New wave of Australian music comes to Aspen

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Nana Klumpp practices in their warehouse.

Robert Courtenay- Morris is an Aspen High student, and Bass player for Nana Klumpp, an Australian indie band, filled with four musically gifted high schoolers from Port Macquarie, Australia. They are receiving serious recognition, and have big aspirations for the future.

At AHS, and most high schools in the country, being in a band, or even playing an instrument, has become increasingly more rare. AHS student, and bass player for Nana Klumpp, Robert Courtenay-Morris moves back and forth from Port Macquarie and Aspen.

“The band culture in Australia is very different. Music is a very common hobby in Australia and it is implemented in school a lot more than In the U.S.A. Lots of kids listen to bands from around their local area and want to form groups of their own. In the US, most kids listen to rap/hip-hop and less alternative music. They also might not have the urge to learn an instrument or dont have anyone to jam with,” Courtenay-Morris said.

The name Nana Klumpp comes from a shrine on top of a hill that overlooks the band’s favorite surf spot. All four members, Ronan, Jesse, Bill, and Robert, are all die- hard surfers. Surfing and their music go hand and hand. Culturally in the U.S.A. the modern-day rock stars, are rappers such as Kendrick Lamar, or A$ap Rocky, which can derail the average kid’s motivation to pick up the guitar, or bass.

AHS student, Ozzy Benson took a trip to Australia with Courtenay-Morris,  Benson was highly involved with Nana Klumpp for two months.

“Personally I thought listening to all the kids hail Nana Klumpp as their idols really inspired me to learn some sort of music, so I learned guitar and piano. They really changed my outlook on music and what I could do as a teen,” Benson said.

Lead, guitarist and vocalist of Nana Klumpp, Jesse Hinder, strongly believes that the band has very high potential, and is destined for success.

‘’Our aspirations for our music are kind of made up as we go along with it. Hopefully, we begin to get some support behind us and make our way into some bigger gig opportunities and festivals we have enough money gathered from our previous gigs to record an EP, and we will hopefully get that done in the near future. Other than that we’re pretty much going with whatever happens,” Hinder said.

Nana Klumpp is aspiring to make it big. The talent level is there, and if they continue to work hard, they are destined for success. While playing sports is an option, it is not the only one. Playing instruments is another great alternative, to keeping yourself invested in something meaningful and productive.

“The music culture there was completely different from here because instead of the “cool kids” playing sports here everyone strived to be a musician,” Benson said.

Courtenay- Morris, plays the bass alongside his band mates