'I Was Angry': Baker Boy Opens Up About Punk-Inspired New Track 'THICK SKIN'

We’re a little over a month away from the release of Baker Boy’s upcoming album, DJANDJAY, and he’s just shared one of the most powerful tracks of his career.

THICK SKIN, released today, is fuelled with punk energy – surprise crunchy rock riffs alongside a furious Baker Boy – and is a celebration of Blak lives, culture, and artistry, even in the darkest times.

For THICK SKIN, Baker Boy locked in a powerhouse Blak choir that includes Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn, and Jada Weazel. Born from the pain and frustration after the unsuccessful 2023 Indigenous Voice Referendum and ongoing attacks on First Nations people, Baker Boy channels his anger and converts it into pride.

“It wasn’t anger at the result as much, I think it was the way mob became a topic of conversation and mottos like ‘if you don’t know, vote no’ encouraging ignorance,” he explained. “It highlighted the everyday experience of being Yolŋu, being Indigenous in this country, and that hit me hard.”

Opening up about the punk sound of the track, he added, “I had been wanting to explore the punk sound for a while, and this felt like the perfect track for me to let loose in that space.

“It’s not natural for me to express anger through my music. I have this reputation for positivity, but I think the punk-inspired production allowed me to really say what I wanted to say. It has let me express these feelings, express the anger, the chaos and frustration in a way that’s new and experimental for me, but also in a way that was really authentic; it just came out of me.”

You can check out THICK SKIN below.

On Instagram, Baker Boy referenced the recent attack on Camp Sovereignty, making THICK SKIN’s release a timely one.

“I wrote THICK SKIN the day after the referendum results. I was angry,” he shared.

“I wrote the song I needed to hear in that moment. A track that was angry, but also taking back our power. I couldn’t have imagined how much I’d need this song the week it was released. It’s been a hard week for Mob. What happened at Camp Sovereignty in Narrm hurts in a way I can’t explain.

“But I do know we’re resilient. We’ve got THICK SKIN. We’ll never stop fighting.”

THICK SKIN follows the release of the singles PEACEKEEPER, FREAK OUT featuring Briggs and Haiku Hands, and LIGHTNING featuring REDD. His forthcoming album, DJANDJAY, will be released on Friday, 10 October. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here.

Earlier this year, Baker Boy said of the new album, which is named after his late grandmother: “DJANDJAY feels like a new space for me — more mature, more elevated. This is my strongest, most powerful work yet.”

He continued, “DJANDJAY is about truth. It’s about strength and defiance. I put my whole self into this album — and it feels like all of me is in there.

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