Reggae on offer

Brisbane band Kingfisha will hit Torquay with its signature mix of weighty reggae and dub.
The band is touring the country after releasing its second album Offered it Up on 9 September.
Lead singer and guitarist Anthony Forrest is looking forward to getting down to the Surf Coast.
“Hopefully, we’ll have some time to get down to the beach,” he said.
“I’ve heard it’s really pretty.”
Forrest, 39, and his band mates grew up among the Fortitude Valley live-music scene, rocking to the likes of Australian alt-rock icons Regurgitator.
“Back then the valley had lots of good bands,” he said.
The six-piece band has crafted modern reggae music for five years by coupling its love of Jamaican rhythms with personal depth and style.
For Forrest the new album is a change of direction.
“This album is a lot more electronic and a lot more dubby,” he said.
“In that sense we’re creating our own style rather than just being a reggae roots band.”
Kingfisha’s singles have featured on Triple J and its first self-titled 10-track release landed album of the week at PBS FM, Radio Australia and East Side Radio.
The band won Triple J’s Unearthed Roots Winner in 2010 and toured Africa with shows in South Africa, Mozambique, Reunion Island and Swaziland.
Kingfisha recently inked deals with 123 Agency for bookings and ABC Music for the release of Offered it Up.
Forrest described Kingfisha as a tight-knit “family band” and he has known some of the members since high school.
“The other fellas we just sort met along the way in the Brisbane music scene,” he said.
“We’ve all been friends for a fair while now and we have holidays with our families together.
“I love performing at festivals and touring with the band.”
Kingfisha will perform at the Torquay Hotel on Friday 7 October.