with over thirty-six years experience working with many of the great indigenous and non-indigenous acts from around the world as a guitarist, musical director and vocalist. He was the front man for the Koori Youth Band and has worked with Hard Time Band, Altogether Band, Bart Willoughby and Mixed Relation Band. In 1990 he was the key guitarist and vocalist with Archie Roach and has toured with Archie, both nationally and internationally, performing his own song ‘So Young’ on Archie’s second album Jamu Dreaming and, in 2014, at the ‘AFL Dreaming at the G’ in front of a crowd of 70,000 people. Amongst others he has also worked with Tiddas, the late Ruby Hunter and in 2013 he co-wrote ‘Freedom Called’ with Paul Kelly. In 2006 he was founding member and Musical Director for the Black Arm Band which premiered at the Melbourne International Festival. His first solo release ‘Kookatha/Gunditjmara Clan’ was released in 2007, followed by ‘Close My Eyes’ in 2016 and most recently ‘Red Desert Man’ in 2020.

It’s about family, community, culture, custom, lingo and tribal life that is still alive and misunderstood in this country – David Arden