Ella Thompson is an Australian musician and songwriter whose work traverses the landscape of classic and contemporary soul music. Finding her place in the spaces in-between, Ella Thompson and her band weave cinematic textures and arrangements around her luminous voice and lyrics, creating a mesmerizing, timeless synthesis of influences from the 60’s and 70’s.
Inspired by icons such as The Shangri-las, Renee Geyer and contemporary soul artists like Thee Sacred Souls and Baby Rose, Ella’s songwriting draws on poetry, philosophy, and personal experience to inform her lyrics. Similarly, Ella’s performances are acutely considered, embodying elements of visual art and costume and her band are consummate musicians at the forefront of Melbourne’s soulful DIY nest. The combination of which is a hypnotic, hard-hitting presentation of Ella’s voice propelled by a powerful rhythm section and blazing horns supported by lush vocal harmonies.
Recently, Ella and her band have played shows supporting some of their favorite artists including Lee Fields, Thee Sacred Souls and Surprise Chef. In her career, Ella has released three albums as part of the cult indie band Dorsal Fins and three more with electro-boogie duo GL, playing festivals and shows around the world. She has also collaborated with artists from The Bamboos to Mark Ronson.
Ella writes and makes music on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and pays respect to their culture and ancestors past and present.