Mousey: While the Cat’s Away
How many artists can you think of whose first single made it right into the Silver Scroll Top 20? Here’s one! Until the release of her single Extreme Highs as Mousey in June this year, the biggest claim ...
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News
Kiwi-French Folk Legend Graeme Allwright Has Died At Age 93
Musician Graeme Allwright passed away aged 93 in Seine-et-Marne in France on February 16, French newspaper Le Monde reports. Who knew that it was a Kiwi from Wellington who introduced the French to folky protest songs in the 60s/70s through translated versions of songs by Leonard Cohen, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger? Paix à son âme, Graeme! A podcast about Graeme by Sam Coley. Graeme's story on Audioculture.
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Te Māngai Pāho Māori Music Strategy Consultations Underway
While RNZ finds itself in the middle of a bunfight over the future of Concert FM, Te Māngai Pāho has begun consultation on the development of its National Māori Music Strategy. A series of nine hui are taking place across the country, having kicked off in New Plymouth on January 29. Te Māngai Pāho Head of Content, Te Anga Nathan and Music Co-ordinator, Nadia Marsh will visit most of the sites in the North Island and two in the South Island. “We want to reshape our funding of te reo Māori ...
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Welcoming Local Podcast Manawa With Junelle
NZM welcomes local podcast Manawa with Junelle to our list of contributors. Junelle Groves is a wonderful singer currently backing the likes of Teeks. She probably knows more about the back end of the industry than many people ever will, and each month she invites a local musician or industry figure in for a korero about their craft. Junelle's past podcasts include rapper Melodownz, four-time Grammy award-nominated sound engineer Lance Powell, Steph Brown of Lips, and many more. Give her a ...
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Local Participants For SongHubs 2020 Announced
The participants for SongHubs 2020 have been announced, among them some of our finest songwriters and producers. SongHubs is a week-long collaborative songwriting retreat held at Roundhead Studios that brings international songwriters to Auckland to join a bunch of our own best, curated by producer Greg Haver. The aim is to finish the week with new music that has the potential to be completed and crafted into something each songwriter would be proud to release. Participating as songwriters will ...
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Interviews
Troy Kingi: Triumphs Of Diversity
Troy Kingi is systematically establishing himself as a national treasure. Over the last few years, the Kerikeri resident singer/songwriter has risen in prominence thanks to some creative recordings, a 10/10/10 (10 albums across 10 genres in 10 years) release mandate, and a very likeable persona that has kept him grounded as both a family man and musician. Sam Smith caught up with him just ahead of the 2019 NZ Music Awards, where he was in the running for two awards. Holy Colony Burning Acres by ...
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NewTracks New Artist: No Cigar
Auckland five-piece No Cigar consists of Willy Ferrier on rhythm guitar and vocals, Sam Benson on bass and keyboard, Josh Morrice on lead guitar, Ned Gow on drums and James Mitchell on saxophone. The "pychediscofunkilicious" band released their debut single Tickets To Space very late in 2019. Instead of a summery floundering, the song was picked up by NZ On Air for their NewTracks compilation this February. We asked Josh to answer a few questions to find out more about No Cigar. What high school ...
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Marlin’s Dreaming: Bandwagon-esque
Formed by mates Semisi Maiai, Tim McNaught, Oscar Johns and Hamish Morgan, Marlin’s Dreaming has since been riding a fast-breaking wave into the limelight, at home and abroad. The Dunedin band’s dreamy surf rock style features reverb-y laid back guitar and catchy vocals reminiscent of Mac DeMarco, who Maiai cites as an early inspiration. The band has enjoyed sold-out tours, over five million streams of their 2017 album ‘Lizard Tears’, and Spotify listeners around the globe – all before ...
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Video Premiere: Jarni Blair – Higher Than The Sky
NZM proudly presents the exclusive premiere of Auckland-based, Dunedin-raised songwriter Jarni Blair's new single and music video Higher Than The Sky, directed by Christian Tjandrawintata. The song will be available on all the usual platforms from Sunday, February 9. If you dig, follow him on your socials, and see him live in Auckland in late February, or Wellington in early March, while you're still able to catch him in small venues. You've been playing the guitar for many years. Are there ...
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NewTracks New Artist: Hannah May
Leaving The X-Factor and Mae Valley behind her, now Brisbane-based Hannah May steps into the limelight again as an independent country-pop artist with her second single Passenger Seat. NZ On Air Music picked up the hopeful song for their NewTracks compilation this February. What's your name, where are you from and what instruments do you play? My full name is Hannah May Elizabeth de Villiers and I was born in Hamilton, NZ. I play the guitar, sing and know about three chords on the mandolin. (It's ...
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Arjuna Oakes: Mass Surveillance
Arjuna Oakes is an up-and-coming neo-soul artist based in Wellington whose new EP ‘The Watcher’ was released through Rain&Shine on November 29, 2019. Josh Ellery had a chat with him. The Watcher - EP by Arjuna Oakes “I was born in Auckland, I’m not originally from Wellington… I went to school in Avondale. I grew up loving music. I played piano since I was seven, I sang since I was a little kid. It’s just come naturally to me in that way, I’ve always wanted to create.” The piano ...
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Leonard Simpson Duo Gear Essentials
Auckland musician and award-winning producer Jeremy Toy has played in bands including She's So Rad and Opensouls. He did the movie soundtrack for The Breaker Upperers and releases his own music under the moniker Leonard Charles. In late January he released new album 'L.S.D.' along with Detroit rapper Guilty Simpson as The Leonard Simpson Duo (through Berlin label Jakarta Records). Jeremy knows well how to make a good noise, and here he takes us through seven vital pieces of kit he used to make ...
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Photo Galleries
Midge Marsden, Kendall Elise and The Solomon Cole Band, Music In Parks Auckland
"Came home very happy," is how photographer Trevor Villers ended his email containing photos of the blues-themed Music In Parks in Blockhouse Bay on February 7, 2020. On stage were Midge Marsden, Kendall Elise and The Solomon Cole Band, but it was Midge and band in particular that Trevor says was in "top form. Great interaction with the audience who had come out to party."
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The Phoenix Foundation, Ha The Unclear, Skilaa & DJ Kahu Muru
An above-average number of beards could be counted on stage on February 2, 2020, when The Phoenix Foundation, Ha The Unclear, Skilaa and DJ Kahu Muru performed at Auckland's Silo Park. Photographer Trevor Villers calls the line-up "an eclectic mix of sights and sounds" with a special shout-out to Phoenix Foundation drummer, "the incomparable Chris O’Connor" who "even had the seagulls fluttering".
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