LOUIS BAKER ANNOUNCES UK AND EUROPEAN TOUR DATES

Louis Baker returns to the UK and Europe for a 15 date tour this May, with more dates to be released.

His London headline show SOLD OUT within weeks of the announcement proving that the modern soul singer-songwriters international fan base has remained loyal and grown with the release of his singles Rainbow, Fade, Gave It All Away and Addict.

With over 10 million Spotify streams, the independent artists single releases culminated in sold out shows across New Zealand and Australia and garnered love that spans the world over. Everyone from India Arie (“Louis Baker, you sing my soul,”) to the international music community (BBC 6 Music, Clash Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, Earmilk) have shown support for what he is, and has become.

Louis will release a new single on May 4th which is a part of a new body of work he is due to release later this year.
 

UK / Europe Tour Dates
10/05 - UK, Manchester, Band on the Wall
11/05 - UK, Stockton, The Arc
12/05 - UK, Barton on Humber, Ropery Hall
13/05 - UK, Chester, St Mary's Church
16/05 - UK, Cardiff, Porters
17/05 - UK, Brighton, The Great Escape
18/05 - UK, Brighton, The Great Escape
24/05 - London, The Islington - SOLD OUT
27/05 - Strawberry Woods Festival
28/05 - CH, Zurich, Eldorado
29/05 - Cologne, Theater der Wohngemeinschaft
30/05 - Hamburg, Nochtwache
31/05 - Berlin, Baumhausbar
02/06 - NL, Amsterdam,Paradiso
06/06 - IRL, Dublin, East Side Tavern

Tickets from www.louisbaker.co.nz

AN ALIEN INVADED THE CIRCUS

Singer/Composer Katie Morton of the band April Fish will host a Facebook Livestream event at 11 am NZST on April 1st 2018 to showcase tracks from the upcoming release of Sophomore album ‘An Alien Invaded the Circus’, due out April 6th 2018. Members of the Klaus Vermillion Quartet will also be on hand to partake in banteringly good times between songs.

With music described as “Tim Burton and Kate Bush veering the Starship Enterprise down the rabbit hole”, it was touring the US with avant-rock band Jaggery that enabled the catch of a lifetime: a chance meeting with Vince Welch, the production/sound designer of Morton’s all-time favourite band Bent Knee, which in turn led to securing him to mix the album.

Morton is known for a savant-like grasp of musical soundscapes, leaning towards the avant-garde with a tinge of darkness to keep it interesting. It is this ability to use music to colour the context and explore the human mind that makes April Fish a stand out.

“At times it’s chamber music, an operatic orchestration. At others it’s the soundtrack to a 1930s Raygun Gothic Sci-Fi that was never made. It’s altogether beautiful in all its multilayered rawness and lyrically vivid." ~ Petros, muzic.net.nz

Key dates:
Mar 16th: First single release, Axident
Mar 24th: Cubadupa performance at the San Fran bar in Wellington, NZ
Mar 30th: Second single release, Silver or Sulfur
Apr 1st: Pre-release Facebook Livestream event with the Klaus Vermillion Quartet
Apr 6th: Official release of ‘An Alien Invaded the Circus’

Links
Website:  http://aprilfish.co.nz/
Bandcamp:  http://www.aprilfish.bandcamp.com
Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/6VGzWCOWDgrPF12V5Xj9iQ
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/aprilfishmusic/
Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/AprilTheFish

TAMI NEILSON ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM SASSAFRASS! AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR

Tami Neilson will release her new record SASSAFRASS! on June 1, ahead of a seven-date tour of New Zealand. Presented by Sunday Star Times and Under the Radar, the tour takes in some of the country’s most beautiful and iconic theatres, kicking off in Nelson on July 26 and ending in Auckland on August 4.  

The award-winning Canadian-born, New Zealand-based singer-songwriter today gives fans a taste of what’s to come on SASSAFRASS!, with the album’s lead single ‘Stay Outta My Business’.

Listen to ‘Stay Outta My Business’ here: Spotify / iTunes / Apple Music

‘Stay Outta My Business’ is a sassy, brassy soul number, which finds Neilson fighting back at trash-talkers in splendidly defiant, hip-shaking fashion, paving the way for the June 1 release of SASSAFRASS!

Taking its name from ‘sassafrass’ - slang for a sassy person who isn’t afraid to speak her mind - the album places a heavier emphasis on soul music while not abandoning her country and rockabilly roots. Neilson conjures up a wonderfully retro style that sounds like it could be a lost gem from the late ’50s or early ’60s; however, beneath the classic veneer are frank, highly relevant lyrics.

Neilson’s confident vocals are undoubtedly abetted by her being surrounded by familiar collaborators. She co-produced SASSAFRASS! with Ben Edwards. Edwards also co-produced her last two critically-acclaimed albums, DYNAMITE! and DON’T BE AFRAID, alongside Delaney Davidson.

Backing her up in the studio on SASSAFRASS! was her talented band, the Hot Rockin’ Band of Rhythm: Joe McCallum (drums), Mike Hall (bass), Brett Adams (guitar) and Neil Watson (guitar and pedal steel), who have toured with her around the globe over the past three years. A brass section and strings enhance the album’s classic qualities. 

For the past decade, Neilson has been an integral part of the New Zealand music scene, with countless accolades and achievements to her name, including a handful of ‘Best Country Album’ awards at the New Zealand Music Awards and the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll for excellence in songwriting.

She has also built up a loyal fan-base who know they’re guaranteed one hell of a show, when it comes to her live performances and that’s certainly what’s in store for the SASSAFRASS! Tour, which sees Neilson and the Hot Rockin’ Band of Rhythm play at Nelson’s Theatre Royal on Thursday, July 26; Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal on Friday, July 27; Dunedin’s Glenroy Auditorium on Saturday, July 28; Hamilton’s Clarence Street on Wednesday, August 1; Napier’s MTG Century Theatre on Thursday, August 2; Wellington’s Opera House on Friday, August 3 and Auckland’s Town Hall on Saturday, August 4.

General ticket sales from midday, March 28.

TAMI NEILSON – SASSAFRASS! NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2018

Thursday 26 July - Theatre Royal, NELSON

Friday 27 July - Isaac Theatre Royal, CHRISTCHURCH

Saturday 28 July - Glenroy Auditorium, DUNEDIN

Wednesday 1 August - Clarence Street, HAMILTON

Thursday 2 August - MTG Century Theatre, NAPIER

Friday 3 August - Opera House, WELLINGTON

Saturday 4 August - Town Hall, AUCKLAND

Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin tickets from HERE

Christchurch, Hamilton and Napier tickets from HERE

THEIA - BYE BYE

Today Theia (Nicole Thomas and Paula Yeoman) releases her new single ‘Bye Bye’ - the first song from her new material, which she will be releasing throughout 2018.

She wrote ‘Bye Bye’ in Sydney in 2017 on APRA’s Songhubs with the legendary US producer Mike Elizondo, renowned for his collaborations with Eminem and Dr Dre. 

Australian hip-hop artist L-FRESH The LION and Kiwi artist Vince Harder were also part of the Songhubs co-writing team.

The track was produced by LA-based Tony Buchen, who was nominated as ‘Producer of the Year’ at the 2016 ARIAs.

The visuals that accompany ‘Bye Bye’ emerged from a collaboration between Theia and two of New Zealand’s brightest young talents, fashion photographer Frances Carter and fashion designer Tia Feng. The video - shot by Carter - will be released in the coming weeks.

LISTEN HERE - http://open.spotify.com/album/15qrlzaK3MVnIM4w4Oo9PY

MARINA BLOOM 'THE TREE'

Russian singer Marina Bloom has recently released a single and a music video, ‘The Tree’. The song was inspired by a true story and depicts the Russian war era when mothers were forced to send their sons away to fight for their country. 

The music video was filmed in New Zealand and many members of the Russian community participated in its creation. This is Marina’s first song in her native Russian language. 

She intends to develop more ethnic songs along side her other pop and folk songs, which she regularly performs with her band ‘Moving Stuff’. www.movingstuff.co.nz

Jym 'Jungle'

Newly reinvented singer-songwriter Jym (Sarah Fabrin) released a sinister new track earlier this month, co-written by Ezra Vine and produced by Leisure’s Djeisan Suskov. 

Known by the artist moniker Micah in a previous life, 18-year old Micah Heath’s debut track, 2016’s ‘Game’ garnered the young pop writer over 450,000 streams. A colab with Ezra Vine (the songwriter behind the 56 million-stream hit ‘Celeste) saw Heath discovering a new sound, inspiring him to start out afresh under the name Jym.

Produced by Leisure songwriter Djeisan Suskov, ‘Jungle’ is an ode to dark city nights, punctuated by pulsing synth basses, 80’s guitar lines, and Heath’s whispered vocal inviting the listener to “give me the layup of your mind, get me inside it.”

“The song is a conversation,” Heath explains, “an invitation to step out into the city, this neon jungle where anything can happen. Give me a chance and maybe you’ll enjoy yourself.”

“The moment I stepped into a room with Ezra Vine, I knew I was carving new ground,” he continues, “his approach to pop music is so leftfield; we ended up with this aggressive tone we were vibing on. The more I listened, the more I knew I’d found a new direction, both sonically and as an artist – that was the biggest motivation for my name change.” 

Released March 2nd, ‘Jungle’ has found love on Spotify, peaking at #2 on their NZ Viral Top 50, and hitting #4 on the NZ Top 40 Heatseekers chart.

NAKITA 'SUCKER'

Hot on the heels of her Valentine's Day release of 'SUCKA', Nakita (Sarah Fabrin) drops the colourful new video for the tune, directed by Sam Kristofski, the genius visualiser behind videos for Pond, Opossum, The Phoenix Foundation, Bic Runga and Fazerdaze. Shot on a variety of retro cameras and analogue film formats, the SUCKA video is a hypnotic, retro loop that evokes the likes of Wes Anderson with its vintage vibe and paraphernalia. 

Co-written with Matthew Young and Grammy-nominated producer Leroy Clampitt (Justin Bieber), SUCKA is an anti-love song that sees the 18-year old putting herself in the shoes of a friend stuck in an unhealthy infatuation.

“It’s a spin on the sugary-sweet love tune” she explains, “It’s about the aching push and pull addiction of returning to someone who is toxic and controlling. The hardest part is the fact you know that you’re being absolutely played, but because of their familiarity and charm, you keep locked in for more. 
“For a season, you’re stuck thinking his bad parts aren’t 'that bad' and his mistakes are just something else to overlook and your tears are just weakness. It's all part of this ‘love', right? No relationship is ‘perfect’. 

“But truth is…no, this guy is bad for me. He doesn't love me like I should. He doesn’t give me the respect and love I deserve and I know deep down, all of this. but oh...I’m running back and I’ll keep on running back into his arms...I’m a sucker for him and he’s a sucker for me.” 

JULIA DEANS TO PERFORM WITH BARNABY WEIR

Steinlager Pure Sessions Presents Barnaby Weir & Friends
Five Free Shows Across New Zealand This April

Friday April 6 – Foxglove, Wellington w/ Julia Deans (solo)
Sunday April 8 – Ostro, Auckland w/ Julia Deans (solo)
Thursday April 12 – Carlton, Christchurch
Friday April 13 – Vault 21, Dunedin
Saturday April 14 – Yonder, Queenstown

Steinlager Pure are excited to announce the Steinlager Pure Sessions – five FREE shows across New Zealand this April, featuring Barnaby Weir & Friends.

Performing alongside some of the country’s finest musicians and his bandmates from The Black Seeds and Fly My Pretties, Barnaby Weir & Friends will be performing songs from their vast back catalogues of classics.

Fresh off a summer performing across the country supporting The Black Seeds’ sixth album Fabric, these shows will give audiences a chance to see Barnaby Weir performing in an intimate setting with an incredibly talented band featuring –

Jarney Murphy (drums), Matthew Benton (saxophone), Mike Fabulous (bass), Nigel Patterson (keys), & of course Barnaby Weir (guitar/vocals)

The group will perform five FREE shows across New Zealand this April. They will be supported by a solo set from Julia Deans in Wellington and Auckland, who will be performing tracks from her incredible back catalogue, plus giving an exclusive preview of her highly anticipated new album, which is set for release this May.

These shows are free entry and limited capacity, so first come first served! Presented by Steinlager Pure.

Full tour info at http://steinlager.com/puresessions