A confession first. I’m not really one for solid state amps, though I do have a little bit of an exception for my old Stage160 Fender solid state, which has held a special place in my heart since I was ...
READ MORE >NZ On Air Music's New Music Singles Funding December 2019 outcomes have been revealed. From 164 applications, 30 songs made it through the deciding panel, which was made up of Paddy Hill (Roundhead Studios), Nicky Harrop, Harry Pali (ZM), Jeff Newton (NZ On Air), Lydia Jenkin (APRA AMCOS NZ), Wairere Iti and Sarah Thomson (95bFM). The next New Music Singles funding round closes on February 13 and you can apply here.
READ MORE >There's still a bit of 2019 to come but Recorded Music NZ has announced the three finalists for the Best Folk Tui 2020. Mel Parsons is once again in the running to win Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa, alongside Kiwi singer/songwriter Victoria Vigenser & Lindsay Martin and husband-and-wife duo Paper Cranes. The award ceremony will take place at the 2020 Auckland Folk Festival on 26 January. Recorded in LA with famed producer Mitchell Froom, Mel Parson’s fourth studio album 'Glass Heart' was a ...
READ MORE >Artists who have released an album in 2019 can now nominate themselves for the Taite Music Prize 2020. The entry deadline is February 7, 2020 - to enter, please read the T&C here, and find the nomination form here. Named after the late music journalist Dylan Taite, the prize‘s purpose is to recognise outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album. Also recognised on the award night are the Independent Spirit Award; the Independent Music NZ Classic Record ...
READ MORE >The NZ Music Commission is inviting potential interns to apply for 16 short term roles across the music industry. Its Industry Internship Programme 2020 will run for the third time next year, with the goal of growing the knowledge, networks and career potential of emerging music professionals. The internship roles are generally suited to recent graduates, or those wanting to kick start a career in the music industry. Applications are open until January 29, with internships starting in late February ...
READ MORE >Setting out to document and pay tribute to the contribution Eldred Stebbing made to the NZ music scene over seven hard-working decades of the 20th century, the team writing this book discovered that their story was as much one of history and social change as it was of one man’s giant legacy. Thus the scale of their challenge grew and grew, and compiling Wired For Sound itself became a decade-long task for its co-authors. Grant Gillanders is well known as an active local music historian, compilation ...
READ MORE >One’s known as the Hammer, the other as the Tron, and they’re half a world apart. But blues is about to bring together two cities named Hamilton – one in Canada, the other in Waikato. After years of getting mail and messages intended for each other, the blues societies of the respective cities are launching a sister society agreement, fulfilling an idea that was first mooted a year ago. As BigJohnny of the Hammer group comments: “Being sistered with the Hamilton NZ Blues Society shows the ...
READ MORE >"I made this lyric video myself so I'm really proud of it scoring a spot on the Wicked Sounds Youtube channel. They have 1.36M subscribers so this was quite a big achievement for me," Cee Blu tells us. Previously performing as Carolyna Blu, you might recognise her voice from collaborations with the likes of Donell Lewis, Rei, Ty, and others. But now she's going solo, and her new single Used To made it onto NZ On Air Music's NewTracks compilation this December. What's your full name, where are ...
READ MORE >Born in Hamilton, singer/songwriter Sam Bartells lives in Auckland these days and writes songs with his heart on the sleeve, being remarkably outspoken about past issues with alcohol and substance abuse. A few singles in, some placed on big Spotify playlists, and with a few well-attended live shows, Sam is signed to former-Rubicon lead man Paul Reid’s Reslau Records, and gearing up for greater things. Recently that included a trip to record with renowned producer Daniel Ford in Nashville, Tennessee. ...
READ MORE >The last time I saw Rick Bryant was the Friday before he passed on December 4, 2019. He had asked me to deliver a Fruju to Ward 67 at Auckland Hospital. It was a swift walk through Grafton on a sweaty Friday, so as not to deliver a melted glob of yellow on a stick. Rick and I had become close over the years, after sharing the bill at the Half Moon Festival in Thames back in 1987. Rick was a father, brother, uncle and mate. He always encouraged me creatively and spurred me on to better my education, ...
READ MORE >How do you go about following up an album that was internationally acclaimed, Taite Prize-nominated and widely deemed influential? That was the task for Lily West (bass/vocals), Gussie Larkin (guitar/vocals), and drummer Abe Hollingsworth. The Wellington trio, collectively known as Mermaidens, have been crafting and creating their sound since 2014, continually honing and crafting it to reflect the band’s changing sonic priorities. Amanda Mills looked them in the eyes and asked the searching questions. Look ...
READ MORE >Arriving in a sealed box, straight out of the warehouse so not set up since shipping, the Yamaha TransAcoustic FG took a little time for me to warm to. However once I ‘broke her in’ I found my initial negative thoughts about the sound of the 6-string acoustic-electric guitar being eaten up. Not just a flashy name, Yamaha’s new TransAcoustic technology allows players to enjoy effects-processed sounds directly from the guitar’s sound chamber – without any externally powered boxes, devices ...
READ MORE >Returning from a night at Auckland's Tuning Fork, Trevor Villers was raving that the line up of Mini Simmons and support Smokestack Slim had him "right back where I was most happy… the 60’s & 70’s." He kindly provided us with some photos to give us at least a visual idea of what he was talking about.
READ MORE >Sunday night at The Tuning Fork's Southern Fork Americana Festival was all about the locals - it was a full house and rightly so, says photographer Trevor Villers. "Tami Neilson manages to make everyone feel happy, and the synergy between her and her brother was very much in evidence." "We see this sibling synergy often - the Finn Brothers, The Felice Brothers, and so on." Jenny Mitchell from Gore provided the lead-in, accompanied by Mike Hood.
READ MORE >Since the release of their self-titled debut album earlier this year, Daniel Armstrong & The Monsoons have been busy playing around Australasia and Europe. With further overseas touring on the horizon the alt-rock five-piece will be playing a lot over the next six months, to warm up for that and promote their second album, due out early 2020. Catch them live for their double single release party at Auckland's Whammy Bar on October 24. NZM caught up with frontman Daniel Armstrong ahead of the ...
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