indigenous musicians you need to check out this naidoc week
We’re pretty spoilt for choice here in Australia when it comes to talented musicians, so start this NAIDOC week off right by treating your ears to some super-rad Indigenous artists and listen to their funky new tunes.
JESS HITCHCOCK
Raised in a music-loving family, Jess Hitchcock has some spiffy skills in piano, clarinet and bassoon, but it’s her voice that has since become her main instrument of choice. Jess just released a new single, Unbreakable, which features those aforementioned golden pipes as well as her mesmerising songwriting, which is lovingly dedicated to a close friend who lost their brother. Take a listen to it here, and keep up with all Jess is up to by taking a visit to her Instagram.
RADICAL SON
The theme for this NAIDOC week is For Our Elders and this new track by Radical Son, Elder, is pretty much the perfect anthem for this year. David Leha, the man behind Radical Son, sings about the struggle of hard-won survival, a sense of belonging and acquiring wisdom from one’s life experience. Take a listen to the tune here.
BUDJERAH
This ARIA-winning artist has teamed up with the likes of KYE, WILSN and even opened for Ed Sheeran’s Australian tour, and his song Therapy also packs a pretty mean vocal punch. Budjerah Julum Slabb, known eponymously by his first name, describes this track as “such a vocally wide song,” and we have to agree with him. Check out the track here, and visit his Instagram to always stay on top of the cool stuff he’s working on.
KEE’AHN
This North Queensland-native effortlessly blends the styles of RnB, soul and pop and always adds her dazzling vocals to every new song she’s part of. Since her debut single, Better Things, in 2020 Kee’ahn has kept up the momentum and has released a lush new track featuring the equally fantastic Emma Donovan with Take No More. It’s a power-anthem of championing strength and have a listen to it over here.
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