King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Jimmy Barnes, Fred Leone, Gordi & Montaigne are among the 20+ Australian artists who have joined forces with Scott Reef to release an anthem with an urgent, timely message: save Scott Reef.
‘If Not Now‘ is an ambitious reimagining of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s Environmental Music Prize-winning song of the same name, released both digitally and physically on Monday 9 November as a collaboration between Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Green Music Australia, and p(doom) Records.
Scott Reef is a 15-million-year-old ancient coral reef located 270 kilometres off the Kimberley coast of Western Australia. While not as famous as other reefs, it is a pristine and important marine ecosystem home to thousands of marine animals and endangered species – and its very existence is threatened by Woodside, the largest fossil fuel corporation operating within Australia, that plans to drill up to 57 toxic wells under and around the reef, turning it into an industrial gas zone.
Inspired by the cause, prominent Australian musicians have rallied together, forming a musical supergroup, donating their time and talent to make a call to arms to save Scott Reef from Woodside’s drilling plans. The song is the reef itself’s first and only release, released on all digital platforms and on limited edition 7” vinyl. The song is accompanied by cover art and visuals from acclaimed Australian artist and ARIA-winning music video director Jonathan Zawada (Flume, The Avalanches).
Speaking about the track, Stu Mackenzie shares, “Why are we still digging up coal and gas? Why are we allowing this? Why is the Australian government so hell bent on destroying our beautiful wild and untouched places? I’m proud that a King Gizz song was chosen to represent a growing movement of people who are asking these questions and applying pressure. Let’s shut it down and keep it beautiful.”
Jimmy Barnes adds, “Scott Reef is one of the few pristine reefs left in the world and it happens to be on our doorstep. We’re custodians of it – we’re supposed to be looking after it. It’s ridiculous. We must protect our country and look after what we value most, which is the nature and the beauty of this country.”
Hannah Schuch, Senior Campaigner for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, shares “I’m filled with hope by the incredible musicians and artists who are using their voices and skills to amplify the voices of half a million Australians who are calling on the government to stop Woodside’s nature and climate-wrecking gas plans and save Scott Reef. Australian music has long been a powerful catalyst for change, so saving Scott Reef is a no brainer for Australian music lovers.”
Produced by Tim Shiel (musician, ex-triple j/Double J radio announcer and current lead campaigner at Green Music Australia) and Stu Mackenzie (King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard), the song is a balancing act of genre, style and storytelling, taking the microtonal-adjacent groove, funky clavinet, and falsetto vocals of the original and supplementing it with a dream team of Australian musical talent, including three generations of the iconic Australian musical family: Jimmy Barnes, his daughter Mahalia Barnes, and his granddaughter (and 2026 Environmental Music Prize winner) Ruby Rodgers.
Butchulla songman Fred Leone, recent winner of Artist of the Year at the 2026 NIMAs, and Terry Guyula from the rapidly rising Arnhem Land act Drifting Clouds, bring First Languages to the song. Leone sings in Butchulla, while Guyula translates the song’s powerful chorus into Yolgnu Matha.
WA, home of Scott Reef, is represented by Spacey Jane’s Peppa Lane, Djugun and Jabirr-Jabirr singer-songwriter and Indigenous knowledge holder NIDALA, rising triplet teenagers Birdland and long-time climate advocate John Butler.
Acclaimed Australian singer-songwriters Gordi, Montaigne, Alex Lahey and Leah Senior all appear, alongside soulful ad-libs from Papua New Guinea-born Australian artist Ngaiire and synth layers from electronic duo Close Counters. The song’s fiery rap verse is a collab between two of the country’s most passionate and outspoken MCs: climate-conscious Filipino-Aboriginal Australian musician DOBBY and veteran Elefant Traks founder Urthboy.
Also featuring on the track is Tom Mahler of Central Coast band The Moving Stills, and marine biologist/freediver Brinkley Davies, whose words are sampled from the Scott Reef documentary Coral’s Last Stand.
The song’s production also has a stellar supporting cast: Tay Blunt from Sydney band FVNERAL stepped in as a vocal engineer for a secret recording session at BIGSOUND 2026, attended by Ngaiire and King Gizzard; mastering engineer Becki Whitton (G Flip, Allday, Stella Donnelly) is a prominent advocate for experimental music; digital and promotional support comes from The Annex (Genesis Owusu, Lime Cordiale), homegrown distributor GYROstream, and music PR specialist Alyse Newman from AANTHOLOGIES. The song’s physical release is supported by p(doom) Records, Program Records and Soundmerch.
The Federal government is expected to make a decision on Woodside’s gas drilling plans at Scott Reef in the coming months. This mighty group represents a broader music community calling on Environment Minister Murray Watt to stop Woodside and save Scott Reef once and for all.
WATCH THE ‘IF NOT NOW’ VISUALISER
‘If Not Now‘ by Scott Reef ft.
Alex Lahey
Birdland
Brinkley Davies
Close Counters
DOBBY
Drifting Clouds
Fred Leone
Gordi
Jimmy Barnes
John Butler
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Leah Senior
Mahalia Barnes
Montaigne
Ngaiire
NIDALA
Peppa Lane (Spacey Jane)
Ruby Rodgers
The Moving Stills
Tim Shiel
& Urthboy.
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