First Nations rising star Budjerah leads a raft of Aussie artists pitching for global success in 2022

Award-winning emerging artist Budjerah leads a raft of Aussie artists signing global deals to launch their careers as international labels eye our talent for future stardom.

What does fame look like for a 20-year-old singer-songwriter who won the Breakthrough Artist ARIA last year?

For rising soulful R & B star Budjerah, it’s a free milkshake.

The young artist who hails from Fingal Head on the northern NSW coast, his talent nurtured with care by mentor Matt Corby at his Rainbow Valley studio, immediately caught the ear of industry tastemakers and music fans with the spectacular introduction of his debut single Missing You.

Since its release just two years ago, Budjerah has amassed millions of streams for the songs on his debut EP and collaborations with PNAU and another emerging pop star MAY-A.

And with his profile boosted by his acclaimed live performances and that ARIA win, the singer attracts those inevitable double takes of recognition and requests for a photo from music fans in the artistic hub of Byron Bay and its surrounds.

Australian singer songwriter Budjerah is poised for launch internationally. Picture: Supplied.

“When you’re shopping, it’s the weirdest, because I don’t want people to know I’m getting junk food,” he says, laughing.

“But there’s some good things to being recognised. I went to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day and they gave us free milkshakes because the manager knew who I was and they just said they really liked my music.

“So it’s odd but when it’s an experience like that when you’re talking to someone who enjoys your work, it’s really cool to see the impact on people as well.”

Budjerah’s Breakthrough Artist win at the ARIA Awards was an emotional triumph. Picture: Getty.

The First Nations singer-songwriter, raised in a musical family who rigorously rehearsed for their weekly church service, assumed his musical destiny early, leaving high school to work on his songwriting craft.

Among those who championed his prodigious talent was the late Michael Gudinski. Winning the Breakthrough Award that ARIA renamed in Gudinski’s honour after his sudden death last year, provoked a tearful, poignant acceptance speech at the downsized, streamed ceremony last November.

Gudinski, who helped sign the young Coodjinburra songwriter to Mushroom Music Publishing, wasn’t the only one who identified Budjerah’s potential for global success.

As he releases Conversations, his second EP, in Australia next week, the young artist with the old soul voice is also working towards his first overseas tour, joining the raft of Australian artists picking up their campaigns to build fanbases in the US and Europe after the long pandemic pause.

Matt Gudinski is continuing his father’s passionate support for Aussie artists including Budjerah and Alex Lahey. Picture: Supplied.

While many Australian musicians secure record release deals in America, the UK and Europe, few get the marketing backing from the overseas arms of their label needed to give their music a decent shot in those markets and build their careers.

Budjerah, who is on Warner Music Australia, scored a deal with its parent company in America to launch him in the world’s biggest music market, who see his fresh R & B talent as “truly one of a kind”.

WMA president Dan Rosen says the Americans are committed to giving Budjerah the big push.

“We believe Budjerah is a world-class artist who has the potential to connect with fans all across the globe. Our partnership with Warner Records US is part of the plan to open up the biggest music market in the world,” Rosen says.

“Budjerah will finally be able to get to tour the US in a few months and having him in market will help amplify the partnership. It’s so important for our Aussie artists to build a global audience.”

After an introductory tour through the UK and Europe, Budjerah heads to the US for his first shows there in May. And you can bet he’s excited.

“Well, I’m impatient. My dream is to be able to do international touring and that’s happening. I want to tour stadiums, I want to do big shows, get a big band together,” he says of his aspirations.

“What has already happened (signing the US deal) I didn’t think would happen this fast so hopefully the trip I’m doing this year will help to open up new audiences for me.”

Budjerah’s approach to building his career in Australia is a template for the development of both an artist’s creativity and fanbase.

In the streaming era where the song rather than the album is key, he has been drip-feeding new songs from Conversations to fans over the past six months, kicking off with the ’90s nostalgia of Talk, his collaboration with MAY-A in September which has more than 1.3 million streams on Spotify.

The dreamy soul of Wash My Sorrows Away kept the fan fires burning over summer and new pop-bop What Should I Do? was released in February.

He has a raft of big gigs – and his own EP launch shows – booked in Australia this year including what could be a career-defining performance at the seminal Splendour In the Grass festival in July.

“I think Australian music is really coming forward. For a little while, you would get one artist at a time taking off internationally like Sia but I think a lot of artists now are pushing to prove we are as good as any artist from any other country and I think they’re doing a very good job,” he says.

Conversations is out on April 8. For all tour dates and tickets, budjerah.com

Originally published as First Nations rising star Budjerah leads a raft of Aussie artists pitching for global success in 2022