A diary from Bush Bands 2025
I’m Hannah, Strategy Planning Lead at APRA AMCOS. I’ve just come back from a really special trip in Arrernte Country (Alice Springs). I’m not sure I can adequately verbalise what I just experienced, but what I just witnessed needs to be shared.
The APRA AMCOS team of myself, Chloe Lal, Leah Flanagan and Phillip Eaton spent four days at Ross River Resort working as mentors at two cornerstones of the Territory’s musical calendar hosted by the legends at MusicNT - Bush Bands Biz and Bush Bands Bash.
Seven bands, a female soloist and two desert divas took part in the mentorship workshops where we offered them practical tools and knowledge to help them navigate the music industry including vocal training, musicianship, copyright information, PR and social media, support with contracts and multiple opportunities to practice their setlist.
Bands travelled by car from some of the most remote corners of the country— Yuendumu, Irrunytju, Rubibi, Baniyala Outstation and beyond.
Each morning there was shared breakfast in the shed, group vocal sessions to get us warmed up and a bit of silliness to remove some of the nervous energy.
At first everyone was a bit shy and reserved, but by day two we started to see guitars come out and conversation picked up. There was a lot of cheekiness and laughter.
The food? Think slow-cooked stews, lemon myrtle bread and warmth so familiar it felt like your Aunty had cooked every meal. Donna didn’t just feed us, she nourished something deeper.
One moment that hit me in the chest. Helping someone download the APRA AMCOS app on their phone. No fanfare, just simple access, but their face lit up like they’d been handed the keys! To paint a picture, there was no phone reception on site, there is very limited internet connection, most bands don’t have a computer and mostly operate from their phone. Having access to register works and claim gigs easily in the bush is vital.
And then there was the music.
Songs sung in English, Pitjantjatjara, Yolŋu Matha and more—some laced with ancestral stories, others with searing social messages, all rooted deep in Country. Garrangali Band brought water to life in their songlines. Others sang straight from lived experience—love, loss, land and laughter.
We had a little time and were invited to take a few walks around the area, one out on N'Dhala Gorge. Desert flowers were in bloom, huge red rock mountains, ancient petroglyphs scattered across the Gorge (starting with the Caterpillar Dreaming Story). We could hear nothing but the air and birds chirping. Introducing myself as a visitor to the land, I could see trees swaying and seemingly answering back. It was a serene and spiritual experience.
The last day we headed back to Alice Springs for Bush Bands Bash held at the Telegraph Station Mparntwe. A massive, sun-drenched, beat-thumping concert. Around 3,000 people, ten acts and one stage. From dusk to deep night, the music rolled in waves—reggae, rock, desert funk and ancestral rhythms that hit harder than any bass drop. I swear, I’m still humming those hooks. The dancing didn’t stop!
You can watch the full show on MusicNT’s YouTube and ICTV Play. Don’t be embarrassed, I’m dancing in my chair too!
I’m home now, exhausted, thinking about the people I’ve met —generous, grounded and unshakably musical. I’m reminded how deep music runs when it’s connected to land, to community, to history. I will continue to be open, to slow down, to listen and to dance.
Palya.
Video: Music NT's Bush Bands Bash 2025 wrap up
Check out some of the bands and artists we saw:
- Desert Wind Band
- Eastern Arrernte Band
- Katrina Connelly
- Moonlight Reggae Band
- Matalja
- Ilkari Maru
- Fejo & the Cruizers
- Jessie K
- Mutijulu Band
- Garrangali Band
Thank you to some of the people we shared our time with:
Photos: Chloe Lal and Hannah Karkkainen
