FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR MAIOHA, SOUNZ, FILM AND SERIES

Some of the finest talent New Zealand has to offer has been shortlisted for four prestigious awards to be presented at the 2016 APRA Silver Scroll Awards. 
 
The APRA Maioha Award, the SOUNZ Contemporary Award, the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award and APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award will all be presented at an awards ceremony at Vector Arena in Auckland on Thursday, September 29.
 

APRA MAIOHA AWARD

The APRA Maioha Award recognises exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori. Rob Ruhais a finalist for the award with his song ‘Kariri’, a powerful and stirring waiata that retells historical accounts of the battle of Pukehinahina (Gate Pa) and Te Ranga.
 
IHI has also been short-listed for ‘Mana Whenua’ co-written by Thomas Rawiri andMokoia Huata. The song echoes the proverb ‘Toi Tu te Whenua, whatungarongaro te Tangata’ or ‘For without land there would be no people’. It serves as a poignant reminder of the need to protect our natural environment.
 
Kirsten Te Rito is the third finalist with her waiata ‘Tamaiti Ngaro’, co-written with James Illingworth and Joseph Te Rito. ‘Tamaiti Ngaro’ is an atmospheric, slow-building anthem tinged with touches of electronica.
 

SOUNZ CONTEMPORARY AWARD

The SOUNZ Contemporary Award celebrates excellence in contemporary composition. The finalists for the award this year includes Kenneth Young, whose illustrious career in New Zealand music spans four decades, for his composition ‘Piano Trio’. Prodigious Wellington composer and violinist Salina Fisher is also nominated for ‘Rainphase’ and Chris Cree Brown, an Associate Professor at the School of Music at the University of Canterbury, makes the short-list for ‘Viola Concerto’.
 

APRA BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A FEATURE FILM AWARD

A host of well-known names in Kiwi music are up for the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award.
 
Three members of the Wellington-based indie-pop band The Phoenix Foundation (Samuel Scott, Lukasz Buda and Conrad Wedde) are nominated for their work on Taika Waititi’s box office smash, Hunt For The Wilderpeople. 
 
Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper and Tama Waipara also make the shortlist for Mahana (The Patriarch), directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Temuera Morrison.
 
Tom McLeod rounds off the finalists with The Art of Recovery, which tracks the devastation of Christchurch in the 2011 earthquake to the city’s regeneration.
 

APRA BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC IN A SERIES AWARD

The APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award will also be presented on the night. In the running for the prestigious award are Karl Stevens for 800 Words, Age Pryor for Jiwi’s Machines and Tami & Jay Neilson for The Brokenwood Mysteries.
 
“In 2016 music is being consumed more than ever before and in a wider and increasing number of ways. We are proud to celebrate music in all its forms - in te reo Maori, in our concert halls and on our televisions and cinema screens. Each has its own world and each is exemplified in our finalists’ excellent work,” says Anthony Healey, Head of NZ Operations for APRA AMCOS.

WONDERGARDEN 2016 LINEUP ANNOUNCED

Wondergarden—Auckland’s newest addition to the summer festival calendar—has announced its lineup this morning, featuring an eclectic, all-local medley of artists. 

Mockasin Arabia Finn the collaborative band of Connan Mockasin, Lawrence Arabia and Liam Finn;  Wellington’s psychedelic six-piece The Phoenix Foundation; dream pop breakout group Yumi Zouma; and NZ’s favourite singer-songwriter Anika Moa lead the charge with support from Orchestra Of Spheres, Estère, Dictaphone Blues, Miloux, Jesse Sheehan and Paul Ubana Jones.

Located at Auckland’s Silo Park, the New Year’s Eve festival will be a small-scale musical celebration with strictly limited tickets available. Wondergarden was conceived to provide Aucklanders with something a little bit special and a little bit different from what is currently on offer in the city. 2016 is the first iteration of an event that organisers aim to grow into one of the city’s essential summer dates of the future. 

‘Wondergarden is a place for people who want to stay in Auckland for New Year’s Eve and still have something special to do,’ says event manager Reuben Bonner, ‘We’re extremely proud of this lineup, and excited to offer something for friends, families, and party people of all ages who are sticking around the city.’

As well as a full afternoon and evening of New Zealand’s most exciting musicians playing the main stage, Wondergarden also features roaming performers and a dedicated family zone with children’s performers and entertainment. In addition there is site theming and lighting installations from Angus Muir, along with sumptuous street food from the Food Space food trucks, all taking place on site at Silo Park, one of the city’s best loved places.

Earlybird tickets go on sale at 9am, September 9th from iTicket and adult, children, and family passes are available. 

Under the moniker Mockasin Arabia Finn, Connan Mockasin, Lawrence Arabia, Liam Finn and friends reunite to perform a collaborative show together to headline the inaugural Wondergarden and ring in 2017. After the success of their sellout show at The Crystal Palace Theatre earlier this year (sharing a stage with the likes of  of Mick Fleetwood, Neil Finn, Bic Runga and Kirin J Callinan), the three friends decided another musical jaunt together felt fitting. Connan, Lawrence and Liam celebrate their decade-long musical friendship this year, by experimenting with new re-imaginings of each other’s songs, as well as a collection of their favourite party hits to close out 2016. 

Wellington’s favourite psychedelic six-piece The Phoenix Foundation return to play their first New Year’s Eve show in Auckland for over a decade. As one of New Zealand’s most accomplished acts, they have either won or been nominated for every music industry award NZ has to offer. The band have now made six albums of intelligent, inventive and richly-detailed pop music, with a range of diverse influences. Their recent releases Give Up Your Dreams, Fandangoand Buffalo have seen them receive high acclaim from publications such as Mojo, Q, Uncut, NME and The Guardian. The band also count BBC Radio Personalities such as Lauren Laverne and Jarvis Cocker as fans.

Since the release of their debut EP in 2014, Yumi Zouma’s evolution has been brisk and organic. The band sold­ out their first EP twice­ over before its release and before having ever played live, but each member’s disparate living arrangements eant that live shows or even further releases were unexpected. Defying geography and the odds stacked against them, the band thrived and careened from strength to strength toward the creation of their debut LP Yoncalla, which was released earlier in 2016 to a rapturous applause across the globe. Yumi Zouma’s effortless waves of harmony have been redefined and the creative process laid bare to expose an act more unguarded and interconnected than ever before. 

Anika Moa is arguably one of the country’s most adorable yet feisty icons. Clever, charismatic and funny as all hell, the singer-songwriter began writing pop songs at the tender age of 13 and is now an established singer, writer, television talk host and mother of three. Her children gave her inspiration to reach into the world of children's music and she's had her hands full, selling thousands upon thousands of Songs For Bubbas records in the past few years. Now Anika Moa and her band return to the Wondergarden of grown-ups for a greatest hits set of Coldplay-sized proportions….(or someone else with lots of hits).

Since 2009, New Zealand’s Orchestra of Spheres have developed an international, cult-like following. Playing opera houses, house parties, dance parties, DIY shows and festivals around the world, they have built a reputation for musically and visually ecstatic live shows. Like celestial sponges, they draw on influences far and wide: the hypnotic beats of Angolan kuduro, the chimes of gamelan music, free jazz and dance music. Their psychedelic disco and ancient future funk has drawn comparisons to artists as diverse as Fela Kuti, Sun Ra, Can and Drexciya. Orchestra of Spheres use homemade instruments such as the biscuit tin guitar, electric bass carillon and sexomouse marimba to create their cosmic dancing sound.

Estère is a girl with an MPC she calls Lola. With Lola, Estère samples and records a mixture of bass, synth, drums, guitar, vocal harmonies, kazoo, cutlery drawers and anything else that tickles her fancy then layers the production with pulsating rhythms and evocative melodies that adhere to her own genre dubbed - Electric Blue Witch-Hop. Drawing inspiration from the evolution of reptiles, imaginary boyfriends and cultural identity amongst many other things, Estère delivers her songs with a voice that has been described as rich toned and elastic and acclaimed as being a one-of-a-kind performer.

With widescreen production Phil Spector might admire, hooks big enough to land swordfish, half-familiar melodies, and cannoning drums behind stacked-up jangle guitars and sweeping synth-strings, Dictaphone Blues is a sheer delight and only the hardest heart won’t be amused, seduced and delighted. A stalwart of the thriving Auckland musical landscape and a charismatic performer, Edward Castelow and band sling catching grooves and indie pop diamonds out like bullets, with poetic tongue in cheek lyrical mysticism, commenting on and poking fun at life, love and the universe.

Whether it’s with a full band in tow or a solo intimate set, Miloux has been constantly lauded for her vocal virtuosity, layered synthesiser instrumentation, and her passion for experimentation within the live and recorded music sphere. A truly incredible vocal talent, Miloux has spent the past three years honing her unique spin on beats-driven ambient electronica. Between days teaching pre-teens to find their own voice and nights wowing crowds around Auckland, Miloux is a rare artist that wows every person she performs to.

In 2014 Jesse Sheehan was asked to join Neil Finn as his guitarist on his global Dizzy Heights tour and upon returning to New Zealand, Neil not only offered his world-class studio to record Sheehan’s debut album Drinking With The Birds, but also his vast knowledge and expertise as producer. Sheehan since headed off to the UK armed with his new recordings, a bag of clothes and his guitars. He has performed at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton and Liverpool Sound City, along with a string of London venues where he continues to steadily build a growing and loyal audience.

Born in London to a Yorkshire mother and a Nigerian father, Paul Ubana Jones was playing guitar by the age of 11. This was the beginning of a three-decade career that would see him crossing continents and recording eight albums. After graduating from music college, where he studied guitar, cello and composition, Paul began to forge his own contemporary style, influenced by blues, rock, folk and jazz. Settling in New Zealand with family, Paul has continued a magnificent musical career having shared the stage with the likes of Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Tuck and Patti, Crowded House and many others.

Earlybird tickets on sale at 9am, September 9th from iTicket.

SISTER'S TEAM UP FOR SOUND OF SILENCE TRIBUTE

Anna Hawkins and her sister Lisa Grace Hawkins have today announced their release of Simon & Garfunkel's classic 'The Sound of Silence.' The pair are excited to join forces on the beautifully crafted single, releasing it with Southbound Records in tandem with a 60's-era themed music video which they had fun filming in Tauranga. Sound of Silence is one of many songs Anna's been busy recording in Europe this past year with Polish producer Pawel Zarecki. It is also the first to be heard from the yet-to-be-revealed new album coming out in 2017.

"We've performed the song live together a few times as a duet and it's been really popular so to finally have a music video and single available for people to enjoy is awesome," says Anna. "It's amazing to me to think that 50 years after its original release, the song still has the same depth and relevance.” Interestingly, it was this song that unexpectedly brought Simon & Garfunkel back together after their original music failed to gain traction and they were in the process of parting ways.

Growing up, Anna and Lisa always had a creative and musical bent. Both artists in their own right, Anna has two full albums and an EP to her name and her younger sister, emerging singer songwriter Lisa Grace is just entering into the world of professional music, opening for Mae Valley in Hamilton September 10th. "We're both really supportive of one another, so of course we love to collaborate. People often comment to us on the way our voices blend, especially in this song.. We put it down to the genes."

Anna promises her next project has some surprises in there. "As a whole, it's going to be more upbeat than my previous albums. I've explored some new themes and crossed over genres a little bit more, it's taken a slightly new direction, allowing me to experiment with my own songs which has been a whole lot of fun." The full album is due for release in early 2017. You can find out more on her website www.annahawkinsmusic.com or view the music video on her YouTube channel

DEVILSKIN 'BE LIKE THE RIVER'

Devilskin (James Southgate) are amped to announce their second studio album, Be Like The River will release on Friday November 11, 2016.

Be Like The River features the smash singles MOUNTAINS and recently released PRAY.  Video by Tim Van Dammen.

The band comment "we are beyond excited to be releasing our new studio album Be Like The River on November 11th. The title comes from a lyric of ours 'Be like the river and cut through the stone', the message is about reaching your goals through perseverance and unwavering determination. It’s been an incredible journey so far for Devilskin and we feel this album really encapsulates and represents our evolution as a band, as songwriters and as people.”

Be Like The River will be available as an 11 track album, 13 track deluxe pack and Gatefold LP vinyl edition. Pre Sales are available now from iTunes.

The album was recorded at Modern World Studio’s Tetbury in the United Kingdom after Devilkin’s European Tour. After the success of We Rise the band maintained their strong working relationships, continuing the very successful and creative association with Producer Clint Murphy, Murphy produced and mixed the album, and working alongside Ryan Smith from Sterling Sound New York who mastered both albums.

Barny Bewick from Indium Design created the artwork for the album. Devilskin say “we are incredibly proud of these songs and it was crucial to have the right visuals for the album so we again utilised the talents of Barny to create artwork that is as stunning and evocative as the music on the album.”

Devilkin’s debut album We Rise released on July 11, 2014 and went straight to the top of the charts remaining as the Number 1 Album and Number 1 Kiwi Artist Album for 3 weeks and achieving Gold Sales after only 2 weeks. The album was certified Platinum in February 2015 with sales exceeding 15,000 albums.

Devilskin have established themselves as a household name in their native New Zealand. Formed in Hamilton in 2010 this four piece rock band are bonded by blood. Paul (bass) and Nic (drums) are father and son, Jennie (vocals) is Nics’ Aunt and Pauls’ sister in law, Nail (guitar) is Pauls evil twin.

Fans won’t be kept waiting, Devilskin’s blistering on stage antics will be seen on stage over summer. Tour details to come.

Be Like The River Pre Sales are available here.

DELUXE EDITION

STANDARD EDITION

ELCEE 'HEART OVER MIND'

MMF self managed artist Elcee is proud to release a video to accompany the lead single from her debut EP of the same name; Heart Over Mind.

Directed by Cortney Stowers and with videography by Penn Productions, the gorgeous video is a visual exploration of the themes of the song, focused around two characters that embody the battle between head and heart. Self produced and created with no budget, the concept was inspired by the old folktale, The Red Shoes, which follows an orphaned girl who is allured by a pair of red shoes which take control of her when worn.  

The video is an allegory of addiction, full of metaphors of how an obsession can consume a person, and the tension between wanting to succumb to the temptation versus a willingness to fight and overcome demons. The video also stars Cushla Roughan who spent two months working with Elcee on the choreography for the video to represent those two warring parts of a person in a beautiful contemporary dance. Channeling the lyrics about the visceral feeling losing yourself in a relationship, the video depicts the characters being swept away, dependent on each other but being unwilling to lose their own independence. 

Released at the end of last year, the Heart Over Mind EP is available now, drawing influence from across the genre landscape with elements of pop, jazz, electronica, and folk. 

MICE ON STILTS 'ORCA'

Auckland indie ensemble Mice On Stilts' (Dylan Keating) recent album Hope For A Mourning was met with high praise from listeners and reviewers alike, with their hauntingly beautiful track 'The Hours' making the top 20 finalists for this year's APRA Silver Scroll Award.

Founded on ideas of darkness, empathy and catharsis, new single 'Orca' presents ethereal vocal arrangements paired with jazz brass orchestration - Benjamin Morley’s other-worldly voice growing more harrowing as the song builds amongst a choral backdrop.

The accompanying video was compiled and edited by Adam Von Penfold from vintage online film footage, adding an element of nostalgia to the track.

'Orca' is now available for purchase from Bandcamp, iTunes and all good digital service providers.

PARABOLA WEST RAISES FUNDS TO RECORD HER NEW EP

Inspired by her time in a professional recording studio for her single ‘Fire’, Parabola West (Katie Thompson) is now on a mission to record a brand new EP in the same way, with the help of global crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, and her growing crowd of fans.

Since releasing Fire in 2015, the Raglan based singer-songwriter has been touring New Zealand performing sellout public shows and intimate home concerts. During the same period she finished writing the full set of original songs for this new EP and is eager to get recording.

“The songs are written and I know exactly how I want them to sound when fully produced. I just need a little help to make it happen,” said West. The new EP will be a progression from West’s previous releases, moving into a piano-driven mix of folk and electronica, with an infusion of Celtic and other worldly sounds.

“I’m hopeful the awesome fans who campaigned to help me record Fire will support my Indiegogo campaign,” said West. “I can promise them great rewards and an EP they will love.”

The crowdfunding campaign will run for 40 days from 1 September 2016, and must reach its goal of $8000 to be successful. The campaign is being managed by the music services agency for independent artists, Quirky Music, with campaign manager Katie Thompson at the helm. Thompson has a string of successful campaigns for various independent artists under her belt, and has a passion for helping such artists progress their music careers.

Indiegogo is the largest global crowdfunding and fundraising site online.

Contribute towards the campaign via IndieGoGo 

TOP FIVE FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2016 APRA SILVER SCROLL AWARD

Five top New Zealand artists and acts have made the shortlist for the 2016 APRA Silver Scroll Award, recognising excellence in songwriting.

The finalists and their songs represent an eclectic mix of genres and range from iconic names in Kiwi music, to up-and-comers making their mark in the industry.

After winning the prized award in 2014, the internationally renowned Tami Neilson is back in this year’s list of finalists with ‘The First Man’ co-written with her brother Jay Neilson. It’s a heartbreaking song that reflects on the death of her father, written at a time of deep pain and grief, and yet also written out of deep love and celebration that narrates the time between a child’s life beginning to a parent’s life ending.

Stalwarts of indie pop ‘n’ rock The Phoenix Foundation (Samuel Scott, Lukasz Buda, Conrad Wedde, William Ricketts, Thomas Callwood, Christopher O'Connor) also make this year’s cut. It brings their total number of nominations over the years to six times in the Top 20 and an impressive four times in the Top 5. The band’s entry this year, ‘Give Up Your Dreams’, is an uplifting nod to the fine line between chucking it all in and soldiering on with a great big smile on your face.

Auckland singer-songwriter Lydia Cole is also up for the award with her song ‘Dream’. It’s a bittersweet two-part tale all about falling in love when you least expect it. It is the second song to have earned Lydia a spot in the Top 5.

Thomas Oliver is a first-time nominee with his love song ‘If I Move To Mars’, which explores the Wellington singer-songwriter’s fascination with the idea of living on the red planet with your lover – lying in the dirt, drinking Cognac and listening to records.

Also newcomers to the Top 5 are Street Chant (Emily Littler, Billie Rogers, Alex Brown, Christopher Farnham) with their song ‘Pedestrian Support League’. The indie-rockers’ song is loosely about life in their hometown of Auckland and that feeling you get when you return from life on the road, to a crummy flat in Grey Lynn.

“Great songs tell great stories and each of these songs give us beautiful, heartfelt tales of dreams, love and loss. It’s a diverse and eclectic group of songwriters, each at the very top of their craft and each very much deserving of our celebration,” says Anthony Healey, Head of NZ Operations for APRA AMCOS.

The APRA Silver Scroll Awards celebrated its 50th anniversary last year marking a significant milestone and a track record in recognising New Zealand’s brightest songwriting talent. It’s considered one of the most coveted awards in New Zealand music and has previously been awarded to Ray Columbus, Hammond Gamble, Shona Laing, Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, Don McGlashan, Neil Finn, Chris Knox, Brooke Fraser, James Milne & Lukasz Buda, Alisa Xayalith & Thom Powers (The Naked And Famous) and Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde) & Joel Little.

The other awards presented on the night are:

●     APRA Maioha Award, celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori

●     SOUNZ Contemporary Award, celebrating excellence in contemporary composition

●     APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award

●     APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award

As a part of the celebrations APRA will also be inducting a songwriter/s into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

All awards will be presented at Vector Arena in Auckland on Thursday 29th September. Radio New Zealand will broadcast and live video stream the APRA Silver Scroll Awards ceremony on RNZ National, Freeview Ch 50 and online at www.rnz.co.nz/music. The awards are proudly supported by Panhead Custom Ales.

APRA Silver Scroll Awards – top 5 finalists 2016:

* Lydia Cole – ‘Dream’ – Lydia Cole

* The Phoenix Foundation – ‘Give Up Your Dreams’ - Samuel Scott, Lukasz Buda, Conrad Wedde, William Ricketts, Thomas Callwood, Christopher O’Connor. Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing.

* Thomas Oliver – ‘If I Move To Mars’ – Thomas Oliver. Published by Mushroom Music Pty Ltd.

* Street Chant – ‘Pedestrian Support League’ - Emily Littler, Billie Rogers, Alex Brown, Christopher Farnham. Published by Arch Hill Music Publishing / Native Tongue Music Publishing.

* Tami Neilson – ‘The First Man’ – Tami Neilson, Jay Neilson.

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