Joan & The Giants Top 4 Favourite Australian First Nations Artists

From Aaron Birch, guitarist and co-songwriter of Joan & The Giants.

Archie Roach

What could I possibly say about Archie Roach that hasn’t already been said? The man was the voice of a generation, his real-life storytelling and ability to allow people to be connected through music was unbelievable. In 2019, I had the unbelievable pleasure of seeing Archie live at Nannup Festival in WA. His emotional, raw performance made the entire audience weep and it was one of the most special experiences I’ve ever had. Having a Grandmother who was a part of the Stolen Generation makes Archie’s story even more personal for me. ‘Took The Children Away’ is a song I grew up hearing in my household all the time, and it has so many truths and memories attached to it, it’s my favourite song of his.

No Fixed Address

My dad had a vinyl of the No Fixed Address album 'From My Eyes’ that he played all the time when I was growing up. This band is magical, they have a perfect blend of reggae and rock and have great melodies and fantastic lyrics.

‘We Have Survived’ became an anthem for Aboriginal activists and it perfectly showcases just how great this band is. What a voice, what a band!

Yothu Yindi

Yothu Yindi combines traditional Aboriginal instrumentation with rock and reggae influences to make such a unique sound. This band was a huge influence on many Indigenous artists and throughout childhood, all over the Kimberley you would hear these songs blasting out of stereos. This band has had one of the most successful and long-lasting careers and songs like ‘Treaty’, which was a huge hit in Australia, still get played at home to this day.

Scrap Metal

Scrap Metal was a band from Broome in the late 80’s early 90’s. The band was formed by local Kimberley musicians, including members of the Pigram Brothers. Growing up in Beagle Bay, you would hear this band played every Saturday night at parties and everyone showed great pride in the local boys making it big. Scrap Metal had huge involvement in Bran Nue Dae musical and toured with Midnight Oil, they were also the first Aboriginal band to sign an international publishing deal, showing so many local kids that dreams are possible. One of favourite Scrap Metal songs is ‘Make It Work’. If you haven’t heard this band, you should deep dive!