Owning Your Value
A few days ago I submitted a writing pitch to a women's business and lifestyle website and received a positive response, and their terms of publication. While reading the terms I discovered they not only ...
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Opportunities
Parachute Music’s Artist Development Programme 2020
Parachute Music are on the look out for six up-and-coming artists who are wanting to take their music careers to the next level in 2020. Each year Parachute Music holds auditions to find candidates suitable for their year-long artist development programme. Aiming to kickstart careers in the music industry through offering the opportunity to learn from seasoned industry professionals, the programme equips young NZ artists with the skills to make an impact on the world stage. Successful artists ...
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Matt Corby & Dann Hume Win 2019 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition
Dann Hume and Matt Corby’s track Miracle Love has won first prize in this year’s Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, just edging out Sarah Aaron’s multiple APRA Award-winning song The Middle. Kiwi Dann Hume is, or rather was, of course, the fantastically talented Evermore drummer-brother, while Corby is a former ARIA Song of the Year winner from across the ditch. Miracle Love is from his second album ‘Rainbow Valley’, which opened at No. 4 on the Australian Album Chart last ...
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Celebrating 30 Years Of NZ On Air
NZ’s public media funding agency NZ On Air is celebrating 30 years of reflecting our identity and culture – supporting content that allows us to see and hear New Zealand’s stories, in our voices. Established with the Broadcasting Act 1989, the agency is funded by the government to invest in authentic NZ stories and songs. In the past 30 years NZ On Air funding has generated: More than 26,000 hours of screen content, so supporting the independent production community to grow significantly. 4062 ...
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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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NewTracks New Artist
NewTracks New Artist: Mousey
Little did we know when we picked Mousey out of the artists featured on NZ On Air's NewTracks compilation for July to be part of this column with her debut single Extreme Highs that shortly after she would turn up in the final 20 for this year's Silver Scroll Award. Though, as Sarena Close reveals below, it's perhaps not surprising that she easily avoids the traps of ordinariness. What's your given name and what instruments do you play? My name is Sarena Ceanne Close, from Christchurch. I ...
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Fresh Talent: Pickle Darling
Christchurch multi-instrumentalist Pickle Darling is turning heads with his witty, thought-provoking take on bedroom pop. It’s the musical project of Lukas Mayo, an audio production graduate whose sweet and subtle sounds have earned him recognition from NZ to the far corners of the globe. Beginning his musical journey as a high school student who quickly decided it was too hard to learn other people’s songs, Mayo went straight into writing material of his own, which he affectionately defined ...
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Kingsland: You Can’t Keep A Good Thing Down
Sharing name with the increasingly cool Auckland city-edge suburb, Kingsland fuses rock and blues with a splash of soul, creating a sound niche unoccupied by many others in indie-crazed Tāmaki Makaurau. Vocalist Will Giles and bass player Eliot Witters gave Jean Bell the low-down on the band’s “unapologetically uncool” vibe, how a car crash changed everything and the importance of community in the music scene. When it comes to explaining the genesis of the group, Will Giles sums up his ...
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Villainy: The Light Of Day
It’s a great name for a rock band and Villainy have done it proud in terms of success and errm, sticking-togetherness. This July, the Auckland four-piece will see the release of their third album in a nearing decade-long career and with it the chance to go an impressive three-for-three in terms of rock album Tui-wins. Amberleigh Jack spoke with singer/lyricist Neill Fraser and bass player James Dylan about why ‘Raised In The Dark’ has taken longer than expected to see the light of day, and ...
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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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Photo Galleries
Te Korakora On Federal, Auckland, July 13, 2019
Dubbed an "urban street party", Te Korakora took place on Federal St on July 13 to mark the end of Auckland's Matariki Festival 2019. Photographer Trevor Villers says he "chanced upon it" on his way to another show, and used the opportunity to capture the event on camera. "It was fitting that all the stars were out to conclude this festival. You’ll recognise most of them of course - Moana and The Tribe, the covers band RnR in the middle, and Troy Kingi and ensemble to conclude."
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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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