WILDFIRE MANWURRK is an electrifying portrait of the Rostron family, taken from the heart of one of the most powerful and captivating regions in the world, remote Stone Country, Arnhem Land. At the crossroads where a tidal wave of change meets the oldest culture on earth, Lonely Bangardi, their debut single, is a 80’s garage rock anthem sung in age-old endangered languages Kune, Dalabon and Rembarrnga. The track will feature on their debut EP The Next Future, available Friday 25 November.
Image credit: Renae Saxby
Featuring the vocals of Sires Rostron, Lonely Bangardi is a part punk, part love song that takes you into the garage sound of WILDFIRE MANWURRK. Sires says of the song
“I wrote this Lonely Bangardi song, because I was so lonely, feeling broken hearted. I was sitting down, looking at country, wondering, and I thought, I’m gonna get up and make this song, ‘Lonely Bangardi’ about myself and how I feel. And I thought, oh yeah, I’ll make Lonely Bangardi into a Rock n Roll song.”
Captured in their hometown by Robert Sherwood and directed by Natalie Carey (Valentina Brave), the raw and honest visual accompaniment offers a glimpse into the colourful and chaotic world of community. The video features a cameo by their sister, TikTok star and model, Cindy Rostron.
“We wanted to show the ‘real Maningrida’ - the place that informs our gritty rock and roll sound,” says Victor Rostron of the clip.
WILDFIRE MANWURRK’s debut EP, The Next Future, is literally thousands of years in the making. Living remote between Maningrida and their ancestral home, Korlorbidahdah - eight hours drive from Darwin, it was sheer tenacity enabled the band to record and travel interstate during a pandemic. The Next Future was recorded at Nowave Studio in Mullimbimby over three days, engineered by James Boundy (Dune Rats) and co-produced by WILDFIRE MANWURRK, Matt Smith and Natalie Carey. The result is a melting pot of thrashing guitars, traditional songlines from ancient times, and the stories they face as men in a world of culture, chaos and change.
True to their name, WILDFIRE MANWURRK is growing like wildfire, a uniquely gifted family who have poured years of blood, sweat and tears into the music and are passionate about sharing their culture. “This music, it’s looking at both worlds. We’re telling our honest story using Balanda (whitefella) and Bininj (blackfella) music together. Kunborrk (ceremony songlines) with modern instruments are our double tools,” says Victor.
Debut single 'Lonely Bangardi' available to listen here
“We have a story to tell and this is our voice, in our language, one of the oldest languages in this world. That language will help you connect to where you are standing. It will help us come together, where we learn from each other,” he adds.
DEBUT SINGLE 'LONELY BANGARDI'
OUT NOW
DEBUT EP THE NEXT FUTURE
OUT 25 NOVEMBER
MORE INFO:
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