BONJAH
Take a stroll around Melbourne city and you may come across a bunch of fine musicians that go by the name of Bonjah. Keeping the passers-by company at the corner of Burke and Swanston St, the five-piece has literally been entertaining crowds for the past two years. It's a steady income for the Kiwi-expats, but merely one side to their façade.
By Nate Shea
While busking means the band can survive simply off their music through the sale of CDs and generous donations, the place Bonjah truly shines is on stage. Having played 380+ shows since arriving in Australia, they are one of the hardest working bands going around. And even though the guys are about to head into the studio to record their debut album, you'll still catch them busking in the Melbourne CBD.
"It's a steady income for us," explains singer/guitarist Glenn Mossop. "It's a decent spot; you get so many people walking by and seeing our name. But it's starting to get a bit silly. Once the album is out we will probably slow down on the busking - people seem to associate busking with homelessness and all that." In fact, the band has already cut back, now busking only once or twice a week instead of their almost daily commitments in the past.
It's been a learning curve for Bonjah, after moving across to Melbourne from New Zealand in May 2006, with Mossop admitting they were probably a little naive when they first made the trip across the Tasman. "We didn't get our first show for two months," he reveals, "and that's when we decided we had to make some money - so we started busking."
Instead of moving to Australia and walking into the run-of-the-mill bar job, the lads decided to support themselves by playing music. While at first this meant a tonne of busking, they have now worked themselves into a position where they have been able to afford some more comfort. "Up until probably six months ago it was pretty tough, but we're getting more shows now and selling more CDs, so we're doing all right," says Mossop.
Bonjah has amassed a collection of EPs, including the newly laid half-live/half-studio EP 'Looking For Life', but they are yet to make a CD they are 100% happy with. "We really haven't been satisfied with the rest of the recordings we've done, to the point where we want to put it to radio," explains Mossop. But the band is set to change all that when they enter the studio in June to record their debut album. The band has enlisted Robin Mai (John Butler Trio) to record their album at Woodstock Studios, with Tommy Spender from the Custom Kings set to produce the band's next single. It's an album that has been building for a while and it's a process they are ready to plunge straight into. "We've got probably the majority of the songs we want to put on the album," reveals Mossop. "Everything is pretty much leading up to the album at this stage."
May 9 & 15 at The Red Room, UQ, Brisbane, May 10 at The Solbar, Coolum, May 11 & 17 at the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay and May 16 at the Miami Tavern, Gold Coast .
'Looking for Life' EP available now digitally and from shows. |
