BONJAH HIGHLIGHTS
SUPPORTED
The Who,
Ziggy Marley,
Eddy Grant,
Counting Crows,
Arrested Development,
The Black Seeds,
Paul Kelly
FESTIVALS PLAYED
Raggamuffin Australian Tour 2009,
West Coast Blues ‘n Roots Fest 2009,
Pyramid Rock Festival 2008,
Woodford Planting Festival 2009,
The Blueprint Festival 2009,
Apollo Bay Music Festival 2008,
Moomba Fest 2009,
Espy Deep Roots Fest 2008
RADIO PLAY/ TV
Triple J,
Nova,
Triple M,
Kiwi FM (NZ) – Top 10,
Live performance/ interview Triple J Roots n’ All,
Live performance/ interview Fox FM,
Sunrise Ch 3 New Zealand – Live performance/ Interview,
RAGE - ‘Fly’ film clip aired,
Video Hits – Live performance & ‘Fly’ clip aired
RELEASES
‘Until Dawn’ 2009 Debut Album,
MGM Distribution AUS/ NZ,
Charted at No. 6 on the Aus Independent Album Charts,
Featured singles: ‘Bring Back the Fire’ & ‘Fly’
‘Fire Sessions’ 2009 B-Side Release,
‘Looking for life’ 2008 Live Recording,
‘Lemon Tree Bay’ 2007 EP
It began with a transglobal ocean journey from South Africa all the way to New Zealand nearly 20 years ago. In search of a better life, Glenn Mossop's parents bundled themselves and their two sons into a small home made yacht and sailed the world's oceans. For two years they travelled, eventually deciding on the New Zealand town of Tauranga as home. It was there Glenn met locals Regan Lethbridge and David Morgan and BONJAH was born.
For the next 10 years the trio refined their chops at the Mossop household and beautiful Lemon Tree Bay, before making the move to Melbourne. But not before they recruited Dan Chisholm, a rookie corporate lawyer staring down the barrel of a life-long commitment to limited liability and hostile take-overs.
The four band mates arrived in Melbourne with not a penny to their name. As luck would have it, they managed to snag the last ever legal busking license for a full-piece band and took to the streets.
Three years later BONJAH have sold over 17,000 self produced CD's, played over 600 shows, including 9 national tours, and have built a legion of fans nation wide.
In 2008, BONJAH added full-time percussionist James Majernik to their line-up - a welcome addition.
On top of their own extensive tours of both coasts of Australia, BONJAH shared the stage with some of the greats of roots and reggae on the all-star international Raggamuffin tour. In between sets at Raggamuffin, they played a host of often sold-out sideshows.
One of the great highlights of this tour was the opportunity to hang with John Butler, who accepted BONJAH’s invitation to join them as their personal guest on the Perth leg of Raggamuffin. They soon discovered that they had plenty in common as BONJAH shared their experiences of cutting their teeth on Melbourne’s busking scene, just as John had done many years earlier on the wharves of Fremantle.
BONJAH played the biggest show of their career to date in Perth when they were lucky enough to receive a last minute call-up to provide pre-match entertainment before a crowd of 20,000+ at Members Equity stadium.
More recently, BONJAH have embarked on a whirlwind tour of their homeland, the highlight of which was appearing on Sunrise New Zealand to play their latest single ‘Fly’ before a national TV audience of 200,000 people.
Meanwhile, BONJAH's list of all-star support slots continues to grow. March saw them open for legendary Kiwi crew The Black Seeds at a sold-out show at the Prince of Wales in Melbourne. In April they experienced another career highlight when they were given the opportunity to warm a stadium-sized crowd for rock legends The Who and The Counting Crows on the Perth leg of their national tour.
Those with their ears to airwaves this summer would have heard plenty of the first two singles taken from 'Until Dawn' - ‘Bring Back The Fire’ and 'Fly'. Both tracks have received extensive national airplay on Nova, Triple J and independent stations throughout Australia.
A genuinely unique track, ‘Fly’ flows from a funky, driving verse with plenty of attitude, through to an uplifting chorus interlaced with the distinctive country-esque timbre of the dobro guitar. Sporadic percussive breaks on the timbale keep the energy levels high and a ripping rock n’ roll break into the final chorus completes the picture.
Produced by Tom Spender (Offcutts, Custom Kings), engineered by Robin Mai (John Butler, Augie March, Black Sorrows) and mixed by Chris Thompson (Triple J, Augie March), ‘Fly’ is an inescapably energising song with universal appeal. It beautifully encapsulates BONJAH’s thoughtful song writing and first-rate musicianship. This one is destined for high rotation in 2009.
"This band has great material and is a superb working and recording band... I can't wait to see them break worldwide!"
John 'Rabbit' Bundrick (The Who, Bob Marley)
“BONJAH’s show brought some new meaning to the word ‘funk’. As if a soul-shaking sonic funk boom had touched down to the point of no return, My Own Way converted beer guzzlers into rump shakers, then jettisoned onwards to groove-a-licious Colours and My Patience. BONJAH left the stage worthy of the next seat on the Mothership.”
Beat Magazine
“BONJAH deliver a seamless folk pop dreamer, sparkling and soaring through a sweet-hearted verse and sing-along chorus… its got a big, meaty soul.”
Beat Magazine
“BONJAH present their smooth, sandy sounds like a feather feeling its way down a spine”
Inpress Magazine
“Soulful pacific sounds that will melt any folk lover”
The Herald Sun
“A definitive vocal style that launches a funk styled guitar with a driving back beat to explore every crack in the road of our patience”
Triple J Unearthed
“Music that will feed your soul.”
The Dwarf.com
“The hardest working band going around”
Tsunami Mag QLD
“Big-time success is clearly in the post for New Zealand band BONJAH”
MX Newspaper
“Hypnotic acoustic guitar melodies create the unique atmospheric element to their sound”
The Music Network Magazine
“The soulful vocal hooks of Mossop makes up the final layer of the BONJAH cake, which is glazed with the fluid lead licks of Lethbridge”
The Music Network Magazine
“BONJAH have big things on the road ahead of them and have outstanding potential to become one of Australia’s most beloved acts”
The Music Network Magazine
“The perfect blend of folk, funk and roots”
Drum Media
“The story of BONJAH has the makings of a true musical fairytale”
Forte Magazine
“Glenn Mossop’s rich vocals bring to mind Jeff Buckley’s sad timbre, giving the music an edginess some of BONJAH’s contemporaries lack.”
Rolling Stone
“BONJAH have become something of a sensation on the streets of their adopted home... Their debut is a hot blend of the organic, spontaneous spirit of their live shows and the songwriting chops that elevate them above many jam bands”
Rolling Stone
“BONJAH make it seem effortless, and never sacrifice song-craft in an effort to be clever.”
Rolling Stone
"Sometimes you just know when a band feels it"
Herald Sun
"The band has captured the essence of its thoroughly entertaining live vibe with these 13 tunes"
Herald Sun
“Brilliant” “Beautiful” “Soulful” “BONJAH at their greatest”
Beat Magazine
“Until Dawn will make you want to dance or even provoke a dreaming, thoughtful state. It is music for the soul. A brilliant debut, from a band who truly has worked hard for the recognition they deserve”
Beat Magazine
"BONJAH demonstrate why they are so popular, with soulful grooves so laid-back they make Jack Johnson look like Marilyn Manson... The tracks on this album are infectious!"
Madison Magazine
“Resounding drum and percussion beats that reverberate at the frequency that cause’s psychical effects on your adrenaline along with irresistible vocals.”
The Dwarf.com
“You can not help but be transported to the mystical world of soul drenching music”
The Dwarf.com
Online Now!
