Sumner-based band The Butlers have slipped in the back door of the NZ music scene with a laid-back groove well suited to any smokey bar scene from an old school movie. “We were just jamming a few jazz grooves around Christchurch,” says drummer George Berry, in explanation of how things got started with himself and his good mate Walt Robberds, who supplies guitar and vocals. Their jamming grew over time to envelop other musicians, including the solid bass of Jordan Kennedy, lead guitar of ...

The award for earworm of the month of April goes to Daily J's Black Lagoon. What a great tune by a literal band of brothers, Jesse, Jayden and Jonny Paul, and their brother from another mother Rick Everard. The three Pauls relocated to Auckland from Marlborough to give music "a fair crack", as Jesse puts it. They're one of the standout newcomers featured on NZ On Air Music's NewTracks compilation in April and are working hard to keep up the momentum. Who is in the band, where are you from and ...

In what can appear as a glamorous industry, where musicians, publicists and big label bosses garner a lot of the attention, often it is the somewhat overlooked aspects of the music industry that appear more interesting. Lyn McAllister Music has long been importing instruments to NZ for subsequent distribution to retail music stores, and have come to specialise in particular in Martin products and ukuleles. They have survived in a cut-throat industry despite the advent of the digital age and climate ...