17 November 21-27, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | Music | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | The Sound Down Under King Stingray introduces the didgeridoo to surf rock. BY DAVID ROLLAND W hen you think of a rock band, the instruments that come to mind are drums, guitars, and maybe a keyboard. When it comes to Australian quintet King Stingray, though, the band would never think of taking a stage without the trusty didgeridoo. “It’s one of the oldest instruments in the world,” King Stingray guitarist Roy Kellaway tells New Times. “It provides so much on the low end that it compliments the high sounds of the guitars. Its sound is beautiful, strong, and present.” The didgeridoo, or the yidaki, as it’s known to the indigenous people of Australia, originated from the same desolate Northeast Arnhem Land region of Australia where King Stingray formed. “It’s the home of this beautiful, sacred in- strument. They go out to the bush and find the right tree that was hollowed out by ter- mites,” Kellaway says of the area where he grew up. “It’s an aboriginal community that’s very remote. Food comes in on a barge. A lot of people are living in the bush off the land, but it’s a nurturing music scene, very DIY. We like to say we come from a small town and sing about big things.” Both Kellaway’s father and the uncle of singer Yirrnga Yunupingu were in the band Yothu Yindi, which combined aboriginal and rock music to massive success in Oceania. In 2020, the younger Kellaway and Yunupingu decided to see if musical lightning could strike twice. “We wanted to make Yolngu surf rock,” Kellaway adds. “Let’s make music that blends the traditional with contemporary surf- driven psychedelic rock.” The band released its debut self-titled al- bum in 2022, peaking at number six on the Australian charts. King Stingray seemed to have quickly found an open-minded audi- ence that responded to songs sung both in English and the ab- original language of Yolngu Matha. The critics loved it, too, with the album winning the Australian Music Prize and scoring several nominations at the ARIA Music Awards, including “Album of the Year,” “Best Group,” and “Best Rock Album.” King Stingray’s mellow sophomore album, For the Dreams, was released on November 8. Kellaway is curious, if confident, about how it will be received. “The message is about love and friendship and being content. There’s a wink at sustain- ability and commenting on how seasons aren’t coming on time anymore,” he explains. The band recorded the album piecemeal while they toured the globe. “It was made during a busy time. We’re very driven by live performances,” Kellaway says. “An idea can start with a chorus or a hook. We demo them, and when on tour, I’ll bring a laptop, and we’ll record vocals in an Airbnb or a hotel room. We then book a stu- dio to see if we can flesh things out.” King Stingray is currently on the road opening for fellow countrymen King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. The North American tour will conclude on Thursday, November 21, with a performance at Factory Town in Hialeah. Kellaway says the band’s live show fea- tures “powerful music that’s unique with an Australian sound. There are a lot of sing- along moments. It’s traditional chaos.” Not one but two didgeridoos, accompa- nied by another traditional Aboriginal instru- ment, the clapsticks, are along for the ride. One of the didgeridoos is a hand-me-down from Kellaway’s dad. “It’s very old. Who knows how many shows it has been played? It’s like having a 1950s Fender Stratocaster guitar,” Kellaway shares. “It’s got all the road marks of a per- forming instrument. We used to tour with it, naked with no bag. Then we started packing it in cardboard. Now it has a proper case.” King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. With King Stingray. 7 p.m. Thursday, November 21, at Factory Town, 4800 NW 37th Ave., Hialeah; factorytown.com. Tickets cost $55 via dice.fm. [email protected] Photo by Sam Brumby THE BAND WOULD NEVER THINK OF TAKING A STAGE WITHOUT THE TRUSTY DIDGERIDOO. | CROSSFADE | t Music King Stingray will open for King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard at Factory Town on Thursday, November 21.
