Sharing Golden Hour with Kululu Waria
by Erin Leach
Kululu’s debut single Love Isn’t is laced with a rhythmic clapping, inspired by Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía and American R&B Lion Babe with cool haunting vocals that will keep you hooked and hitting repeat.
Following the release of her new single, Alive, I shared golden hour with the wonder that is Kululu Waria. As the sun set in her hometown of Brisbane, it rose in mine on the other side of the globe. We spent the April evening talking family, community and questioning those sounds that call us home and make us feel grounded.
“The sound of a full house immediately calls me home.”
Music lived within the walls of Kululu’s childhood, with her Uncle Jay and Dad teaching her how to play guitar. Up until the age of 23 Kululu only sang in front of her family. During his life, her Uncle Mick repeatedly encouraged her to open up her voice to the rest of the world…and we’re lucky she did.
In 2013 she was offered a position at the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts at Kangaroo Point. In a powerful two week turn around, she left a well-paid position with the Queensland Government to pursue her music. I asked her how she managed to traverse the space of opening up and sharing her voice on centre stage. She relays that it required a real reflection of self. The journey she has undertaken of self-work is evident in her strength, sense of peace and warmth of energy. Her personality, like her music, situates you straight into this singer’s soul.
What gives you courage today to take to the stage?
“I always get really bad anxiety, and gut-wrenching stage fright. But courage is one of those split moment things, where you realise that this is a once in a lifetime thing and can run full throttle… and despite the hard times I’ve always had a good experience on stage…”
In 2019, Kululu was chosen to join the Southwest Brisbane Series of GRID, a Grass Roots Indie Development program which supports outer urban emerging musicians throughout Australia. GRID pairs selected candidates with industry professionals, offering up one-on-one mentorship, guidance on how to attain fair representation, and the support to take their music into a fully produced track ready for launch. For Kululu, her work with GRID gave her essential access to the equipment required and mentorship desired to fine-tune her first release and provided her with the platform to pursue her career. Today she continues this growth at JMC, studying their Diploma in Audio Production & Sound Engineering.
GRID (Grass Roots Indie Development) is an artist development program supporting outer suburban emerging musicians around Australia and strengthening communities through music. Through song development, mentoring, recording, video content and live performance we provide a platform for outer suburban artists to attain visibility, unearthing some of the most exciting, thought provoking and dynamic artists in the country.
When it comes to utilising our voices for impact within the community, Kululu and I discussed the shifts she wants to see in modern Australia. Kululu is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island woman who is a descendant of the Woppaburra peoples of the Great Keppel Islands and Argun peoples of Badu Island. In her GRID Series documentary, she relates that for herself as a First Nations person, it is frustrating to have people make decisions on your behalf – but for her, it all comes down to what people know. Education, conversations and leadership are key to creating shifts within this space.
“Why not have us at the table? ‘Cause we have a lot of staunch advocates, particularly young people and women who have always been at the forefront of our movement. It is important to have non-Indigenous peoples contributing to this movement because that elevates our platform. We already have a platform, we already have a voice. But we need help to share it.”
It was an absolute joy to sit down with Kululu, and we cannot wait to welcome her performance at Melbourne’s 15th Human Rights Arts & Film Festival on Sunday the 25th of April.
Show your earbuds some love and listen to Kululu’s debut single Love Isn’t here. Her latest single Alive was released on the 1st of April and can be streamed here. In Kululu’s words, “This song is all about celebrating life and I hope it makes you feel damn good.”
Support our artists by following and listening on Soundcloud and Spotify, and purchasing their releases via Apple Music.
Applications are now open for the GRID Outer South East Melbourne Program, running this year. Interviews with shortlisted artists will take place from Monday May 10 to Friday May 14. Apply now…
