Ecca Vandal: How a Sri Lankan-Australian Jazz-Trained Vocalist Found Her Voice in Punk
By
Erica Campbell
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Summary
Ecca Vandal's journey to punk music was unconventional, shaped by her Sri Lankan heritage, migration from South Africa to Australia, and exposure to alternative rock icons. Despite training as a jazz vocalist, she found her voice in punk—a genre that rarely represents her background. The article explores how her cultural and religious upbringing intersected with her musical evolution, challenging the typical narratives of punk.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledEcca Vandal's route to punk was riddled with detours into sounds, cultures, and identities the genre rarely represents.
Raised under her Sri Lankan family's strict cultural and religious expectations, she moved from South Africa to Australia at a young age.
Though she trained as a jazz vocalist at the Victorian College of the Arts, the kids at school got her hooked on the sounds of '80s and '90s alternative icons: Radiohead, Fugazi, Pixies, and Björk.
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