ARJUNA OAKES & SEREBII SHARE "SUMMER RAIN", FINAL DAYS EP OUT NOW

Arjuna Oakes & Serebii - "Summer Rain"

(Video // Streaming)

New Zealand's Arjuna Oakes and Serebii, a.k.a. Callum Mower, have released their Final Days EP on Innovative Leisure.

Arjuna Oakes and Serebii, a.k.a. Callum Mower, met while playing sold out shows together, but they knew then that it was just the beginning of something bigger. They were serving as hired guns in a popular surf rock band, touring Aotearoa New Zealand in mid-size venues, tearing it up, helping others realize their musical vision. That was great, but the friendship forged between the two of them in the process was the real bounty: “We got on like a house on fire,” says Mower. “And we’d end up sticking together through festivals or hanging out at parties.”

“Just like a brother,” Oakes jumps in.

Back in their base of Wellington, Oakes and Mower kept hanging out and playing together—except this time they were making music more like what was calling to them personally. When Oakes was working on his solo work—jazzy chill-hop with an alt-rock twist—he would call on Mower to pop in to help with some of his velvet-y production skills. And when Mower needed a killer voice or a compositional tweak on something he was working on—often psych-infused grooves—he had Oakes on speed-dial. It wasn’t long before they realized that they should be working together in earnest.

"Tired Faces"

(Video // Streaming)

Something like if Portishead collaborated with Flying Lotus, 2021’s First Nights EP was an introduction to the duo as a singular act, and “Even When You’re Gone,” a funky chiller Oakes wrote while going through a tough breakup, quickly found its way onto endless streaming playlists looking to harness the vibe. The EP sounds like a million bucks, but was in fact largely recorded over several months in Mower’s bedroom, “with just an SM57 [mic] and no gear whatsoever,” laughs Oakes. “It’s quite nice recording over a longer period of time,” says Oakes, “because you can really mold the songs the way that you want to.”

They soon decided to keep the momentum going, creating a second EP, Final Days, designed to be “a sister record” for First Nights. This new one was put together in much the same way as the first: songwriting duties were shared between the two, with Oakes handling most of the singing and all of the keys and synths, and Mower leading the production duties and playing almost all the guitar and bass parts. (A few friends also helped with drums/percussion and trumpet parts.) By and large, it was recorded in Mower’s bedroom, his cat crawling on their shoulders throughout.

You can feel the push and pull of each personality on certain tracks, swirling together in a collage of various talents and sensibilities. On “Flavour,” a club-ready track that Oakes brought in, Mower’s Chic-ish guitar licks shimmy into the mix, and on “Tired Faces,” a track that Mower brought in, Oakes’ Thom Yorke–reminiscent pipes turn the song into a pure vapor—more a gas hovering in the landscape than a file on a computer. “We both grew up in thick, thick nature,” notes Mower. “I’m forever searching for ways to recreate what nature does.”

Like First Nights, Final Days was also similarly inspired by a form of grief. Rather than a breakup, Oakes was dealing with the impending loss of a beloved grandparent this time around, and was trying to process the experience through music. “I was losing my granddad to cancer, and I knew it was coming,” he explains. “So it’s a kind of a thing of letting go of people you love.”

"Flavour"

(Video // Streaming)

“Make this pain feel small / Crave the moments that I once never noticed,” Oakes sings on the song “Final Days,” over an intricate nylon-string progression. The track begins with a voicemail that was left for Mower by his grandmother, who’s still with us, “and is such a character,” according to Oakes. “I’m very grateful [Mower] put that clip in because I wrote that song about my granddad who just passed away,” Oakes says. “It felt right to make it about our grandparents. And our loved ones.”

“I’m not strolling down the avenue, but I’m thinking of you,” Mower’s grandmother says, over a laugh. “OK, darling, lots of love. Bye.”

Yung Maac and RVNNAH collaborate for new single ‘4 10 Shawty’

Gisborne rappers Yung Maac and RVNNAH have recently released their highly anticipated collaboration track ‘4 10 Shawty’, a fast paced trap single produced by Multi Platinum RIAA Award winner StardustSzn.

Layering a distinct string lead line and heavy 808 drums alongside a choir vocal sample, the instrumental sets out the scene for Yung Maac’s hook, to start off the song. With his signature autotune lead sound alongside catchy lyrics detailing the scene, the rapper lays out the blueprint for RVNNAH to follow in the rest of the track.

“We recorded this song together on the first night we met each other. RVNNAH came in to the studio, heard the instrumental and he laid his verse out in 10 minutes off the dome. I’ve never seen anything like that before, he had everyone in the studio going crazy.” - Yung Maac, on recording ‘410 Shawty’ with RVNNAH.

This song had been leaked online by fans of Yung Maac’s SoundCloud, after the artist’s computer got stolen from a studio session in Wellington. After many months of high anticipation, listeners have been giving it a lot of attention across the various online platforms.

With this song being one of the most anticipated releases of Yung Maac’s journey in music so far, he is set to release another collaboration with RVNNAH, titled ‘Sideline’, in late October.

Stream Yung Maac and RVNNAH’s song, ‘4 10 Shawty’ on all platforms, here. Follow Yung Maac on Instagram, @yung_maac

JAZ PATERSON DELIVERS NOSTALGIC NEW SINGLE “OLDER”

Rising electronic pop artist Jaz Paterson today releases her brand new single ‘Older’. By crafting alternative pop beats with contemporary R&B vocals, the gifted New Zealand based musician juxtaposes light and dark themes to deliver her introspective and confessional style of music.  

‘Older’ combines beautiful and subtle production elements inspired by Phoebe Bridgers and BANKS. It infuses acoustic production with subtle electronic elements. ‘Older’ speaks to the fear of becoming a jaded version of self. The song ponders the question of potential. It is gentle, emotive, nostalgic, and bittersweet – “If I marry the boy that I like and we live in a house with my kid, will it be everything that I want?”

PURCHASE / LISTEN TO ‘OLDER’ HERE:

https://bfan.link/jaz-paterson-older

“Jaz Paterson delivers refreshingly original music that instantly captivates and intrigues. The New Zealand based alternative pop artist draws on influences from the likes of Banks, Tov Lo, James Blake and Bon Iver, to develop a spellbinding, yet honest and confessional style of music that explores the intricacies of various production techniques. Jaz’s impressive vocals and songwriting prowess have recently been showcased on a variety of tracks in different genres - a UK house inspired collaboration with local kiwi artists Rei and Sean Richards, a Dancefloor DnB track with producer duo “Melt”, and most recently, a collaboration with MC Tali. Recent performances have included a set at Rolling Meadows 2022, Jaz’s first five date NZ tour in April 2022, and a headline show at Space Academy Christchurch. In 2016, she was selected as a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) and was named a finalist in the Olympic Songwriting Competition. With Jaz’s music career starting to heat up, be sure to keep an eye out for an upcoming EP set to be released in 2023. Set to intricate melodies and harmonies, Jaz’s music will have you hooked from the very first beat as she recites stories about the up and downs of life in her early twenties”

MURMUR TOOTH & LARS MOSTON ELECTRO-POP TRACK 'ANTIDOTE' REACHES GERMAN CLUB CHART ON RELEASE WEEKEND

New Zealand-born indie-pop artist Murmur Tooth teams up with British-German DJ and producer Lars Moston, to conjure this oxytocin-inducing dance track that despite being written in the middle of a Berlin winter, has a deep sense of late-summer romance, with its aching vocals, warm and soul-flecked drums, and chords fuelled by nostalgia. The track was released with remixes by Berlin-based producers Dompe and Intaktogene, and hit #21 in the German Club Charts on release weekend. Listen here: https://spoti.fi/3V3get3

Beginning her musical journey with classical piano and oboe in the school orchestra, when Leah heard grunge for the first time she was inspired and nothing was ever the same; she taught herself guitar, formed an avant-metal band El Schlong, and shredded her way around the world, later with quirk-rock band Kobosh. She settled in Berlin, built a studio, and started her solo “doom-pop” project Murmur Tooth, single-handedly writing, recording and mixing two EPs and a full-length album.

Lars Moston is from a completely different musical discipline entirely, touring the world as a DJ, moving dancefloors from Fusion Festival to Tomorrowland. His own music is the result of an unpredictable range of influences and has been released on influential House Music labels such as Berlin’s Katermukke, Spanish giants Suara, and Nervous Records from New York City. He has remixed top artists like Purple Disco Machine and his music regularly pops up in the Beatport Top100 and in tastemaker playlists.

Leah and Lars met during the pandemic and started exploring how their polar opposite musical backgrounds could clash and combine. 2022 saw their first releases together, starting with the instrumental “You, Me, Us, Spines” on German label Heideton, and an official remix of Claptone’s latest single, “Beautiful” on Different Recordings.

“Antidote”, the first single from their upcoming album No Time To Explain, has already passed the DJ test with flying colours in Pacha in Ibiza, Printworks in London and Sisyphus in Berlin. With feel-good summer vibes and an anthemic vocal hook, it has people singing along by the second chorus and jumping along by the third.

"Antidote is about finding home and finding the things that make you happy to be alive. It's hopeful and optimistic. We actually wrote the song in the middle of winter during the first Berlin lockdown, but we were having a great time just hunkering down making music, and this joy really comes through in the song - it sounds like summer!"  - Murmur Tooth

https://www.murmurtooth.com/https://www.murmurtoothandlarsmoston.com/

Sylvee returns with dark - pop anthem ‘ Time For The Girls ’

New Zealand singer and songwriter Sylvee makes a powerful statement with her new single ‘Time For The Girls’ – The track is a dark-pop powerful statement that speaks loudly to an archaic and seemingly hard to kick issue

A moment that sociologically feels like rebellion, but in actual fact is claiming pure equality. “Women have been made to feel small all their lives” Sylvee explains, and with ‘Time For The Girls’, she’s letting you know that she’s not only done with that narrative, but she’s full of power,
and isn’t playing around.

Co-written with Mckenzie Comer, and Daniel Martin who also takes production credit.

‘Time For The Girls’ remains true to Sylvee’s signature sound. Her exquisite vocals and warm melodies exude raw emotion and intricately weave together a landscape of poetic lyricism and production, which shifts effortlessly from delicate to soaring.

Hailing from Nelson; a city renowned for punching well above its weight when it
comes to fostering musical talent (think Broods, Robinson), Sylvee’s journey in music has taken her from singing in the primary school choir and tinkering around at home on the piano, to recording in studios across the globe.

This track is the third single from her upcoming EP due for release early next year. It follows on from ‘Retrograde World’ (Simon Gooding) in 2021, and her most recent August release ‘Slow’ (Joel Jones).

Funded by New Zealand On Air, ‘Time For The Girls’ is accompanied by a striking and feminine music video directed and produced by Ruby Harris.

Leaving fans waiting in anticipation for the talented artist’s next move, Sylvee hints “follows in the footsteps of
‘Champagne’ and ‘Slow’.”

Watch this space!

Find Sylvee here:
Soundcloud / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

Anthea de Milo Announces Debut Album 'The Vicar's Daughter' out December 2nd, 2022 + DEAD SEA single and video out today.

Today Anthea de Milo has announced her debut album 'The Vicar's Daughter' out December 2nd, 2022.

Alongside today's announcement Lyttelton's soul singing powerhouse has released her second single and video 'Dead Sea' In this haunting, euphonious, siren song, ''snapshots are taken from chapters of a life with heart wrenching accuracy''

Watch the accompanying video by Jason Larraman, It's a slow and stunning journey to the truth that unfolds.

'The Vicar's Daughter' is available for pre-order digitally and on CD & Vinyl
Pre order here via Bandcamp.

Anthea de Milo (Anthea Struthers) - the vicar's daughter, clown/goddess, mama, saint/sinner/singer and soulful songwriter.

For Anthea, as a child singing for hours every Sunday in the church was her escape into the realms of another world.

Spending Wednesday nights with The Eastern in Lyttelton, Adam Mcgrath told her, ''you gotta write your own music'', so she did.

Forming the country, rock'n'roll machine Runaround Sue, she recorded 2 albums and performed on many bills including with The Motels. Also heard on the Harbour Union soundtrack and Al Park's 'Better Already'.
Never wanting to be pigeon-holed, Struthers then started doom band Saint Satori with artist Jason Grieg, recording a stunning album at The Sitting Room, produced by Delaney Davison.

This latest incarnation has Anthea going back to her roots. having danced with the devil and hung with the Gods, anyone who has seen her live will know the metaphysical magic that she can inspire, the broken beauty of the outsider.

Anthea de Milo online
Facebook / Instagram
Spotify / Bandcamp / YouTube / Apple Music

GRETA O'LEARY SHARES SWEET, SMOKEY SINGLE 'HONEY BABE'

Sending us out the door with kisses, soulful alt-folk artist Greta O'Leary shares her new single 'Honey babe', a gentle and timeless take on love and leaving, and the last single ahead of her debut EP this November.

A shufflin' slow dance with departure, this decided twist on the classic love song is a seductive, gentle farewell. Steeped in whiskey and existing in its own time and space, Honey babe is the gift of goodbye, and the sweetest love song in reverse we've heard.

Greta is a Pōneke-based songwriter and musician whose spacious and pervasive sound is laced with humour and insight, creating poignant offerings that bend the folk genre to her own plain, an unmistakably rare sound that is unique to her.

Coming of age during a few nomadic years hitching around the globe, her lifelong love of music was ignited through the folk scenes of Australia and beyond. "Writing and feeling is truly all that has ever made sense to me", she says, a fact that is unmistakable after receiving NZoA funding, a debut video that has already amassed over 140,000 views, and mentorships from the inimitable Liz Stokes (The Beths), Sonny Southon and Frances Dickenson.

Her EP is due for release on all platforms on November 18th.

Linktree

Spotify

Bandcamp

Māori Soul, Pop and Jazz artist MOHI releases his latest heartstopping love song, ‘Moments’.

Following the release of his chart hitting single ‘Jasmine’, MOHI (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) is now releasing his latest love song ‘Moments’, ahead of his upcoming debut EP.

With more than 71 thousand Spotify streams for his reo Māori single ‘Te Aroha Mauroa’, MOHI’s latest track takes a trip down the soul pop lane, fusing it with his soulful voice, and will build towards his first EP as a solo artist.

Moments has an organic, easy listening sound, with the support and guidance of producer Dan Martin, MOHIs guitar playing is part of the track itself. It also focuses on bringing his exceptional voice and his lyrical talents to the forefront to showcase a very special emerging talent.

“This song was written to inspire people to feel something, to take a moment to think about that special someone in their lives.”

MOHI says the inspiration for this song comes from a special someone he was involved with a little while ago. “I was sitting in my lounge Sunday morning, thinking about someone special to me and decided to write about her.”

“I’ve never been much of a talker, so when I was composing this song, I wanted to write in lyrics the things that I wanted to say to her that I couldn’t quite voice at the time.”

The EP is MOHI’s first full project as an independent artist, along with the musical guidance of Dan Martin.

‘Moments’ is now available on all streaming platforms.