8CCC Brekky was lucky to have two thirds of East of West in the studio when the ARIA-nominated Queensland instrumental trio East of West released their fourth album, Velella. Malinda Morris and Goran Gajić (soon to be joined by Philip Griffin) are visiting Mparntwe Alice Springs for a weekend of workshops at Tamara Date Farm after joining in on the fun of the Winter Night Market, a concert at Olive Pink Botanic Garden and visiting local schools.

Their latest album, Velella, takes its name from its title track, which refers to 'Velella velella—the “by-the-wind sailor,” a colonial hydrozoan whose way of life, floating across the surface of the open ocean, carries it by the wind to many places, as we hope our music does for our listeners,' quoting Goran.

Over the eight years of their collaboration, East of West have developed an intuitive musical relationship, flourishing through their dynamic interplays, virtuosic unison melodies and expressive soloing. Gajić’s compositions explore gentle melodic motifs nested in uptempo passages set to Balkan-influenced rhythms, interspersed with moments of mesmerising musical sparseness.