Two trophies as the artist behind his ’Rare Vision’ EP, plus a third as producer of the Stan Walker/Samantha Jade pop single Start Again, made Vince Harder the biggest winner at this year’s Pacific ...
Launched in September last year, about the same time Maori Television’s fun music competition show Homai Te Pakipaki nine year run ended, Waatea Music was established to provide a platform to release ...
Coming together in time for 2014’s Chronophonium festival, Auckland act Kip McGrath have since released two self-produced EPs. Their latest entitled ‘Sour Grapes’ consists of five tracks, the majority ...
A stalwart of the Kapiti Coast and Wellington blues scenes for many years, Al Witham is known as much for his deep baritone vocals as his performances, both solo and with a band. Recorded at ‘Al’s ...
It may just be that he has too much other art going on in his life, but for whatever reason Blair Parkes is evidently reluctant to push his new album onto an over-supplied market. That’s a shame because ...
Based in Newtown, but originating from the Bay of Plenty, Prizegiving are part of the latest wave of upbeat kick-ass Wellington bands. They may have only existed under that moniker for the last months ...
Arcee is Rona Claire Wignall, the performer name being both her initials and a riff on that of a feisty female Transformers’ autobot. Born in Manchester, England, she grew up in NZ from 12. Having studied ...
The business seemed to rather creep into place on the Auckland guitar-making (and repair) scene, but in a couple of years Binford Luthiery has cemented a significant and active presence, which notably ...
Upon learning her first instrument, Henrieta Tornyai, more commonly known by the name Henika, fell in love with music. Having moved to NZ from Slovakia aged eight, she started playing guitar at 11. “It’s ...
Being jazz-based instrumental recordings, radio has never been an outlet – and being evidently performance-shy, touring and gigging has not earned them a following. Still, it could well be that you are ...
Directed by Swap Gomez, the video for single See The Light is shot fly-on-the-wall style at a classic Auckland west coast beach home afternoon/evening party gathering. There’s family, food, music, conversations, ...
On the south coast of Wellington, hidden away from the city, still in hearing distance from the airport but where the ocean laps gently on the sand, Nikita Tu-Bryant recorded an album in the back of her ...
She has released a number of radio singles in a diversity of genres covering pop, folk, rock, urban Maori and soul. She’s shared the stage with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and sung backing ...
Successfully stepping out of well-fitting singer/songwriter brogues and into the dancefloor sneakers of electronic pop clearly requires more than just a change of haircut and footwear. Some kind of intervention ...
In 2009, childhood buddies Ciarann Babbington (vocals/guitar) and Jamie Gordon (drums/vocals) formed a punk rock band: Bakers Eddy. “It was originally a three piece. Me, Jamie and this guy called ...
Separately frustrated with the strictures of the different variations of country music that their respective bands had hitched their wagons to, Wellington musicians Michael Keane and Harriett Ferry found ...
The last stop in our quest was the unpredictable but often quite fun planet of All-Ages & School Gigs. Now let’s journey to the stage at street fairs or festivals. That’s not just another world, ...
The longest running NZ TV theme of all time has by now ear-wormed its way through the conscious (and subconscious) sound world of multiple generations of Kiwis and international listeners alike. The 26-year ...
What’s Love Got To Do With It? Why we ought’a be in love with the songs we sing. Now, there’s this song I’ve fancied for years and years, but never had the courage to ask it out. I’d listen ...
It’s no secret that many artists wouldn’t be the household names they are today without the work of some great music producers behind them. While producers often have a low profile as far as the public ...
Using Movable Chords: One of the biggest challenges guitar players face is that of playing chords. Some of the problems are 1). Knowing where all the chord shapes are on the neck. 2). How they all fit ...
Mixing in the box: Okay, valuable cliché time. ‘Start with the end in mind.’ There is a temptation to just start pushing faders around and see what happens. If you have an idea of what you want your ...
Latin Grooves: In this issue we are going to look at some Afro–Cuban bass lines two of which are contemporary, and one, while from a relatively recent song, is based on a traditional Cuban rhythm. In ...