A Conversation With Budjerah
A Conversation With Budjerah
Budjerah’s rise has been nothing but meteoric, to say the least, but his humility still stays the same regardless of his success!
He now has two EPs to his name, 2021’s debut self-titled release, and 2022’s ‘Conversations’. He’s collaborated with everyone from PNAU on “Stranger Love” to MAY-A on “Talk“, finding success with the latter on the luscious, soulful track which proved to be a triumph for both artists. Over the course of his short but plentiful career, he’s grown with each release. He’s always presented as a voice far beyond his years but in 2022 he found a sense of self-assurance that spilled over into his lyrics.
Last year, he was also named GQ’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year while also featuring in Vogue Australia as part of Baz Luhrmann’s guest edition. He also took to the stage as part of the AFL Grand Final with The Temper Trap, Gretta Ray, and Ngaiire. At the tail-end of last year, he was featured in Amazon Music’s global ‘Holiday Originals’ campaign covering Whitney Houston’s ‘Who Would Imagine A King’ and has become a two-time ARIA Award-winning artist, been nominated for “Best Single” and “Best New Artist” at the 2023 Rolling Stone Australia Awards, and “Aussie / Kiwi Legend Of The Year” at the 2023 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards. Last year you were also named GQ’s “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” while also featuring in Vogue Australia as part of Baz Luhrmann‘s (who recently directed the new Elvis biopic) guest edition and much, much more!
2023 is set to be a landmark year for Budjerah as he sets out on a sold-out Australian Arena tour with Ed Sheeran and is ready to seize every opportunity and showcase his full range of abilities. “Therapy” and the new music to come will exceed expectations and cement his status as one of the most versatile international artists.
NSGs Billy Vitch caught up with Budjerah to talk about his monumental career so far.
Billy: Good afternoon and how are you, what have you been doing today and how’s that going?
Budjerah: Good afternoon! I’ve just been relaxing today. We did 3 shows in a row over the weekend, opening for Ed Sheeran, so I’m just resting my voice and doing some self-care. And it’s going pretty well so far.
Billy: Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?
Budjerah: I grew up in a small beach town called Fingal Head in the far Northeast of New South Wales, Australia. My family were the band in our community church and I spent most of my childhood either surfing or playing music. All my cousins and family live in the same street so I always had kids to hang out with and play music with. My cousins make up my band that travels with me now.
Billy: You have had a monumental rise, to say the least since releasing your debut single “Missing You” just over two years ago. You have now become a two-time ARIA Award-winning artist, been nominated for “Best Single” and “Best New Artist” at the 2023 Rolling Stone Australia Awards, and “Aussie / Kiwi Legend Of The Year” at the 2023 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards. Last year you were also named GQ’s “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” while also featuring in Vogue Australia as part of Baz Luhrmann‘s (who recently directed the new Elvis biopic) guest edition and much, much more!
How do you feel about the speed of your growth as an international artist and how do you keep yourself grounded with all that is happening to you?
Budjerah: It’s pretty crazy, I don’t understand how we have gotten this far, so quickly and everyone on my team, we just can’t believe it. The thing that’s kept me grounded is my family. I always bring my parents with me on tour and I have my cousins in my band. If they think I’m getting a big head, they always remind me that I’m still just a little aboriginal boy from Fingal head and that’ll never change.
Billy: You recently released your new song “Therapy” which was written by Grammy Award-nominated Sarah Aarons (Zedd, Demi Lovato, John Legend) and Stint (Joji, Kesha, Panic! At The Disco). Could you tell us a bit more about the song and how it came to be?
Budjerah: I heard the song when I was taking a holiday. Marcus Thaine from Warner sent it to me and it said everything that I wanted to say. I was going through a few things and I heard the song right as I was going through it and so I went to the studio as soon as I got home to see how it sounded with my voice and it fit perfectly, so we just had to put it out. I’m so grateful to Sarah and Stint for making such an incredible song and for letting me sing on it.
Billy: Your heritage is Aboriginal Australian isn’t it? Could you tell me some more about your family, people’s history and what does the name Budjerah mean?
Budjerah: Yeah, I’m Aboriginal Australian! This will be a long answer. Specifically, I’m from the Bundjalung Nation and my family is from the Coodjinburra Clan. Aboriginal Australians were nearly wiped out in the last couple of centuries and there’s a lot of history and language that’s been lost because it was illegal for us to speak our languages and practice our culture, and back in the day they used to take away children and put them in camps to teach to be more western. My family is very lucky that we were able to stay on our traditional land and a few of our old people learnt their culture in secret. My generation is the first one back where I’m from to be given traditional names too and to grow up and learn our culture and I’m super proud of that. Our names tell the story of when we are born. For me it was just as the sun rose that morning, so they called me Budjerah, which is what we call that time of day in my language.
Billy: It’s plainly obvious here in the UK to see the lack of diversity in the music industry. Can I ask if it is the same in Australia? If so, why do you think that is and what needs to change?
Budjerah: Tough question. If you’re talking about artists and musicians, I think it depends on where you look. We have an incredible amount of diverse artists in Australia, but it just isn’t mainstream yet. All I can say is, I think people should look deeper and try to find unique and niche corners. The tough part of this is now that there are thousands of songs being released every day and there’s so much on the internet which makes it harder for us to find smaller artists that are unique and diverse.
Billy: You are about to go on tour supporting British megastar Ed Sheeran on his massive Australian stadium tour. You have already worked with Ed when you featured on his single “2Step” last year? Can I ask what it’s like to work with such an iconic musician and what are you looking forward to the most about the tour?
Budjerah: It’s crazy! I don’t know how I got here. It doesn’t feel real. Like I said in one of my answers before, I’m still just a boy from Fingal Head and I’m so grateful to Mr Sheeran for giving me the opportunity to sing to the world. I’m so excited about this tour, but also super nervous. I’m bringing my cousins along with me in my band and we’re mostly excited just to see how the whole crew operates and to see how a production of that level works.
Billy: How would you describe your sound? Listening to songs like “Missing You” and “Ready For The Sky” I get a really strong R&B Vibe.
Budjerah: Yeah, R&B/Soul is probably the best way to describe it. This is always a tough question. I grew up singing gospel and soul music with my family, and I still sing the same way so that’s what it is, I guess.
Billy: If you had not become a musician, what other career do you think you’d have chosen?
Budjerah: when I was 12 I went through a phase where I wanted to be an archaeologist. I love history and I think dinosaurs are super cool so I think I would’ve stuck with that.
(Budjerah)
Billy: If you could sit down for dinner with any three people from history, past or present who would they be and why?
Budjerah: First, Aretha Franklin, I would ask her about her singing technique and how she approaches certain things musically. Second, Gordon Ramsay, because I know dinner would be great with him. Third, my future wife, because she would probably enjoy dinner as much as I would and she would remember the bits I’d forget.
Billy: Musically who and what have been your inspirations as an artist?
Budjerah: Gospel and soul music is a massive inspiration to me. Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke are big ones for me. I also was taught by a man named Erol how to play the guitar. He taught me some useful tricks and stuff about jazz and classical music too. The biggest thing that has shaped me as an artist is my parents, they are both musicians and taught me how to sing and write.
Billy: You mentioned before that the band who you’re taking on tour with you are family members who you grew up with. That must be so cool! Can I ask why family and not say, another group of session musicians?
Budjerah: The good thing about my cousins being in my band is that they had the same upbringing as me and learnt music the same way as I did. It’s a lot easier for us to explain musical ideas to each other when we rehearse and even write music together. Last year I did tour with a group of incredible session musicians for a little while and we all became good friends but after the tour, they’re on to the next one, then the next. I’m still friends with some of the musicians I met, but I find that it’s a lot easier to tour when you have people that’ll always be there for you and care for you.
Billy: What do you think the key to happiness is?
Budjerah: I don’t think there is a key to happiness. If someone is happy all the time they are lying to you. People are people, we feel and we feel stress and pain. The real question I think is how do you get through those tough times? And my answer is love. Find what you love and people to love. True love, that’s it.
Billy: What is the rest of 2023 looking like for you and will you be coming to the UK anytime soon?
Budjerah: The rest of 2023 I’m gonna be doing heaps of shows and a few tracks. I need to get back to the UK! There were a few things I missed last time I was there, so I have to come back, hopefully soon.
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