TESS LIAUTAUD RELEASES NEW SINGLE 'BLACK MACHINE' + ANNOUNCES ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

Franco-American, now Aotearoa's folk sweetheart Tess Liautaud has released fourth single from her upcoming sophomore album, Blue Mind (out October 25th).
Black Machine was written on the first day of 2021, the indie-folk leaning track brings the likes of Wilco or Mazzy Star to mind. A lifting bass line while the drums hold it down. Sliding guitar, acoustic, pedalling banjo and melancholic lyrics. There's a push and pull that juxtaposes a sense of great movement with a solid linear rumble at it's core. 
"Like you're driving in a dream''

''Songs are meditations, a little drop of medicine for the songwriter and for anyone else who cares to listen. It follows the arc of two characters as their relationship loses balance, the heavy weight, the drowning, the searching, the breaking free
and eventually the finding''

Along with today's single, Liautaud has announced a special album release show. This follows chart topping singles 'Here Go The Lovers' + 'The Way It's meant to Rain' and sold out shows on her 12-date New Zealand 'Gold Digger' tour back in May. For the lucky few, Liautaud and her band will play an intimate show at Space Academy in Ōtautahi on October 26. 

TESS LIAUTAUD 'BLUE MIND' RELEASE
October 26
Ōtautahi - Space Academy
Tickets available from undertheradar.co.nz
BUY TICKETS HERE

Blue Mind is available for digital pre-order and on
Vinyl and Compact Disc via Bandcamp.com
PRE-ORDER HERE

ALLANA Goldsmith releases new reggae waiata 'Pīpīwharauroa' ahead of Māori Language Week

Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist ALLANA Goldsmith has today released her reggae waiata (song) ‘Pīpīwharauroa’, just in time for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) - alongside a stunning new music video with support from Te Māngai Pāho.

Listen To ‘Pīpīwharauroa’  Here

Perfectly capturing summer and family, ‘Pīpīwharauroa’ sweeps listeners into the summer spirit with smooth vocals and instrumentation reminiscent of New Zealand summer BBQ.

ALLANA shares, “the kupu (lyrics) recognise my Tairāwhiti (East Coast) roots. It begins with the familiar call of the Pīpīwharauroa (Shining Cuckoo), the bird that signifies the beginning of summer and the breaking of dawn, he rā ka hua (a new day). This feel-good Raumati waiata also reminds us to get the work done,'mahia te mahi', lest you’re called out!”

Directed by Shivani Karan and shot in Manaia, Coromandel, with ngā kaitiaki o Taungatara, ngā uri whakaheke o Tame Paraone, the video captures her loved ones at Taungatara, where her husband and tamariki (children) whakapapa to.

‘Pīpīwharauroa’ was co-written at Reo Māori Song Hubs in 2023 with Tame Tuari, Byllie-Jean Zeta, and Mātanga Reo Dr. Hona Black. 

Today’s heartfelt reo release is sure to garner love from across Aotearoa during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week and beyond.

NZ Country-popstar Abby Christo shares heartwarming new music video for hit ‘Just A Broken Heart’

Watch HERE

Listen HERE

Nashville-based kiwi country-popstar Abby Christo is continuing to channel girl power and roadtrip sing-alongs in her new music video for hit single ‘Just A Broken Heart’.

Just a month since it’s release, ‘Just A Broken Heart’ has already seen love across Aotearoa and beyond - placing on the Official NZ Singles Chart, RadioScope Most Added Chart, NZOA New Tracks, Rolling Stone AU/NZ, The Hits, CMT, Southern Cross Radio, TAHI, Spotify All New Country, Apple New NMD, Today’s Country, Amazon Little BNM, Tearaway and so on! The nostalgic, coming-of-age country-pop track pairs Abby’s relatable and emotive songwriting with driving guitars, and layers of tender vocals.

“It’s for all the girls out there going through a breakup,” says Abby. “To empower them to know that it’s just a broken heart, and everything will be okay.”

Made with the support of NZ On Air, this stunning new music video captures the joy of friendship in the face of heartbreak. Featuring Abby’s three good friends (making the roadtrip fun feel even more real!), it was made across different locations in Australia by Blacklist Productions

“Being with friends who love you is the best cure for a heartache,” says Abby, “It’s a fun, sassy moment. ‘Just A Broken Heart’ is more mature, raw, and the start of a lot of new country music from me.”

Earlier this week, Abby shared a very special acoustic performance of ‘Just A Broken Heart’, which you catch watch HERE

With this new music video to accompany her catchy girl power anthem and more music in the works - plus exciting times ahead in Nashville - there really is no doubt that Abby Christo is bound for stardom!

Follow Abby Christo

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE

Abby first stepped into the spotlight in 2015, when she appeared on X- Factor NZ as part of duo Mae Valley. They broke charts with their debut self-titled EP, and played alongside global country megastars like Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini. Her debut solo single ‘Kiss Me Into Monday’ was released in 2019 and now has over 1.4 million streams. She then released her debut EP SLOW DOWN GIRL in 2022, and has seen huge love for her 2023 singles ‘Like Me Too’, ‘Note To Self’ (#8 NZ Hot Singles Chart) and ‘Shouldn’t Be Doing This’ (#6 NZ Hot Singles Chart) - receiving radioplay from the likes of ZM, The Edge, RNZ, The Breeze, More FM, The Hits and more.

Award-winning Aotearoa artist Jenni Smith shares intimate music video for country-pop track ‘I Only Fall’

Watch HERE

Listen HERE

Award-winning country-pop star Jenni Smith has today released a brand new music video for her latest single ‘I Only Fall’ - an intimate and nostalgic reflection on the bittersweet feelings of unspoken love.

“‘I Only Fall’ is for those who find themselves reminiscing about special moments and

wondering 'what if’,” says Jenni. “I hope the song is a companion in those quiet moments, offering a sense of understanding and shared experience.”

Just a week since it’s release, ‘I Only Fall’ has seen love from across the motu (JUICE TV, The Most FM, Southern Cross Country Radio, Planet FM, CMT AU/NZ) and fans are bound to fall in love with today’s gorgeous DIY music video, entirely directed and edited by the talented young creative.

Produced by Scott Seabright, the single joins Jenni’s already impressive list of accomplishments - In 2018, she took home the NZCMA Songwriter of the Year Award, and was runner up for the prize in 2020; she’s seen radioplay from community radio across NZ and Australia, as well as play from commercial stations such as More FM; and earlier this year her most recent single ‘T Shirt’ reached #3 on the NZ Official Hot NZ Singles chart!

A true star on the rise, you won’t want to miss this gorgeous music video from Jenni Smith!

Find Jenni Smith

Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | Apple | Youtube | Bandcamp

TOI takes listeners on a soul-searching journey with sophomore album WAVES

GET TICKETS TO ALBUM RELEASE SHOW - SEPTEMBER 2O HERE

PURCHASE WAVES VINYL HERE

TOI has today released their highly-anticipated new album WAVES - an honest and soulful collection of songs, which takes the listener on a journey and reinforces their reputation as one of the tightest bands in the land.

Listen to WAVES HERE

The album includes already released songs ‘Wired’, ‘We Got This’ and ‘Essence’ as well as new single ‘Get To Know You’ - an upbeat, feelgood song with an irresistible groove, that’s set to become a summer favourite. Listen to ‘Get To Know You’ HERE

Other stand-out songs on the record include ‘Slow Down’, which serves as a reminder to ‘trust the process’ and ‘Fly On’, which is packed with catchy hooks.

WAVES showcases TOI’s signature sound of modern soul, infused with old school funk and R&B. But the band also bravely pushes into new sonic territories as well.

 “We deliberately set out with the intention of simply writing music that we truly love. We allowed ourselves creative freedom to experiment further with some styles and approaches that we would’ve perhaps avoided, or not been brave enough to dive into, in the past,” says the band’s co-founder and guitarist Jules Blewman.

The album also sees TOI at their most vulnerable. “We were just boys back when the band started. Over the years, a lot has changed for us all and it’s shaped who we are today. The result is a record that touches on far more personal topics than we’ve ever written about before. Many of which are all part of the cycle of life; feelings and experiences that others can hopefully relate to.”

TOI’s only goal when writing and recording WAVES was to make a record that came from a genuine and honest place. “We didn’t write this record thinking ‘will it get played on radio’ or ‘what playlists does it fit on’. We just went ‘F*** it! Let’s write from a true and genuine creative inspired by the music we really love; from feelings we truly felt and lessons we have learnt,” says Jules.

The majority of the songs on WAVES were produced by local legend Neil MacLeod, with Ben O’Leary from Drax Project, also turning his hand at production on the tracks ‘We Got This’ and ‘Essence’.

Poignantly the album was recorded at TOI’s own studio Te Māra in Wellington - their first record completed in the studio. “The studio is really cozy with good vibes. We were able to really take our time with the whole process, knowing that we could work until 4am if the creative vibes were flowing, which often happened,” says Jules.

For the first time ever, TOI is releasing the album on vinyl to enhance the listening experience.

“The album was written and produced as a concept album, where all the tracks - when listened to in order - relate to each other and tell a bigger story. So we’re really excited to present the record on vinyl.”

Fans of TOI can catch the band in their home town of Wellington at Meow on September 20 for a one-off WAVES album release show. Get tickets HERE

“Expect to hear the album played in full for the first time ever. We’ll also be playing some old and classic numbers of ours too. Bring your dancing shoes because you’ll want to move. Good vibes only!”

The band is also offering a discounted ticket and vinyl package, which allows fans to pick up their vinyl on the night of the show and have it signed in person.

VINYL HERE

DIGITAL HERE

Theia drops seething protest anthem ‘BALDH3AD!’

After a northern hemisphere summer of playing back-to-back shows across the United States and Canada, Theia today releases ‘BALDH3AD!’. The haunting, emphatic protest anthem premiered earlier this week on Seattle’s famed KEXP.

Listen to BALDH3AD! HERE / Watch the video HERE

“BALDH3AD!’ is my musical assault on the plague of colonisation, which has impacted our people since the 1800s and continues to threaten our language and culture under the current government. It’s an expression of seething anger but also a call to action for my fellow wāhine Māori, rangatahi Māori and indigenous folks worldwide,” says Theia.

Lyrically ‘BALDH3AD!’ hits hard: “Baldhead, you’re so well fed on my destruction. Fetishize our women, silence our children. Plunder my motherland, pollute the sea. But still, I survive though you clip my wings. Baldhead, you tricked us with your treaty”.

Sonically it hits just as hard. Theia’s signature angelic vocals and choir-like harmonies are instantly recognisable. Set against a bass-heavy backdrop of alternative pop n’ rock with touches of ethereal folk, ‘BALDH3AD!’ is a song like no other. “I love exploring new sonic worlds,” says Theia, who adds that if you listen closely, you’ll not only hear medieval accordions but the traditional Māori instrument, the pūtaratara, which is “a conch used to signal war”.

‘BALDH3AD!’ reaches its crescendo with a haka-inspired bridge before settling to a hushed whisper to deliver the song’s final message: “Ka whawhai tonu mātou, ake ake” (“We will fight on, forever and ever”). This is a direct quote from revered Tainui chief Rewi Maniapoto, who led Kīngitanga forces against the invasion of Waikato in the 1860s.

‘BALDH3AD!’ comes with a striking video, which helps to elevate the song’s powerful message. The video was filmed on the Wainuiomata coast and features students from Massey University in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, where Theia was Mātairangi Mahi Toi – Artist In Residence late last year.

Theia is dripping in the finery of a British queen in an act of defiance and decolonization; whilst her fellow rangatahi Māori are adorned in traditional kākahu, symbolizing beauty and strength. The landscape is seemingly untouched and gives no clue as to whether we’re witnessing an 1800s uprising or a scene from a post-apocalyptic world.

‘BALDH3AD!’ is the first new single from Theia in more than a year. Like much of the NZ-born, LA-based artist’s recent work, it seeks to challenge social injustices and delivers a brave and poignant message.

“Through ‘BALDH3AD!’ I hope people are reminded of the atrocities that have occurred in our country and of the deep wounds that are now being reopened because of the actions of our current government.

“I also hope that other Māori, and indigenous folks, are reminded of our power. Despite a system that strives to eradicate our language and culture, we are carrying on the work of our ancestors. We will keep fighting for justice and for the betterment of our people. And as youth, we are standing strong together.”

Theia is of Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpā descent. Aside from gaining critical acclaim for her alt-pop catalogue, which includes hits such as ‘Roam’ and ‘Not Your Princess’, she is also the driving force and voice behind the award-winning reo Māori project TE KAAHU.

Theia is now based in Los Angeles and has spent the past five months touring both projects throughout Canada and the US. Recent festivals highlights include Belltown Bloom (Seattle), Toronto Pride, Miami Beach Pride, Women’s Freedom Festival (LA), San Diego Pride and SheFest where she has shared line-ups with heavyweights such as Tommy Genesis, Rico Nasty, Slayyyter and TOKiMONSTA. TE KAAHU has performed at Lightning In A Bottle, Calgary Folk Festival and Folk on the Rocks (Yellowknife). 

Listen to ‘BALDH3AD!’ HERE / Watch the video HERE.

Follow Theia:
Instagram / Facebook / Website
Spotify / Apple / YouTube

JT+Agnostics Release Debut Album "Best More Blues" on 12" Vinyl

JT+Agnostics are proud to announce the release of their debut album "Yes More Blues" on 12" vinyl, with a digital download available through Bandcamp.

"Yes More Blues" by JT+Agnostics is an album that humorously and poignantly delves into the intricacies of life, love, and personal struggles. Set against the backdrop of modern Aotearoa New Zealand, the album combines a light-hearted yet reflective tone, offering a unique and engaging musical experience.

The songs explore themes such as unrequited love, the search for meaning, the allure of fame, societal chaos, and the enduring power of the blues to cope with life’s challenges. The album was self-recorded and produced by Maciek Hrybowicz, co-written by John Thomson and Hrybowicz, and features a talented ensemble of seasoned musicians from the Waikato area of Aotearoa.

This album demonstrates the depth and talent of the musicians involved and highlights the vibrant and dynamic blues scene within New Zealand.

About JT+Agnostics: JT+Agnostics is a collective of musicians from the Waikato area. They are dedicated to exploring the blues genre with a fresh perspective. Their debut album "Yes More Blues" captures their musical journey and highlights universal themes of love, life, and struggle through a modern lens.

WHO SHOT SCOTT TACKLES CONSEQUENCES OF TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH HIS NEW SINGLE ‘LIL BIT OF HOT’

‘LIL BIT OF HOT’ is the flaming new single by Auckland, NZ based alt-hip hop artist/producer WHO SHOT SCOTT. Bursting at the seams with thunderous basslines, electrifying distorted guitars, bone-shattering drum breaks and a vocal performance sure to make you question your reality, this track is absolutely exploding on all fronts. Never one to shy away from baring his soul - Thematically, this track touches on feelings of inadequacy in a potential relationship haunted by past baggage. Speaking on this, the artist says:

“To me, this track is a huge Stockholm syndrome type beat. Some years ago I was in the talking stages with a girl who was extremely sweet, kind and sincere. However, at the time I had just gotten out of what I considered to be an extremely toxic relationship and was still weirdly attached to the false ideas and habits that had been ingrained in my psyche as a result. In hindsight, I now see that I still needed to heal, and I’m grateful to say that I have. While that situation is somewhat regrettable, I believe everything happens for reasons beyond our understanding. Without sounding naively optimistic, at least I’m now able to channel the pain into a piece of art.”

Fresh off producing for some of the most exciting alt-hip hop talents in Australia and New Zealand (JessB & Sampa The Great, Jujulipps), ‘LIL BIT OF HOT’ cements WHO SHOT SCOTT's position as a powerhouse in the vibrant down-under music scene. The accompanying music video, directed by his long-time collaborator Connor Pritchard, features the artist sprinting away from a mysterious force, perhaps his own past… 

It is safe to say that this release is another sure fire reason why WSS is on the rise, and we as an audience are left with no choice but to hang on for dear life.