The Preatures are an Australian band from Sydney. The band was formed in 2010 and features Isabella 'Izzi' Manfredi on vocals/keyboards, Jack Moffitt, Thomas Champion and Luke Davison. Gideon Bensen was a member of the band until 2016. In 2013, the band won the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition with their song "Is This How You Feel?".
History
Champion and Moffitt were school friends at Newington College who met Manfredi at the Australian Institute of Music in 2008. They formed a band together and in 2010 added Luke Davison and, now former member, Gideon Bensen and under the name The Preachers. In 2012, they changed the spelling of their name to The Preatures to avoid legal complications with other bands with similar names, signed with Mercury Records and released the EPShaking Hands. The EP featured the single "Take a Card", written by Manfredi with Bensen on lead vocals. It was featured on Triple J Unearthed. In 2013, they released a second EP, Is This How You Feel? featuring two singles, "Is This How You Feel?" and "Manic Baby". The single "Is This How You Feel?" attracted considerable success, winning the $50,000 Vanda & Young prize, being nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Pop Release, and being voted ninth in the prestigious Triple J Hottest 100. Blue Planet Eyes, their debut studio album, was released on 30 September 2014, which peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2015 the group were nominated in three categories. Gideon Bensen left the band on good terms in March 2016. Their album Girlhood was released on 11 August 2017 on Island Records and was nominated for an ARIA Music Award for Best Rock Album.
Musical Style
Self described as rock pop soul, the band has morphed in sound throughout the years with the loss of the deep voice of Gideon Bensen who went on to do a solo project. On the other hand, their sound has transformed into catchy rhythms as well a slow ballads on their newest album Girlhood. Manfredi grew up listening to Yothu Yindi and Warumpi Band, famous indigenous bands. These sounds permeate throughout the popular and upbeat sounds.
Yanada
This single has a lengthy and compelling backstory in which Manfredi realised the song had to have an Indigenous connection. She sought out the help from Darug woman, Jacinta Tobin, who insisted upon seeing an eagle before letting the song be written. Time seemed to be running out before at the last minute she saw two eagles, and then felt the spirit was with the song. Yanada yanada yanada-marri yanada Gumada, gumada, nula burra-waYanada yanada yanada, walama yanama-la Gumada, gumada wa nura Translated to English: “Moon, moon, moon, great moon / spirit, spirit in the sky”. In 2017 along with the release of the single, The Preatures launched a campaign to help the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies to raise money to maintain the documentation of Indigenous languages.
Touring
The band is currently headlining a 40 location tour around Australia, just after their supporting gig with Harry Styles on his Australian leg of his world tour. They have also supported the likes of P!nk, Foo Fighters and the Rolling Stones.
