Double ARIA Award nominated, multi-instrumentalist musician/producer, Dingo Spender, is a man of many talents and a humanist storyteller at heart. His aim is to connect people – mind, body, and soul.
From the house deck on the 10-acre Balnarring property which he caretakes and lives on with his two teenage sons, an endless vista unfolds: grassland paddocks with Frank the horse and a flock of curious sheep sitting next to Stringybark forest filled with the calls of cockatoos, fairy wrens and wattle birds.
Down the dusty track into the forest, a small stage emerges where Dingo runs a men’s circle and organises community events called Stringybark Sessions. Bonds are built, stories are shared and positive change happens.
While best known for his work as a singer, songwriter, musician and producer, there is so much to this incredible father, partner, friend, and support worker. Everything he does comes from a place of kindness and an abiding faith in the inherent goodness of people.
At ten-years-old Dingo moved with his family from Adelaide to Fitzroy. On holidays, he spent time on his family’s vineyard in South Australia where the ‘city kid’ then had the opportunity to live as a ‘bush kid’. His father is an art dealer. His mother is a costume jewellery designer. Creativity and love of the arts run deep in his family.
Dingo studied photography in VCE. He planned to do an apprenticeship in fashion photography then study at RMIT, but it wasn’t to be. “During my gap year, I started busking on my alto saxophone at Southbank. I was discovered by some musicians who asked me to jam with them. Together, we created improvisational jazz,” he says.
He began to study music and dedicated himself to practice but, after completing his study, all that sax playing gave him carpal tunnel syndrome. So Dingo began learning to sing and switched to guitar and then composition and audio production. Meanwhile, his jazz group, Offcuts, made an album which led to a record deal. They toured the world for five or six years. By then, Dingo could play guitar with the best of them.
“Being a multi-instrumentalist opened doors for work as both a performer and a session musician,” he says. Dingo met singer/songwriter Nicky Bomba, front man for his band Bomba, former drummer/percussionist for the John Butler Trio as well as leader of the ARIA Award winning Melbourne Ska Orchestra. Dingo teamed up with him, playing sax and touring.
Nicky’s sister, Danielle Caruana, aka Mama Kin, is married to John Butler. Dingo met the pair on a flight to Los Angeles. Dingo, Danielle and John became friends and roommates, and when Danielle and Dingo realised that their voices harmonised well, he held that in mind. Meanwhile, Dingo had been releasing solo music under his name, Spender.
“It made touring difficult because the two things I most loved – family and music, were in opposition. Family had to come first. I began working at a music agency and studio in South Melbourne producing music for advertising agencies and scoring films,” he says.
After several years, Dingo started to miss performing. This was when he and Danielle formed their own band, Mama Kin Spender. Because singing is the light of the soul and their mission as musicians is to uplift, they built their project around incorporating community choirs, working with choral singers across Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
Dingo played guitar, Danielle played drums and they shared vocals. The choir sang heavenly back up. This work led to their much-acclaimed album, Golden Magnetic, nominated for an ARIA Award and winning a WAM Award for best blues and roots. They began touring the world as backup band to The John Butler Trio. Dingo loved it, but it wasn’t long before the pull of family once again brought him home.
When COVID hit, lockdowns ended opportunities for performing so he partnered with his former wife and yoga teacher, Uma Neave, to offer Pranayama breathwork for those experiencing anxiety and depression during lockdowns. Participants joined online from all over the world. Dingo also expanded into running men’s circles locally and online in his Mankind Project. It proved transformative for all.
Now, all the stars have aligned. His three deepest loves have all come together – breathwork, men’s work and music.
The choir work with Danielle inspired Dingo to start a men’s choir called Wild Man Choir. Now, all the stars have aligned. His three deepest loves have all come together – breathwork, men’s work and music.
Dingo’s 25-year friendship and collaboration with Mama Kin continues to inform and enhance his music and his life. They released their second album in 2025 and again received an ARIA nomination. The album debuted at number two in the Australian charts. They played main stages at Woodford and Womadelaide and had sold-out shows on multiple national tours.
Years of shared wisdom and storytelling have led to their newest project – a theatre piece called Promises and Wild Beasts – soon to debut at Perth Festival. Danielle and Dingo wrote the script. Sydney theatre director Craig Ilott is directing the play.
“The play articulates the story arc of each of the songs from our recent ARIA nominated album, Promises. It’s about what love asks – how it expands, transforms, breaks and remakes people over and over again. Ultimately, it’s about the journey of learning to love one another by loving oneself first,” he says.
A play about love, connection and transformation is a fitting culmination of Dingo’s many talents, but it’s not the end of the line for this creative powerhouse. He’s got a very busy year of touring and recording ahead. Stay tuned.
IG @dingospender
Peninsula Essence February 2026