Shumo AG and Batas Senja. Photo: Supplied
From Nathan Cavaleri to Ruel, Australia has always had a soft spot for teenage music prodigies.
Fourteen-year-old Brisbane artist Shumo AG has released a bilingual new single with Indonesian folk-pop act Batas Senja, marking his first major international collaboration.
The new track, “Iron Veins”, is out today and brings together English and Indonesian lyrics across a folk-pop ballad built around clean guitars, cinematic melodies and a slow emotional lift.
The song was originally written and composed by the teenager before being reworked with Batas Senja, one of Indonesia’s major contemporary acts.
Shumo said the song looks at the emotional armour people build after difficult experiences, and what happens when that protection starts to become a cage.
“Iron Veins is about the emotional armour, about the walls we build to protect ourselves from pain,” he explained.
The track also marks a new creative step for the young multi-instrumentalist, who recorded guitar layers and vocals for the collaboration after the arrangement moved closer to Batas Senja’s melodic folk-pop sound.
“I learned that collaboration is about allowing different emotions, ideas, and people to shape the song into something bigger than it was at the start.”
Listen to “Iron Veins” on Spotify
Queensland prodigy heads global
At just 14, Shumo AG has already built a long list of national and international music awards, including the AMEB Gold Award in 2024, the Gold Award in the 2025 North American Virtuoso International Music Competition and a gold medal at the US Canadian International Music Competition.
He also took out the Super Grand Prix in 2024 for his song “Mom”, which he wrote when he was 12.
The singer-songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist has also been selected for Prodigy Camp in Leavenworth, Washington, joining the songwriting stream after a competitive application and interview process.
Previous Prodigy Camp alumni include artists and performers who have gone on to work across music, film and television, giving the young Queensland artist another international platform as his songwriting develops.
Jakarta performance planned
Shumo AG is also set to perform “Iron Veins” live with Batas Senja in Jakarta later this year.
The collaboration follows performances for large crowds overseas and closer to home, including MTV School Fest and Brisbane International appearances.
While still balancing music with high school, Shumo said he is continuing to write new material and explore the direction of his first larger body of work.
“Right now, my main weapon is still the electric guitar. It is the soul and heart of many of my songs.”
Listen to “Iron Veins” by Shumo AG and Batas Senja on Spotify.
