Ella Thompson

Next date: Saturday, 21 November 2026 | 07:30 PM

Ella Thompson is a vital voice in modern soul. Mentored by Renée Geyer and having toured with Mark Ronson, she follows acclaimed solo releases with her new album, Triumph and Sadness. Recorded live to tape at Sound Recordings studio, the record blends classic '60s/'70s urgency with contemporary depth. It releases in late 2026 via Mr Bongo and College of Knowledge Records.

The Memo, Healesville
Saturday 21 November 2026; 7:30 pm
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Ella Thompson is a singer & songwriter whose work traverses the landscape of classic and contemporary soul.

Absorbing the personal stories, political context and studio craft of artists like Billie Holiday & Nina Simone, it was discovering the music of Australian vocalist Renée Geyer that gave Thompson a blueprint to pursue this music on her own terms. Geyer was first Thompson’s idol and then her mentor, taking Ella on her first tour of the country at 16. Taking lessons as a teenager, Thompson was drawn not only to Geyer’s musicality, but also to the unapologetic way she sculpted her own sound in a male-dominated industry.

Cutting her teeth touring with Mark Ronson and supporting artists such as Jalen Ngonda, Lee Fields, Thee Sacred Souls & Angel Olsen, Ella has put out two solo releases in quick succession, Domino in 2023, & Ripple on the Wing in late 2024 (both released on Australian label Hopestreet Recordings), cementing her as one of the country’s most vital & creative voices in modern soul.

Ella's new album Triumph and Sadness is a great duality, between love and loss, joy and pain, and the universal truths that emerge from personal experience. “Soul music has taught me so much about the world and our interconnectedness,” she explains. “It is devotional music.”

Written alongside Liam McGorry (Temporary Blessings) and featuring collaborators from bands Surprise Chef & Karate Boogaloo, the band recorded the album live across four fruitul days at the all-analogue Sound Recordings studio on Dja Dja Wurrung Country (Castlemaine, Victoria), capturing 15 tracks direct to tape with all the urgency, depth and warmth of the ‘60s and ‘70s sessions that first inspired her. Produced by Ella in conjunction with Liam & the incredible Henry Jenkins, the album was mixed by Daptone Records & Womack Sisters collaborator Wayne Gordon.

Triumph and Sadness is out late 2026 on the legendary UK label Mr Bongo in collaboration with local funk moguls College of Knowledge Records.

Soul music may have taught Ella Thompson about the world, but now is the time for the world to learn about Ella Thompson.

'A talent like hers will always seek to forge to your own path, I’ve been so impressed with this latest solo material.' - BBC’s Craig Charles

‘A wonderful set of moody cinematic R&B/soul songs with a golden nostalgic touch reminiscent of Charlotte Day Wilson, Kadhja Bonet, Cleo Sol, and Charlotte Dos Santos.’ - KEXP

'Warm, cinematic, deeply soulful masters of a sound that effortlessly evokes classic influences.' - Double J

'Radiant sweet soul from this Australian vocalist - sepia-toned songs with bright brass and limber rhythms.'- Bandcamp & and Notable

'Ripple on the Wing is a soulful masterpiece' - Triple R

'Australia's Queen of Sweet Soul.'- Miss Goldie, PBS

'One of the most creative individuals I've heard in a very long time.' - Lee Fields

'A true find - a sound that could live in any of the last five decades.'- Ones to Watch UK

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