THE BAMBOOS Privatclub, Berlin am 21.11.23

The Bamboos unstoppable evolution continues with the Disco / Boogie drenched “Ex-Files”, which is the first taste of their forthcoming eleventh studio album, This Is How You Do It. What might sound on paper to be a new direction for the band makes total sense once you recognise the trademark combination of Lance Ferguson’s Soul powered production style, their effortless groove and Kylie Auldist’s incredible voice.  

Soul, Funk and Jazz music of all shades and flavours has always been an inspiration to the band’s founder / guitarist / producer Lance Ferguson, so it’s no surprise that the band continues to chart new musical pathways. “It’s 2023, so let’s not get caught up with things like musical convention, because everything is wide open now”, he affirms. “By definition nothing that we release can ever possibly be outside the sphere of “our sound” because that sphere is continually expanding, changing and redefining itself as we create the music”. 

The band are also announcing their new album, This Is How You Do It, released on November 3rd, following on from their 2021 album Hard Up which garnered the band their sixth ARIA Award nomination. That album was the best received of their career to date, with radio support across Europe and the UK as well as cracking the top 20 of the US Triple A radio charts. On top of that, songs taken from it were used in the feature film 80 For Brady, NBC TV show Kenan and an international ad campaign for Old El Paso. In late 2022 they also released Live At Hamer Hall, the live recording of their shows with the fifty piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performed during a break in lockdowns the previous year. 

This Is How You Do It contains a few more surprise turns from the band and features guest MCs from the US and New Zealand as well as Melbourne vocalist Reginald AK, who just happens to be the son of Kylie Auldist. No matter how anyone might end up trying to categorise it, “Ex-Files”, along with the forthcoming album, is ultimately the sound of The Bamboos sounding truly comfortable in their own skin and ready to keep exploring the possibilities of what their music can be. 

A European and UK tour has also been announced for November. It will be their first in over ten years, and will take in dates across Spain, France, Germany and finishes in London, which will see the band play to some of their most loyal fanbases. Earlier in 2023 they were invited to play Jam Cruise, the long running floating music festival on the Caribbean. They joined artists on the line-up such as George Porter Jr. (bass player for The Meters), Butcher Brown (the live band project of renowned Hip Hop producer DJ Harrison), Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio and the legendary UK ‘70s Funk act Cymande.

Upon forming in 2000 The Bamboos became a foundation of the now world famous “Melbourne Soul Scene”. The Deep Funk of their initial singles and albums caused ripples worldwide and they become the first Australian band with that sound to be signed to overseas labels and to tour internationally. Since then the band has not stopped moving forward, with multiple shifts in sound and style and an inventive approach to production that’s simultaneously adventurous yet familiar.

The winning combination of Lance Ferguson and Kylie Auldist topped charts worldwide in 2016 with the then 18 year old French producer Kungs’ remix of “This Girl” by Cookin’ On 3 Burners. That same chemistry is set to happen all over again with 15 year Scottish producer Jimmy Dogood recently officially releasing his remix of The Bamboos 2010 classic “Keep Me In Mind” with Positiva / EMI which has been causing a buzz at clubs since early 2023.