(Not) Too Cool For School: Sachém Talks Album Goals & Quandamooka Festival Homecoming

There's levels to it. You might think that you're a busy person, for instance, but are you Sachém levels of busy?

The Nunukul rapper has been on a whirlwind tear throughout 2024 – including a day where he rocked three shows in two different cities within a 24-hour period. “I'm still coming down from all of that,” he confesses from an Armidale hotel room. 

“I performed at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane that afternoon – as you do – co-hosting the Indigenous Round of the NRL. I was basically opening up for the [NRL team, Brisbane] Broncos! I got a flight straight after to Sydney, and I got to the Opera House at 7 for the Elefant Traks finale show.

“I didn't even see the stage before I walked on, mic in hand. The theatre felt really big, and I was so taken by how locked in the crowd was.” Flying back to Brisbane early the next morning, his third venue was a proper curveball: Moreton Bay Boys’ College, where he performed for the students and faculty.

“Hip-hop is definitely not something kids are expecting at school at 9:30 on a Monday morning,” says Sachém with a laugh. “You can tell they immediately think their school is way cooler when it does turn up, though. They all really love it. I always see the kids in prep with their mates picking up the vibe and rapping to one another – they're cheeky about it, but you can see what you're doing is inspiring them as they learn more about what we do as artists.”

Imparting wisdom is something that is unquestionably important to Sachém – so much so that he began a video series called 'Free Game Fridays' on his social media channels. There, he has shared his thoughts on ways to best approach and advance one's career as an independent artist – particularly one working within the Australian music community at large.

It has picked up a following to the point where Sachém has begun picking up followers solely based on his online content rather than his music – something he has ultimately developed mixed feelings about.

“For me, the problem nowadays is that we have to become a completely different creator just to draw people to our music,” he says. “Having said that, I've always been about dual action. I'm the first to point out the problem, but I'm also the first to go looking for the solution.

“What I have to offer is simply sharing knowledge. I want to create a good morale in this industry, and I want everyone to have access to it – that's literally why I called it Free Game Fridays. What I'm saying and sharing? That's free game! Anyone can jump on it! Call it whatever you want. Make it yours. This has been such an interesting journey, and I've been loving it.”

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It's been just over a year since Sachém released his second EP, The Bigger Picture. Never one to rest on his laurels, however, the rapper has been persistently working away on his next major project: That being his debut studio album. Recording at Rush Hour Studio in Brisbane with producer Wyes, Sachém speaks excitedly about the as-yet-untitled record.

“We're nearly done,” he reports. “It will probably be finished by the end of the month or the start of August at the latest. It's been an amazing process – Wyes can do just about everything, from producing to engineering to playing all the instruments. He's really helped me to get all these stories out that I've been wanting to tell and really build an album around.”

However, the nerves that stem from forging a debut album are still there. Sachém has found himself writing and rewriting thousands of words across his verses on the album – “It's like writing a thesis,” he says with a laugh.

“I've got a lot to say! It's exactly what I need for this album, though. I think a lot, and I feel a lot, but I'm not the best at communicating what I think and feel to those around me. It's not that I expect my friends and family to listen to the album to find out, but I find a real peace within making music. There's a real energy to this album – it's about not doubting yourself and creating instead of complaining.”

If you're heading along to this year's Quandamooka Music Festival, you just might get to hear some songs from the album. Sachém is one of the key performers on the line-up this year, taking place on his home turf of Stradbroke Island – making it a more personal event for him than even mammoth locations like Suncorp Stadium or the Sydney Opera House. “My first job out of school was working for QYAC, who put on the festival,” he explains.

“I was working alongside my auntie and a team of other producers at 16, and I helped to put on two Quandamooka Festivals with them. I performed there for the first time in 2021 with my full band, and I had all my family in the crowd seeing me perform live for the very first time. Needless to say, it's a very special event to me.”

If you've never explored this particular part of Australia, Sachém openly invites you to come see for yourself. “It's paradise – and this is the perfect chance to come enjoy Straddy for the first time,” he says.

“There's great music, great storytelling, dancing... my mum's even gonna have some stalls in the market!”

Sachém will perform at the Quandamooka Music & Cultural Festival in North Stradbroke (Minjerribah) on Friday, August 30, and Saturday, August 31. Tickets to the festival can be found here.