Jordan Brunoli has revealed he has just three to four months left to live after more than a year of fighting stage-4 bowel cancer.
The 29-year-old bassist for Brisbane indie rock trio Bugs shared the devastating update Sunday on the band’s official Instagram account, telling fans that a genetic mutation has caused tumors to grow too rapidly for any treatment to stop their spread. Brunoli, whose family is from the Rocklea area, was first diagnosed in 2025 after months of symptoms that emergency departments and GPs repeatedly dismissed, according to his bandmates.
“I have spent over a year now trying different chemotherapy drugs, backed by an amazing oncologist and treatment team,” Brunoli wrote in his statement. “Unfortunately, I have a mutation that causes rapid growth of tumours, and none of the treatments have been able to stop the cancer from spreading.”
The cancer has spread from his bowels to his liver and lymph nodes, leaving him with what doctors called a 3–4 month prognosis back in June. Brunoli said he was sharing the news to keep supporters informed and “be as upfront as possible.” His bandmates, Connor Brooker and Brock Weston, have stood by him throughout the ordeal, setting up a GoFundMe when he was first diagnosed that has now raised over $107,000.
“I am now entering the final chapter of my life after being told in June I had a prognosis of 3–4 months,” he continued. “I’m sharing this with everyone to keep y’all in the loop and be as upfront as possible.”
Despite the grim prognosis, Brunoli’s focus remains on the music. Bugs’ new album ‘Head Noise’ drops August 28, a project the band worked on throughout his cancer battle. He described recording through surgery recovery, chemotherapy sickness, and neuropathy so severe he couldn’t feel his guitar.
“Means so much to me,” he said of the album. “I can’t wait for you to hear the whole album. We’ve worked on it for the last two years, through the good and the bad.”
“We kept recording when I was recovering from surgery, sick from chemo, even when I had neuropathy so bad I couldn’t feel the guitar I was playing,” Brunoli added. “With the love and support of everyone, we are finally able to share it with you.”
Singles ‘Tough Love’ and ‘Crystal’ have already been released, and Brunoli has promised to play final shows with Brooker and Weston. The band has organized a benefit concert called “Saving a Bug’s Life” at The Tivoli in Brisbane featuring DZ Deathrays, Beddy Rays, Dear Seattle and others, with raffle prizes including signed memorabilia from Powderfinger, Dune Rats and Last Dinosaurs.
“My focus has always been on enjoying the music and sharing it with others,” Brunoli wrote. “Playing, recording and touring around Australia with Bugs has been the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“I just wanna say, if there were a few final shows coming up, you can bet I’ll be playing them,” he promised.
In the viral moment that first brought his story to national attention, Brunoli’s bandmates announced his diagnosis on Instagram in late June, revealing that he had undergone major surgery to remove tumors from his bowel and lymph nodes, resulting in a stoma installation. They wrote that the diagnosis came “completely out of the blue” after he spent months in constant pain, sent away from emergency care repeatedly before finally getting scans that revealed the advanced cancer. At the time, they said he would begin chemotherapy in ten days and was focused on regaining weight and recovering.
Brunoli has also used his platform to urge young people not to ignore symptoms. In a July 31 GoFundMe update, he wrote that he “thought I was too young, but there has been a recent increase in instances of colorectal cancer in people under 30’s,” He told fans: “Getting a diagnosis now could be the difference in a stage 1 tumor or stage 4 metastatic.” He described music as his “therapeutic happy place” and said he was doing his best to respond to the flood of messages and calls pouring in.
He thanked Brooker and Weston for banding together to indulge his final wish of releasing the album and playing shows before he dies. Closing his Sunday statement, Brunoli wrote: “Thank you everyone, and watch me enjoy……the rest of my life. Love, Jords.”
The “Saving a Bug’s Life” benefit concert is scheduled for October 4 at The Tivoli in Brisbane.