KIWI ACTS JOIN INTERNATIONAL LINE-UP FOR GLOBAL CONCERT SERIES

Kiwi acts Theia, Ciaran McMeeken, Estère and Opal House are joining a line-up of 1000 musicians playing intimate shows in 200 cities over 24 hours on September 20.
 
The first-of-its-kind concert series called Give a Home aims to unite people in welcoming refugees. It will bring established and emerging artists together with refugees and local communities at over 300 shows in more than 60 countries around the world. VICE and Facebook Live will be live-streaming the concerts globally.
 
The series is a collaboration between Amnesty International, the world’s largest human rights organisation, and Sofar Sounds, a London-based company that specialises in throwing secret concerts in people’s homes all over the world.
 
Other artists confirmed include Ed Sheeran, The Naked and Famous, Broods, The National, Jessie Ware, Gregory Porter, Kate Tempest, Hot Chip, Grouplove, Rudimental, Band of Skulls, Hot Chip, Morcheeba, KT Tunstall, Lianne La Havas, Public Service Broadcasting and Frightened Rabbit.
 
Theia and Ciaran McMeeken will perform in Auckland; Estère and Opal House will perform in Wellington. Fellow Kiwi acts Broods and The Naked and Famous are performing in LA.
 
"I’m so blessed to be a part of Give A Home with so many fabulous artists, giving support from around the world,” says Theia. “If we can help raise awareness, and unify and welcome people into our homes, we are showing that we are all equal and that being safe and having somewhere to call your own is a human right - not a privilege.”
 
Fans will be able to apply for tickets via: sofarsounds.com/giveahome. From the site, people will be able to select their city and the event of their choice to be in with a chance of winning two tickets. They will have the option of making a donation when applying for tickets.
 
The funds raised by the project will support Amnesty International’s work in documenting human rights abuses and violations against refugees and pushing governments to find a sustainable solution to the refugee crisis.
 
Donate at: http://bit.ly/GAHTheia for a chance to win a pair of tickets to Theia and Ciaran McMeeken or here for Estere and Opal House.

HOLLIE SMITH ANNOUNCES LONG PLAYER 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

SUPPORT FROM MARK VANILAU AND TEEKS

New Zealand’s first lady of jazz and soul, Hollie Smith, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her iconic debut album LONG PLAYER with a nationwide tour.
 
LONG PLAYER firmly established Smith’s solo career and earned her a reputation as one of New Zealand’s most recognisable voices. It also earned her ‘Best Female Solo Artist’, ’Breakthrough Artist of the Year’ and ‘Best Producer’ at the 2007 New Zealand Music Awards. 
 
Coinciding with the tour and to mark the anniversary, Soundsmith/Warner Music NZ will release LONG PLAYER on vinyl for the first time. Released as a double LP, the set will have five bonus songs of her retrospective singles, including her famed ‘Bathe In The River’. It goes on sale on September 8.
 
Playing at well-known venues across New Zealand, carefully handpicked to fit the vibe of the critically-acclaimed record, the LONGPLAYER 10th ANNIVERSARY TOUR kicks off at San Fran in Wellington on September 14, before moving on to the Mayfair in New Plymouth on September 15. 
 
The tour picks up in the South Island again on September 29 at the Christchurch Arts Centre. 
 
Kiwi singer-songwriter Mark Vanilau will open for Smith at all of these above shows. A multi-instrumentalist with a smooth velvetine voice, Vanilau wowed critics with his debut EP, DARK HORIZON, and won ‘Best Song’ at the 2014 Pacific Music Awards. He also lends his talents to a wide range of well-known Kiwi acts, from Ladi6 to Dave Dobbyn.
 
Smith then plays the Port Chalmers Seafood Festival near Dunedin on September 30. She wraps up the tour in Auckland at Crystal Palace on October 6 with support from emerging Kiwi soul sensation TEEKS.
 
The young artist, who hails from Northland, has taken the Kiwi music scene by storm with his debut EP, THE GRAPEFRUIT SKIES. A mesmerising live performer, with a voice that’ll stop you in your tracks, TEEKS’ debut single ‘If Only'  has topped charts making the up-and-comer a must see.
 
Tickets for Hollie Smith’s LONGPLAYER 10th ANNIVERSARY TOUR are on sale at 9amFriday, August 4 at Cosmic Ticketing - https://www.cosmicticketing.co.nz/ 

MODERN MĀORI QUARTET ANNOUNCE NATIONWIDE 'THAT'S US!' ALBUM TOUR & NEW ALBUM SINGLE 'DON'T FALL IN LOVE'

With the showband's long-awaited debut original album, 'That's Us!' being released Friday 15th September Modern Māori Quartet (Sums Selvarajan & Yee Yang Lee) will head off on an extensive 20 date nationwide tour, travelling the highways and byways of New Zealand taking their music to the people of Aotearoa. Joining them for te haerenga (the journey) will be the beloved Annie Crummer. 

Matu Ngaropo (Performer & Music Dramaturg) says: “The tour will be about taking our music to the people and returning it to our roots. We want to inspire a new generation of garage parties and fuel those special gatherings with new, honest, hearty waiata to add to the classic playlist. These will be songs that the heartland of Aotearoa can sing along to.  As a team committed to carrying the mantle of this kaupapa we aim to share a new and current sound of Māori showbands and show people that real music, our music, is alive and thriving.”

Francis Kora (Performer) adds: “Past, present and future, with Aroha and truth as the main ingredients.” 


MODERN MĀORI QUARTET
WITH ANNIE CRUMMER
THAT'S US! DEBUT ALBUM TOUR

PUTĀRURU -  Saturday 16th September - The Plaza
HAMILTON - Sunday 17th September - Playhouse
NELSON - Wednesday 20th September - Playhouse Theatre
BLENHEIM - Thursday 21st September - ASB Theatre Marlborough
CHRISTCHURCH - Friday 22nd September - Aurora Centre
DUNEDIN - Saturday 23rd September - Mayfair Theatre
PŌRANGAHAU - Wednesday 27th September - Memorial Hall
FEATHERSTON -Thursday 28th September - Anzac Hall
ŌTAKI - Friday 29th September - Memorial Hall
NAPIER - Saturday 30th September - Municipal Theatre
WHANGANUI - Sunday 1st October - Royal Opera House
ROTORUA - Thursday 5th October - Civic Theatre
NEW PLYMOUTH - Friday 6th October -Theatre Royal
WELLLINGTON - Saturday 7th October  - Wellington High School, Riley Centre
TAUPŌ - Sunday 8th October - Great Lakes Centre
KAIKOHE - Thursday 12th October - War Memorial Hall
WHANGAREI - Friday 13th October - Capitaine Bougainville Theatre, Forum North
AUCKLAND - Saturday 14th October - Crystal Palace
WHAKATĀNE - Sunday 15th October -Little Theatre

Tickets on sale Mon 7th Aug at 9am
For show and ticketing info go to modernmaoriquartet.nz

'Don't Fall In Love'

'Don't Fall In Love' is the forth single to be taken from 'That's Us!' 
'Don't Fall In Love' will be released digitally Friday 4th August. 

"It’s our Motown-inspired, soulful, Sam Cooke styled song that will cut straight to
your heart and make you laugh at the same time.

As artists, there is a magic fusion where the performer and the work become
one and the same. As well as being something special to share, our music is
also an expression through which we learn, develop and become better people.
Based loosely on real experiences, Don’t Fall In Love is tragically honest. The
pursuit of happiness, love and truth are integral to the music we make and this
song is all about having the courage to be honest, even if it’s painful.

A seriously catchy melody, big, broad harmonies and punchy, brave lyrics will
make Don’t Fall In Love a party favourite and one you will want to sing along to.
So go on, dust off your guitar, get some mates together and get your garage
rocking."

THE BLACK SEEDS 'FREAKIN'

On the cusp of their nationwide New Zealand tour which kicks off this September, The Black Seeds (Craig Pearce) have dropped the boogie in their devastatingly great new video for their new, feel-good single, Freakin'.

Expect keytars, explosions, futuristic eyewear (and dangerous dance moves) brought together by a rotating cast of dance extraordinaires - this is about the good times! Let’s party!

“It's the party, pick-me-up track on the album," says The Black Seeds co-frontman, Barnaby Weir of the new track created at Lee Prebble's The Surgery. "It's for the end of the week, end of the line, letting loose, shaking it off. It's a good dose of feel-good funk."

Featuring dance and choreography from Hero Dance Company, Pump Dance Studios and The Company NZ, the video was directed by Mark Russell (The Renegade Peach Project), produced by Owen Watts (The Maker's Initiative) and created with the support of NZ On Air. Watch Freakin'  here, or below.

This September 8th, The Black Seeds will release their sixth studio album Fabric, followed by a nationwide album tour that spans 10 national dates with newly added shows in Nelson (Sept 30th - Club Paradox) and Hawkes Bay (Oct 10th - The Cabana). See here for full details and ticketing information.
 

DEVILSKIN ANNOUNCE NZ TOUR 2017

DEVILSKIN (James Southgate) are thrilled to announce their NZ TOUR 2017, bringing their incredible live show to New Zealand towns from October 5 - October 21.

This announcement comes on the back of their 4th UK tour which included sold out gigs in Ireland and playing at the legendary Rock + Metal 3 day festival DOWNLOAD. Devilskin are taking their live show to the next level.

The band share “we have thoroughly enjoyed our time overseas, the shows and the crowds have been amazing, but we have missed playing to our dear friends here in NZ. We're really excited to hit the road again and catch up with our good mates from Auckland to Invercargill, see your pretty faces and melt them off! Plus we need to thank you personally for the gold album. We've been working hard and have some new tunes and a few surprises for y'all that we can't wait to unleash! See you soon.”

Devilskin NZ tour visits:

5th October Tillermans, Invercargill
6th October Uni Union Hall, Dunedin
7th October The Bedford, Christchurch
13th October San Fran, Wellington
14th October Altitude, Hamilton
20th October Bay Park Stadium, Mt Maunganui
21th October Powerstation, Auckland

Tickets on sale from Thursday 27th July through Eventfinda for all events excluding the Powerstation gig which are available from AAA ticketing

Devilskin’s second studio album, Be Like The River released in November 11, 2016 debuted at #1 on the Official Album Chart on November 18th 2016 was certified Gold on July 14 2017. Gold status means more than 7,500 copies of Be Like the River have been sold.
Certification is awarded on the basis of over-the-counter retail sales and streaming data.
Be Like The River features the smash singles Voice, Mountains, Pray and the recently released Believe in Me. The album is available as an 11 track album, 13 track deluxe pack and Gatefold LP vinyl edition.

Devilskin’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.

Not only are Devilskin achieving considerable sales, their fans have been streaming their music in all parts of the globe. Devilskin are the first domestic NZ rock band to exceed 1,000,000 streams with one song, that being Elvis Presley Circle Pit and they are approaching 7,000,000 streams in total.

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. 

KINGS ANNOUNCES FORTHCOMING NEW ALBUM 'CHAPTER ONE'

New Zealand recording artist KINGS (Matt Headland) announces today his forthcoming debut album, Chapter One, set for independent release later in the year. Entirely self-produced by Kingdon Chapple-Wilson, the 12-track album will be released by KINGS himself through a new partnership with local digital music distributors DRM NZ.

With lead single 'We'll Never Know' scheduled to drop early September, the Kiwi hitmaker returns in fine form with a varied album showcasing an impressive range of styles and wide skillset as a producer, songwriter, lyricist and performer.

Best known for runaway chart-topping hit 'Don't Worry 'Bout It', which has now surpassed 6 million streams and recently received a Silver Scroll award nomination, KINGS has carved out a unique path as a multi-talented artist covering a diverse range of genres.

Regarding the album construction and forging a new path without a major record label involved, Kingdon comments:

"Firstly, thank you to everyone following and supporting this journey. Day 1 fans, new fans, welcome. Before I go further, I have to do a massive shout out to Warner Music NZ for believing in me - together we broke a New Zealand record, went platinum and made NZ history. Wouldn't have been possible without them. 

I've always encouraged artists and musicians to do things themselves and to study the game thoroughly. It was only right that I do this entire project the way I preach. From directing the music videos to designing the cover art, everything is written, produced, mixed, and mastered the way I intended, with the hope that it encourages YOU to do the same thing." 

DRM NZ are well known advocates for helping local New Zealand artists release their music globally. For just over a decade, the company has worked with a great host of independent kiwi artists in getting their music on digital platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Google Play, Pandora and more.

On the new partnership with Kingdon and his team, DRM NZ General Manager Andy Low states:

"This is a thrilling release for us, and we're very excited to work with one of New Zealand’s great talents of today. KINGS has come up with a fantastic debut album, DRM looks forward to rolling out the new KINGS material far and wide."

SWIDT ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF DEBUT ALBUM STONEYHUNGA

STONEYHUNGA RELEASED ON JULY 28
PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW HERE

LEAD SINGLE ‘PLAYER OF THE DAY’ RELEASED ON JULY 21 FOUR INSTANT-GRAT TRACKS AVAILABLE NOW 

“I’m biased, Onehunga bringing the fire”. Six words that become reality on July 28. In one week, Onehunga-based hip hop collective SWIDT (Andy Murnane & Serra Gulavao) will release their highly-anticipated debut album, Stoneyhunga.

Crafted entirely by in-house super producer SmokeyGotBeatz, and mixed at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studio, the anticipation SWIDT’s debut album has been growing ever since the boys burst on to the NZ music scene with the breakout track ‘No More Parties In Stoneyhunga’. Onehunga’s favourite sons were immediately embraced as the new voice in NZ hip hop, and the SWIDT movement was born.

Two years later, Stoneyhunga is the culmination of SWIDT’s singular vision and ambition, featuring international collaborations with personnel from TDE and PRO ERA – two of this generation’s hottest and most influential hip hop labels.

The album chronicles the journey of five boys growing up in pre-gentrification, and pre-smartphone Onehunga. A coming-of-age hip hop musical in the tradition of films such as Stand By Me and The Outsiders, Stoneyhunga is a poetic cultural time-capsule of NZ youth between 1999 and 2005.

The album will be preceded by the first official single ‘Player Of The Day’ (to be released on July 21), as well as four instant-grat tracks (available now), all of which have been Top 10 iTunes Hip Hop singles, and two of which have been #1 on the NZ Heatseeker Singles Chart. 

YASAMIN 'L.O.N.D.O.N'

Born to Iraqi immigrants, singer/songwriter Yasamin didn’t gather up the courage to pursue her musical dream until later in her life. This would mean leaving behind a full time career as a scientist and throwing herself fully into recording. Her first full length album 'L.O.N.D.O.N' has now been released.

Yasamin first introduced her music in 2013 with “The Hello EP - Chasing Melodies”. Her music video for “Platinum and Gold” aired on C4. She has appeared on TVNZ’s Good Morning and has been featured on 95bFM and TheAudience.co.nz Top 10 Chart Show.

Yasamin has drawn comparisons to female musicians such as Corinne Bailey Rae and Ingrid Michaelson and sights her love for lyrics as what drew her to music initially.

Yasamin Also hosts the podcast The Creative Kickoff where she talks about the songwriting and creative process with other songwriters. 

YASAMIN 'L.O.N.D.O.N'