Winston Surfshirt

Formed in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, Winston Surfshirt took shape in 2015 around Winston, initially as a solo project before becoming a six-piece group bringing together Bustlip, The Bone, Bik Julio, Dool and Mi-K. Their music crosses funk, hip-hop, soul and pop in a flexible writing style, often tinged with surf rock and light jazz, with laid-back grooves, discreet brass and a melodically outlined rap vocal. Winston Surfshirt made a name for itself on the Australian scene in the mid-2010s, between festival appearances such as Falls Festival and Splendour in the Grass and early collaborations in the local pop and hip-hop milieu. The first album, Sponge Cake, appeared in 2017, followed by Sponge Cake Rebaked in 2018, then Apple Crumble in 2019, which extended this smoother and more melodic approach. In 2021, the band released the EP Cover Your Mouth (Live from Lockdown), before Panna Cotta in 2022, an album featuring multiple guests including Genesis Owusu, Talib Kweli, Kimbra, Devin the Dude, Young Franco and Dope Lemon. Over time, Winston Surfshirt refined a relaxed and warm sound, at the crossroads of Australian hip-hop, rhythm and blues and a psychedelic-pop with seaside accents.