Birdz and Fred Leone share new single ‘Brother’ – Spotlight Report

Returning with their first new music since their hit single ‘Bagi-La-m Bargan’, Birdz and Fred Leone have joined forces once again on their new single ‘Brother’. Today’s release also celebrates their signing to Hau Latukefu’s label Forever Ever, a joint venture in collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment Australia.

A perfect pairing of Birdz‘s sharp, poetic lyrics fused with Aboriginal Creole and Fred‘s soaring vocals in both Butchulla and English, ‘Brother’ highlights the special nature of Birdz and Fred’s collaboration, not only cousins by family but also brothers in music. As the first taste of their forthcoming project, GIRA (fire in Butchulla language), ‘Brother’ pays homage to their traditional language, roots and identity with Fred singing in Butchalla and Birdz’ rhymes about his experience of Australia’s past and present as a First Nations man

Birdz explains, “’Brother’ for me is really about Blak control over Blak affairs. There has been a long history of non-Indigenous people in governments always trying to speak for us and thinking they know whats best for us and our communities, but we’ve been shouting it at the top of our lungs since the day we were born and the elders before us have been doing that too. They passed the torch to us and I think that’s what ‘Brother’ is truly about and keeping that legacy alive.”

Fred adds: “It’s all in the hook: ‘Brother lift up your brother, sisters, children and all. If they tell you to sit down, hold your head up and stand tall’. In Butchulla lingo what I’m singing is, ‘Brother, walk with your brother. Go walk and walk out on the red dirt. Walk out onto the red dirt under the stars and when you talk, sit down on the red dirt and look up. And when you speak, don’t speak in English, speak in your grandmother’s tongue’”.

On the signing, Hau Latukefu says, “There are too many reasons why this collaboration had to happen. Not only am I a fan of both Birdz and Fred’s music, but our personal relationships go way back, and these relationships have been built on mutual respect and the love for hip hop and community. What these two has created is something special and I’m honoured to be a part of the journey.”

Birdz and Fred Leone hail from Ngulungbura Clan of the Butchulla nation with Fred Leone being one of the three Butchulla songmen. Their single ‘Bagi-La-m Bargan’ stormed the triple j Hottest 100 in 2020, coming in at #30 and to date has over 2.7 million streams. As both cousins and musical brothers, they are a formidable live double act, having performed at Brisbane Festival, Garma Festival, the NIMAs and a headline show at Big Sound in 2024 alone.

Raised in the Northern Territory, the Naarm-based Nathan ‘Birdz’ Bird first EP Birdz Eye View (2013) announced him as a powerful new voice in Australian hip-hop, a reputation he cemented with his debut album Train of Thought (2017), which won the AIR award for Best Independent Hip Hop Album. Birdz’ long-awaited second album, LEGACY (2021), proved the rapper was one of the most uncompromising and musically gifted artists in local hip-hop. A poignant reckoning with stolen generations, the record was nominated for a National Indigenous Music Award and featured collaborations with Missy Higgins, Ngaiire & Thom Crawford.

An artist, hip-hop musician and Butchulla songman with Aboriginal, Tongan and South-Sea Islander heritage, Fred Leone’s primary instrument is his voice, yet he uses Didgeridoo (Kuluru in Garrwa language), boomerangs (Bargan in Butchulla language), Emu egg (Ngurunj in Butchulla language), tree branches, sand and other objects from K’gari to form his traditional sound pallet. He has been a touring artist for over a decade, throwing rhymes and traveling with Public Enemy, Dead Prez and People Under The Stairs as well as receiving invites to collaborate and play with contemporary artists such as John Butler, Xavier Rudd, Amanda Palmer, best-selling author, Neil Gaiman and many, many more.

With more to come from their debut project, GIRA, tune into the magic that is Birdz and Fred Leone on ‘Brother’ today.