Tash Sultana

Known for their intense vocal style and mastery of numerous instruments plus looping technology, the Australian indie artist Tash Sultana moves fluidly between genres. Live footage of their solo performances in 2016 first drew widespread notice, showcasing intricate multi-layered pieces rooted in classic hard rock and alternative rock traditions. That online breakthrough sparked global attention and prompted the 2018 arrival of the debut album Flow State, which incorporated pronounced R&B elements into the songwriting. The follow-up Terra Firma topped the charts in 2021 and conveyed a more reflective, seasoned perspective through its subdued atmosphere and soulful tone, a direction that took on a nostalgic soft-rock tint with the 2023 single “James Dean.”

Sultana received a guitar during preschool years and subsequently studied brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments, driven by a constant urge to expand their skills. Street performances in Melbourne began during their mid-teens. At that stage, Sultana spoke candidly about struggles with addiction and experienced drug-induced psychosis at age 17. Recovery supported by professional treatment led the musician to launch a Bandcamp page and start filming performances for social-media upload.

Spring 2016 brought sudden visibility when Sultana, then 20, posted a live version of the original track “Jungle,” which surpassed a million streams within days. The six-song Notion EP followed in December and featured the reggae-inflected guitar piece. Festival bookings arrived concurrently, and early 2017 brought a deal with New York’s Mom + Pop Music, enabling wider distribution of the debut EP. Extensive touring filled the rest of the year across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the United States, and Canada. Four ARIA Award nominations, including Breakthrough Artist and Best Blues and Roots Album, closed out 2017.

September 2018 saw the full-length Flow State reach number two on the Australian album chart. Early the next year the single “Can’t Buy Happiness” emerged after a rapid turnaround. Additional international tours preceded a return home for rest, family reconnection, surfing, and gardening. Renewed and centered, Sultana crafted the second album; Terra Firma, released in 2021, embodied greater maturity and stability through its relaxed mood and naturalistic recording approach. The public embraced the evolution, sending Terra Firma to the summit of the ARIA albums chart. An MTV Unplugged set recorded in Melbourne during May 2021 appeared in June 2022. Early 2023 featured guitar work on the Pierce Brothers single “High & Unsteady,” followed in March by the solo release “James Dean.”