Publicity Campaign: Malaika Mfalme - ‘Unfurling’ (EP)
Malaika Mfalme (he/they) returns with their highly anticipated EP, ‘Unfurling’, a deeply personal journey through grief, growth, and the transformative power of chosen family. This new release is a tapestry of moments – love, loss, rediscovery all woven together with poetry and live soundscapes. Produced by the acclaimed Lunar Martins in their final collaboration before retiring due to illness, the project carries a unique tenderness, reflecting both artists’ journeys and the slow blooming that follows heartbreak.
Opening track ‘Berlin’ was written during a period of upheaval and self-discovery in the German capital. It’s both a soulful ode to the freedom of being unknown and a celebration of Black queer joy. Driven by intricate guitar riffs and communal gang vocals, the song captures the tension between grief and the relief found in new beginnings. ‘Thirteen’ is a poignant meditation on friendship breakups and the ghosts they leave behind, drawing on East and South African choral traditions and looping the question, “How do I unlearn this?” to invite listeners into their own journeys of healing. It’s a love letter to platonic loss, a theme rarely given space in music. These two singles were released earlier in the year, receiving support from triple j, The AU Review AMNPlify 4ZZZ being added to rotation on FBI, Unearthed, and a plethora of community radio stations.
The EP also includes focus single ‘The History of Me and You’, zooming in on the quiet moments that define intimacy and honouring the scars, lines, and stories that shape us. Warm, expansive, and cinematic, this track is about recognising the people who’ve left their mark, and finding peace in what remains.
The thread that weaves Berlin, Thirteen, and The History of Me and You together began as a series of poems. I originally wrote them for a new work showcase at the Hayes Theatre, after Victoria Falconer invited me to share something in progress. In the week leading up to the performance, I created a live work that stitched together these poems with improvised soundscapes, looping my Pikaso bow (which makes a guitar sound like a cello or violin), layering picked guitar, and speaking poetry over these textures.
Each poem became a bridge between songs, a moment to breathe, to listen, to understand the world these songs were born from. They hold emotional context that doesn’t always fit neatly into melody: the ache beneath Berlin, the healing inside Smoke, the reckoning and release in Grace.
The soundscapes move like weather. Sometimes they hum quietly under the words; other times, they swell, mirroring the chaos and tenderness of what I was feeling when I wrote these songs. Together, the poems and music trace a journey of self-forgiveness and transformation, from drowning to breathing, from grief to grace.
“Unfurling is that quiet moment when you realise you’ve survived, and you’re finally beginning to bloom again,” Malaika shares. “The word itself makes me think of plants, of finally opening after all the mess and heartbreak, realising that the waiting was actually growth.” This sense of renewal and gentle transformation pulses through every note and lyric.
Malaika brings these songs to life on the ‘Unfurling’ Tour, kicking off November 28 at The Red Rattler in Sydney, then heading to Newcastle’s Rising Tide Protestival, Canberra’s Smith’s Alternative, and wrapping up at Kindred Studios in Melbourne on December 6. Malaika will perform with their full band – all queer and/or BIPOC musicians, turning each show into a celebration of everything this community has built together. “Touring with my own band feels like more than just a set of shows, it’s about taking up space, being seen, and sharing joy with our communities,” says Malaika.
Known for emotionally resonant performances, Malaika’s live shows blend live looping, layered harmonies, and the dynamic energy of a full ensemble. Audiences can expect a space for reflection, connection, and release – music that meets you wherever you are, and maybe helps you unfurl a little too.
Rooted in the traditions of folk, soul, and ancestral storytelling, Malaika’s music is both deeply personal and universally resonant. ‘Unfurling’ is a testament to the power of chosen family, the beauty that grows from pain, and the enduring lineage of Black and trans artists reclaiming their place in folk music’s history.
