‘Chase’ the new track that combines the power of Vassy and Bonka and is set for release on the 20th of May and if the Spotify preview is anything to go by its going to be huge. Vassy having previously worked with David Guetta and Showtek on ‘Bad’ and Tiesto and KSHMR on ‘Secrets’ is no beginner when it comes to international collabs or hits, then you combine that with the talented local boys, Bonka and a sure fire hit is bound to be produced. BONKA sat down with us at MFA to talk about the new song, Time Square and performing live again.

Vassy is such a huge name in the world of EDM collabs , working previously with David Guetta and Tiesto. How did the collaboration between You and Vassy come about?

It was actually a little random, obviously we had heard of Vassy as we have always been fans of her records. So when the opportunity presented itself in the form of an email expressing interesting in working on a project together, we jumped at the chance. And about a month later with a fair bit of back and forth, Chase was finished!

‘Chase’ is already being played by DJ’s around the world including Austin Kramer’s ‘Tomorrowland – One World Radio’ this must make you not only proud but also excited with what this could mean for you as a band on the world stage?

The support which chase has garnered already is truly staggering and having some of the biggest names in the dance music industry and music industry as a whole supporting the record is truly humbling. We are just thrilled that people are enjoying the record as much as we enjoyed bring it to life with Vassy.

Having a Billboard in Time Square is a pretty big deal and comes with massive exposure, who came up with the idea and how did you make it happen?

To be honest, that was all thanks to the team in the U.S. As much as we would like to say we had a hand in it, honestly it was all orchestrated by them! Having said that wow were we surprised, it was such a surprise to see, we weren’t sure if it was real or not! We thought someone might have been joking but the tags on our socials in the form of photos and videos kept rolling in.

The ‘Chase’ billboards in Time Square, New York City

Collabs seem to be the trend at the moment. Is there anyone on your wish list you would still like to perform or collab with in the future?

There is a long list of vocalists and producers we would love to work with moving forward and while it’s nice to dream, we firmly believe it’s on us, if we keep putting out records we are proud of and they are received well by all our of fans, those dream “collabs” will become a reality for us.

Where was your first gig? Was it a success or flop?

First gig we played together was actually a house party, in the suburbs of west Brisbane. In terms of success, we had a ball and everyone else who attended seemed to be having a wild night, so as far as a first gig goes, Yeah that was a success!

In your journey as a group/musician have you changed? Is life much different for you from when you started out?

We have been doing this for about ten years now, life is so different in some ways, but very much the same in others. It is different in the sense we are older and wiser (hopefully), but in terms of our team, and our passion for performing the best shows we can and producing the best music we can, that part is very much the same

Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is they do that keeps your world turning?

The unsung heroes of BONKA without a doubt are our managers / the directors of Catch Management, Benny & Mitch. Without these guys we wouldn’t be where we are today, and have always played a massive role in all things BONKA. There is a lot I can say about these guys which speaks to how important they are to BONKA, But the only thing I will say is that they are our team but they are also our family and together we will keep all things BONKA moving forward and hopefully upward into the future.

Small intimate pub style gigs and big stadium events are obviously very different in the energy and audiences, which is easier to engage great crowd participation? Which do you prefer? Clubs or Stadiums?

Both present vastly different environments to perform in, in terms of energy and the actual performance you cannot beat a packed out club in terms of vibe. But those big stages / stadiums are just so surreal to perform on, especially in front of that many people. Both have special places in our hearts as we are just so fortunate to perform at all!

Are you glad to be getting back to performing in front of a real crowds?

We actually didn’t play any virtual sets as we decided at the start of the pandemic that we would use the time to work on music and our brand (content, future planning etc.) But YES! we are so pumped about being able to perform in front of crowds again, we are very fortunate here in Australia as some other parts of the world are yet to open up. And while it was frustrating that we had to wait 9 months to perform again, we count ourselves lucky that we are able to do what we love in the midst of a pandemic.

Which of your songs is your favorite to perform?

We love playing all of our songs, whether they be past, present and future releases. There is something magical about playing YOUR music to a crowd and them really taking it in and giving you all their energy back. But if I had to pick our most recent release Overdrive (Revealed Recordings) and Chase with Vassy are our favorites currently.

2020 was a year full of uncertainty and change. For some the year came as a blessing, for some a curse. How do you rate your 2020?

It was both a great and terrible year at the same time. Personally we learned a lot of things about ourselves and grew a lot as people with the extra time which we had as we did not have to tour non-stop. So that being the positive, the negative side of that trade off was obviously we didn’t get to do something we love and are passionate about. Having said that, it has in a way renewed our love for touring and we have a new found appreciation for what we do and how fortunate we are to play in front of amazing crowds in different places all over the world.

What's next for you? What can we expect in 2021 and beyond?

We can’t give away too much but to keep it simple, MUSIC! For the rest of 2021 we will be pushing out as much music as we can, which will hopefully land on some big labels and get some great support like we have had on our latest record “Chase” with VASSY.

Interview by Michelle Symes

May 2021

BONKA on the 'CHASE' with VASSY