King Stingray

Most members of the band are from northeast Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia.^[1]

Several of the band's founding members have known one another since childhood, and have deep roots in east Arnhem Land music history. Former lead vocalist Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu is the nephew of Dr M. Yunupiŋu, and guitarist Roy Kellaway is the son of Stuart Kellaway, who were both founding members of Yothu Yindi.^[2] The pair grew up together on the same street in the community of Yirrkala – along with their neighbour and future bandmate Dimathaya Burarrwanga, the grandson of Warumpi Band frontman George Burarrwanga.^[3][4][5] Through speaking various dialects within their community, both Yunupiŋu and Burarrwaŋa each learned how to speak a total of 17 languages.^[6] The trio, joined by bassist Campbell Messer and drummer Lewis Stiles, ultimately formed King Stingray in 2020.^[7] They signed to The Chats' Bargain Bin Records that same year.^[7]

The band's debut single, "Hey Wanhaka", written by Yunupiŋu and Kellaway, was released in October 2020.^[2][7] In January 2021, King Stingray released "Get Me Out"; a song described by Double J as "a tribute to the importance of home".^[8] According to a press statement, the song was written following a family member of the band getting lost in Melbourne when they were on tour with Yothu Yindi. The band said: "She had no phone, [and] Yolŋu style, she navigated her way back to us miraculously and we now laugh about it."^[9] Dan Condon from Double J wrote at the time that the song was "as catchy as it is stirring, and will no doubt help this new band continue to win the hearts of a broad range of music lovers."^[8] A few months later, Lewis Stiles joined the group as their official drummer, cementing the band's best-known line-up.^[10]

In August 2021, the band signed with Cooking Vinyl Australia (a partner of Sony Music^[11]) and released "Milkumana", a song described by triple j as being "about the power of passing on knowledge". The music video was filmed in the band's hometown of Yirrkala, and features tribal elders Mangatjay and Malŋay Yunupiŋu.^[12][13] In January 2022, both "Milkumana" and "Get Me Out" charted in the triple j Hottest 100 at number 56 and 46, respectively.^[14]

In March 2022, King Stingray released "Camp Dog". The title refers to the dogs that wander the streets of Yirrkala.^[15] The following month, the band supported Midnight Oil at the latter's final headlining show in Sydney on their Resist tour.^[16] In May 2022, King Stingray released the single "Let's Go" and announced their debut self-titled album. The album was released on 5 August 2022.^[17] In July 2022, King Stingray were featured on the cover of NME Australia for an in-depth interview feature about their debut album, conducted by Torres Strait Islander journalist and former triple j newsreader Rhianna Patrick.^[6] In the same month, they did a Like a Version cover of Coldplay's "Yellow" using a combination of the original English lyrics as well as Yolŋu Matha.^[18]

In October 2022, King Stingray released a cover of Men at Work's "Down Under" as part of a new campaign for Tourism Australia.^[19] Around this time, yidaki player Yimila Gurruwiwi became a full-time member of the band, expanding them to a six-piece.^[20][21] The band generated support from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the end of 2022, who chose "Get Me Out" as his favourite song of 2022 and wore a King Stingray t-shirt on Ausmusic T-Shirt Day that same year.^[22]

In June 2023, King Stingray released "Lookin' Out".^[23] August 2023 saw the band win three AIR Awards: Best Independent Rock Album or EP, Independent Album of the Year, and Breakthrough Artist of the Year.^[24] They were also winners at the 2023 National Indigenous Music Awards and, along with Wildfire Manwurrk, were the only groups to win more than one. King Stingray picked up the Film Clip of the Year and Song of the Year awards, both for "Let's Go".^[25] In December 2023, they performed as part of the ABC's New Year's Eve concert on Sydney Harbour.^[26]

The group's second studio album, For the Dreams, was released in November 2024. Prior to its release, the band released several singles from it: "Through the Trees", "Best Bit", "Cat 5 (Cyclone)" and "Light Up the Path". The album notably featured Burarrwanga taking lead vocals on several songs, and assuming the role of co-frontman. That same year, the band appeared on the Bluey album Rug Island with a new original song, "Octopus",^[27] and also returned to the ABC studios for their second Like a Version – this time covering Royel Otis' "Oysters in My Pocket" with guest vocalist Jem Cassar-Daley.^[28] This followed a successful tour in the United States, where they supported fellow Australian rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.^[29]

In March 2025, the band announced that founding member Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu was officially no longer part of the band, having been absent from shows and press photos since the year prior with no acknowledgment.^[30] Fellow Yolŋu musician Ngalakan Wanambi, the grandson of Yirrkala artist Naminapu Maymuru-White,^[31] was simultaneously announced as their new vocalist. From late March to early April 2025, the band undertook the For the Dreams national tour in various major cities across the country, with support from Beddy Rays and The Belair Lip Bombs.^[32][33] Later that year, Gurruwiwi also quietly departed from the band.