Melbourne soul institution The Bamboos return with their twelfth studio album, bringing together Kylie Auldist, Reginald AK, Rita Satch and Tim Rogers for a new collection that connects the band’s established soul sound with a new generation of Melbourne performers.
by Paul Cashmere
Melbourne soul and funk band The Bamboos have released their twelfth studio album, Sugar On Top, accompanied by a colourful psychedelic video for opening track Hello Sunshine. The ten-track album features guest performances from Reginald AK, Rita Satch and You Am I frontman Tim Rogers, with longtime vocalist Kylie Auldist remaining at the centre of the band’s sound.
Released through Pacific Theatre Records, Sugar On Top continues the musical direction Lance Ferguson has developed with The Bamboos since forming the group in Melbourne in 2000. The album brings together established collaborators and younger voices from Melbourne’s soul community, maintaining the band’s emphasis on strong songwriting, live instrumentation and groove.
One of the more personal connections comes through Reginald AK, the singer and drummer from Melbourne band Steppers and the son of Kylie Auldist. He features on the driving On & On, marking his second appearance on a Bamboos album. His first contribution was Safe From Harm, from the band’s 2023 album This Is How You Do It.
Rita Satch takes lead vocal duties on the smooth soul track Hooked On You. Her 2025 debut album Meet Me In The Garden established her as one of Melbourne’s emerging soul voices, with subsequent touring taking her to the UK and Europe alongside jazz saxophonist Gary Bartz.
Tim Rogers also returns to the Bamboos fold for Nothing Reminds Me Of You. His relationship with the band dates back to the 2012 single I Got Burned, followed by the collaborative album The Rules Of Attraction in 2015. More recently, Rogers has worked with Kate Ferguson on the Ferguson Rogers Process project.
Rita Satch and Kate Ferguson also share vocal duties on Hello Sunshine, the album’s opening track and the focus of its new video.
The clip brings a strong visual identity to the song through the work of Giulia Giannini McGauran, known professionally as GGMcG. Her colourful design work has featured in projects for Crowded House, Tash Sultana, Empire Of The Sun, The Rubens, Tones And I and Peking Duk. Rick Clifford directed the album’s video clips.
Recording Sugar On Top took The Bamboos away from their familiar Melbourne surroundings. Longtime co-producer and engineer John Castle worked with the band at his home studio in Launceston, Tasmania, rather than the Melbourne Shed Studios where they had recorded previous projects.
Ferguson said the change of environment brought a different energy to the sessions.
“After so many years working with John Castle in the legendary Shed Studios in Melbourne, it was great this time to travel to his home studio in Launceston, which was misty and magical at that time of year,” he said.
“There’s a certain energy that comes with bringing the band to a new place to record – an extra-sharp focus. I feel like everyone walked away happy with what we made.”
Sugar On Top also follows an unexpected resurgence for one of The Bamboos’ earlier recordings. Their 2006 track I Don’t Wanna Stop has found an enormous second audience through social media, accumulating more than one billion plays on TikTok since its renewed popularity began in late 2025. The song has also attracted substantial attention on Instagram and YouTube.
A remix by Cosmo’s Midnight in 2026 helped extend the track’s renewed reach, introducing the recording to another audience almost two decades after its original release. The renewed interest has also reinforced the song’s place in the band’s live repertoire.
The Bamboos emerged in Melbourne in 2000 under the direction of New Zealand-born guitarist, songwriter and producer Lance Ferguson. Their early releases through British label Tru Thoughts helped establish an international audience, making the group one of Australia’s early success stories in the contemporary funk and soul movement.
Kylie Auldist joined the group in the mid-2000s and became an essential part of its identity. Over the years, The Bamboos have developed an extensive catalogue while collaborating with international and Australian performers including Aloe Blacc, Durand Jones, Dan Sultan, Daniel Merriweather and Alice Russell.
The band has received seven ARIA Award nominations and five APRA Songwriting Award nominations, building an international reputation through recordings and regular touring in the UK and Europe.
With Sugar On Top, Ferguson brings the band’s history into contact with Melbourne’s next generation of soul performers. The involvement of Reginald AK and Rita Satch gives the album a connection to the contemporary local scene, while Tim Rogers provides another link to a long-standing musical relationship.
Sugar On Top is available now through Pacific Theatre Records on vinyl, CD and digital formats.
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