Midnight Oil Announce “Gadigal Land”—their First New Song in 17 Years

Midnight Oil have announced the imminent release of “Gadigal Land”, the band’s first new song in 17 years for release this week. The single, which is slotted for release this Friday, is the first track to make its debut from the group’s forthcoming mini-album The Makarrata Project which was recorded in collaboration with “our First Nations friends.”

See the full announcement via The Oils bulletin board below:

“This Friday we’ll be releasing our first piece of new music in nearly 20 years with ‘Gadigal Land’ – the first single from our forthcoming mini-album ‘The Makarrata Project’ (out late October). It features special contributions by vocalists Kaleena Briggs, Bunna Lawrie, Dan Sultan plus a lyrical section written and delivered by Gadigal poet, Joel Davison.

 The following night, a special studio video of the song will premiere during the National Indigenous Music Awards (www.nima.musicnt.com.au) telecast on NITV from 7pm AEST and simulcast on National Indigenous Television (NITV), Doubl​e J, National Indigenous Radio Service, TEABBA, Facebook, Youtube and ​Twitter.

 We’ve always been happy to lend our voice to those who call for racial justice, but it really feels like we’ve reached a tipping point. We urge the federal government to heed the messages in the Uluru Statement From The Heart and act accordingly. Hopefully this song and ‘The Makarrata Project’ mini-album we’ve created alongside our First Nations friends can help shine a bit more light on the urgent need for genuine reconciliation in this country and in many other places too.

 After centuries of struggle for recognition and justice, 2017’s Uluru Statement called for the establishment of a ‘First Nations Voice’ enshrined in the Australian Constitution and the establishment of a ‘Makarrata Commission’ to supervise agreement-making and truth-telling between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We will donate our share of any proceeds received from this release to organisations which seek to elevate The Uluru Statement From The Heart in particular and Indigenous reconciliation more broadly (www.fromtheheart.com.au). Sony Music Entertainment Australia will match any artist contribution.”

Back, When the new material was announced in February, The Makarrata Project was initially reported as having eight songs, and was to be the first of two new albums out this year. The plan was to issue The Makarrata Project in the summer and “a proper Oils studio album” to be released “toward the end of the year.”

The band’s announcement this past Sunday makes understandably omits any mention touring in promotion of the mini-album, or even any word on the status of the second album at all.

Despite this, Midnight Oil has promised that profits from The Makarrata Project will go to charities “which elevate The Uluru Statement From the Heart.”

Midnight Oil initially reunited three years ago for a world tour, marking the Australian Rock band’s first live performances since several benefit gigs in 2009.

Last summer, The Oils unveiled a new song called “Tarkine” while performing at several gigs before their entry into the studio to work on the forthcoming material. “Gadigal Land” will be the band’s first official track release since the 2003 benefit single “No Man’s Land,” and The Oils’ last album, Capricornia, which came out nearly two decades ago back in 2002.