ARIA-winning Warnindhilyagwa singer-songwriter Emily Wurramara will bring her NARA Encore Tour to Wollongong audiences this Friday, March 21, at The Music Lounge as part of Great Southern Nights.
Known for her authenticity, storytelling and powerful connection to her roots, Emily is excited to perform on Dharawal Country.
“Wollongong is a beautiful, lovely spot – and a really special vibe and special audience. I can’t wait to come back and do this show, I’m very excited,” Emily says.
Emily is a multi-award-winning artist, author, producer and activist from Groote Eylandt. She made history in December 2024 as the first Indigenous woman to win Best Adult Contemporary Album at the ARIA Awards for her acclaimed second album, NARA. The album debuted at no.17 on the ARIA Australian Artist Albums Chart and was nominated for Best Independent Release alongside its historic win.
“It’s a journey, and being able to bring my family and my community along for the ride – it couldn’t be better than that,” Emily says.
Her album NARA, meaning “nothing” in Anindilyakwa language, was written and recorded over five years – a period marked by profound loss and renewal.
“A few years ago, I had a house fire where everything of mine burned,” Emily says.
“During the aftermath of that, I visited my mum who had gotten a tattoo gun. She loves tattooing herself. I said, ‘Mum, tattoo something on me!’ She asked what I wanted tattooed, and I said, ‘Oh, nothing – put NARA on there.’ At first, it was just a joke – like we’ve got nothing. But I came out of nothing and gave everything.”
This idea underpins NARA, an album Emily describes as timeless and empowering. “When you have nothing, you have everything at the same time,” she says.
The NARA tour last year had sold-out shows across Australia. Emily says that she aimed to “hone in on her expansive music dictionary”, blending genres like indie rock, R&B, folk and electronic music while staying true to her storytelling roots.
“Music is like fast fashion; everything moves so fast. My aim was to create something timeless – something that will still resonate 40 or even 100 years from now,” Emily says.
“The power and vulnerability of this album was something that I wanted to transcend out of those boxes and own the space and take power, or take back the power and stand in that power and provide empowerment to others.”
The album’s single Lordy Lordy, featuring Tasman Keith, earned triple j’s J Award for Music Video of the Year. Emily credits the people in her life and the music around her as inspiration for NARA.
“I love music from all around the world. This whole experience felt rebellious – stepping out of boxes can feel a bit scary because people expect you to sound a certain way or song about certain things,” she says.
Beyond music, Emily is committed to advocacy work in areas such as youth mental health and environmental preservation. She collaborates with Elders in programs addressing youth suicide and aims to build safer spaces for future generations.
“I’m passionate about putting our youth at the forefront of what we do,” she says.
“With all my different advocacies – mental health, environmental work, being a mum – it’s an experience I get to share with this amazing community of people who are doing the work in real time at the front of those communities.”
Emily shares some of her self-care habits for touring and advocacy work.
“I try to do as much as I can in these spaces and with the capacity that I can. We’re all at this stage of being human and we can only take on so much,” she says.
“You need to rest and rejuvenate in order to continue going back and giving back.
“I like to go to the beach, put rituals in place. On tour, I take my own candles, my own incense, sometimes I’ll take my own bedsheet that smells like home. I really like to look after the senses, and I like a bit of magic, so I’ve got my own little potions and things that I take to protect me too.”
As she prepares for her Wollongong performance, Emily is looking forward to connecting with fans of her music.
“I’m very excited to get out there and play to everyone and meet my fans and people who have connected with the new music. It's going to be really lovely, I’m very, very excited to meet everyone.”
Tickets for Emily Wurramara’s NARA Encore Tour are available Merrigong's website.
Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start on Friday.