Milton Folk Jazz & Blues Festival presents: BUMPY

DecoratedNaarm/Melbourne-based artist and proud Noongar woman Bumpy is a captivating force with a voice that ripples stars. She creates a unique constellation of contemporary soul, funk, jazz and folk, brought to life on stages around the world alongside her insanely talented and commanding live band. With a cornerstone of intricate harmonies and shimmering textures, their chemistry and closeness creates an almost hypnotic bond that takes audiences on a “vibrant sonic journey” (The Music) through powerful soul beats, deeply intimate storytelling and ballads, and cheeky, groove-driven, slow-grind moments.

Bumpy has enraptured audiences at London Jazz Festival, Meredith Music Festival, WOMADelaide, Woodford Folk Festival, Strawberry Fields, Wellington Jazz Festival and Port Fairy Folk Festival, shared stages with world-class talents Hiatus Kaiyote, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mildlife and Yussef Dayes, performed at Dreamtime at the ‘G and made her debut at Sydney Opera House last year. She played the Shinjuku Pit Inn in Japan and has showcased at Bigsound, SXSW Sydney and the International Indigenous Music Summit in Tkaronto/Toronto.

Off the back of her impactful debut EP Morning Sun, Bumpy has collected a number of prestigious accolades including New Talent of the Year at the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs), Best Soul/RnB/Funk & Gospel Work at the Music Victoria Awards, the lauded Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent, and was nominated for Best Soul/RnB Workat the AIR Awards. Elsewhere, Bumpy was nominated for Work of the Year (Jazz) at the APRA Art Awards for her acclaimed show Tooni, and earlier won the triple j Unearthed NIMAs Competition.

Bumpy released her debut album Kanana in October via Astral People Recordings. Translating from Noongar as “Land where the sunsets,” the album sees Bumpy return to Noongar Boodja (Country) to reconnect with place, family, and culture, deepening her language journey while shaping a powerful and deeply personal body of work.

Widely acclaimed, Kanana was described by 2SER as “a masterclass in studio recording… the true standout of Australian soul music this year,” while Double J praised its authenticity, noting that the album “solidifies her artistic voice.” Within its first month, Kanana received an impressive 11 feature album selections across national platforms including Rolling Stone, Double J, RRR, and PBS, and was later named a Top 10 Album of 2025 by both Rolling Stone and Double J.

SUPPORT TBA

Doors 7.30pm
Show commences 8.00pm