matt corby, tash sultana

Biography

Tash Sultana, born June 15, 1995, in Melbourne, Australia, to a family with Maltese ancestry on their father's side, began their musical journey at age three with a guitar gifted by their grandfather. A self-taught, gender-fluid multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer, and engineer, Sultana started performing at open mic nights across Victoria from age 13, up to six times a week, and later busked on Melbourne's streets due to struggles finding conventional work amid a refusal to conform to social norms. From 2008 to 2012, they fronted the band Mindpilot, which won several Battles of the Bands competitions before disbanding.[1][2]

Sultana's breakthrough came in 2016 with the viral video of 'Jungle,' amassing over a million views in days and charting third in Triple J's Hottest 100, leading to the EP Notion (2016), which hit number 8 on the ARIA Albums Chart and sparked a sold-out world tour. Their debut album Flow State (2018) went gold, with singles like 'Mystik' (platinum) and 'Murder to the Mind' (gold), blending rock, reggae, blues, and electronic styles in their signature one-person band looping performances. The 2021 album Terra Firma reached number 1, featuring co-writes with collaborators including Matt Corby, and was entirely self-produced; it earned ARIA nominations and a Rolling Stone Australia award for 'Pretty Lady.' Sultana has sold out major venues like Red Rocks, performed at Coachella and Lollapalooza, and garnered over a billion streams.[1][2][3]

Known for raw, reflective songwriting and innovative live shows using loop pedals for intricate layered soundscapes, Sultana's legacy lies in their perseverance from street busking to global stardom, inspiring with authenticity and technical prowess. They run Lonely Lands Records and Studio, mixed their 2022 MTV Unplugged album solo, and have 15 ARIA nominations as of 2025.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• Sultana busked on Melbourne's Bourke Street after being unable to find regular work due to nonconformity, turning street performances into a career launchpad.[2]
• The 2016 'Jungle' video went viral with over 1 million views in five days, propelling them from obscurity to Triple J Hottest 100 third place.[1][2]
• Sultana self-recorded, engineered, performed, arranged, and produced Terra Firma entirely alone, a first for including co-writers only on a few tracks.[1][3]
• They sold out Red Rocks Amphitheatre in minutes and have mixed their own albums, including the 2022 MTV Unplugged, at Lonely Lands Studio.[3]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Grandfather - Gifted the first guitar at age 3, sparking early musical interest (N/A) [1998]

Key Collaborators

• Matt Corby - Co-writer and featured vocalist on collaborative track ('Talk It Out' single; co-wrote tracks on Terra Firma) [2019-2021]
• Dann Hume - Co-writer on select tracks (Terra Firma) [2019-2021]
• Jerome Farah - Co-writer on select tracks (Terra Firma) [2019-2021]
• Josh Cashman - Co-writer on select tracks (Terra Firma) [2019-2021]
• Patrick O'Brien - Bandmate in early group (Mindpilot (vocalist)) [2008-2012]
• Emily Daye - Bandmate in early group (Mindpilot) [2008-2012]
• David Herbert - Bandmate in early group (Mindpilot) [2008-2012]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia