Songs To Live By: Fred Leone in conversation with Robert Forster

Join Brisbane music legend Robert Forster for an intimate evening of stories and songs, as he sits down with a different iconic Queensland songwriter in each edition of this live conversation series. Across the night, each guest performs five songs that helped define their career – stripped back and live – interwoven with personal reflections and behind-the-scenes stories that bring the music to life.

Fred Leone is a highly respected First Nations cultural custodian and a powerful contemporary artist. He is an initiated Garrwa man, a Senior Butchulla Songman, and also has Tongan and South-Sea Islander roots. Across a career spanning nearly three decades, Fred has built a body of work that blends traditional song, language and instruments with modern musical expression, earning major recognition including a Queensland Music Award and a Screen Music Award. His music carries stories of country, identity, ancestry and resilience, bridging ancient practice with living, evolving culture. In Songs To Live By, Fred joins Robert Forster for an intimate evening of stripped-back performance and deep conversation, sharing five defining songs and the stories that shaped his extraordinary artistic and cultural journey.

Robert Forster is one of Australia’s most revered musical storytellers. As co-founder of the seminal Brisbane band The Go-Betweens, his work has helped define the sound and soul of Queensland’s independent music scene. With a career spanning over four decades, Forster is known not only for his evocative songwriting but also for his sharp wit, literary flair, and deep love of conversation. In Songs To Live By, he steps into the role of host and collaborator, guiding audiences through unforgettable evenings of music, memory and creative insight.