"... with their mix of old school funk, blues and fat beats, Sukatash are one of Adelaide's most exciting new outfits on the local scene ..."

Hailing from South Australia, 8 piece collective Sukatash continue their rise with the release of their 2nd EP. Well known in their home town of Adelaide, what's surprising is that only now is this well kept secret spreading across the nation. The combined voices of soulstress Nat Pellegrino (Everyday People) and MC Toobiz (Mindfield, Common Cause) feature, supported by super tight grooves and fat live beats. With cranking live shows that are becoming almost legendary, a chance to catch them in concert is definitely not to be missed.

History

Initially a 3 piece funk band from Adelaide, South Australia featuring Evan Whetter (keys, guitar and vocal), Adam Markey (bass) and Sam Marshall (drums). The 1st incarnation of the band was based on the collaboration between Markey and Whetter, which stretched back to 1994 and the band Second Dimension. The first gig under the name Sukatash was in late '98 and proved to be the 1st and last gig for drummer Sam Marshal who was replaced by Shannon Millocent early in 1999. In 2000, after a handful of gigs with this line up, Sukatash evolved to a 5 piece, introducing Adrian Zammit on guitar and Vashti Tyrell on Sax, both whom were studying jazz at Adelaide University with Whetter. With the inclusion of Zammit on guitar, Whetter shifted to keyboards full time singing only occasionally as this also saw a departure from vocal music in favour of instrumental funk with a strong acid jazz flavour.

A fundamental breakthrough came when Sukatash picked up a residency at Adelaide club The Eclipse where they would begin to hone their sound. Millicent was replaced by Scott Meggs on drums and this finalised the line-up that was to carry Sukatash through their first phase. It was at The Eclipse where they would also start to develop a following, consisting largely of Adelaide's young fringe element drawn in by the pumping grooves and extended improvised sets that took listeners on a musical journey of experimentation, often culminating in a frenzy of bodies on the dance floor.

As their time at The Eclipse drew to an end, Sukatash began a new residency at the Adelaide jazz club Riffs, establishing a long time relationship with the proprietor Con Virlas. In 2002 they released their debut EP Blue Rooster. The inclusion of special guests MC Flack (aka FatFace) and DJ Debris (Hilltop Hoods) who together make up the Cross-Bred Mongrels (Adelaide based hip-hop group) on the album heralded a change in direction for the band.

In 2003 with much regret Sukatash lost bass man and founding member Adam Markey to international commitments leaving big shoes (literally!) to be filled. Taking the opportunity to recreate themselves, Sukatash said goodbye also to Scott Meggs and hooked up with drummer Mark Chewey (The Hiptones, The Zep Boys) and double bassist Paul Jankovic (Jayne-Anne Power, Rent, Gosling). The signing up of MC Flack and DJ Debris as permanent fixtures completed the new sound, reflecting a more contemporary flavour.

The epitome of this band came with a show played at the Isobar as a part of the Fuse Festival in 2004 where due to the unavailability of Mark Chewey, Mario Marino played for the first time with Sukatash. The vibe both within the band and for the audience was incredible. Marino and Paul had already become a tight rhythm section in other bands and it was as if he had been playing the tunes for years rather than rocking up 15 minutes before the show without a single rehearsal. This line up however was short lived due to the touring commitments of Dj Debris, and family interests of both Whetter (who up to this point had been managing the band) and MC Flack, which resulted in an 18 month sabbatical before being coaxed out of self imposed musical exile by Con Virlas to perform 2 shows at the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival.

So ignited the third and current incarnation of Sukatash as Whetter moved to 'put the band back together', but with a whole new vision. Due to touring commitments with the Hilltop Hoods, Dj Debris was unavailable. Enter DJ Mark 1 for a brief yet productive cameo before other commitments forced him to relocate, but not before he was able to introduce much respected Dj David L into the mix.

Ironically, the line up for both Fringe shows was truly a reflection of the old and the new. The first show turned out to be the swan song for Chewey, but also an encore for Markey (filling in for Paul) - and when at the very latest of minutes Flack became unavailable, iconic Adelaide MC Toobiz (Mindfield, Common Cause) stepped up and as he has done so many times since led from the front, and by the second show was all but sworn in. Mario Marino again graced the stage in the 2nd show (again filling in for Chewey) and with Paul back on bass it was a recipe for the incredible show that it turned out to be.

With Tyrell spending large amounts of time out of the country, the task fell to Whetter, Zammit and Paul to solidify the line up. They not only did this, but also locked themselves away for a three month period of creative redefinment. During this time the line up was set with Marino and Toobiz officially replacing Chewey and Flack and Paul trading the upright for the downright. At just the right time Sukatash was invited to play at Dj Debris' birthday and it was here that the new sound was debuted. The fall out was not only a crazy party set with a crowd that included a who's who of Aussie hip hop, but a joining of forces with singer Jodie Morgan.

In 2006 Sukatash exploded back onto the club scene with huge shows at Adelaide's Crown & Sceptre Hotel and consistantely played to capacity crowds throughout 2007 as they continued to tighten and redefine their sound. An attempted EP recording was stalled with Sukatash and Jodie parting ways as she began to travel the world. Crisis turned to opportunity and soul singer Nat Pellegrino (Everyday People) joined the band. Having worked with Dj David L on separate projects and featured as a guest artist on the nationally released Mindfield album 'This Way Up', it was not only her amazing voice, but compositional skill which completed the current line up.

Playing the fabled Kumfy Klub now seemed an appropriate initiation for the new Sukatash, and with nothing else to stop them they entered the studio late 2007. Their second EP is due to hit shelves mid 2008.