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.
Recorded and produced between the NT, Brisbane and the Byron Bay hinterland, King Stingray rocks vibrant and colourful like a great glowing djäpana (sunset) through the East Arnhem Land sky. The album is a vital entry to Australian music and cements the band’s status as one of the most exciting acts to burst out of the NT in years.