Tour hype for Thundamentals on the rise

Ten years of music and friendship will be celebrated in Bunbury this month as the Thundamentals embark on an “emotional” anniversary tour.

The Decade of the Thundakat tour tops a stellar year for the hip-hop outfit, gracing the stages of Triple J’s One Night Stand, Groovin’ The Moo, Splendour In The Grass and Falls Festival, in addition to selling out their biggest ever headline tour.

Soaring to the highest of heights in their career, from collecting ARIA and J Award nominations for their fourth album Everyone We Know in 2017 to taking out the number eight spot in the Hottest 100 for “Sally”, the Thundamentals have hit their stride, in what MC Tuka describes as a “surreal” feeling.

“We never thought we would still be kicking around and let alone relevant enough to still be selling tickets to tours like this, so it is just crazy,” Tuka said.

“We didn’t really know what we were doing when we started at all – it all started with friendship.

“None of us are trained musicians, so it was the most naive kind of little organic thing that happened, and for us to still be here – and arguably bigger than ever – it’s a pinch yourself moment.”

For fans it is no surprise, with more shows added to keep up with the demand to see one of Australia’s best live acts.

“This tour just keeps on getting bigger you know – we announced a tour and then it sold out so we had to announce more shows – I never saw it coming,” he said.

“The regional tour is going to be really special for us because its ten years and the people who really know who we are and have been along on this journey are going to feel something about that.”

Despite being prolific writers and continuing their work in the studio, Tuka said the main focus was “nailing this tour”.

“I want to make every single person in that venue smile by the end of it and that is our intention,” he said.

The band sky-rocketed in fame after covering Matt Corby’s Brother in 2012, at a time when Tuka said the band was ready to be discovered.

“This is a weird thing to say, but we were all lucky enough to make all of our mistakes without anyone looking,” he said.

“We didn’t get popular until about three albums deep and by then we had figured out a thing or two by failing.

“You fail more than you win and you learn way more off the failings than you do the wins.

“So luckily we were ready by the time our third came and it went well and it is just crazy, but we will probably have a couple more in us.”

As for Sally, Tuka admits he knew it was something special, but never imagined the success it would garner.

“Sometimes there is this weird energy when you are writing it and it is all coming together that you know it’s going to land – I didn’t know it was going to score eight, but I knew people were going to like it,” he said.

“I love it because it’s about someone we know, it’s about a real person.

“It’s a really fun song as well but deep down that message is just be yourself and people are going to love you for it.

“For a song like that to get popular, that gives me faith in people, it’s awesome.”

The Thundamentals will play at the Prince of Wales on March 16.