Spinifex Gum

{{Short description|Australian musical group}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Spinifex Gum | background = group_or_band | image = | image_size = | landscape = yes | alt = | caption = | alias = | origin = [[Cairns]], [[Queensland]], Australia | genre = | years_active = 2015–present | label = | associated_acts = [[The Cat Empire]], [[Emma Donovan]], [[Briggs (rapper)|Briggs]], [[Peter Garrett]] | website = {{URL|www.spinifexgum.com/home/}} | current_members = [[Ollie McGill]]<br />[[Felix Riebl]]<br />Marliya Choir | past_members = }}

'''Spinifex Gum''' are an Australian musical collective based in [[Cairns]], a collaboration between the [[Indigenous Australians|Indigenous]] ensemble the Marliya Choir, [[Felix Riebl]] and [[Ollie McGill]] of the [[Melbourne]] band [[The Cat Empire]], [[Lyn Williams]], and Deborah Brown. The performers share the stories of the [[Yindjibarndi people]] in the [[Pilbara]] region of [[Western Australia]].

== Origin == Spinifex Gum has its origins in a 2014 visit by the Gondwana Indigenous Children's Choir and the founder of [[Gondwana Choirs]], Lyn Williams, to the [[Pilbara]], inviting Melbourne musician [[Felix Riebl]]. The group met and began a collaboration with the [[Yindjibarndi people|Yindjibarndi]] community, and Riebl returned seven times over the following seven years to learn the stories of the community and their ancestors.<ref name="SMH" />

In 2015 Riebl was commissioned by Gondwana Choirs to compose an original work inspired by the Pilbara region. He worked with his friend and [[The Cat Empire|Cat Empire]] bandmate [[Ollie McGill]] and the Marliya Choir, a group formed from the Indigenous Children's Choir for the project and comprising female [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] and [[Torres Strait Islanders|Torres Strait Islander]] teenagers from the [[Cairns]] region.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2017|title=Meet Spinifex Gum and their new protest anthem, Locked Up feat. BRIGGS & Marliya|url=http://pilerats.com/music/electronic/meet-spinifex-gum-and-their-new-protest-anthem-locked-up-feat-briggs-marliya/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=Pile Rats}}</ref>

They premiered ''Spinifex Gum – a Song Cycle'' in 2016.<ref name="SMH" />

==Ensemble== Spinifex Gum has approximately 30 members, with 12 to 18 performing on stage. The all-female ensemble is aged between 12 and 20, and sings in English and Yindjibarndi. Riebl and McGill act as composers and creative directors for Spinifex Gum, [[Lyn Williams]] is the choir director and [[Deborah Brown (choreographer)|Deborah Brown]], formerly of [[Bangarra Dance Theatre]], is the choreographer.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lambert|first=Catherine|date=29 December 2020|title=Spinifex Gum is ready to work its magic again|work=Melbourne Age|url=https://www.theage.com.au/culture/music/spinifex-gum-choir-is-ready-to-work-its-magic-again-20201228-p56qfk.html|access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref> Their songs tell traditional stories of the Yindjibarndi people, protest the treatment of Indigenous Australians by the justice system, and decry the effect of dams and mining in the Pilbara, such as the threats to the [[Weelumurra Caves]] and the destruction of [[Juukan Gorge]].<ref name="SMH" /> Unlike a traditional choir, each singer has an individual microphone, and their choral harmonies are combined with recorded environmental samples of the Pilbara region over contemporary pop basslines.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bowles|first=Annabel|date=3 August 2021|title=Cairns choir collaborate with Cat Empire to present Spinifex Gum this weekend|url=https://www.tropicnow.com.au/2021/august/3/cairns-choir-collaborate-with-cat-empire-to-present-spinifex-gum-this-weekend|access-date=2021-12-12|website=TropicNow}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Lamb|first=Benjamin|date=22 December 2020|title=We chat to The Cat Empire's Felix Riebl about his fascinating side-project, Spinifex Gum|url=https://beat.com.au/we-chat-to-the-cat-empires-felix-riebl-about-his-fascinating-side-project-spinifex-gum/|access-date=2021-12-12|website=Beat Magazine|language=en-AU}}</ref>

==Performances and recordings== The song cycle was recorded as the studio album ''Spinifex Gum'' in 2017, and toured with activists and artists [[Emma Donovan]], [[Midnight Oil]]'s [[Peter Garrett]], and [[Briggs (rapper)|Adam Briggs]].<ref name="SMH" /> The group also released a single with [[Briggs (rapper)|Briggs]], "Locked Up", and another, "[[Ms Dhu|Mrs Dhu]]", both protesting the treatment of incarcerated Indigenous people.<ref name=":0" />

In March 2018, Spinifex Gum performed with [[Emma Donovan]] and [[Peter Garrett]] at [[Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide|Her Majesty's Theatre]] in [[Adelaide]], as part of the [[Adelaide Festival]].<ref name=id2023/>

The group's second album, ''Sisters'', was released in 2019. It included a cover of the song "[[Dream Baby Dream]]", sung in English and [[Yinjibarndi language|Yindjibarndi]]; the song incorporated the voices of 10,000 Australians as part of the Dream Baby Dream campaign, a petition for First Nations representation in [[Parliament of Australia|parliament]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Foster|first=Farrin|date=4 September 2019|title=Dreaming of a voice to parliament: Spinifex Gum sing their way into stony hearts| url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/05/dreaming-of-a-voice-to-parliament-spinifex-gum-sing-their-way-into-stony-hearts| access-date=2021-12-12|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

Spinifex Gum's third album was a live recording of a sold-out 2019 [[Sydney Opera House]] performance, and was released as ''Spinifex Gum Live at Sydney Opera House'' in January 2021. A highlight of the live performance was Emma Donovan's performance of [[Tom Waits]]' "Make It Rain", singing the final verse in Yindjibarndi.<ref name="SMH" /> Waits praised the rendition as "gorgeous" and posted the video to his [[YouTube]] channel.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Langford|first=Jackson|date=2 November 2020|title=Tom Waits praises Cairns Indigenous choir's rendition of 'Make It Rain' |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/tom-waits-praises-cairns-indigenous-choirs-rendition-of-make-it-rain-2806718|access-date=2021-12-12|website=NME|language=en-AU}}</ref>

Spinifex Gum performed with the [[Adelaide Symphony Orchestra]] at the opening night concert of the 2023 [[Adelaide Festival]] in [[Elder Park]], [[Adelaide]], on 3 March 2023.<ref name=id2023>{{cite web | first=Graham |last =Strahle | title=Adelaide Festival review: Spinifex Gum with the ASO | website=[[InDaily]] | date=4 March 2023 | url=https://indaily.com.au/inreview/adelaide-festival/2023/03/04/adelaide-festival-review-spinifex-gum-with-the-aso/ | access-date=5 March 2023}}</ref>

==Awards==

* Nominated for the 2019 [[Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=2019 Nominees and Winners|url=http://www.helpmannawards.com.au/2019/nominees-and-winners/industry/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=Helpmann Awards}}</ref>

* [[Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity|Cannes Lions]] Grand Prix in for the [[Apple Inc.]] Commercial "The Greatest" featuring the bands track "I am the Greatest"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://adage.com/article/special-report-cannes-lions/apple-greatest-michael-kiwanuka-beautiful-life-win-cannes-lions-2023-music-grand-prix/2500676 | title=Apple's 'The Greatest' and Michael Kiwanuka's 'Beautiful Life' win Music Grand Prix | date=20 June 2023 }}</ref>

==Discography== * "Locked Up" (single) (2017) * "Mrs Dhu" (single) (2017) * ''Spinifex Gum'' (2017) * ''Sisters'' (2019) * ''Spinifex Gum Live at Sydney Opera House'' (2021)

== References == {{reflist|25em|refs=<ref name="SMH">{{cite news |last1=Woods |first1=Cat |title=Spinifex Gum: the girls' choir that has put Pilbara life on stage |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/spinifex-gum-the-girls-choir-that-has-put-pilbara-life-on-stage-20210125-p56wns.html |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=29 January 2021}}</ref>}}

== External links == * {{Official website|https://www.spinifexgum.com/home/}} ===Videos=== * {{YouTube |id=X-_0_JfijY4 |title=Spinifex Gum - About the Project}}. Music video. Duration 6m 34s. Uploader Spinifex Gum, 2017. * {{YouTube |id=qc-0K6X1OEM |title=Make It Rain - feat. Emma Donovan & Marliya Choir}}. Music video. Duration 4m 32s. Uploader Spinifex Gum, 2019.  {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spinifex Gum}} [[Category:Musical groups established in 2015]] [[Category:2015 establishments in Australia]] [[Category:Indigenous Australian musical groups]] [[Category:Musical groups from Queensland]]