Kurilpa Reach
Groove to the pulsating beats of high energy music as Aussie band Kurilpa Reach gets ready to rock the stage at Smash Palace tomorrow.
The seven-piece band consists of guitarists Loughlin Craig and Will Murphy, Burdell brothers Pablo and Vincent on bass and drums respectively, Curtis Scibilia on trumpet, Joel Aspinall on keys and singer and saxophonist Luke Miskimmin.
“It's our first time coming to New Zealand, so it feels super exciting,” Miskimmin said.
“A few of our friends highly recommended coming to this venue and so we did.”
The group infuse dub and reggae with psychedelic rock and contemporary roots to create an eclectic sound difficult to pigeonhole into a single genre, he said.
The party crowd at Smash will be treated to a curated collection of songs such as Reggae Woman and Me and The Sea along with some of the group's new compositions which are yet to be released.
Miskimmin said the band did not have a specific lead songwriter but all the members equally chipped in for that role.
“It all comes from us jamming together, playing around with ideas and seeing what it feels like. Most of our songs are just about good times such as Sweet Release which is about hanging around with friends.
“But songs such as Feels Like Home have a deeper meaning as it's about connection to both people and places and finding your spot in the world,” he said.
Commenting on the band's unique name, the musician said Kurilpa is the Aboriginal indigenous word meaning ‘the place of the water rat'.
“It's also the colloquial name for the area of West End which is where we come from in Brisbane.
“The name refers to the stretch of the Brisbane River where we all used to hang out. We all went to high school together right in the centre of the city.”
Miskimmin said the group liked to represent where they were from and especially the indigenous culture.
“It's cool to see in New Zealand how much the Maori culture is represented here. The same goes with us as well.”
The band was formed in 2017 with only five members initially. Over time two more members joined the group, he said.
“I never thought I would be lucky enough to play music after high school. One day one of the boys invited me to join in for a jamming session and it was fun. That's how it started and over time I just found my voice and rhythm in music.
“Now I find myself talking to you like it's all cool stuff, but I wouldn't have expected this five years ago.”
“ I hope people coming have fun and have a good time,” he said.
Kurilpa Reach, Smash Palace, tomorrow Friday January 13, 8pm. For tickets visit https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/82267/Kurilpa-Reach.utr