Hear the alternative country scene with Kevin Bennett and The Flood

KEVIN Bennett (KB), well-respected First Nations Singer/Songwriter with Sydney Roots band The Flood, is bringing decades of experience in the Alternative Country scene to Archie's Creek Hotel on December 5 – a cornerstone of the scene for musicians.   

Currently producing that Flood Sound ‘live’ and in the studio with KB, are Wayne ‘Killer’ Kellett - bass and vocals, Jeremy Edwards - guitars and vocals and Mik McCartin - drums and vocals.

“We’ve been playing since the ’90s,” says KB.

“The band has evolved through different players, but we’ve never stopped playing.”

The persistence and consistency are more than a musical journey in a tough industry - it’s a philosophy of creative independence that has defined the band’s remarkable career.

Kevin Bennett and The Flood are still being recognised in the industry after over 30 years. They achieved an ARIA nominee in 2006, CMAA Lifetime Achievement Award (2025), and are x8 Gold Guitar winners (2006, 2011, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 – and most recently for Song Of The Year with Troy Cassar-Daley in 2025.

KB writes relevant, contemporary Australian music containing elements of Country, Blues, Folk and Rock - telling stories of where he's from and where he might be going, his past and his possible future - he sings his life.

For KB, music isn’t just about commercial success, but authentic expression. “We’re not beholden to a record company. We make what we can sell and sell them at gigs.” This approach has allowed the band to maintain complete creative control, releasing music as they record it.

“I don’t sit down with a predetermined idea. I just play guitar and start singing. I write it down, share it with the band, and we make a song out of it.

“We work hard, save our money and record the next album.”

The Flood has recorded seven universally acclaimed albums, including 'The Ballad Of KB', named in Iain Shedden’s Top Twenty Australian Country Albums of all time, while Rhythms magazine calls The Flood ‘the best Australian Roots band since The Dingoes.’

The band has been at the forefront of the Alternative Country scene for around 30 years and has created its own alternate sonic oasis in Australia’s Country Music capital, Tamworth.

A new album of Australian songs by Kevin Bennett and The Flood, ‘Crucifix and Spinifex’ was released in November 2024. It speaks to, and is informed by, the Australian landscape, its people, and the deep, diverse stories of this wide, brown, ancient land.

The Flood has evolved throughout its existence with different members while maintaining an integrity and commitment to being and sounding ‘Australian.’

Interestingly, KB revealed that he had been writing songs about Indigenous history long before knowing his own heritage. Writing from a place of empathy and social consciousness, tackling challenging narratives. Since discovering his Aboriginal Heritage in 2005, KB said the song just took on a new significance.

His approach to music remains deeply personal and authentic – telling stories through his music.

After playing with Caravan Music in Melbourne, Kevin Bennett and The Flood will return to Archie's Creek Hotel, sharing their craft with the locals of South Gippsland.