Midwave Breaks 'Souvenir'
Following hard on the heels of their 9 show NZ Music Month Tour announcement, Midwave Breaks release their latest Rock Radio banger, ’Souvenirs’.
Following hard on the heels of their 9 show NZ Music Month Tour announcement, Midwave Breaks release their latest Rock Radio banger, ’Souvenirs’.
Drummer Paul Russell adds some context to their latest offering:
"We just wanted to have some fun with this one, we wanted it upbeat and fairly 'riff-centric’, to add some extra pace to our live shows. It’s a challenge to play live, which was partly the point, to give ourselves something new to sink our teeth into onstage. The song is about the misguided tendency towards chasing false highs and accolades (collecting Souvenirs), and that ultimately it’s far more rewarding to just be comfortable in your own skin.”
Souvenirs is available across all streaming platforms now, and you can catch Midwave Breaks live across NZ throughout May.
Streaming and Tour Tickets Link here: https://linktr.ee/midwavebreaks
TINY RUINS Ceremony Album Release Tour 2023
To celebrate the upcoming release of their fourth album, Ceremony, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland based Tiny Ruins will embark on an eight-date headline tour around Aotearoa this Autumn. Ceremony, out April 28th, is the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019's celebrated Olympic Girls - a finalist for the Taite Music Prize.
Presale starts 13 March 9am
General tickets on sale 15 March 9am
+ Watch the visualiser for new single
'Dogs Dreaming'
New Album, Ceremony, Out April 28th
“Since 2009, New Zealand band Tiny Ruins have been steadily making good, blissful indie rock… ‘Dorothy Bay’ is a great reintroduction to a beloved, steadfast indie band.” - Past
“‘The Crab / Waterbaby’ [is] achingly pretty.” - Stereogum
“ Lyrically, few do it better – sharply poetic, each revelation from Tiny Ruins takes your breath away.” - Clash Music
To celebrate the upcoming release of their fourth album, Ceremony, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland based Tiny Ruins will embark on an eight-date headline tour around Aotearoa this Autumn. Ceremony, out April 28th, is the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019's celebrated Olympic Girls - a finalist for the Taite Music Prize.
Today, the band share a new track, 'Dogs Dreaming,' one of most exuberant offerings thus far from Tiny Ruins. Alex Freer’s drums lay a particularly playful bedrock amidst rippling organ and strong, unyielding vocals from Fullbrook. Deft clusters of Cass Basil’s bass notes free-wheel between floating and sliding, while Tom Healy’s spirited guitar flourishes and additional vocals lace the song with a sort of mid-80s nostalgia. 'Dogs Dreaming' was written on a solo expedition to the Āwhitu Peninsula, when Hollie Fullbroook surveyed the isolated lighthouse alone at dusk, freaking herself out in the process.
ABOUT CEREMONY
A rare blend of eloquent lyrical craft and explorative musicianship, the songs of Tiny Ruins are etched into the memories of crowds and critics worldwide. Traversing influences that cross genre and era, the artistry of Hollie Fullbrook and her band spans delicate folk, lustrous dream pop and ebullient psychedelia. Building on the sparse arrangements and a novelist's eye for detail cultivated over the past several years, the group's greatly anticipated fourth album is out on Ba Da Bing Records, Marathon Artists, Courtney Barnett's label Milk! Records, and the band's own imprint Ursa Minor in New Zealand. If Olympic Girls was an album suffused with existential emptiness, portraits often sketched from afar or in empty buildings, Ceremony zooms right in, unafraid of intimacy and connection. Now over a decade in, Hollie Fullbrook's evolution as Tiny Ruins has reached an apex of power, as she's become a deft bandleader of incredible musicians. Ceremony has many moods, ranging from intense minimalist 'Diving & Soaring' that evokes a classic folk vibe through to the heavier Neil Young-inspired 'Dorothy Bay', bop 'In Light of Everything', and the hooky, uplifting 'Dogs Dreaming'. Noodly 70s electric guitars, eclectic percussion and prominent bass might make it their most listenable and accessible album to date. The songs are all of a theme - exploring the coastal shores of the Manukau Harbour and working through a psychological 'shellscape', while tending toward a joyful / hopeful take on the passing of time. Ceremony is the band’s highest achievement, an album about confronting confusion, loss, dislocation and ultimately realising the beauty of life's unpredictable paths.
Pre-Save HERE
Pre-Order: HERE
Bandcamp Link: HERE
AfroSoul artist Ch! Nonso releases second single ‘Liar’ and poses questions about the legacies of lies
Following the release of his debut single ‘Ka Home’, AfroSoul artist Ch! Nonso is set to release ‘Liar’ the second single from his forthcoming EP ‘Kola Nuts & Chardonnay’
Following the release of his debut single ‘Ka Home’, AfroSoul artist Ch! Nonso is set to release ‘Liar’ the second single from his forthcoming EP ‘Kola Nuts & Chardonnay’ on Friday, 10 March. The single is a series of questions the Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) based artist was ruminating over about the dehumanisation and heartbreak caused by lies. In the second verse he questions what would’ve become of his-tory if he didn’t pick up his pen and voice his own story. Who would’ve appointed themselves the writer of his-tories?
Stream ‘Liar’ [Here]
Paying homage to the music tradition of Indigenous African and Black music, Ch! Nonso invites the listener to witness the deeply personal documentation of his experiences for a cathartic release that is backed by rhythmic melodies. Illuminating how the personal is not separate from the political and the multi-layered nature of heartbreak.
Sonically, the hauntingly muffled vocal effect, which sounds like an altar call due to the traditional RnB beat and call and response chant in the bridge, is influenced by D'Angelo’s ‘1000 deaths’. The style of guitar echoes Spanish influences something Ch! Nonso says is a deliberate choice to pay tribute to the different musical traditions he grew up listening to, like calypso and Afro-Cuban rhythms.
Set to release Friday, 31 March, Ch! Nonso’s debut EP ‘Kola Nuts & Chardonnay’ continues this style of putting sounds and music traditions that have elements of crossover and jarring aspects seamlessly together.
Born in Enugu, Nigeria, Ch! Nonso is an AfroSoul artist of Igbo descent residing in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand). In releasing his first project as Ch! Nonso, the artist invites us to witness his homecoming and reclamation of the philosophies and stories his name embodies.
Drawing inspiration from sounds that have deep roots in African music traditions, Ch! Nonso’s first foray into music was as a church choir member and later as a member of a boyband in university. Previously he performed under the alias Nuel Nonso as lead vocalist for Ijebu Pleasure Club and has worked with Phodiso, Mazbou Q, New Telepathics and Sola Rosa.
Sonically, Ch! Nonso’s sound is influenced by traditional Igbo rhythms such as Amawbia and Mbaise sounds, Highlife, RnB, Afrobeat, Jazz, Soul and artists such as Femi Kuti, Destiny’s Child, Celestine Ukwu, Plantashun Boiz and Stevie Wonder.
His reflective lyricism provides commentary on straddling multiple cultural influences and making sense of the awkward space between the jarring union of traditional African and Indigenous cultures, colonial influences and Western culture.
Sabreen Islam releases dazzling debut EP ROOM SERVICE + gets ready for Auckland release show
Emerging Bengali-New Zealand singer-songwriter Sabreen Islam has today released her dazzling and powerful debut EP ROOM SERVICE.
Emerging Bengali-New Zealand singer-songwriter Sabreen Islam has today released her dazzling and powerful debut EP ROOM SERVICE.
Listen to ROOM SERVICE HERE
Just one week after releasing her brave and haunting single ‘victory’, ROOM SERVICE is guaranteed to resonate with those who’ve already fallen in love with Sabreen’s refreshing take on indie-pop. Songs on the EP include previously released singles ‘you will never see this’, ‘still love you’ and ‘victory’, alongside new singles ‘all these dreams’, ‘fields’ and title track ‘room service’. Sabreen says that her ROOM SERVICE journey has been the most creatively fulfilling and exciting time for the artist.
“These six songs are like an introduction to the inner workings of my brain; they lay bare how I think, love, dream and hope. I hope that people take away some piece of it that they can relate to, a particular part that can sit with them and what they’re going through. That’s what music has been for me my whole life - a companion. I hope my music can be someone else’s companion too, whether they’re dancing, reminiscing, crying or hoping. I hope it feels like a hug.” Sabreen worked on the EP with musician, songwriter, & producer Sophie Bialostocki. “I feel so lucky to have met her. The nights we spent in the studio were the highlights of 2022 and now hearing these six songs makes me so proud. I’ve met and worked with so many amazing people through this EP and learned so many lessons and skills. It’s definitely been an exercise in character development (and budgeting!). While it’s been challenging and stressful at times, and a little scary, I’ve learned a lot and it makes me super excited for making more music!”
The artist also worked with engineer Ariki Perana, Hina Beaming, and Adnan Ahmed. She also worked closely with her dad, Monirul Islam. “Massive shout out to my dad for supporting me every step of the way, listening to every song and helping me to produce ‘victory’, my most vulnerable song yet.”
Sabreen has an upcoming debut headline show at Auckland’s newest venue, Big Fan, Sunday 19 March, with support from Katie-Lee. Just one week after the release of ROOM SERVICE, Sabreen and her band will perform all six songs from the EP for the first time. It’s sure to be a great night! For more information and tickets, head to Under The Radar HERE
A talented, rising singer-songwriter, Sabreen Islam is one to watch!
Find Sabreen Islam
ELIPSA RELEASES NZ ON AIR FUNDED MUSIC VIDEO FOR 'DIVINE' - FEATURING TALI
Drum n Bass vocalist and fast rising star - Elipsa, has released a music video for her track 'Divine' (featuring Tali). This song is the title track from her debut E.P which was released on UKF earlier this year and the release date for the video has been chosen specifically to coincide with International Women's Day
Drum n Bass vocalist and fast rising star - Elipsa, is releasing a music video for her track 'Divine' (featuring Tali) This Wednesday the 8th. This song is the title track from her debut E.P which was released on UKF earlier this year and the release date for the video has been chosen specifically to coincide with International Women's Day. In keeping with this theme, The video features a plethora of some of Aotearoa's brightest and best Female talent in Electronic music.
"From the minute we started working on this track together we had this vision for a music video that would feature many of the amazing Women in our scene - some who we know and some we had never met," Tali explains. "We want to send a very clear message to our industry that contrary to the belief that there aren't many Women to choose from when curating lineups, we actually have an incredible selection of DJs, Producers and Vocalists - the evidence is right here in the video, and the energy on set on the day was nothing short of amazing!"
While there were many guest stars who couldn't attend due to other commitments, the support for this project has been overwhelming from the start - beginning with funding from NZ On Air Music.
Directed by Gal Hochman and shot at the beautiful Auckland based Peach Palace by a mostly all-female crew (with two men on steadicam and gaffer duties) the 'Divine' music video is truly a celebration of the divine feminine, and the power and beauty that can be created when Aotearoa's electronic music sisterhood - come together in one place.
SOAKED OATS Release New Video ‘Pink Beach’
To whet the whistles of fans further comes the release of the official music video for the sublime album track, ‘Pink Beach’ featuring the gorgeous harmonies from Ōtautahi/Christchurch multi-instrumentalist, Motte.
On the eve of their Australasian Album Release Tour for their debut album, Working Title
Aotearoa/New Zealand four piece, Soaked Oats knocked 2022 out of the park releasing their debut album, Working Title to critical acclaim and into the charts at no.12 on the Top 20 NZ Album Charts. Ahead of their upcoming album tour in Australia and NZ, the band have been warming up with in stores and live radio performances. RNZ’s Jesse Mulligan extolled the honour of “This is one of the best (bands that have performed on NZ Live)”.
To whet the whistles of fans further comes the release of the official music video for the sublime album track, ‘Pink Beach’ featuring the gorgeous harmonies from Ōtautahi/Christchurch multi-instrumentalist, Motte. Filmed by Oscar Mein’s brother, Jake Mein from sunrise to sunset, across two days in Cape Foulwind, Aotearoa/NZ. The video features Paul and Romilly Mein - Jake’s father and Jake’s child and is edited by Oscar.
Oscar reveals, “Jake told me he wanted to make a video for this song, and it didn’t take much to see it taking place on the West Coast - an area we’re connected to via our Dad. So I sent him over there with a limited amount of film, and the rule of shooting from sunrise to sunset, to create a visual ode to a place that is a part of him, a part of his father, and becoming a part of his children. There’s something in there between the sea, the sand, himself, his Dad, his child, and time. And the song of course…”
Soaked Oats debut album has been a great success, with singles hitting a chord with fans around the globe. ‘Working TItle’ and ‘Headline Opinion’ taking no.1 on the Alternative Radio Charts in New Zealand and ‘Working Title’ firing up on U.S. radio on the NACC charts (North American College and Community Radio Chart) busting in on the Top 200. In January, the album shot up to #73 on the NACC Top 200 chart, making it the 2nd Highest Climber on the chart that week, ahead of SZA and LCD Soundsystem.
Written and recorded over the last eighteen months, the New Zealand four-piece group’s first full-length album explores the contrasting ways we perceive and interact with the world, how we define ourselves through work, And the subtle shift from viewing objects in the world as fixed ‘things’, to experiencing them as processes and interactions unfolding.
The majority of the recording took place in a community hall in the remote township of Okuru, Haast, situated on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, where the coastal road ends at the foot of Mt. Aspiring National Park. Partly in response to that isolated landscape, Working Title has unfolded as a more introspective offering from a band that is known typically for their cheerful sound.
CCTV cameras were placed inside the hall to capture the recording sessions as a document of the process. That “making of” footage can now be viewed on the band’s website: soakedoatsband.com
Produced by Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins, Marlon Williams, The Chills), engineered by Tom Bell (David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights), and mastered by Christian Wright (Abbey Road Studios, Fontaines DC), the album delves into new sonic territory, with inspiration coming from 60’s psychedelia and dance-rock among others.
French For Rabbits & Yvois team up for ‘The Outsider’ remix
AllGood Absolute Alternative Records are pleased to share the first remix from New Zealand dream-pop quintet French for Rabbits fourth studio album ‘The Overflow’.
AllGood Absolute Alternative Records are pleased to share the first remix from New Zealand dream-pop quintet French for Rabbits fourth studio album ‘The Overflow’.
The album released in late 2021, was widely praised by New Zealand music critics and nominated for the 2022 Taite Music Prize, but with a mid-pandemic release date and a three-times rescheduled tour, The Overflow was missed by many of those not already under the spell of the band’s ethereal sound.
Luckily, one of the songs ‘The Outsider’ caught the attention of Aotearoa-born, Berlin-based producer Yvois, who reached out to the band’s vocalist Brooke Singer to ask whether she would be open to a reimagining of the song.
The resulting remix is out digitally on the 3rd of March 2023 breathing new life into an already rewarding collection of songs. Drawing influence from producers such as Ta-Ku and Four Tet, Yvois has recontextualised Brooke’s yearning and heart wrenchingly honest vocals within luscious and soaring pads, an infectious chopped vocal groove and an addictively stumbling kick drum.
“The lyrics grabbed me at a particular moment in my life where I was struggling with a lot of loss and disappointment… It was a joy and an honour to be able to spend so much time with Brooke’s voice. It was like I was able to let her speak for me.”
The remix joins only a handful in the French for Rabbits back catalogue - previous releases include ‘Claimed by the Sea (PLVN remix)’ which has been streamed upwards of 3 million times and two explorations of ‘The Other Side’ by Japanese producer Boys Get Hurt and NZ’s Stray Theories.
Yvois and French For Rabbits are well acquainted, having crossed paths many times when Yvois’ was releasing music under her previous moniker Luckless. In the intervening years, Ivy Rossiter, the producer and composer behind Yvois, relocated to Berlin, and predictably set aside her electric guitar for electronic music’s unavoidable pull.
In Berlin she has also founded and runs a collective for female, trans and nonbinary electronic music producers, called Éclat Crew.
Independent Music NZ TAITE MUSIC PRIZE 2023 with the support of Founding Partner Recorded Music NZ FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Today, Independent Music NZ (IMNZ) is excited to announce the finalists for the Taite Music Prize 2023 with the support of Founding Partner Recorded Music NZ, and the Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award. These two prestigious awards will be presented on Tuesday, April 18th, 2023 alongside the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award, IMNZ Classic Record and the Independent Spirit Award. Congratulations to our MMF member managed and self managed artists Avantdale Bowling Club, Tami Neilson, and Te Kaahu
Today, Independent Music NZ (IMNZ) is excited to announce the finalists for the Taite Music Prize 2023 with the support of Founding Partner Recorded Music NZ and the Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award. These two prestigious awards will be presented on Tuesday, April 18th, 2023 alongside the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award, IMNZ Classic Record and the Independent Spirit Award.
Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of New Zealand’s most respected music journalists, the coveted Taite Music Prize recognises outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained in one recording. The award highlights outstanding New Zealand albums released in the past year. The award is open to all genres of music and judged on artistic merit regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The prize winner will receive a cash prize of $12,500, thanks to founding partner Recorded Music NZ.
A voting academy of all current members of IMNZ, musicians, and music industry personnel voted to produce the shortlisted finalist albums. An independent panel debates and scrutinises the shortlisted albums to decide the winner. That panel comprises musicians, journalists, and music industry professionals with a wide variety of different professional backgrounds and personal tastes.
The ten albums in contention for the 2023 Taite Music Prize span genres from hip hop to alt-country to indie electro pop and include some of Aotearoa's finest and pigeon-hole-defying musicians.
The 2023 Taite Music Prize finalists are:
Aldous Harding - Warm Chris (Flying Nun Records)
Avantdale Bowling Club - Trees (Years Gone By)
Erny Belle - Venus Is Home (Flying Nun Records)
Fazerdaze - Break! (Flying Nun Records)
Hans Pucket - No Drama (Carpark Records)
Marlon Williams - My Boy (Marlon Williams Music Limited)
Princess Chelsea - Everything Is Going To Be Alright (Lil Chief Records)
Tami Neilson - Kingmaker (Neilson Records)
TE KAAHU - Te Kaahu O Rangi (Theia Music Ltd)
The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field (Ivy League Records)
Listen to a playlist of all Taite Music Prize 2023 albums on Spotify HERE.
Listen to a playlist of all Auckland Live Best Independent Debut albums on Spotify HERE.
The Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award celebrates the freshest talent of Aotearoa. The winner receives a $2000 cash prize plus a performance or technical upskilling opportunity thanks to Auckland Live.
The three albums nominated for the 2023 Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award are:
Wiri Donna- Being Alone (Independent/DRM)
TE KAAHU - Te Kaahu O Rangi (Theia Music Ltd)
Erny Belle - Venus Is Home (Flying Nun Records)
The fourteenth Taite Music Prize ceremony includes the presentation of the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award. IMNZ and NZ On Air look to celebrate a special individual who made a creative contribution and significant impact with coverage of Aotearoa music in 2022. The winner receives a $2500 cash prize thanks to NZ On Air. A shortlist of finalists for this award will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Independent Music NZ Classic Record award acknowledges one New Zealand record released over 20 years ago on an independent label. These records, whether a 12”, a compilation, EP, or full-length album have become quintessential gold nuggets of our musical history.
Now in its fifth year, the Independent Spirit Award recognises and celebrates a New Zealander: someone who is passionate about NZ music; who's ahead of the game in creativity, diversity, and imagination; and has dedicated themself to helping artists and the wider music community to grow and find their own unique pathways. The annual recipient is determined by the IMNZ Board.
IMNZ General Manager, Dylan Pellett says, “As we move through these crazy times, it’s still so heartening to hear fresh new music being made and released in Aotearoa. Congratulations to all this year’s finalists!"
Recorded Music NZ CEO, Jo Oliver says, “We are very proud to continue our support of the Taite Music Prize and celebrate the artistic achievement of the vibrant independent music sector in Aotearoa."