On Sunday, June 7, Australian singer-songwriter Tash Sultana returned to New York City for a night of instrumental paradise under the city skyline at The Rooftop at Pier 17. The artist, who is described as a “one-person band,” recently signed a global record deal with BMG after years of independence. Now touring the United States on their Return to the Roots Tour, Sultana is revisiting the magic from the start of their decade-long psychedelic rock career.
Opener: Daisy The Great
The picturesque night on the Manhattan Seaport began with New York based alt-rock two-piece Daisy The Great. Duo Kelley Dugan and Mina Walker perfectly blend their voices together through a technique called hocketing. A rhythmic method that splits lyrics into alternating notes between singers, hocketing creates a bouncing effect that unifies voices into one. Known for their debut single “The Record Player Song,” the two went viral online for demonstrating their hocketing vocal technique on a variety of well-known songs.
Tash Sultana
Tash Sultana is known for their multi-faceted take on the music industry. A singer-songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and engineer, Sultana’s career stems from creative freedom. Their music career started from busking on the streets of Melbourne. As they grew as a performer, their instrument knowledge grew, too. Having taught themself to play over a dozen instruments, the “one-person band” has specially designed their 2026 live shows to focus around their loop station and multi-instrumental approach. With the 2025 release of Return to the Roots – their most honest, raw album yet – the musician is reconnecting with the brightest parts of their music journey. Combining a decade worth of experience with the nostalgia of their early looping technique, Sultana is creating music in a way unlike any other.
As the natural sunlight dipped to dusk, the multi-instrumentalist joined their full band on stage for the first song of the night, “Unleash the Rage.” The unique setup had a circular pedestal placed center-stage, where Sultana spent the majority of their set playing the arsenal of instruments adorning it. From a small drum kit to multiple keyboards, the artist had nearly every instrument they knew to play at their disposal.
“Hazard to Myself,” a deeply vulnerable song about their past struggles as a teen with drug-induced psychosis, brought the artist off their pedestal for the first time of the night. Sitting on the edge of the Pier 17 stage, Sultana let their legs dangle off the side as they sang directly to front-row fans.
After the first few songs, the full band retreated backstage so the singer-songwriter could demonstrate their “one-person band” skillset. “Milk & Honey,” a single off their new album Return to the Roots, brought the looper out to the picturesque Manhattan rooftop. Juggling the guitar, drums, trumpet, chimes, vocals, and voice effects in the rock-reggae song, Sultana showed how music-making is in their blood. Their effortless demeanor while performing their looped set demonstrated a natural instinct for building addictive beats and producing songs live.
“Mystik” also showed off their production prowess. As Sultana started building the undertones of the beat, their confidence grew tenfold. Smiling while crafting the song from scratch, the artist picked up their guitar for a quick loop before navigating over to a small drum setup. Once the instrumentation was recorded, Sultana ran across the stage to a side platform where they sat on the ground criss-cross, but not taking a single break. On the platform resided a pedalboard system, which distorted the singer’s gritty, versatile vocal range. The live, remixed performance of the song had the crowd moving under neon lights and sunset skies.
In the few short speaking breaks of the set – as Sultana wanted to focus on the music due to NYC’s strict 10 pm outdoor music curfew – the artist described how hard the past year had been for them. Between parting ways with their former team of twelve years to the loss of their childhood dog, the singer-songwriter explained how music has kept them going during vulnerable times. “Why not take another few punches and just completely change my life around?” Sultana said. Making up their mind to propel forward, Sultana encouraged all to set themselves free and embrace the losses in their life before playing “Pink Moon,” a song honoring those that’ve passed on in their life over the last year and a half.
A beautiful night filled with heavily emotional lyrics, picturesque views, and psychedelic rock beats, Tash Sultana at The Rooftop at Pier 17 was a great addition to the venue’s 2026 summer season, which has only just begun! Their tour continues for another week across the United States, ending on June 20 at Chicago’s Salt Shed. To see Sultana’s music mastery live, attend a tour date here.
Tash Sultana – Sunday, June 7 – Rooftop at Pier 17
Setlist: Unleash the Rage, Kiss the Sky, Hazard to Myself, Greed, Nights Over Egypt (The Jones Girls cover), Saxophone Solo, Milk & Honey, Mystik, Notion, Jungle, Pink Moon, Coma, Blackbird
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