By Amy Campion
When I spoke to Peninsula musician Heidi Luckhurst, who performs as Hazel and the Thief, she was somewhere in outback Queensland, west of Toowoomba, watching the sunset and sounding wonderfully relaxed.
She has taken herself on the road for three months, visiting the places that feed her soul and inspire her best work. As she travels to remote communities and farms, she is reconnecting with the sources of some of the most authentic Australian stories. For Heidi, inspiration tends to arrive when she stops reaching for it, puts her feet on the ground and remembers where she belongs.
Peninsula audiences may know Heidi through The Pig & Whistle in Main Ridge, where she has helped bring a remarkable range of musicians to The Shed, building it into a much-loved live music space. Increasingly, they also know her as Hazel and the Thief, her alt-country storytelling project with a growing national following.
Hazel and the Thief formed in 2020; the debut album, Wildflowers in Concrete, was recorded in 2024. ‘Hazel’ became the character, the voice, the version of herself she steps into onstage; the ‘thieves’ are session musicians who join her as needed, bringing their own skill and energy to the songs.
Heidi came to music later than many. After becoming a mother at 18, her early adult years were centred on raising her children. The musical dream did not disappear, but it waited. Now she hopes her children see that goals can still be followed after detours, delays and ordinary responsibilities. That message speaks to many of us: mothers, late-starters, and people whose lives have taken a twisty road.
What makes Hazel and the Thief so compelling is Heidi’s refusal to polish herself into something less real. She speaks openly about vulnerability, connection and the power of being yourself. Often, she says, the most honest videos, songs and interviews are the ones people respond to most.
Musically, Hazel and the Thief shares similarities with the tradition of Australian story-songs: music shaped by land, character, humour, challenges, and above all heart. There are echoes of the storytelling lineage of artists such as Paul Kelly and John Williamson, but Heidi brings a female perspective and a lived warmth all her own. She tells stories of people, nature, small towns, and the country that continues to call her back.
The next single is expected in July, an upbeat song in the spirit of mateship, with a strong call-and-response section that’s perfect for live audiences. Farmers in Far North Queensland are already filming footage for the video.
For now, Heidi is somewhere under a big Australian sky, gathering stories. When she returns, Hazel and the Thief will head back on tour, carrying a little more road dust, a few more voices and the sound of a local artist coming fully into her own.
Follow Hazel and the Thief on socials, listen on Spotify, buy the music on Bandcamp, and catch Heidi live when you get the chance.
