BRENDON THOMAS & THE VIBES 'WRAP YOU IN THE SUN' EP

Psychedelic rock trio Brendon Thomas and The Vibes (Luke Oram) have released their long-awaited EP Wrap You in the Sun. The EP was recorded live at Parachute Studios under the close watch of Split Enz legend Eddie Rayner.

"Wrap You in The Sun is an EP born from five years of long nights criss-crossing this country, playing dive bars and bringing psychedelic rock the the people of New Zealand. It's six eclectic tracks that show off our influences, captured live and in our element by Kiwi music royalty - the man, the myth, the crazy genius Eddie Rayner”

Check out a 360 video of the boys playing their song ‘Copper Shades’ in studio here

The band are celebrating their release tonight  at REC, with Skinny Hobos, Baker’s Eddy and Cheshire Grimm - http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/53604/The-Hobos-and-The-Vibes.utr

GABRIELLE GILBERT 'ALL THAT SOUND'

Fresh and feisty new comer Gabrielle Gilbert has released her debut pop/rock Ep ‘All That Sound’. Recorded in a home studio in Auckland, engineered and produced by Gabrielle herself. ‘All That Sound' is a battle, honest but uplifting.

The 5 track EP is about fighting for what you want and standing up for yourself with the empowering 'Nah Nah No!’ and the “dig your toes in” ‘Say What You Want’. The appropriately named 'All That Sound’ presents a diverse instrumentation of Rock guitar, pop synth and piano that weave an intricate web behind a unique vocal and straight-shooting lyrics.

ECHO CHILDREN 'THIS WAS OUR FAULT'

Alt-folk four piece, Echo Children (Daniel Jones), are releasing their first E.P., This Was Our Fault. They have been turning heads across the Auckland live music scene with their ethereal, electric sound, and haunting four-part vocal section.

Echo Children are a band of foreigners formed in the great South Pacific melting pot of Auckland in late 2015. Writing songs about life, love, and the end of the world, their layers of vocal harmonies build on resonating electric guitar and driving percussion to create a gritty, alternative, indie-folk sound. 

Originally coming together as a team of four singer-guitarists with a folky inevitability, they have evolved over time to incorporate influences wide enough to accommodate fifties pop and melodic death metal. The resulting line-up looks like Oliver Young (vocals and guitar) from Scotland, Amanda Larsson (bass and vocals), of Sweden, Daniel Armstrong (vocals and guitar), from the UK, and Niamh O’Flynn (percussion and vocals), from Canada.

After honing their style and building a dedicated fanbase on the Auckland live music scene, the band took the somewhat unusual decision to record a fully analogue E.P., feeling that it more authentically captured their sound.

Together with analogue sound guru, Darren McShane of Earwig Studios, the band have pulled together six songs that blend folk, indie and alternative influences into a unique style that channels the likes of Fleet Foxes and Fleetwood Mac.

Echo Children will release their E.P. at Auckland’s Wine Cellar on 17 February before touring the rest of New Zealand, with dates already confirmed in Dunedin (3 March, Dog With Two Tails), Lyttelton (4 March, Wunderbar), Hamilton (15 April, Nivara Lounge) and Wellington (TBC).

ALAE RELEASES 6 TRACK VIDEO EP

One of New Zealand’s finest emerging acts alae (Mikee Carpinter and Matiu Sadd) release their self-titled debut EP today, along with 6 accompanying music videos.

Recorded over 5 days at Roundhead Studios in October 2016, the alae EP is a collection of beautifully crafted songs that will become the soundtrack to your most heartfelt quiet moments. The self-funded and self-produced release features 5 emotive new tracks, plus their debut single ‘All Gived Up’ which made it to number one spot on the singer/songwriter iTunes NZ chart in March.

It’s been a big year for Auckland based Alex Farrell-Davey and Allister Meffan, the two old high school mates who together form alae. Playing everything from local gigs to cruise ships, the duo has also supported nationwide tours for Anna Coddington and Hollie Smith and have now been added to the main stage line up at Gisborne’s Rhythm & Vines on December 31st. The multi-instrumentalist duo then performs as part of Auckland Museum’s Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa exhibition, before continuing to tour NZ over the Summer of 2017.

Says Alex Farrell-Davey, “It’s been a huge 2016. We have all worked really hard over the last few months to finish the EP and to create these videos, and have pulled favors from mates, venues and family along the way - it has truly been a huge team effort but the results have been worth it. We’re stoked to have not only the EP out but also the visuals which further express what alae are about.”

For a taste of alae’s live experience, check out a spine tingling version of the late Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, part of the Black & White Sessions as recorded for NZ Music Month 2016.

To celebrate the EP and video release, alae perform an intimate show tonight at Auckland’s Golden Dawn, Ponsonby from 8pm. Entry is free and physical copies of the EP will be available for purchase.
 
Purchase the alae EP here through iTunes
Stream the alae EP here through Spotify

HENIKA 'HENIKA'

Announcing the self-titled debut EP by Henika, a NZ alternative solo artist. Recorded and produced by the legendary Andrew Buckton (Midnight Youth, Steriogram, D4) and featuring veteran drummer Mike Franklin-Browne (Pluto, Head Like A Hole), it is a polished yet fresh debut. The 6 track EP includes Henika’s previously released single ‘You bring me down’, a song that won Wildcard funding by popular vote from NZonAir in 2015.

Henika is Henrieta Tornyai, a newcomer multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter whose music blends genres as diverse as alternative rock, folk and jazz. Somewhere between Joni Mitchell and PJ Harvey, the EP swings from darkness to light, from stripped down, to a huge wall of sound. The vulnerable openness of a track like ‘The River’ is contrasted by the Jeff Buckley-esque dissonant layered guitars of ‘Torn in Two.’ A creamy and haunting lead vocal, introspective lyrics and 3 part harmonies combine to create a dark cinematic atmosphere, not unlike a David Lynch soundtrack.

Henika was born in Slovakia but made her home in Auckland, New Zealand at the tender age of 8. Her musical background is varied, strengthened by a bachelor’s degree in jazz. She became proficient on the guitar, bass guitar and double bass while she cut her teeth in the U.S. studying with jazz legend Richard Davis (Bruce Springsteen, Sarah Vaughn). Upon returning to NZ, Henika adopted her childhood nickname and set on a path of personal artistic fulfilment through this solo project. 

The EP will be available to download Bandcamp, Itunes and will stream via Spotify and Soundcloud. A limited edition compact disc is also available on Bandcamp.

In the pipeline are a new video for the next single ‘The River’ and live s

Towers 'Brontide'

After a year in the making Towers (Jesse Finn) are set to release their debut EP Brontide this Saturday 6 August.

Described as a nostalgic dreamland, Brontide explores a visceral narrative of loss, touching on wasted youth and fear of a li fe lived unfulfilled.

The groups first professional effort was recorded and produced in Australia’s Gold Coast at Loose Stones Studio– a modest outfit bearing hefty credentials, with artists such as Matt Corby, Broods, Dead Letter Circus, Guards of May and Jarryd James having graced its halls.

Internationally credited producer and studio head, Matt Bartlem, mixed the record. His credits include working with leading artists such as Angus & Julia Stone, Jarryd James, Dead Letter Circus, The Getaway Plan, Matt Corby and more. Matt and his studio are gaining a reputation as one of the best Pop/Rock producers in Australia.

The EP was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York by Grammy award-winning mastering engineer Greg Calbi who has worked with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Tame Impala, Band of Horses, Bon Iver, The National and many more.

The EP’s soundscape is a bringing together of the 5 piece’s acoustic dog-days and their developing preoccupation with synthesized and electronic elements. Cinematic percussion alongside the relentless drive of acoustic guitars give Brontide movement and life allowing dual female and male vocals to take centre stage.

Brontide means 'the distant rumbling of thunder'. The name came about soon after the group finished work on what is now the opening track on the EP 'Supernova'. The track had a darkness and maturity to it that was new to their sound and felt ‘like a coming storm’ – and so Brontide was born.

Towers will take the stage for the first time in 6 months at Wellington institution Bodega on August 6 to launch Brontide in style with support from UK based Kiwi songstress Clara van Wel.

The group will also be announcing a name change to coincide with the launch.

Brontide will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Apple Music and more from Saturday 6 August. Tickets for the EP release are available from Under the Radar.