katie Yapp and Joy Lee). Photo © Darren Gill

The ‘prog-baroque’ quartet Croissants and Whiskey has had a...