The Sunshine Coast's Horizon Festival explores the intersections of art, people and place for its ninth year.
Horizon Festival encourages visitors to explore the whole region with live music, visual art, installations, and other artistic performances happening in unusual places (2-11 May, 2025). It's an opportunity to see well known acts like Barkaa and C.W. Stoneking, but also discover underground music and venues.To gather insight into the Sunshine Coast's underground scene we speak with founder and creative producer of Basket of Hammers, Patricia.
Basket of Hammers is an artist-led platform that champions underground, experimental, and alternative. They create bold, multidisciplinary events in unusual places and transform the overlooked gems of the Coast into something alive.
At Horizon Festival they'll be hosting their free audio-visual installation work BOH! Sub_Culture.
"It's a site-specific installation that tells the story of Basket of Hammers so far," Patricia explains. "It features sculptural works reimagined from past projects, alongside a specially commissioned audio visual piece created entirely from archival recordings of our previous events.
"It's not just a retrospective. It's a reanimation of moments, sounds, textures, and collaborations we've fostered over the past few years on the Sunshine Coast."
Basket of Hammers have been transforming Sunshine Coast spaces since 2018, but they started in Auckland circa 2012 before moving around Europe. They've taken this knowledge and energy to champion local and national experimental artists and had some major highlights along the way.
Memories from these past events will be used in the audio installation for BOH! Sub_Culture. "Opening GLÓR Project Space in 2024 gave us a home base to take bigger risks and build deeper collaborations.
"Another big moment was activating the old orange building opposite the cinema in Caloundra for SAMHAIN 2022. It was forgotten, destined for demolition, but we filled it with light, sound, and life. That kind of temporary transformation is what we live for.
"We've taken those moments, the atmosphere, the performances, the crowd energy, and turned them into something new. It's a sonic memory bank of everything we've built together so far."
Basket of Hammers interacts and supports many independent artists – one word comes to mind when asked about the biggest challenge they face. "Visibility, definitely. Especially for artists doing things a bit outside the box.
"There's lots of bold, brilliant work happening here, but getting people to take that first step into the unknown can be tricky. Most folks naturally lean toward what they know, which is fair enough, but it can mean experimental work doesn't always get the attention it deserves.
"The Coast is growing fast, and that brings great opportunity but also a shift. There's a balance to be found between progress and keeping space for the underground to breathe.
"The artists I work with don't follow the commercial path, and that's exactly why they standout. They challenge, surprise, and bring something fresh to the table. I think the more we gently spark curiosity and create welcoming ways for people to experience something different, the more the scene will grow.
"It's not about turning your back on the familiar. It's about leaving room for surprise; and once people do step into those spaces, they often come away buzzing. That's the magic."
There are many upcoming artists on Basket of Hammers' radar and there are many that Patricia thinks deserve more recognition. "Many of my favourites have moved away over the years, but they're still part of the extended scene, and it's always great when they come back and do shows with us.
"Right now, Grace Herrmann, Cat Lee, and MUTTER are all doing really compelling work that deserves to be seen and heard more widely. We've hosted a lot of artists over the years, some just starting out, others already deep in it, and it's always exciting to see how they evolve.
"I've got a lot of love for those who keep experimenting and pushing things forward. That's the kind of energy we're always keen to support."
There are many things audiences can do to support their local music community, but Patricia says the most important thing is to just show up. "Take a chance on something you've never heard of. Share the work. Talk about it.
"Underground scenes survive on curiosity and community. Your presence, your support, even just spreading the word, makes a difference. Don't wait for it to be mainstream. Be part of the movement while it's growing."
Basket of Hammers' BOH! Sub_Culture takes place at The Ramp, The Old Ambulance Station (Sunshine Coast) 2-11 May. Horizon Festival takes place at various Sunshine Coast locations 2-11 May.
