King Stingray
King Stingray’s self-titled debut album is a revelation. An awakening. But at the same time, it’s everything the world has come to love from this five-piece Yolŋu surf rock combo, who have been ripping Australian stages and airwaves apart since 2020. Hailing from the Northern Territory and Queensland, the tight-knit crew of Yolŋu (Aboriginal people of northeast Arnhem Land) and balanda (non-Indigenous) musicians have produced a set of 10 tracks to rival any Australian band’s debut. Think Warumpi Band’s Big Name, No Blankets. Tame Impala’s Innerspeaker. The Chats’ High Risk Behaviour. Then add an ancient tradition of manikay (song/songlines) that dates back tens of thousands of years, and a profound love of country and Mother Earth, and there sits King Stingray. Raw, wild and free. A roadtrip into northeast Arnhem Land, stringybark trees flying past the window, surrounded by mates and with the stereo blasting.
From the wilds of northeast Arnhem Land, King Stingray are just getting started. Keep track of the boys as they get ready to drop some more of Australia’s best new music in 2021.