Naarm/Melbourne soul artist and proud Noongar woman Bumpy has lifted the lid on her debut album Kanana.
The title track is out today, with the full album set to drop Friday, October 3rd.
The soulful “Kanana” brims with percussion and smooth double bass, celebrating the small moments that bring people together. In Noongar, Bumpy sings: “Djoowok baldga dji” — “generations firmly united for a moment.”
“Every day people slow down, share meals, time their day to watch a sunset. It’s a moment handled with care,” Bumpy says.
“We look at Kanana and catch a glimpse of unity. I like to imagine what Kanana sees — a sea of people sharing one moment. If only we could see that every day.”
The video, directed by Em Dynes, follows Bumpy on sunset country in custom garments. Watch it below.
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Songs on Kanana took shape while Bumpy was a First Nations Artist in Residence with the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Australian Art Orchestra.
It’s a family project too. Bumpy returned to Noongar Boodja (Country) with her mother to reconnect with Country, deepen her language journey, and retrace her family’s steps. Her sibling adds vocals and co-writes, while her late Nan, Rose Whitehurst — Bumpy’s namesake — wrote the first Noongar dictionary, a legacy the family works to protect.
“It was a really vulnerable moment for all of us to come together and go, “What does everybody have in terms of resources and understanding of our language and our family’s legacy? Do we know enough and are we confident enough in what we know to share that with future generations?” Bumpy says. “As a family, where we are on a language journey was really beautiful to share with each other.”
The album also features her recent single “Maambakoort”, released in May.
Bumpy (her childhood nickname) dropped her self-produced debut EP Morning Sun in 2023. She’s also frontwoman for Naarm neo-soul outfit Squid Nebula.
Bumpy’s “Kanana” is out now via Astral People Recordings.
