Bumpy Uses Music to Connect Her with Family and Community

This interview is part of our Future of Music 2026 series. Follow all the coverage here.

Bumpy’s music feels rooted in something much deeper than genre.

The Melbourne soul artist and proud Noongar woman has been steadily building a reputation as one of the country’s most stirring voices, earning Best New Talent at the 2023 National Indigenous Music Awards, a nomination for Independent Soul/R&B Release at the 2024 AIR Awards, and multiple Music Victoria Awards, including the Uncle Archie Roach Foundation Award.

Last year’s debut album, Kanana, feels like the fullest expression of that journey so far. Translating from Noongar as “Land Where the Sunsets”, the album is built around connection: to family, to Country, to language, to community, and to the small shared moments that hold people together.

Kanana is also deeply tied to family legacy. Bumpy returned to Noongar Boodja Country with her mother to further engage in her family’s language journey, retracing the footsteps of her family and Elders, including her late Nan, Rose Whitehurst, who wrote the first Noongar dictionary. Her sibling also contributes vocals and co-writes, making the album feel like both a personal statement and a shared act of preservation.

“I always want to make sure I am doing what I can to uplift community and work in ways that creatively nourish the people around us,” Bumpy said.

Before Kanana, Bumpy introduced herself with the self-produced 2023 EP Morning Sun, while also fronting Naarm neo-soul outfit Squid Nebula. But her debut album marked a significant arrival: soulful, grounded, and generous in spirit, with Bumpy using music as nourishment, memory, and community work.

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Read an exclusive interview with Bumpy below.

Rolling Stone AU/NZ: What does it mean to you to be included in Rolling Stone’s Future of Music series?

Bumpy: It makes me feel very seen. These are my stories. Deeply personal, some that are passed down and some that represent the oldest living culture in the world. It’s special to imagine them travelling outward and finding connection through my sound and artistry.

How did you first get your start in music? 

Music has always been something my family have shared together. The guitar comes out at every family gathering, gets passed around as each person plays a song and everyone jumps on harmony. It was never a beginning for me, just something that’s always been there.

Describe your sound to a new listener in three words.

Ethereal, cathartic, staunch.

Tell us about your latest release. 

My debut album Kanana means “land where the sun sets” in Noongar. Sharing stories and reflections of embrace, comfort, grief, language revitalisation, and time. From 14pc choir to funk-fuelled horns, commanding vocals to intricate instrumentation and tone. I wanted the album to take you on a journey [from] start to finish, slow down, and invite you into the land where the sun sets. 

What’s your favourite career memory so far?

Sharing stages in the same year with icons like Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Meshell Ndegeocello, Cymande, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Yazmin Lacey was not on my bingo card!

What are the positives and negatives of being a musician in 2026?

Positive: Touring and travelling all over the world with my friends to sing my songs, share my stories and connect…  I mean, it’s the dream job! Also, in the state of the world, music feels like an incredibly accessible way to communicate, challenge, connect, and bring comfort right now.

Negative: How much importance is placed on social media and the demand to do it on every platform. It’s a wild amount of work for a self-managed artist. How many hats you gotta wear for the hustle?

What’s one thing you’d change about the ANZ music industry?

Honestly, it’s hard to choose just one. But more than anything, I think there needs to be a real shift toward supporting artists and venues in a sustainable way. More power in the hands of artists and community-led spaces when it comes to programming, touring, and how the industry functions overall.

Name one other ANZ act you’d like to see make our Future of Music series in the future.

Wild Gloriosa — incredible honey soul/R&B voice. Her music makes you feel deeply while also wrapping you up in a loving and incredibly encouraging cuddle.

What’s coming up for you this year?

I’ve been writing a lot and I’m excited to share more soon. And a heap of shows across Australia and a few international spots too… I probably can’t say where just yet…