First Nations Songwriters Unite For NATSIMO’s 2024 RESONATE Camp

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO) has launched the 2024 edition of its flagship songwriting camp RESONATE, uniting a cohort of First Nations songwriters from all across the country for three days of creative euphoria.

This year’s summit is being held at the renowned 4000 Studios in Brisbane (Meanjin), kicking off yesterday (May 28) and running until tomorrow evening (May 30). The aim of the initiative is to foster community and spur meaningful collaboration between some of the best and brightest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander songwriters, producers and creatives.

2024 marks the fourth year for RESONATE, and this year’s camp features some absolute gems. Among them are soul singer CANISHA, dark-pop artist Cloe Terare, electronic producer HYLANDER, engineer/producer/composer Dirk Kelly, rappers ChillCheney, Eskatology and MARLON, singer-songwriters Madi Colville-Walker and Zipporah, pop-rock artist Luke Daniel Peacock, guitarist Chris Tamwoy, R&B artist Jada Weazel, and indie-pop artist Boox Kid.

Also sharing his wisdom and one-of-a-kind expertise is Aotearoan producer Noema Te Hau III, who joins RESONATE 2024 as its resident international guest.

In a press release, NATSIMO director Leah Flanagan said of this year’s camp: “The NATSIMO is committed to fostering an inclusive studio environment where Indigenous music creators can learn and thrive through collaboration and shared inspiration. It’s truly inspiring to witness the enthusiasm and passion within our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music-creator community as they come together to create new music.

“A goal of RESONATE is to empower our members with the tools and connections they need to succeed in the competitive music industry landscape. RESONATE celebrates our unique cultural voices by establishing powerful connections between our members and the wider music community.”

The excitement was shared by 4000 Studios’ Dominik Felsmann, who said in a statement of his own: “We’re super excited to be hosting RESONATE at 4000 Studios this year. We started this studio with the vision to provide a welcoming space that brings together music industry professionals from all backgrounds. Being able to provide the facilities for and collaborate with RESONATE is a huge privilege and proof that Meanjin can offer something truly special to the Australian music scene.”

In years past, the RESONATE camp has seen artists produce some genuine classics. It was at the 2022 edition, for example, that Jem Cassar-Daley co-wrote King Of Disappointment with fellow camper Brendan Boney – a track that would go on to be nominated for Independent Track Of The Year at the AIR Awards, and rack up more than three million streams on Spotify alone.