Hailing from the inner Brisbane suburb of West End, Kurilpa Reach have forged their own path in Australia’s music scene.
Blending the writing sensibilities of indie rock and neo-soul with the groove of roots, rock, and reggae, they’ve carved out a reputation as a versatile powerhouse with an undeniable ability to move any crowd they step in front of.
Consisting of singer/saxophonist Luke Miskimmin, guitarists Loughlin Craig and Will Murphy, along with brothers Pablo Burdell on bass and Vicente Burdell as singer/drummer, Kurilpa Reach evolved from a shared love of classic reggae, blues and indie rock. Additions of Curtis Scibilia on trumpet and Joel Aspinall on keys and saxophone have filled out this 7 piece to create the huge sound that KR puts out in its exciting live shows.
Though all five original members went to high school together in 4101, it wasn’t until a year after graduating that they started connecting over music. Coming across Vicente at a West End house party, Will showed him a voice memo of ‘Under the Bridge’ he had recorded with Luke on sax that afternoon. With that initial voice memo and some drunken enthusiasm, a drummer was secured. Vicente’s brother Pablo was up next, agreeing to teach himself the bass in order to join the jams happening next to his room. Will invited the elusive Loughie they’d all been hearing about over for a jam and finally Kurilpa Reach was born. 2021 saw the permanent addition of Curtis Scibilia and Joel Aspinall to the band.
Since forming in 2017, the band have released 10 singles, two EPs, and an album that showcase their wide-ranging sound—from rootsy reggae and punchy love songs to emotional ballads and experimental, groove-driven tracks.
But it’s on stage where Kurilpa Reach truly comes alive. They’ve toured the country on multiple headline runs, lit up festivals such as Woodford Folk Festival, Sound Splash (NZ), and Caloundra Music Festival, and shared the stage with the likes of The Cat Empire, South Summit, Caravãna Sun, Tijuana Cartel, Peach Fur, Shag Rock, Muroki, Masaya, and Strangely Arousing.
Connections to Kurilpa
Traditional home of Jagera/Yuggera owners, West End has become known as a melting pot of ethnic communities and artists, carving out a distinct identity and attitude that sets it apart from surrounding areas. Kurilpa Reach can be seen as a reflection of this identity, with members from Aboriginal and migrant backgrounds. ‘Kurilpa’ is the traditional name for the South Brisbane/West End peninsula, meaning ‘place of the water rat’, while ‘Reach’ refers to the Brisbane River that surrounds the area on three sides. When approaching music, Kurilpa Reach have utilised their own interpretation of West End’s melting pot attitude, following in the footsteps of other genre-blending Westenders such as KOOII, Kingfisha and Laneous.