All In The Family: The French Family Band

A Super-Talented Mom, Dad, and Son from Down Under.

Describing themselves as “An Aussie-Kiwi family band bringing classic country, western swing, and Americana music to Nashville since 2019,” the French family have been steadily growing a devoted fan base and impressing such music royalty as Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Ricky Skaggs, and Tommy Emmanuel.

Comprised of guitarists/vocalists Camille, her husband, Stuie, and their 19-year-old son, Sonny, the French family relocated to Nashville from their homeland of Australia in 2019. Camille and Stuie had performed as a popular duo in Australia for nearly 20 years, where they won two Golden Guitar Awards, which are equal to the CMAs. And with the addition of their middle child, Sonny, The French Family Band won another Golden Guitar Award in 2023, the same year they made their debut on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry. And recently, Camille was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for New Zealand Country Music in 2024.

Sonny (left), Camille, and Stuie at the Grand Ole Opry standing in the famous circle of wood taken from the stage of the historic Ryman Auditorium.

With their trademark soulful singing, smooth, tight family harmonies, and jaw-dropping father-and-son guitar picking, there just isn’t another musical act around that compares to The French Family Band.

Growing up, both Camillie and Stuie’s families were instrumental in developing their passion for music, especially classic country music from the likes of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Snow, Slim Dusty–a popular Australian country singer-songwriter–and more.

Camille grew up in Gisborne, New Zealand, surrounded by music. Her mother was involved in the local operatic society and took Camille to all of the rehearsals where she caught on to the words quickly and learned the songs at a young age. When she was eight years old, her dad took her to a local country music club where his brother was in a band and her cousin sang. “My dad was very shy and made me promise that I wouldn’t get up and sing,” says Camille. “But I did get up that night and sang “Knock on Your Door,” and that was the start of my love of country music. We went back every week after that and actually became lifetime members of that country music club.”

Camille French and “her boys” performing and having fun. Photo by Ron Wade.

Stuie hails from Tasmania, Australia and shares, “My dad liked to pick and sing a bit and my older brother also took up guitar. I just loved the sound of the guitar, so I picked it up, too, when I was nine years old. Where I grew up in Tasmania, it was a real hot spot for country music, and I thought that was normal. I realized years later that it wasn’t. It was as if we were in Kentucky or Tennessee. Everybody had banjos and dobros and fiddles, and we all listened to Flatt and Scruggs, Hank Snow, and all of the classic country stuff and bluegrass too. So, yeah, I was lucky to grow up in that environment.”

Camille and Stuie have three children that are all musical, but it’s their middle child, Sonny, who has the most passion for music. “All three kids are musical, but the other two have other passions and we’ve never pushed any of them to pursue music,” shares Camille. “But Sonny just kept sticking to it and loving it more and more.”

At the age of three, Sonny surprised his mom and dad by singing “Rhinestone Cowboy” off the cuff. “He was singing the guitar licks as well,” says Stuie. “And I noticed that his timing and his pitch were very good, which most three-year-olds don’t have. He picked it up quickly and has been singing with us on stage ever since. When Sonny was seven, he recorded his first album. It was properly done with session players, and he played ukulele on most of the tracks, and we noticed just how effortless it was for him. He’s got his mom’s natural groove and pitch, and he’s got my patience for sitting down and learning songs.”

Stuie is considered one of the finest guitarists in Australia and now in Nashville (as is Sonny). A year before moving to America, Stuie saw Sonny dabbling with the guitar but not taking it seriously. When Sonny asked for a new Nintendo Switch, dad and mom’s stipulation was for every hour he put into the guitar, he earned an hour on the Nintendo. “So, he started playing guitar and before we knew it, he had about 20 hours of time on the Nintendo because he got hooked on the guitar,” shares Stuie. “So, that worked out pretty well for all of us. He’s a good player and jam buddy.”

When asked about developing set lists and sharing lead vocals, Camille says, “These boys won’t let me retire, but to be honest, we usually spread the vocal load pretty evenly. We usually rotate one song each between me and Sonny and add an instrumental to showcase the boys playing guitar together. They love twinning. It’s a lot of fun.”

Stuie (left) with his Gretsch Brian Setzer Signature Nashville, Camille, and Sonny.

Although he was a Fender endorser in Australia, Stuie’s Gretsch Brian Setzer Signature Nashville and a recent addition, a Gretsch 6130 Roundup, are his two go-to guitars these days. “My Gretsches have taken over as my main guitars,” says Stuie. “I love them. They have such a smooth but full sound that suits our music. I also love the tone of the DynaSonic pickups on my Roundup. Several of my friends liked it so much that they’ve gone out and bought Duo Jets of their own, which is cool.”

Regarding songwriting, all three members of the family contribute. “Stuie calls me the quality controller”, says Camille. “He’ll come to me with his idea and I’ll give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down and we kind of work on it together or with some of the great songwriters here in Nashville. Sonny has also been writing a lot for our new album of original songs called “Huon to Hickory” that comes out in June. He contributed a lot to that album. He’s been getting out and writing songs with lots of people his own age and it’s been a great experience for him.”

The cover of The French Family Band’s newest album, “Huon to Hickory,” set for a June 2026 release.

When asked about other family bands that they look up to, Sonny says, “Since moving to Nashville, some of our closest friends are The Isaacs, one of the top bluegrass Southern gospel bands in the world. Just seeing how they operate as a family and how everyone has a role, whether it’s songwriting or producing or whatever. They’re some of the best at what they do in the music business and they’re all in one family. It’s not luck or coincidence; it’s the result of growing up around talented people who are at a very high level. You can’t help but get better yourself when you’re surrounded with that level of talent. And we also like The Whites. There’s nothing quite like the sound of family harmonies. It’s just beautiful.”

The French Family Band has also performed at the annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention in Nashville. When asked why they enjoy playing at it, Stuie says, “Well, for one, it’s all about Chet Atkins, a master guitarist and icon. To be a part of that and to be around all those like-minded people who have a passion for the guitar like we have is a lot of fun. We’re guitar nerds and just as happy sitting in the bedroom playing as we are on a stage. That’s what we love that about the Chet Atkins convention. Everyone gets up and has a go and they jam together. And people, like Tommy Emmanual, come along because they just want to share the love, the love of great guitar playing. We couldn’t be happier being there as a family and playing.”

Find the French Family Band on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube!

The French Family Band’s latest single, “Just a Little Love,” from their upcoming album,“Huon to Hickory.”

Performing “Raisin the Dickens” at the French Family Band’s Grand Ole Opry debut on March 29, 2023.

The family performing their original song ,“1945,” at the Grand Ole Opry.

“When Guitars Come out to Play” showcases Stuie and Sonny’s twin guitar picking chops.