RONA.'s 'Burn It' is a reminder that dance floors are a place for politics

RONA.’s 2024 has been hard to compete with.

The Mparntwe/Alice Springs and Naarm/Melbourne-based Kaytetye producer and DJ has shot herself to major acclaim so far this year, not only for her productions and DJing, but for her work outside of music too.

Recently named in Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 for her work as the former CEO of Common Ground, a non-profit organisation that champions the cultures and stories of First Nations people, RONA. is an artist with politics at the forefront of everything she does.

‘Burn It’, her latest single, is this political mindset given a waveform.

The track was released to coincide with the year anniversary of the failure of Australia's Voice Referendum, which would have seen the rights of First Nations Australians forever enshrined into the country's constitution.

She sat down with Mixmag ANZ to share a small piece of why 'Burn It' came to be.

Q: “Burn It” coincides with a year since the referendum. What do you want to convey through this track & why have you chosen now specifically to release it?

RONA.: "Burn It" is a reflection of the collective rage, sadness, and determination that was amplified in the wake of the referendum. A year ago, we witnessed the reaffirmation of ongoing colonial violence through the outcome, and that has only highlighted the urgency for change. This track speaks to the need to burn down the systems that have suffocated our communities for so long—to create space for new growth and transformation. It felt right to release it on this anniversary as a form of resistance and renewal, to mark the moment and spark conversations about the future we can collectively build.

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Q: How do you inject meaning into your music?

RONA.: Music holds the power to connect Mob to our Ancestors, to Country, and to each other - it's a vessel for knowledge, language, and culture. It’s sacred. Through music, we can affirm our identities and regenerate the languages that hold our stories. It's a space where we can breathe into traditions, reimagine our futures, and heal.

For me, music is a space for storytelling and connection. I draw from my lived experiences, the strength and resilience of my community, storylines and the energy of Country around me. The meaning comes through not only in the lyrics but the energy embedded in the process and what is shared in a final track — infusing the rhythms and textures of Country with the pulse of the dance floor. Music for me is about telling stories that need to be heard, but also offering spaces for reflection, healing, and joy.

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Q: What do you think of the idea that “the dance floor isn’t a place for politics”?

RONA.: The dance floor has always been a space for expression and resistance—particularly for Mob. For First Nations people, the act of gathering, dancing, and celebrating is inherently political. Our Ancestors have been holding and sharing rhythms and melodies since the first sunrise and this has been impacted by colonisation. Whether that’s the dance at ceremony or the dance floor of contemporary electronic music, music is inherently sovereign. Today, music is a space where we can collectively release, find joy, and assert. Our dance floors have a long history as a powerful medium to engage with political moments and movements.

Q: What do you think dance music is able to offer that other genres & communities can’t, specifically when discussing & interpreting political moments like the Referendum?

RONA.: When we talk about political moments like the referendum, dance music can offer a space for people to process those emotions collectively, both on a physical and visceral level. The beat can hold space for the complexity of grief, anger, and hope, allowing people to move through those feelings. It offers a communal experience where we can channel energy into something transformative and amplify views through words, melody and energy.

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Q: You’ve said that “Burn It” is an invitation for collective transformation and regeneration”. Could you give us a rundown of what you mean by this?

RONA.: Burning is symbolic of clearing out what no longer serves us—whether that’s colonial systems, harmful ideas, or stagnant energy. "Burn It" is about releasing that density to make way for something new. Like cultural burns on Country, we can embed the knowledge of this process into different ways of thinking, being and knowing. It’s a call for collective transformation, acknowledging the need to burn in order to rebuild. It’s about creating space for regeneration—new shoots, new journey lines, and new possibilities for ourselves and our communities.

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Q: This release is out via your brand new label Rarre Records. What are your plans or desires for this exciting new project?

RONA.: Rarre is a space to share music on my own terms, and I hope in the future for other First Nations electronic artists. With "Burn It" as the second release, in the future I hope to support artists who are exploring sound and identity in new ways, and build a platform that amplify our stories in electronic music. The vision is to create a dynamic, shifting space—much like the wind, which Rarre is named after—where our music can move and grow freely, changing with each season or day.

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Q: Before music you were a key part of Common Ground, a non-profit organisation that champions the cultures and stories of First Nations peoples. What have you been able to bring from that work into music that you feel has really helped or influenced you as an artist?

RONA.: Founding Common Ground has deeply influenced the way I approach storytelling in music. I’ve learned so much throughout my time amplifying First Nations stories across many mediums. My time working across storytelling has strengthened my understanding in how to hold complex stories and emotions, and that has carried over into my music. It has taught me a lot about process, the relationships held within stories and about valuing the journey creating and the twists along the way over the final output.

Q: What plans have you got for future releases?

RONA.: Following "Burn It", I’m excited to keep releasing more music. There’s more music on the way that dives deeper into regeneration and renewal. I’ve been working on a new body of work experimenting with new sounds, processes and textures alongside language and knowledge. Feels like I’m finding a bit of momentum in my own energy right now, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me.

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Q: What do you hope for the future of Australian dance culture, or what do you think we’re doing really well?

RONA.: I want to see more First Nations voices at the forefront, so more of our stories and experiences can be shared through music, with a deeper connection across this continent between the music we’re dancing to and the land we’re dancing on.

I hope the future of dance music culture across this continent and surrounding islands embraces a deeper sense of support for emerging artists, especially those from regional and remote areas. There is so much talent on this continent, but access to resources, networks and proximity remains a major challenge. I’d love to see the industry create more pathways for artists with limited proximity to power and resources to start and grow their projects.

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Stream 'Burn It' via all streaming services, or purchase it via Bandcamp.

Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Managing Editor, find him on Instagram.