During the pandemic, Bank Australia customer Jack River (AKA Holly Rankin) came up with a bright idea. Instead of playing generic hold music – you know, the kind that makes you grind your teeth – why don’t Australian organisations champion local Aussie acts and play something a bit more interesting? So the ‘Our Soundtrack Our Stories’ campaign was born.
Now, we’ve proudly jumped onboard. And not just for hold music. Any time you call Bank Australia, visit a branch, or swing by head office and say hey (you never know, it could happen), you’ll hear our hand-picked playlist of home-grown Australian music. Everything from Archie Roach to The Jungle Giants and Tame Impala.
“The beauty of this shift is that now, when you call Bank Australia, from start to finish, everything you hear and listen to is local,” says Bank Australia marketing consultant Jack Thompson. “From the on-hold music to the person on the other end of the phone.”
Making the switch is a win/win: the playlist not only exposes customers to a brilliant buffet of all-Australian jams (who knows – your new favourite artist might be in there), but it also directs royalties to local musicians who are still feeling the effects lockdowns had on live music.
We’ll be expanding our homegrown playlist over time, but here’s a snapshot of some of the acts we’ve got so far.
Jack River
We had to include the person who started it all, right? We’ve been long-time fans of Jack River. She’s a Bank Australia customer, and even voiced our recent ads on climate action. If you want to hear what No Doubt-era Gwen Stefani’s modern-day incarnation would sound like, try her new track, Nothing Has Changed.
The Teskey Brothers
Comprised of the actual Teskey brothers (Josh and Sam), Brendan Love (bass) and Liam Gough (drums), The Teskey Brothers are a four-piece blues rock band from Naarm (Melbourne). They’ve been on a tear since their 2019 debut album Run Home Slow, selling out tours and picking up ARIAs left and right.
Didirri
With critics drawing comparisons to Jeff Buckley and Robin Pecknold, it’s fair to say there’s some hype around Warrnambool singer-songwriter Didirri. His debut EP, Measurements, picked up 30 million streams, prompting critical acclaim and a one-way ticket to UK festivals like Latitude and The Great Escape. Our tip: start with Blue Mood Rising.
Lime Cordiale
Lime Cordiale have been around the traps since 2009. If you’ve been to a festival any time in the last decade, chances are good you’ve seen them already. Selling out the Sidney Myer Music bowl in 2021 cemented the band’s Big Time status, and their laid-back ‘surf rock’ style (with added trombone from Nick Polovineo) is North Shore in a bottle.
Rat Child
Local Naarm-based artist Rat Child rose to prominence during the pandemic with her debut single, Joy. This was followed up by her first EP, My Morning and Afternoon’s Work, in 2022. It’s a dreamy mix of soul, R&B, jazz, folk and tip-of-the-tongue Billie Holiday magic. Definitely an up-and-coming talent to watch.
Archie Roach
Archie Roach needs no introduction, but we’ll do one anyway. ARIA Hall of Fame member, Order of Australia, singer, songwriter, legendary First Nations activist, who sadly passed away in July 2022. Over three decades, Roach did more for Indigenous music than anyone else, and his 1990 debut solo album, Charcoal Lane, is still an absolute masterpiece.
Boy & Bear
Formed in 2009, folk-pop band Boy & Bear quickly rose to superstardom with Feeding Line (ARIA Breakthrough Artist Single, 2011) and EP Moonfire (ARIA Album of the Year, 2011). Four more albums followed, along with sell-out tours and international acclaim. They’re Australia’s answer to Mumford & Sons, and still popular as ever.
Treat your ears with our 100% Australian ‘Dial up Disco’ playlist or learn more about the ‘Our Soundtrack Our Stories’ campaign.
