Moderator: Rachel Ashby
Rachel Ashby is a broadcaster, music journalist and arts writer based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. She has been the host of the 95bFM Breakfast show since 2019, and previously hosted the dedicated arts and culture show ‘Artbank’. Rachel is passionate about accessibility and equity in music spaces, and is a facilitator and kaitiaki member for the youth empowerment organisation Girls Rock Aotearoa.
Breakfast Host, 95bFM
Rachel Ashby is a broadcaster, music journalist and arts writer based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. She has been the host of the 95bFM Breakfast show since 2019, and previously hosted the dedicated arts and culture show ‘Artbank’. Rachel is passionate about accessibility and equity in music spaces, and is a facilitator and kaitiaki member for the youth empowerment organisation Girls Rock Aotearoa.
Bianca Bailey
Bianca is a Te Whanganui-a-Tara based event producer, musician, and songwriter. In recent years she’s been working for Creative Capital Arts Trust as the Music and Festival Producer for CubaDupaand Classical on Cuba. Previously she has also worked on Auckland Folk Festival (2016-2023) as well as Eyegum Music Collective’s Welcome To Nowhere (2020 -2023) in various different capacities.
Artist Wiri Donna, SOngwriter, Event Producer
Bianca is a Te Whanganui-a-Tara based event producer, musician, and songwriter. In recent years she’s been working for Creative Capital Arts Trust as the Music and Festival Producer for CubaDupaand Classical on Cuba. Previously she has also worked on Auckland Folk Festival (2016-2023) as well as Eyegum Music Collective’s Welcome To Nowhere (2020 -2023) in various different capacities. Bianca also has a keen eye for all things project management, designing bespoke festival management platforms for CCAT and Eyegum Music Collective. When she’s not working with the coolest festivals can catch her around Wellington either rocking the drums in local bands Lilith and F.A.I.R.Y or sporting a guitar for her indie riff-rock solo project Wiri Donna.
Wairehu Grant
Half/Time is a te ao Māori centred post-punk act started by Kirikiriroa based musician Wairehu Grant (NgātiManiapoto) in 2020. Originally a solo act utilising drum machines and samples along with guitar and shouty vocals, Half/Time has now evolved into a three-piece act featuring Tāmaki Makaurau based musicians and DIY legends Ciara Bernstein on drums, and Cee (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa) on bass guitar and vocals. The kaupapa of Half/Time is one born out of the intergenerational resilience of Māori in Aotearoa.
Artist Half/Time
Half/Time is a te ao Māori centred post-punk act started by Kirikiriroa based musician Wairehu Grant (NgātiManiapoto) in 2020. Originally a solo act utilising drum machines and samples along with guitar and shouty vocals, Half/Time has now evolved into a three-piece act featuring Tāmaki Makaurau based musicians and DIY legends Ciara Bernstein on drums, and Cee (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa) on bass guitar and vocals. The kaupapa of Half/Time is one born out of the intergenerational resilience of Māori in Aotearoa. The waiata they perform seek to honour the history of resistance within Māori culture, to speak to the struggles of the current age, and to imagine ways forward both as individuals and as part of a community.In May 2023 Half/Time will be heading off on their first set of international shows in the UK kicking off with a showcase at FOCUS Wales, an international music festival hosted in Wrexham.
Leea Lamatoa
Leea is a passionate musician with particular interest in the weird and wonderful things the voice can do. She teaches both professional artists and beginners all across Tāmaki Makaurau, finding joy in helping others find their voice. Leea is also the heavily involved in the Girls Rock! Community and is currently the head organiser for the To The Front Tāmaki Makaurau Programme.
Coordinator & Kaiārahi, To The Front Tāmaki Makaurau
Leea is a passionate musician with particular interest in the weird and wonderful things the voice can do. She teaches both professional artists and beginners all across Tāmaki Makaurau, finding joy in helping others find their voice. Leea is also the heavily involved in the Girls Rock! Community and is currently the head organiser for the To The Front Tāmaki Makaurau Programme.
When she is not making music, you can find her playing arcade games and patting neighbourhood cats.
Dave Borrie
Dave Borrie is the Programme Director at Radio One 91FM, and lead bass player of L. Hotel. He started his journey in Student Media in 2016 as a volunteer DJ hosting various shows across the schedule, while finishing up a Master's Degree in Physical Geography. He promptly put this degree to use when he was hired at Radio One 91FM.
Programme Director, Radio One
Dave Borrie is the Programme Director at Radio One 91FM, and lead bass player of L. Hotel. He started his journey in Student Media in 2016 as a volunteer DJ hosting various shows across the schedule, while finishing up a Master's Degree in Physical Geography. He promptly put this degree to use when he was hired at Radio One 91FM. As Programme Director, he sees first-hand the benefit of collaboration to a community - particular a such a tight-knit community as Dunedin. There is no debate that Radio One and Ōtepoti's music scene are to be intertwined, and to Dave he sees the role of the station as incredibly important to help student and alternative music communities flourish in Dunedin. He is also working on running a sub-20 minute 5 km, and one day would like to visit Antarctica.