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WHAT IN THE WORLD WILL BECOME OF HIM: A Conversation with XMUNASHE
INTERVIEW | Written: Yewayi Mushaya
12.09.2025
Some artists rehearse endlessly to deliver perfection on stage. Others, like XMUNASHE, thrive in the unknown, discovering raw energy through improvisation. Watching XMUNASHE perform at The Tivoli to kick off BIGSOUND 2025 felt more like an unveiling of vulnerability wrapped in sonic whirlwind than a performance.
Returning from his overseas residency, performing within both Paris and London, XMUNASHE made his Brisbane debut last Thursday. Reuniting with his bandmates Joshua and Jonti, it was the first time they had played together in six months. Unindicated to the naked eye, their group synergy remained harmonious, pulsing as if no time had passed.
The performance transitioned between electrifying crescendos and melancholic descents, creating a space of collective intimacy. The theatre became a space of communal surrender, as the musicians encouraged the audience to roam, to breathe, and to react instinctively.
Between the red lights and the smoke haze, the performance revealed itself as one of vulnerability.
The lyrics reflected moments of introspection and longing, echoing personal fractures as universal truths. The audience was invited to digest the experience in real time, as a 10-minute intermission was held, allowing whispered exchanges, glances, and reflections to ripple through the crowd.
The trio allowed themselves to be consumed by the moment—interchanging positions and instruments, daring each other to explore where the performance could take them. Upon the performance’s conclusion, I had the opportunity to sit down with Munashe, and here is what he had to say.
THE BEAUTY OF IMPROVISATION
YEWAYI: For most of us, preparation is something we do in order to feel secure in performance, especially in an industry where so much is judged by perception and reception. Whilst the majority of people find fear in improvisation, how did you find truth in it?
XMUNASHE: It happened by accident, to be honest. At my very first show, which I had planned, I had my laptop with tracks, and I was going to play a rehearsed set. My laptop then broke in the middle of the set, and I was like, “Fuck.” I was just left with the keyboard and had to still produce something. Surprisingly, it worked out really well, and I felt more comfortable feeling the vibe and reading the room, working out what I needed to do to make myself and people feel something. It ended up being a lucky accident. It's now led to my belief that when you don’t prepare something, it often feels like magic, and you get to create together on the spot and start something in front of people. It’s now become the most comfortable way I perform. Honestly, if I had a set to rehearse, I would feel like we have to stick within those boundaries.
YEWAYI: Almost like an expectation of, “this is what we have to hit.”
XMUNASHE: Exactly. It’s so much more fun and risky this way! It makes the process of playing more exciting, but also more present.
YEWAYI: Since you do so much improv, you’re always in the midst of discovering something new. Has there ever been a moment where you found something and thought, “Oh shit, I didn’t know I had that in me”?
XMUNASHE: I feel like that’s every show, really. Naturally, we’re always doing something new or pushing it. Jonti will do something different on the guitar, which will bring out a new melody or idea in me. When you’re working with three musicians on one stage, we’ll all look at each other and be able to tell when something feels new, and we’ll feed off that. It shocks us all, and you can see that we didn’t think we were going to go there. Each show, I’m always discovering something new, and everything is a possibility of what something could be.
THE ALBUM AND DEFINITION
YEWAYI: With you working towards an album, how do you plan to capture the dynamism of that raw feeling of being on stage on a record? Is that a possibility at all?
XMUNASHE: I have two types of records that I make. The first is my studio records, which are a specific sound different from our live performances; they’re more like song form. The second is obviously our live performances, which we record. I now have an album which has one song I’ve recorded in Sydney, one I’ve recorded in Brisbane, and one in London, making a compilation of just straight live recordings. With these, we’ve found the best thing to do is keep the recording live. There are some ideas we made on stage that afterwards we tried to record, but you don’t catch the same essence. What that means is the recordings also capture some of the raw mistakes and moments, but it’s honestly better to keep it that way!
YEWAYI: You have a unique sound that most people have described as genre-bending. I think we lean towards that word because the sound you produce is borderline indescribable. If you could define your sound for yourself, do you think you could? Is there a term for it?
XMUNASHE: I never know. It’s truly just me. When you see us play, it’s just Munashe shit. It’s a mix of so many things I don’t know where to begin. It’s genre-bending, I guess. It really sounds like nothing else, and I think that’s what we do really well. We found our own thing, which can go into many different pockets and hint at so many things, but there’s always a very unique thread throughout it all.
YEWAYI: This one’s specifically for me. When do you plan on releasing “Winds Screaming Harder”?
XMUNASHE: Oh, wow. How do you know that? That’s on the studio album I was talking about. I plan on releasing that this year. I’ve been shooting some videos for it.
YEWAYI: I’ll be waiting.
XMUNASHE: Now you’ve given me a kick, I got you! I have the dates and everything locked in, so it's just a matter of time.
CULTURE
YEWAYI: I don’t know if this is something you’ve done intentionally, or how much culture plays a role in your performance. I noticed in your shows these moments of yodelling and screaming that closely resemble ululating, these cries that, as a Zimbabwean myself, feel deeply familiar. Have you found yourself culturally dipping into things when creating your music, or does culture play a role at all?
XMUNASHE: Not intentionally, but I obviously grew up going to Zimbabwean weddings, surrounded by the culture and watching all the aunties ululate. That has been present through my performances. On stage, I just feel so free and open myself up to where my voice can take me. I do feel like, through certain yells and cries, there’s definitely a connection.
RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC
YEWAYI: For my last question, I want to ask: what is your relationship with music like? Do you know what you want out of it? Is it something you feel like you can’t live without?
XMUNASHE: Whenever I’m playing on stage, I feel like this is what I’m meant to be doing with my life. I sometimes think, should I do something outside of music? But I’ll never stop making it and singing random melodies throughout the day. It’s been my hobby since I was ten, playing drums, and now it’s something I can share with other people.
YEWAYI: Good luck with your Sydney show, man.
XMUNASHE: Thank you.