PRINS 'MAGNETIC'

Christchurch-based dance-pop sensation PRINS has released her debut EP, MAGNETIC which features the new single ‘I Tried’.

PRINS has also announced a five-date New Zealand Tour, alongside artist VIKAE, which kicks off in Auckland at Cassette Nine on September 19, winding up in Ohakune on October 10 at Kings. See tour dates and details below. 

‘I Tried’ is another big-sounding dance-pop track, which is in keeping with the EP’s previously released singles, the title track ‘Magnetic’ and ’Stay Away’. 

Catchy and anthemic, there’s a deep meaning to the song. “I Tried” is an honest story about how much I tried to make a complicated relationship work”, explains PRINS. “It explores the indecisive feelings of letting someone go when you know you’ve put your all into savings what’s left”.

The release of MAGNETIC, which lyrically explores heartache and complication against a soundscape of upbeat pop, is a significant milestone for PRINS. “It feels like a huge achievement to be putting this out after a year of hard work, tears and emotions,” she says.

“It perfectly describes a huge chapter of my life, which ironically has come to an end a few weeks before the release of the EP. It feels like a massive relief and I’m excited to be moving forward into a new stage of both my personal life and my music career.”

Born in Auckland and now based in Christchurch, PRINS - who is a dancer, actor and model - has spent the past few years establishing herself as a performer. MAGNETIC is her debut EP.

To celebrate the release of the EP, PRINS will be hitting the road for a five-date tour with VIKAE.

September 10 - Auckland at Cassette Nine

September 25 - Christchurch at Stranges Lane 

September 26 - Dunedin at Dive Bar

October 8 - Wellington at Valhalla 

October 10 - Ohakune at Kings 

Buy Tickets here: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/tour/2020/the-double-ep-release-tour-prins-kae

Yancey Makes Debut Release ‘Brockley Greens’ with Nauti & Name UL

Yancey’s debut single release is in collaboration with Nauti (Omni-Potent) and Wellington native Name UL and started in Name UL’s flat in South London last July. Having explored solo on their respective overseas travels, Yancey (James Sherning) managed to link up with long time friend’s Nauti (Ti-Maya Dorcil) & Name UL (Emmanuel Psathas) during a chance crossover in London.

After being played a few samples that Name had been collecting, they put together what would become the foundation of ‘Brockley Greens’. From there, Yancey started to build the track around Nauti & Name UL’s vocals.

‘Brockley Greens’ uniquely has a verse for verse structure without a traditional hook that Yancey’s production has emphasised. The melodious beat has Yancey’s signature contemporary hip-hop flow, hard hitting drums & breaks with crisp percussive elements, all layered underneath lush synthesisers developing alongside both lyricists as the track effortlessly progresses.

Yancey is a 23-year-old producer from Auckland, New Zealand; A multi-instrumentalist with an eclectic sound influenced by an abundance of genres, Yancey's music is a mixture of constantly evolving rhythms & grooves with a unique style stemming from a love for pop culture, synthesizers, and deep roots in hip hop, jungle/drum & bass and the contemporary, left field subgenres that stem from each.

He has amassed a following in both his home country and abroad, playing to crowds at notable New Zealand festivals such as Rhythm & Vines, Mardi Gras & 121, online streaming with Room One Live and multiple headline shows nationwide. 2018 saw him handpicked to open for Medasin at the Hifi Club in Calgary, and a subsequent show in 2019 for the New Wave club series curated by Oakk.

Yancey's live sets are known for mixing across genres & infusing his own material and custom edits to create a captivating experience. He has performed with & supported the likes of Mr. Carmack, Ekali, Dimension & Sumthin Sumthin, and has collaborated on projects with the likes of Eno x Dirty, Omni Potent, Yojas, Golden Child & Loud.

For more info on Yancey, visit:

WEBSITE | SOUNDCLOUD | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

For more info on Name UL, visit:

SOUNDCLOUD | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

For more info on Nauti, visit:

 SOUNDCLOUD | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

The Butlers - Two Brothers

Coming out of Sumner, New Zealand is a unique 5 piece indie Funkadelic Surf Rock band, The Butlers. The  band consists of, mystery masked man Stingy Hooligan on the sax and keys. George Berèt with the silky vocals and delicious drums, Jordan Kennedy steering the ship with the bass and dotting that cherry on top with his vocals, Bradley Mervin King melting popsicles with the heat radiating out of his guitar. Finally, Walt Robot, running the plays as the fruitful frontman.

The band has spent the last three years touring New Zealand and internationally and are showing no signs of slowing down as tours continue to sell out.

This release of Two Brothers is an exciting start to the EP that will be out in summer this year.

The Butlers good times are coming for you!

MOUSEY ON TOUR

Christchurch songwriter Mousey has announced a 5 date tour of the country to mark the end of LEMON LAW, her debut album released last year. After a summer full of incredible live performances, including a headline tour of NZ and Australia, a slot at Nostalgia Festival and supporting The Beths, Mousey spent her time in lockdown finishing the writing of her sophomore album. She and the band are heading off to record in October, but they’re itching to get out and play some more live shows first!

Mousey is playing 5 shows around the country with her band:

Sept 24th - Auckland - The Wine Cellar

Sept 25th - Wellington - The Third Eye

Sept 26th - Blenheim - The Plant

Oct 2nd - Dunedin - Bark!

Oct 3rd - Christchurch - Space Academy

TROY KINGI TAKES A NOSTALGIC TURN IN HIS LATEST ALBUM ‘THE GHOST OF FREDDIE CESAR’

Multi-award-winning, multi-genre-artist Troy Kingi is now set to take us on a deeply personal discovery through an album dedicated to memories, lost souls, and 70s funk.

The Ghost of Freddie Cesar is Troy Kingi’s fourth installment in his 1O 1O 1O Series (10 albums in 10 years in 10 genres).  Brought to life by Troy Kingi & the Clutch, this record is Troy’s most personal work to date; one that invites the listener to share his journey as he combs through recollections of his father who disappeared while driving from Rotorua to Auckland at Christmas time in 2005.  Despite search efforts and sporadic reports of sightings, there has been no reliable trace of Troy’s biological father.

Troy’s journey with The Ghost of Freddie Cesar begins in 2007.  While going through his missing father’s belongings, Troy found a cassette tape: –

 “It looked pretty old and had this hand-scribbled name, ‘Freddie Cesar’ on it, and on the back was just handwritten names of songs.  I recognized some of the songs from my early childhood back when my parents were still together and started writing down the lyrics as a form of therapy.  I must have forgotten it for a while – but sometime in 2010, I found the notebook of the songs again, but not the cassette tape, so that's when I decided to find out who Freddie Cesar was.  It turns out there is very little out there about him which further compelled me to recreate something.”

“It’s kind of a dedication to my dad and Freddie Cesar, this album.  Even though the lyrics aren't fully mine  and the music’s not fully mine, I feel him when I’m singing these songs.”

 Much of Freddie Cesar’s life remains a mystery, but listening to the lyrics, it becomes evident that Freddie Cesar may have been a Vietnam Vet, struggling with the issues of the day associated with that life: PTSD, drugs, alcohol, and his inability to settle back into civilian society.  Troy’s interpretation of this time as a funk-filled landscape, paints an imagined picture of the life of Freddie Cesar – the closest to a realistic picture.

“The Ghost Of Freddie Cesar “ - Troy Kingi and The Clutch  

Out September 11th CD / LP through Border and available on all digital platforms.

TROY KINGI

Listen: Spotify / Apple Music  / Bandcamp

Follow: Website  / YouTube / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

The Documentary

Freddie, Where Art Thou follows Troy Kingi on his personal and soul-searching journey whilst making his latest album The Ghost of Freddie Cesar.  Documented by his creative team, Freddie, Where Art Thou is told through personal interviews, archival footage, and music videos.  

The documentary will be released on September 25th, 2020 featuring Troy’s recent tour to New Orleans with an insight into an artist recreating a past that no longer exists.

Troy Kingi & the Clutch will bring The Ghost of Freddie Cesar to life 

at the following LIVE shows:  

22 October - Opera House - Napier -Hawkes Bay Arts Festival

23 October - San Fan -Wellington

24 October - Venue TBA - Auckland 

For ticketing info and updates, visit www.troykingi.com

Rhythm & Alps announce new acts for 2020 festival

The South Islands  biggest New Year's festival are stoked to announce that,

COCO SOLID, THE SWAN SISTERS, RUBI DU, BEAT & PATH, BASSFREAKS & BENTHAMISM

Plus a 'WĀHINE TOA LOG CABIN CLUB TAKE OVER' feat. AMANDAMANIA . 
MISS B . C:SHE . DOLITTLE . MAMADAFUNK .  HEYLADY . NONCHARLET

Will perform alongside 

SIX60 . FAT FREDDYS DROP . SHIHAD . BENEE . THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION . QUIX . CHAOS IN THE CBD. WAX MUSTANG . REB FOUNTAIN . RACING . TRUTH . TREI . FAIRBROTHER . FERBY . K2K . THERE'S A TUESDAY 

For the 10th anniversary of the festival.

Three days - Four unique stages - 100% Aotearoa line up! 

2020 sees Rhythm & Alps celebrate ten years as the premier summer festival of the South Island with a 100% local lineup. 

Home-grown talent is where it's at this year and Rhythm & Alps festival couldn't be more stoked to welcome to the Cardrona Valley some of the world's highest-regarded artists right now, all proudly hailing from Aotearoa.

We really look forward to welcoming kiwis from all corners of the country to the region on their summer road trips. Pack the chilly bin full of kai, make sure you've got your jandals, togs, stubbies, whānau and friends and get your summer playlist ready for the roady. This is going to be one sweet as summer... It will be worth the drive. Chur. 


RHYTHM & ALPS AOTEAROA 2020
29 - 31 December 2020 
Cardrona Valley, Wanaka 

Make sure you get your ticket to the three-day music festival & amazing camping experience.

Tickets on sale now

Alien Weaponry hits the virtual stage in massive online European Metal festival

Northland-based heavy metal band Alien Weaponry will be participating in Europe's biggest ever online metal festival - the European Metal Festival Alliance - this coming weekend 7-9 August 2020.

Thirteen of Europe and the UK’s best independent metal festivals have clubbed together to deliver a unique event that will run over three days. Alien Weaponry have played live at seven of the thirteen festivals involved over the last two years; and are one of three bands invited to the virtual stage by Slovenian festival MetalDays. 

“MetalDays was the first ever festival we played in Europe,” says guitarist and lead singer Lewis de Jong.  “We are stoked that they have asked us to be part of this historic event as one of their headliners.”

Alien Weaponry will make up part of the first day’s event; and are the only New Zealand band to have been invited. They will also be the only band to be performing songs in Te Reo Māori and will be starting their broadcast with a karakia. 

“It’s kind of cool that the rest of the world will be celebrating Māori Music Month with us,” says drummer Henry de Jong.

The Alien Weaponry show also includes more ‘kiwi’ elements in the form of footage from the show they performed at the Auckland Town Hall in February this year - their last gig before New Zealand and the world shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The presentation features the band being welcomed to the stage with a haka from the group Te Manu Huia, as well as the first-ever performance of their new song ‘Tangaroa’, which will be on their second album. 

The rapid spread of Covid-19 has seen the cancellation of music festivals across Europe for the Northern hemisphere summer season; so the online festival will go some way towards reconnecting fans with their favorite bands. With online meet & greets and merch stalls, the festival will bring the metal community together in a very different fashion this season.

Alien Weaponry’s performance will stream from 5-6pm Central European Time (4-5am NZ time), with a live ‘Bandchat’ from 5:45-6:05pm CET (4:45-5:05pm). For kiwis who can’t stomach the early morning wake-up call, their performance can be rewatched at any time during the festival and for 48 hours after it ends, making this international event very accessible, no matter where in the world fans are. 

Tickets can be purchased from https://shop.metalfestivalalliance.com/ and cost €6.66 which will go towards keeping these independent festivals and bands afloat during these trying times.

Theia curates 99% Angelz line-up celebrating Aotearoa’s ‘stars of the underground’

Feat. Alexa Casino, Baby Zionov, Imugi 이무기, Randa and Theia.

New Zealand’s very own queen of alt-pop Theia has curated a night at Whammy Bar on Saturday, September 5 celebrating Aotearoa’s rich and diverse music scene. The 99% Angelz line-up features performances by artists who are pushing boundaries and challenging the system.

They are Alexa Casino, Baby Zionov, Imugi, Randa and Theia. Get tickets here.

The 99% Angelz night takes its name and inspiration from Theia’s recently released mixtape and the remix pack, featuring re-works from electronic heavyweights such as LA’s Gurldoll, NZ’s Magik J and Australian artists/producers Oh Boy and Banoffee.

Theia herself will perform on the night and has invited a handful of her favourite artists to join in the party.

Hailing from Wellington, Alexa Casino is a sonic force to be reckoned with. Her track ‘Die Like a Rose’ is electronic-pop perfection. A darling of the bNets, Alexa Casino is all kinds of wonderful with her DIY vibe and as Noisey aptly summarises, her songs “make you cheer up and tear up”.

DJ, producer and songwriter Baby Zionov is without question one of the most exciting acts on the Auckland scene right now. Baby Zionov's music is a love letter to queer club music through the ages, taking the listener on a journey of head-spinning, hyperactive dance-pop filtered through a nostalgic, psychedelic lens. She has just released her kick-ass EP  ‘… AND YOU ARE THE BITCH’.

Silky electronic duo Imugi 이무기 are the true example of an act that have made their mark on the underground but are now spreading their wings in the wider world. With a focus on embracing multi-culturalism and challenging Eurocentric structures within our culture, Imugi is a guiding light for the future of music in Aotearoa. Stay tuned for some exciting stuff from this hot duo this year.

Randa needs no introduction. But if you’ve been living under a rock, here’s what you need to know. Randa is a rapper. Randa’s real name is Mainard. Mainard identifies as non-binary / transmasculine. They enjoy making songs with friends, swimming under the sea and sipping soda drink. They are fire on the mic! Check out recent singles, Heatwave and Rock Bottom.

“I am so proud to have all these amazing acts on one bill. I hope that this reminds everyone of the incredibly diverse community of artists we have in Aotearoa music that are underrepresented in the scene at large but so rich in talent and ethos,” says Theia.

Theia is one of electronic/alt-pop music’s most idiosyncratic acts with a catalogue that showcases an artist who is unafraid to push boundaries both sonically and lyrically.

In May 2020, Theia put out her 99% ANGEL mixtape. Her first release as an independent artist, it shines the light on a much edgier, alternative side to her repertoire and has drawn praise from music sites such as Billboard Magazine, which described Theia as one of the most exciting voices to emerge from New Zealand in the past five years. Pure Nowhere said, “Her new mixtape is a sweltering collage of neon mixes, delectable hooks, and gut-punching bass. But, if you listen closely, you’re thrust into a movement [of] weaponizing club music and re-defining a genre”.

99% Angelz at Whammy feat. Alexa Casino, Baby Zionov, Imugi 이무기, Randa and Theia is a night not to be missed. Come party with the Aotearoa’s Angelz of the underground!

99% Angelz
Featuring.. Alexa Casino, Baby Zionov,  Imugi 이무기, Randa, Theia
Saturday September 5 - Whammy, Auckland
Tickets on sale now from Under the Radar HERE

Follow the artists here:
Alexa Casino - Instagram / Apple / Spotify / Facebook
Baby Zionov -  Instagram / Apple / Spotify/ Facebook
Imugi 이무기 -  Instagram / Apple / Spotify / Facebook
Randa -  Instagram / Apple / Spotify / Facebook
Theia -  Instagram / Apple / Spotify / Facebook