Building Blocks: Managing Your Band Pt 2
The Business End: In the first instalment of this Building Blocks mini-series of Managing Your Band, Pt 1 - Stepping Forward, I covered reasons why you might want to propose that you manage your band. ...
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News
2019 APRA Silver Scroll Shortlist Dropped
The top 20 shortlisted songs in the running for NZ’s 2019 Silver Scroll songwriting award were announced today. This year's pool of finalist nominees includes a strong representation of hip hop, including formerly-nominated SWIDT, newcomers Church & AP, and Chaii. Another notable feature of the shortlist is the number of previously un-featured artists, illustrating the strength of songwriting among NZ's music future. 2019 APRA Silver Scroll Award nominees… Alien Weaponry: Ahi Kā Anika ...
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Revolution Creative launched at Depot Artspace
On Thursday the 4th of July, Auckland’s Depot Artspace (also home to the Depot Sound Recording Studio) launched with their own version of fireworks: a technicolour display of their vision projected across the Devonport gallery’s walls, in a celebration of Aotearoa New Zealand’s creative independence. While it was the website's official launch event, Revolution Creative is a digital platform that went live mid-March this year. With the goal of generating more financial opportunities for ...
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Dennis Marsh Recognised At Matariki Awards 2019
At the Nga Whetu O Matariki Awards 2019 held in Auckland on July 4, legendary country singer Dennis Marsh received a Te Mata o te Ariki special award for his outstanding contribution to music. The Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hine descendant has released 20 albums, two No.1s, four gold albums and six platinum albums. That impressive record includes his latest, 'Backyard Party', which was released in 2018 and has since achieved a massive 300,000 sales after debuting at No.1 on the NZ Album Charts. The ...
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Perform At Newtown Festival 2020
Wellington's Newtown Festival invites performers to register their interest to be part of at the annual event on March 8, 2020. This year, 130+ acts were scheduled from 9:30am through to 9pm in the streets of Newtown (and more at local cafes and bars continuing with after-parties). Applications will close on September 1. More info and the application form are here.
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Observation Posts
Vox Pops: What We Do In Winter
What do you do in winter? Are there any things in your life in music that you typically do during NZ winter? Do you hibernate? Write more sad songs than usual? Focus more / take on extra shifts at your day job? Steam your voice daily. Play the northern summer festival scene. Start work on major projects for later in the year? Focus on marketing? Or does nothing change for you? NZM asked, and these are some of the responses we got back. Ed Waaka, Musician, Auckland Winter usually means fighting ...
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NewTracks New Artist: Pere
Another break-out artist from Te Reo collective Maimoa. Following Kaaterama Pou's gorgeous solo EP last year, Pere has just released his energetic debut single High On Ingoingo. Originally hailing from the far north, Pere's big voice and great knack for catchy, bilingual songwriting, (not to mention the fabulous sense of style and dancing) convinced NZ On Air Music to feature him on their NewTracks compilation in July. What's your name, where are you from and what instruments do you play? My full ...
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Sophie Mashlan: Courting Disaster
Fast emerging folk talent Sophie Mashlan released her debut album, ‘Perfect Disaster’, in April. Displaying a confidence that belies her delicate voice and slight build, the teenaged Auckland singer/songwriter has dogmatically pursued her own pathway to popularity in the challenging realm of lovelorn folk music. Natalie Pease caught up with her early one Sunday morning to discuss the new album, its influences and road to creation. Sophie Mashlan is an accomplished guitarist, having been playing ...
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On Foreign Soil: Jack Panther
At the beginning of May, Wellingtonian Jack Anderson aka Jack Panther independently released his debut EP 'Retrospect', digitally and on cassette. The first single of the EP, Heartbreakers was premiered at Happy Mag last year, with the description that it "…glides through a melancholic blend of indie and synth-pop to deliver a captivating sound, with brooding, pop-driven vocal hooks and glassy production." There's a reason it sounds that good. To get the song mastered, Jack went to the UK himself ...
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Caroline Easther: Lucky As You Make It
There are some musicians whose careers are fluid, moving between styles, instruments and bands with ease, often at the periphery, but always with a familiar sound. Caroline Easther is one such musician, a drummer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter whose work you may know from Beat Rhythm Fashion, The Chills and Let’s Planet, not to mention her being an early member of The Verlaines, and more recently as one of The Hobnail Boots. Now promoting her own album, titled ‘Lucky’, Caroline ...
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Bailey Wiley: A Road Less Travelled
The blend of hip hop production with her natural richly emotive neo-soulful voice has led to Bailey Wiley being badged as both genre- and era-bridging. Strong explorative EP releases in 2013, ‘14 and 2016 are now being backed up with a self-titled EP that’s enjoyed input from the luminary likes of Josh Fountain, Tom Scott, High Hoops, Melodownz, Smokey, Eno and others. A showcase of diversity within the Kiwi hip hop talent pool that the artist describes as being the first time she’s felt like ...
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Q & A With DDK
Recorded with local bass legend Billy Kristian (the C'mon band, Max Merritt & The Meteors, Ray Columbus & The Invaders), Dennis Krebs / McCann, aka DDK, released his debut album in May this year – after just about 50 years in various bands and on plenty of boats! With its synth and guitar-focus 'Looking For You' nods reverently to the greats of many decades, dabbling in classic, country and blues-rock, as well as '80s ballads, folk, some crooning, and Caribbean vibes on party-starter highlight Off ...
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Live Reviews
Review: Beastwars, San Fran, June 27, 2019
With the release of their fourth full-length, the aptly named ‘IV’, Wellington metal heroes Beastwars confronted a topic more personal than anything they’d tackled previously. Namely, the mortality of vocalist Matt Hyde. Conceived and written by Hyde while he was recovering in hospital from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, ‘IV’ is a stark and fearless album of self-analysis and considerations of the things that really matter. Topics such as his daughter and his life so far are broached, exposing ...
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2019 Matariki Festival, Harmony Hall, Auckland
Photographer Trevor Villers must've had a busy weekend, seeing both Soaked Oats and going to the 2019 Matariki Festival at Devonport's Harmony Hall. On stage in Devonport were the big voices of talented newcomer Kaaterama Pou, and local legend Whirimako Black, accompanied by Dixon Nacey on the guitar. "He was pure class," says Trevor.
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Dirty Pixels & Smokestack Slim Winter Tour
Auckland bands Dirty Pixels and Smokestack Slim are joining forces this winter to embark on a double headline tour of Aotearoa. The two bands, fronted by Dillon Feeney (Smokestack Slim) and Ethan Moore (Dirty Pixels) have spent the past two years collaborating with each other both on stage and in the studio. With Smokestack's sound rooted in swinging guitars and pianos of the '60s and '70s, and Pixels nodding towards 80's and 90's synth pop, the two acts fit like peanut butter and jelly, contrasting ...
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