Musician Budjerah, a proud Coodjinburra man, is best known for winning two ARIA awards. Here, the 24-year-old talks about the important women in his life, including the influence Aretha Franklin had on his career, and how he and his wife, Julie, met and fell in love.

For a long time, my family lived in a little shack in the backyard of my paternal grandmother, Julie, in Fingal Head, a coastal village in northern NSW. My grandparents had two TVs and they would let me watch Thomas the Tank Engine. I’d have it on in two rooms and go between each to make sure it was on.

My mother’s parents lived next door. I would visit them and my grandmother, Liz, would make me ice-cream for breakfast.

I’m part of the Coodjinburra clan from the Bundjalung nation and I learnt from both my grandmothers’ Aboriginal cultures – Liz is from Brewarrina and Julie was born in Newcastle. From them I learnt patience and endurance. They stuck through stages of their lives that weren’t pleasant, which was positive for me to see as a kid.

Neither of my parents, Joel and Mary, completed high school. Instead, they studied theology – Dad became a pastor and Mum taught Sunday school. Mum is a beautiful singer and she and her three sisters sang gospel music in church.

Mum had me young; I have her curly hair and we are both incredibly stubborn. When I got signed to Warner Music Australia, the label wanted a family member with me because I was only 17. Mum travels with me as it keeps me connected to my community, and I’m blessed every day to have her support me when I’m touring. She’s also an amazing baker and I love her mud cake.

I have two younger sisters, Namaala and Jalaan, who is like my little bestie. She is a professional surfer and surfboard shaper and when she comes to my concerts, she’s always the one who cries. She’ll tell me if I did a good job and is incredibly supportive.

I was really shy in primary school but when I was a teen, I tried to come out of my shell. It was when I started performing and training my voice. I sang non-stop and I still sing every day. I must have been quite annoying to some people.

My celebrity crush was Destiny’s Child. They had a big influence on me, as they were the image of perfection. They were also very beautiful.

I was 16 when I met my wife, Sophie, at Kingscliff High School. I don’t think I even said hello, I just told her that she was pretty. Her face went red and her friends were making fun of her. We became close as both of our families live in the same area. When COVID hit, we were in the same bubble, so we could hang out. She’s now studying hair and make-up,

We got married in June in a beautiful little chapel at Tweed Heads. Family is a big thing, so it was special to see everyone come from far and wide.

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I performed I Still Call Australia Home with Kylie Minogue in 2023. She wore tall heels – she was a lot shorter than I thought – and was incredibly nice. In rehearsals, she was really open to trying different things to make the performance better. She’s got such a beautiful voice – I don’t think she gets enough credit for how well she can sing.

Aretha Franklin is one of the most incredible singers in history. As a little kid, her version of Young, Gifted and Black sounded so powerful, as it had such a big impact on the civil rights movement. Being the kid of a preacher, I related to that upbringing in church and listening to gospel music. I had similar experiences as we travelled a lot, going to different communities and singing at little conventions in tents.

I only sing what I feel so my new album, Gentleman, has songs about love. I wanted up-tempo and happy songs so people think of times they went on a date and that feeling of being swept off your feet. I think everyone has had positive experiences of being in love.

Budjerah’s debut album, Gentleman, is out now.