“When I won it, it all just sort of happened. I didn’t take all the opportunities that I had offered to me because I just wasn’t ready.” Triumphant in 2013’s Rockquest competition, taking first ...
READ MORE >Jessica Hansell aka Coco Solid has been named as the 2018 recipient of the Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency. 'Whut up everybody as of today I'm officially a Fulbright scholar and I'm going to the University of Hawai'i in August. I'll be writing a book at the Center of Pacific Island Studies 🖤😎 Plz bring on the Hawai'i Oahu tips hook ups and recommendations 🌺https://t.co/p3Mlvgenxp — 🌊O🌊O (@cocosolid) June 17, 2018' Jessica is a musician, multi-disciplinary ...
READ MORE >Applications have opened for the 2018 Waiata Māori Music Awards. There are 10 award categories, including Best Māori Pop Album, Song, Songwriter, Music Video and Traditional Album. Past winners include Maisey Rika, Six60, Rei, Maaka Fiso, Teeks, Stan Walker and Sons of Zion. Taking place annually in September in Hawkes Bay, the awards seek to recognize, develop and encourage the accomplishments of Māori composers. The awards ceremony celebrates diversity and excellence of Māori Music in Aotearoa ...
READ MORE >Following Wild Creations' pilot last year, the partnership between Creative New Zealand and the Department of Conservation will continue this year. Wild Creations blends conservation and creativity by providing funding to artists to create work inspired by the people, places and stories of Aotearoa’s cultural and environmental heritage. The work of the talented artists that take part in Wild Creations is giving DOC opportunities to connect Kiwis with conservation stories through art. Applications ...
READ MORE >The NZ Music Awards season took another step this week with the announcement of the winner of the 2018 Jazz Awards made ahead of the opening of the Wellington Jazz Festival. Impressive 25-year old bassist and composer Umar Zakaria was named as the Best Jazz Artist for his album 'Fearless Music’, which also features contributions from Roger Manins, Leonardo Coghini and Luther Hunt. A graduate of the NZ School of Music and the New England Conservatory in Boston, Zakaria has gained a ...
READ MORE >Sahara Skye McDonald was always a musical kid, having played acoustic guitar since the age of 11. After collaborations with Ryan Enzed in 2016 on a track called Crawling, plus writing and recording a song called Who I Am with Ciaran McMeeken for his latest album, Sahara is now stepping into the limelight on her own. She's off to a good start with first single Expectations featuring on NZ On Air Music's NewTracks compilation this June. What's the background story of Sahara Skye? Is it just you, ...
READ MORE >Pearl. Remember Pearl? Can’t say I did, but given that the Wellington duo released an album (‘No Ordinary Day’) and several ‘adult contemporary’ radio singles a decade or so ago, plenty of middle-ageing Kiwis will. Blame It On ABBA: How I Ditched My Day Job To Chase A Childhood Dream By Lisa Nimmo, Graphetti Publishing, $35rrp Part self-discovery adventure, part life coaching session, part music industry insight and no doubt a large part sanative exercise, Blame It On ABBA is a charmingly ...
READ MORE >Prophets of the digitising of music have always pointed to the opportunities it provides for artists from the extremities of genre and geography. Palmerston North struggles for population and is the more musically hard case than hardcore, yet remains the home of Depths, a four album-deep black metal band with a social media following that would be the envy of many. Say, Don McGlashan or Kings, for instance. Amber Beaton talked with Jason Meadows and Josh Bain about their band’s latest conceptual ...
READ MORE >It’s emblematic of Delaney Davidson’s natural perversity that the CD version of his new album, entitled ‘Shining Day’, is presented in a matt cardboard pack of decidedly muted colours. Perhaps the message is that his songs will shine out from the drabness of their enclosure – in the manner of the unpolished jewel from which he drew the name of his own label, Rough Diamond Inc Records. Amanda Mills caught up with the influential Lyttelton musician ahead of the release of his ninth album. Delaney ...
READ MORE >Creating what they call 'melting melodies' – music with a smooth, laid-back vibe – Dunedin-based quartet Mild Orange have made it onto NZOA Music's NewTracks compilation for the first time this May. Guitarist Josh 'Jah' Reid and Josh 'Mehrt' Mehrtens on vocals, guitar and production go way back, reconnecting while flatting as adults. Completing the band, there are also bassist Tom 'Barry' Belk on bass and drummer Jack Ferguson, who double as the rhythm section for fellow Dunedin band, Albion ...
READ MORE >The debut EP from Auckland hip hop-jazz fusionists Round Buddah received a warm welcome into the world with an enthusiastic reception at a release party in late 2017. ‘People and Trees’ was recorded at Depot Sound Recording Studio, with the help of engineer Morgan Allen who vocalist Holly Afoa praises as being very accommodating with the Round Buddah style. That said, as her co-vocalist Jackson Lester reveals, it was a relief to have the finished EP. Along with this release came many valuable ...
READ MORE >With her third album ‘Till The Feeling’s Right’ out now, Whangarei Heads-based songwriter Erin Cole-Baker left home and family behind in February this year to take her music to the Folk Alliance International conference in Kansas City, USA. Alongside Milly Tabak of The Miltones, and Anika Moa, the three made up the Kiwi contingent at the hugely busy event. Erin kindly wrote a few words about the experience for NZM. Till the feeling's right by Erin Cole-Baker Folk Alliance International Kansas ...
READ MORE >The official Music Month Summit 2018 is tackling some of the issues the music industry has been facing up to over the last year. The summit features a stellar line up of music industry professionals and speakers, who will challenge and create thought-provoking conversation around some of the industry issues that have been highlighted in the past twelve months. The day comprises of four sessions, with four speakers for each topic and an open Q&A after each session. The subjects and speakers ...
READ MORE >As every year, photographer and massive fan of local music, Trevor Villers, went to join the crowds around town for Record Store Day 2018, capturing a plethora of familiar faces on makeshift stages and around record crates around Auckland City.
READ MORE >20 Bands In 2 Hours 2018 will take place on May 18 at Galatos in Auckland. 20 acts, one song each. Tickets are available here. The idea to fill an entire radio show with live music originated as a crazy student radio folly. A few instalments later, the show moves to a larger venue for more people to enjoy, but with the very same goal - to showcase a variety of fine local music to music lovers in one fun night. The event will be streamed live thanks to the film department at SAE Institute Auckland ...
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