Proud First Nations artists, Nooky, Dallas Woods and Angus Field share their newest single as Blak collective 3%, named Coming Home. Available to stream now via 1788 Records/Virgin Music, the track lends a sample from Royal Telephone by Nowra man, Jimmy Little – the first song by an Indigenous artist to achieve mainstream success, including the #1 spot on the Sydney charts at its time of release in 1963.
Central themes within Coming Home are family, mental health and connection to country. The single’s artwork represents a painting by Nooky’s grandfather of their Nowra homestead surrounded by country. Today’s accompanying video shows Nooky, Woods and Field exploring the country and their emotional connections, while navigating the rewarding yet hard journey that a rich family life and the complexities of mental health bring.
A sliding guitar amid the melodic echoes of the original Royal Telephone become a poignant backdrop as Nooky, Woods and Field reveal their most vulnerable selves, including their inner family sanctum and mental health struggles. The impact of the track is monumental, provoking momentous emotion as it becomes a soul-bearing anthem strengthened by the accompanying visuals.
Angus Field says on Coming Home: “When writing this song I touched into a place in my soul that I’ve rarely been able to explore and talk about. This song is about mental health, missing your loved ones and wanting to get home. To me, the song is simple enough to let the message shine loudly through the soundscapes… hit you where it hurts and give you hope to rise up. If you’ve ever had a battle with mental health, this song is for you. TURN IT UP. ”
“As a kid, Nan would play Jimmy Little’s Royal Telephone religiously in her car and I always told myself that one day I’d do something with it… I used to spin out when Nan would say Jimmy Little was from Nowra.
I was thinking to myself, what if I did have a line to the big fulla upstairs? I’d be asking about family and if I could talk to my uncle who had recently passed away. I started to think about the phone being like a helpline for me to confess troubles I was having – again losing my uncle and feeling weird talking about it with my brothers, I wanted to acknowledge this because I haven’t ever heard it spoken about in a song, especially a blak man doing it. Around this time I was having real bad depression, anxiety and having a low sense of self-worth. I kinda found an old lifestyle I’d turned my back on creeping back into my thoughts. I’d be having flickering moments of wanting to self-sabotage all the good things I’ve got going on, mainly my family, which would make me feel even worse about myself… so I was having a lot of internal conflict because I’d go home and my family would love to see me and it’s all smiles as soon as I walk through the door. But in my head, half an hour ago, the darkness was calling me not to come home to them. It was a real moment of battle for me.
This song is very special to me as I feel like this was the first song where I began to show my vulnerable side… [and is] the first time I’ve mentioned my family on a song. While make it, I was walking around the house singing the original a lot – one day my daughters said we should make a Royal Telephone song. So I asked if they wanted to sing it for me, and Calula said she would… now she’s on the song which is something I’m super proud of and hold very dear to my chest.
It’s also the song that brought 3% together, Angus came down to Sydney to do his final vocals for this track while me and Dallas were working on the other songs. 3% was formed in that moment. I think someone did call back on that royal telephone and gave us the words and way forward we need, to not only show ourselves but the generations to come.”
– Nooky
After first stepping into the studio in 2022, the trio spurred by their mutual admiration of each other’s craft and united by their unique and extraordinary talents, have together honed a sound that represents connection in the face of different tribes and countries. Under a name that refers to their people, who make up just 3% of the Australian population, the First Nations collective have recently unleashed a taste of their music that journeys themes of closing the gap, reclaiming stolen land and Indigenous deaths in custody.
The trio have released previous singles, OUR PEOPLE featuring The Presets, Sleezy Steezy Cool featuring Tia Gostelow and most recently, LANDBACK. Combined, the songs have received praise from Music Feeds, The Music, Purple Sneakers, ACCLAIM, ABC, alongside radio support from triple J and CADA. Both single’s received incredibly powerful video treatments, and both named the week’s rage Feature Video upon release. Meanwhile, OUR PEOPLE directed by Nick Rae and Brayden Fun Films, was nominated for Best Video at triple j’s 2023 J Awards. Fans who’ve been paying attention, will have seen an unreleased taster from their future album featuring Jessica Mauboy, titled Won’t Stop become the V8 Supercars 2024 theme song.
Earlier this year, 3% performed at the 2024 return of Blak Powerhouse on January 26, for the evening program organised by We Are Warriors. This added to the group’s string of live appearances, including a performance at the Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks as part of a presentation led by Nooky’s We Are Warriors initiative, ‘Calling Country’. Late last year, Woods, Nooky and Field made their live debut at their SXSW Sydney showcase from The Lord Gladstone, which saw US-based global icon, Chance The Rapper make an impromptu appearance on stage to show his support for the trio. The group went on to embark on their first run of live shows, taking place inside a group of undisclosed Victorian Prisons, before closing out 2023 at ARIA’s Great Southern Nights initiative, with a free show from Parramatta’s Crown Hotel. In March, the trio performed at Treaty Day Out on Wadawurrung Country in Ballarat, held by the First Peoples’ Assembly in recognition of helping connect First Nations people and allies through live music and storytelling – and supported BARKAA on a sold out tour from Sydney’s The Lansdowne.
Up next, 3% will perform a free show at this year’s Vivid Sydney from Tumbalong Park on June 11 – performing their upcoming debut album in full, with special guest appearances from Jess Mauboy, Tia Gostelow, Marlon Motlop, Stay True God and Denni.
For now, take in the extremely special and raw vulnerability of Coming Home as 3% pay homage to those who paved the path for greatness, and acknowledge their own strengths and struggles to step towards the future.
With thanks to Thinking Loud
