Thanks to their father's work as a pastor, the lads spent a lot of time touring New Zealand in a bus. It was an exciting way to spend their formative years, and generated a hefty amount of wanderlust into the lad's bones.

These days, together with drummer Bowen Purcell, they have spent a lot of time earning their musical stripes busking around Melbourne. It has seasoned the band, helping to develop their musical nous.

Singer Eze Walters says aside from giving them more confidence to go out an interact with the audience, it has also refined their musical abilities. "We're playing on streets all the time," he says. "It's helped us to play together as a group really well."

Busking is also a good way to write. And hasn't hurt their social media profile either.

"You'll be in the city and there are a lot of things that will take your eye. You get a lot of ideas for songs, so it's been a real positive," says Walters. "Also, a lot of people have seen us busking in the street and followed us and kept and eye on us on our Facebook and seen how we've been going," he says.

Walters describes Woodlock's sound as alternative folk rock. "Our music tends to change quite a lot with what we're listening to, but it's always got that base root, which is our lyrics and melody and stuff like that," he says. "Me and my brother, we do most of the writing. We start off something by ourselves and then come together and finish it…That's probably how we get our different sound, because my brother has his influences on the music, and I have mine."

What usually happens, Walters says, is that someone will be inspired by a new piece of music and the creativity will flow from there. "It will be something that we've really taken a liking to, so if we've found a new band, really liked them and started listening to them, and got some ideas for some songs. And then kind of work around it like that," he says.

One band to influence the trio is Melbourne alt folk rock act Paper Kites.

"We were on holiday in New Zealand and we went to a festival called Parachute and we saw them playing there, absolutely fell in love with their music and kind of kept following them. Then they became a real big influence on us."

Woodlock have also taken many of their cues from fellow street performers Set Sail. A Sydney band whose you tube videos Woodlock had seen and used as inspiration, Set Sail became known for playing guerrilla style gigs in unexpected locations. "They played a big part in us as a band and how we shaped ourselves," Walters says.

For their show in Canberra, part of a tour celebrating latest single The Garden, Woodlock will be stepping off the streets and into the warm confines of Smith's Alternative.

"We don't have a huge following in Canberra," Walters says. "But it's kind of nice on a level that it's an intimate night. People can hear our music and hear new content. We really talk to the crowd, you can because it's such a small kind of thing."

WOODLOCK

With: Fieu!

When: October 12, 3pm.

Where: Smith's Alternative, Civic.

Tickets: $10 from moshtix.com.au