EIGHT-piece outfit Ekki and the Scatterbrains will bring their big sound, vibrant energy and captivating stage presence to the Apple Farm on Saturday night.
Following a second national tour in January, the Mount Gambier-based band has performed regularly around Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide and is in the process of recording its debut album.
Playing a melting pot of R&B, soul and hip hop music, the band is led by female vocalist Ella ‘Ekki’ Keysell – a third year student at James Morrison Academy of Music.
“The band was formed by myself and my good friend Bernard Alexander after we met while studying at the academy,” Ms Keysell explained.
“As well as jazz, we both share a passion for soul, R&B and high energy dance music and quickly found the other band members as they shared a passion for the same music.”
The band played its first gig at Morrison’s Jazz Club in March last year and has since performed at venues across the country.
“We were worried no one would come because it was sort of different to what people were used to seeing and hearing on a night out in Mount Gambier,” Ms Keysell said.
“We were stoked to hear tickets had sold out before the doors even opened. We ended up moving all the tables out of the room to create a dance floor and it went off.
“Since that first gig we booked a two-week tour in June so we could play together again.
“We booked another tour in summer and since then we have been playing gigs in between studies and writing music together to eventually form and record an album.”
The band comprises six Generations in Jazz scholarship alumni – Bernard Alexander on keyboard, drummer Sam Newman, Will Pethick on trombone, Jayden Blockley on saxophone, Matthew Nichols on trumpet and bass player Laura Small.
Wood-fire pizza and grazing boxes will be available at the venue.
Tickets include a courtesy bus ride back into town from 11.30pm.
