This genre-defying trio from Melbourne fuses the musical provenance of its members … from latin to film music via ska and funk. Patrick Cronin and Michael Havir provide a lush electro-acoustic backing to Sally Ford’s wryly observed lyrics. An expansive sonic palette of keyboards, samples and electronica is enhanced by trombone, saxophone, flutes and even a bit of whistling to create a richly imagined musical experience. Their uplifting, groove-drenched sound draws on the performers’ respective backgrounds with ARIA-winning Melbourne Ska Orchestra, the Spaghetti Western Orchestra, Texicali Rose, Yothu Yindi, Dr Hernández, the Pachuco Playboys, Joe Camilleri’s Black Sorrows, the Ska Vendors, Skazz and Frank Yamma.

Since 2022 the band has been playing Melbourne venues including the Post Office Hotel, Open Studio, Brunswick Ballroom, the Lomond and the Ragtime Tavern, along with feature shows at Adelaide Cabaret Festival, the Athenaeum Library, Federation Square and gigs in regional Victoria.

"Sally Ford & The Idiomatics bring a strong and enduring – and ultimately eclectic – musicianship to the stage … these musicians certainly don’t play it safe. Genre-blending and genre-bending, there is both moodiness and familiarity in their songs, a presence of nostalgia complete with Cronin’s forefront whistling like an echo of a memory”.   - Glam Adelaide, June 2023

"There’s a special kind of intimacy here. [a] superbly focused and talented band … with the unique combination of traditional and modern instruments (and musical styles) cradling each piece and giving it different shapes and textures.” - Stage Whispers, Adelaide June 2023

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