Built from a yearning for Country, electronic artist and music producer Rona Glynn-McDonald, RONA., is set to release her debut EP Closure.
The three-track EP weaves a soundscape of the central desert, blending nature sounds, with traditional language and contemporary electronic beats.
The daughter of esteemed filmmaker Warwick Thornton, the Kaytetye woman comes from a long line of storytellers.
Already a writer and artist, RONA. has taken the next step into music.
"Music was the first form of cultural exchange and expression in our communities. Since time immemorial it's been a foundation for connecting and creating space for us to share knowledge," she said.
"Songs just haven't been something nice for us to listen to, Songlines are part of how we keep our knowledge strong and keep connections between knowledge groups."
Kaytetye producer RONA to debut first EP. Source: Supplied
Soundscapes of Country
A project close to RONA.'s heart, Closure was created from a yearning for Country.
"Shaping music like this is such a personal thing, particularly this EP. I wrote it in 2019, and they represent a time in my life when I was realising how connected I wanted to be to my community and I was feeling distant from that," she told NITV News.
Whilst a personal project, Closure was made to expand to reflect and resonate with the lives of others.
“The challenge for me was always figuring out what are those key storylines and expressing things in a musical sense that is connected to who I am and where I come from. It’s not an easy feat,” she said.
“I think for Blackfullas, whoever we are and whatever we’re doing, there’s always that extra level of consideration and intentionality that we have to bring to our work, whether it’s as musicians, or advocates or storytellers.
“It’s not just about us, you can’t just create something.”
Releasing the first single and title track in early March, RONA. has already received a lot of love.
"During the floods on Bundjalung Country, I received messages from young ones saying community had come back after the floods and played Closure in that space together," she said.
"That felt incredibly special and so humbling. If these songs can be a vehicle for healing for mob and them feeling connected to something, then that is a dream."
Breaking the music mould
Coming to electronic music through the clubs of Naarm, RONA. slowed down to find her own style and sound.
"When I first moved to Naarm I started buying synths and going to clubs - that space was really turbo and exciting but I decided to slow down," she said.
"It's amazing what you can do with modern technology and synthesizers. But when you really think about sounds, the energy of the place - that energy is really founded in the sounds of the space you're in - whether it's the rustle of the leaves or the way the birds are chirping.
"Creating those soundscapes enables people to connect to that Country, connect to the Storylines, without necessarily being grounded in that place."
As more and more up-and-coming Blak artists break into new genres, RONA. hopes she can help build space in electronic music.
“Blak artists, right now, are continuing to shape music that is so closely connected to our stories and perspectives.
“We’ve moved beyond genres that have been centred in community for so long, and I think electronic music is a new space with a really different audience.”
With her debut yet to drop, RONA. is already turning heads. She's been booked to perform at Byron Bay’s iconic Falls Festival and is already working on the next release - which includes a song for her grandmother.
“I wrote these in 2019 which was a while ago, and now it's 2022. So much has shifted in the world,” she said.
“I’m so excited about what is coming next.”
