24 Sep 2019
A group of long-haired teenagers playing music is nothing new. But anyone who has seen Nana Klumpp knows there is something special about them.
The band recently won the National Finals of RockFest, a competition for high school students with a focus on contemporary music.
“I think what makes Nana Klumpp special is their humble approach to their craft,” said RockFest founder and organiser Luc Travers, “they write fantastic songs and perform them to a very high level.”
Travers said the boys played well beyond their young years against high quality competition.
“There has never been a more talented group of artists in the 10 years of the event,” Travers said of the competition standards.
“There were high quality acts,” said Nana Klumpp guitarist Aaron Cace-Gully.
The band was humbled to take out the win, which was accompanied by a Fender guitar and a PDP drum kit.
“We honestly did not think we would win at all,” said Ronan from Nanna Klumpp.
A familiar name at Camden Haven High School, Nana Klumpp is made up of Aaron Cace-Gully on guitar, Jesse Hinder on vocals and guitar, Robert Courtenay-Morris on bass guitar, and Ronan Bailey on drums.
The band describes their genre as “ever-changing” and “groovy”. The legacy and influence of rock & roll is undeniable for Nana Klumpp, and the rich history of the genre plays an important role in their sound. The boys are influenced by music greats like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix, saying the skill and creativity is on another level than pop music today.
Ronan said Nana Klumpp's sound is "blues-infused indie rock".
“It’s got a mainstream vibe to it,” said Aaron.
Escapades at the Bonny Hills headland that is the bands namesake inspired their debut single, Honeysuckle.
“We have hung out there since we were little kids” said Robert about Nana Klumpp Reserve.
Honeysuckle is the first single off their upcoming EP, Pretty Going Good. The song was recorded last November in Byron Bay, while the other five tracks were recorded in their makeshift studio earlier this year. It helps that two of the boys are neighbours so noise complaints aren’t an issue.
Jesse said the EP will be “cruisy and groovy” but they have evolved since the songs were written two years ago.
"All our new stuff is different to what's on the EP," said Robert, “we have definitely developed since the songs that are about to be released."
Fans can expect upbeat songs that evoke a youthful surf culture on Pretty Going Good, set to be released in the next two months on all digital music platforms.
“[Pretty Going Good] captures the coastal kid,” said Ronan.
The band currently has four new songs in the works, saying they prefer music to come naturally.
“We’re always writing,” said Robert.
“If we discipline ourselves then the song is forced,” said Ronan.
The boys said their music has become more melody-based and has more variety across genres as they develop individually and collectively.
“It’s more complex… there’s more layers and the parts are a lot more thought out,” said Aaron.
“There’s different feels to each song,” said Jesse.
"At the same time they are all familiar,” said Aaron.
The young musicians said the support from their families has been important, particularly Ronan’s dad Brent Bailey.
“He’s all of our dad,” said Ronan, “he drives all the gear to our gigs, watches us, then drives it all home.”
“The band would not exist without him,” said Jesse.
Mr Bailey, or “Brentos” as the band affectionately name him, helped Nana Klumpp secure a spot on the sought-after lineup at the Festival of the Sun, keeping it a surprise until they were in Melbourne for RockFest last year.
“That was the best ever [gig] for me,” said Ronan.
“It gave us some insight into the music business,” said Jesse.
Nana Klumpp said they would love to play at the Festival of the Sun every year.
“Every gig gets better,” said Jesse, “we would love to play more festivals.”
The band aims to travel more and branch out from the local area, something they say has been the bands biggest challenge.
“The exposure in Port Macquarie is very minimal,” said Robert.
Despite the small-town restrictions and school commitments, Nana Klumpp have been featured on Triple J and played venues along the East coast.
“Our first radio play was pretty sick,” said Robert.
The day after they uploaded Honeysuckle to Triple J Unearthed, they heard their own song on the radio for the first time.
“I was on the phone and [Honeysuckle] came on and I just dropped the phone,” said Aaron.
Nana Klumpp will continue their local success while Aaron finishes Year 12 next year. They have plans to move in together and advance their careers in Newcastle or Woolongong.
“We would like to get an individualised sound,” said Ronan.
The boys said close friendship is important when forming a band, something they clearly have.
“Do it for fun more than anything,” said Robert.
“It’s important not to have an ego,” said Jesse.
Nana Klumpp recently played at the school live music night, Music in the Valley, and have upcoming shows at Old Bar Beach Festival and Old Bar Tavern.
