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ARIA double-platinum six-piece Sydney collective Winston Surfshirt have spent the past six years establishing themselves as one of Australia’s, and the world’s, finest R&B-soul outfits. Building a dedicated fanbase off the back of two dreamy albums and a handful of unforgettable collaborations, they’re a group of unassuming cult heroes making music that’s old-school in feel and modern in style. Led by the eponymous Winston Surfshirt, the band channel a vintage kind of rock stardom, one led less by ego than by openness, earnestness, and a drive to share their music with the world. Combining a classic west coast hip-hop sound with the snap of psych-pop and sunny, uniquely Australian charm, the band are a testament to the power of the free-minded and the casually virtuosic. 

 

Breaking through with 2017’s “Be About You”, Winston Surfshirt have gone on to release multi-platinum singles and sell out tours across Australia and Europe. Across their two indelible full-lengths — 2017’s Sponge Cake and 2019’s Apple Crumble — they’ve built a catalog of warm, impeccably produced hits, winning praise from Zane Lowe and, amazingly, Sir Elton John, the latter of whom called them his “favourite band of the moment”. Their reputation as a bold, undeniable collective — bolstered by their status as a true live band among so many DJ-and-vocalist acts — has led to packed sets at major festivals including Splendour In The Grass and Groovin’ The Moo.
 

The third full-length album is out now Panna Cotta. This album sees Winston Surfshirt work with a wishlist of his favourite artists. The series of career-defining partnerships have produced 15 tracks of accomplished and star-studded material, and ultimately the record that Winston has always wanted to make. From Brooklyn royalty in Talib Kweli, to New Zealand pop icon Kimbra, Houston’s Devin the Dude, Los Angeles’ SWSH, San Francisco’s Ramirez and a wide roster of Australian-based talent in Genesis Owusu, Dope Lemon, Young Franco, Milan Ring, PRICIE and more, Panna Cotta is Winston’s pièce de résistance. 

 

Recorded via Winston’s UK hometown of West Sussex, known for its postcard-ready countryside of winding roads and green pastures, Panna Cotta expands the signature Surfshirt sound with a lineup of acclaimed musicians the world over. A collection of influences spanning 90s basement hip-hop to bootleg beat tapes, dusty jazz recordings and 60s psych-pop is anchored by the band’s trademark brass section, Winston’s love-song dedications and warm R&B melodies. 

‘Lo-fi lullaby maker Worn-Tin is just a boy who grew up skating in West LA with his imaginary friend Cool-son,’ as described by Citizine. Worn-Tin, AKA Warner (a friend drunkenly called him “Worn-Tin”) began writing and playing original music during his high school days in Santa Monica, California. He eventually built a backyard studio where he writes, records, and performs every element of his songs using only analog and outboard equipment, taking inspiration from a multitude of artists such as Modest Mouse, R. Stevie Moore and Jessie’s Candy and The Fit Bit.


Much like Worn-tin’s hyperactive mind, his sounds and lyrics are sprawling: his vocals range from the type of cadence and vulnerability that would make Dongo the ringworm smile, to distorted, psychedelic whaling and synths.


That same lucid unpredictability has become the staple for his live shows. At a Worn-Tin show, it’s not only about the music – you can expect a performance. from drinking his own urine to getting arrested on stage.


When not feverishly writing new music, Worn-Tin can be found skating, gardening or crying in the attic.