At 36, Jessica Mauboy is standing in a rare kind of light: one that fuses past, present, and future into a single moment of clarity.
Fresh from her induction into the National Indigenous Music Awards' Hall Of Fame and preparing to take the stage at Airlie Beach Festival of Music, the singer-songwriter has released 'While I Got Time' – a track that also soundtracked the emotional farewell of long-time 'Home And Away' character Irene Roberts.
It's a song that feels as raw and intimate as anything she's ever recorded. The track, co-written with longtime collaborator PJ Harding, was born from deep reflection.
For Mauboy, that meant going back to the beginning. "I think moving away from home. . . it took me back that far," she says.
"I hold on to a lot of overwhelming feelings of having left home, leaving people that know me better than the world, and a place that stems a certain kind of foundation and spirit. All the memories and growth have travelled with me.
"So 'While I Got Time' was me curating all those memories and feelings and being able to sing them that way."
Stripped down to guitar and vocals, the track leans into honesty and vulnerability. Jessica explains that its simplicity was intentional. "It was just intimate, selfishly quiet, and safely quiet.
"PJ and I could have a two-hour talk and then suddenly, half an hour later, there's a song. We wanted the vocals and lyrics to sit front and centre, without distraction. That's the kind of writing I love."
That purity only deepened when the song was chosen to close Irene's story after 33 years on 'Home And Away'. "I grew up with Auntie Irene Roberts – she was like an auntie on screen," Mauboy laughs.
"When I found out the song would be part of that farewell, it felt perfect. It was the icing on the carrot cake. I felt honoured, but also that it came from such a real, wholesome place."
If 'While I Got Time' is about reflection, it also signals reinvention. It's the first single released through Mauboy's independent label, Jamally. After more than two decades in the industry, she says taking creative control was both necessary and liberating. "I mean, we all know what the power of control feels like," she explains. "For me, it was creative – a whole 360.
"It's a safe place where I can make music, and it has the liberty of doing whatever it wants to do. I've moved more things in the past five or six months than I ever did with a label. I respect what labels gave me, but now I have the knowledge and tools to go indie. It feels like a natural evolution."
That independence extends beyond music. With her beauty brand Desert Rose, Mauboy is using her platform to spark a conversation about skin health, particularly within First Nations communities.
Growing up under the harsh Northern Territory sun, she remembers how sunscreen was rarely part of the culture. "There was this mindset of, 'I've got dark skin, the sun can't hurt me', but it can," she says.
"I wanted to be the face of that conversation, to role model it for my community, and to make it positive. Desert Rose is about protection, resilience, and care." That same resilience shapes everything she does – onstage, in the studio, and in her life.
Next, Jessica will carry this new chapter – her reflection, her independence, her fire – onto the stage at Airlie Beach Festival of Music. It's another stop on a journey that feels less about milestones and more about momentum.
Mauboy has always believed in showing up. Not just for herself, but for the communities she represents. Every performance, every appearance, is another chance to carve out space – and maybe, just maybe, a young Blak person will see her doing her thing and know that it's possible for them too. That's why she keeps going. For the music, for the storytelling, but above all for the next generation watching.
Jessica Mauboy plays Airlie Beach Festival Of Music, which runs 7-9 November, joining The Screaming Jets, Diesel, The Black Sorrows, Choirboys, Bachelor Girl and many, many more.
Airlie Beach Festival Of Music 2025 Second Line-Up Acts
Pete MurrayTex Perkins
Matt Walker
David Flower
The Natural Culture
Matty Rogers
Tanya George
Dallas Steele
Kieran McCarthy
Zed Charles
Jolly Jingo
Bear Brewer
Jackson Dunn
Darren Griffis & The Jukejoint
Katie Richards Band
Lucy Gallant
The Gathering
Trilla
Tim Griffin
Karl S Williams & Sally Wiggins
The Humbuckin' Pickups
The Whiskeys
Is Man Kind
Rollercam
Viva Band
Sam McCann
Corey Legge
The Swine Club
Tammy Moxon
Sam Maddison
Matt Black
Tim Johnson
Rebelquin
Simon Briley
Scotty Wilson
Josiah Samuel
Tiffany Grace
Dave Helgi Johan
Off Tap
Airlie Beach Festival Of Music 2025 First Acts
Jessica MauboyThe Screaming Jets
Diesel
The Black Sorrows
Choirboys
Bachelor Girl
Lloyd Spiegel
Jayne Denham
Hillbilly Goats
James Bennett
Andy Penkow
Bo’Ness Brothers
Matt Angell
Piper Butcher
Tom Neilson
