For Oli Bomann (they/them), compassion, empathy and trust are key in understanding their musical sensibilities. Growing up in Connecticut and Wellington, New Zealand has allowed them to understand different intersections of how peoples and cultures get together to celebrate life, art, and happiness. Oli’s musical output aims to reflect upon those perspectives in whichever musical context they play in.

Oli grew up playing both Electric and Upright bass. They were accepted into the prestigious Young Musician’s Programme held at the New Zealand School of Music. Upon leaving high-school, Oli was accepted into the Jazz Studies Program at NYU Steinhardt, where they received a Bachelor’s of Music and further his studies under prolific artists such as Lenny White, Wayne Krantz, Martin Wind, Lenny Pickett and Chris Potter.

As a professional bassist, Oli has had a breath of experience working and recording alongside a diverse array of artists, both in New York and New Zealand. Some notable Jazz artists that he has worked with include Lenny White, Bernard Wright, Will Calhoun, Letizia Gambi, Dave Pietro, Emilio Modeste, The Royal New Zealand Airforce Band, Louisa Williamson (NZ), Roger Fox (NZ), and Cory Champion (NZ). Some of the pop/rock acts that they has worked alongside include Samia, Natasha Agrama, Del Water Gap, Malick Koly, MOZIAH, Stello, and Sean Carroll.

Oli releases their own music under the moniker sunny.bear. They released their debut single “Joe Kamal” in January of 2024, and continue to further release their blend of electronic music and jazz-rock in the following months.