Arnhem Land rock outfit Wildfire Manwurrk have unveiled their debut single, ‘Lonely Bangardi’. It’s the first official recording from the group, who have spent a number of years performing live throughout Australia’s top end.
‘Lonely Bangardi’ is an electrifying introduction to the group comprising Sires Rostron on vocals and guitar, Johnson Rostron on vocals and bass, Ernest and Leo Rostron on rhythm guitars, Victor Rostron on vocals, didgeridoo, and clapsticks, and Scott Cameron on drums. Together, the sextet deliver ’80s-influenced garage rock sung in endangered languages Kune, Dalabon, and Rembarrnga.
Wildfire Manwurrk – ‘Lonely Bangardi’
“This music, it’s looking at both worlds. We’re telling our honest story using Balanda (whitefella) and Bininj (blackfella) music together,” Victor Rostron explained in a statement. “Kunborrk (ceremony songlines) with modern instruments are our double tools.
“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.”
Wildfire Manwurrk have already built a reputation with their live shows, garnering approval from the likes of DZ Deathrays, Bad//Dreems, and Skegss over the years. The band are set to unveil their debut EP, The Next Future, on Friday, 25th November.
As per a press release, the EP’s creation was an achievement in itself. With the group living between Maningrida and their ancestral home of Korlorbidahdah, they were required to travel interstate to record during the pandemic, co-producing the EP alongside Matt Smith and Natalie Carey.
‘Lonely Bangardi’ is representative of the Wildfire Manwurrk sound, combining thrashing guitars with traditional songlines from ancient times, and the stories they face within this world of culture, chaos, and change.
“I wrote this ‘Lonely Bangardi’ song, because I was so lonely, feeling broken hearted,” Sires Rostron said. “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.”
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