GRID Series Outer Perth Release Party
GRID Series Outer Perth, presented in collaboration with First Nations Focus (FN Focus) staunchly unveils the culmination of six months of intensive artist development: four powerful new singles, four intimate documentary films, and a celebration of Perth's outer suburban music talent that refuses to be overlooked by throwing a huge release party at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre (on Friday March 13 * if you require the date in the copy)
Outer Perth artists Persia, JAEQ, Hello Stranger, and Kalia will release their debut singles—each a testament to the transformative power of mentorship, collaboration, and community-centered artist development.
The release party will feature live performances by all 4 artists and screenings of fourshort films that offer intimate portraits of each artist's creative journey.
About GRID Series
GRID Series is a program designed to do what the mainstream music industry often fails to: recognize and elevate talent from communities that are frequently overlooked.
Over the last 6 months, local artists living on the outskirts of Perth—JAEQ, Persia, Hello Stranger and Kalia—have undergone intensive mentoring from industry leaders including Linda Iriza (Perth Festival), Danni Colgan (Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre), Indi Ransom (Vivid Festival, Carriageworks), and Flewnt (FN Focus Co-Founder and GRID Series alumnus).
They worked with world-class producers—Conor Lawson, JCAL, Dazastah, and Elise Reitze—Swensen (Feels) to mint new music releases—and collaborated with filmmakers Jhaz Bullen-Williams, Duncan Wright, Luna Laure, and Mikey Hamer to create intimate shot films that deep dive in to their personal stories. This year's program marks GRID Series' first in Perth since 2019, and the first delivered in partnership with First Nations Focus—a Boorloo-based, First Nations-owned record label and artist development company founded by proud Nyoongar Wongi rapper Joshua "Flewnt" Eggington and Papua New Guinean creative Tani Webb.
Artistic statement from Josh "Flewnt" Eggington, Tani Webb and Glenys Opum
Coming from a First Nations lens, we understand deeply what it's like to be overlooked or unheard," says Josh Eggington (Flewnt), FN Focus Co-Founder. We have a strong connection to the communities that need programs like GRID the most—people whose talent is often missed by the mainstream. We invite you all to this special night to engage with the idea that tokenistic, one-off inclusion of First Nations people in the industry is not the future. Rather, the future is to normalize long-term partnerships built on respect and equity.
This program, and the artists involved, proves that when you hand over the mic and the map to First Nations creative leaders, something special happens. Programs like this show that First Nations-led work isn't just culturally important, it's artistically exceptional and industry-leading.
Film Trailers
Presented by
GRID Series Outer Perth, in collaboration with FN Focus is proudly supported by the WA Government and Creative Australia.
