SOLA ROSA RELEASES NEW ALBUM, CHASING THE SUN

Producer Andrew Spraggon, aka Sola Rosa, begins his next musical chapter with the release of new long player, Chasing The Sun. Easily his most collaborative project to date, Chasing The Sun is an expertly crafted collection of the funk, soul and jazz influences that he’s been known for over his 20-plus year career, while further showcasing some of the best established and emerging musicians the world has to offer.

Five years in the making, and honed to perfection, the project was written and recorded between Auckland, London and Sydney and includes a heavy hitting line-up of vocalists and session musicians alongside the core Sola Rosa band. Expect to hear long-time Rosa associate and Streets singer, Kevin Mark Trail, Basement Jaxx’ long-term collaborator Sharlene Hector and genre-defying, rising UK reggae star Kiko Bun alongside London’s singer/songwriter Josh Barry and eclectic Neo-Soul singer Jerome Thomas, British reggae and dub MC vocalist Eva Lazarus, plus up and coming Australian artist Thandi Phoenix. Closer to home, ex-pat Kiwi vocalist Wallace and Aotearoa’s own musical maverick, Troy Kingi add their vocal talents to the mix.

Andrew on collaboration; “In the early days Sola Rosa was a selfish studio project, but after the first few releases, I realised my limitations as a player, and writer, and started to collaborate with other musicians. Through this process I realised how much collaboration contributes to each release. Each player brings their own life experience, style and skillset which creates music that is far greater than the sum of its parts.”

On the musical tip, Spraggon is aided by Jeremy Toy (Guitar), Julien Dyne (Drums/Percussion), Lewis McCallum (Brass/Wind/Keys) and long term Rosa band members Dixon Nacey (Guitar), Matt Short (Bass) and Peter Leupolu (Keyboards) who, along with a further collection of kiwi musicians, contribute the live-recorded instrumentation to the album. 

This sophisticated 12 track collection is bursting with classics in the making, including the singles Searching For Love featuring Kiko Bun, powerful social commentary piece For The Mighty Dollar with Kevin Mark Trail and Sharlene Hector, and uplifting anthems Shine On and Something Good with Thandi Phoenix. On Chasing the Sun, Spraggon fully embraces string and horn arrangements and organically produced sounds, channelling the spirit of the 60’s and 70’s when funk and soul were ubiquitous, but offering no less than a timeless feel.  

Says Spraggon on Chasing The Sun; “My M.O for this album was not to cut any corners. I wanted to take the time to get it right, and not bow down to external pressures. It was time to reconnect to the music I personally love and that I feel represents Sola Rosa. I like soulful, funky music, and that’s really the kind of album I wanted to make.”

Chasing The Sun Track list:

1.       For The Mighty Dollar ft. Kevin Mark Trail & Sharlene Hector

2.       Runnin’ ft. Shach Seven & Sharlene Hector

3.       Something Good ft. Thandi Phoenix

4.       You Don’t Know ft. Josh Barry

5.       Chasing The Sun ft. Wallace & Kevin Mark Trail

6.       Star to Star ft. Troy Kingi

7.       Searching For Love ft. Kiko Bun

8.       Shine On ft. Thandi Phoenix

9.       No Idea ft. Jerome Thomas

10.    So Many Times ft. Kevin Mark Trail

11.    My Love ft. Eva Lazarus

12.    Closing Statement ft. Wallace

Chasing The Sun is a perfectly produced and executed journey through the universe of soul, funk and everywhere in between. Album releases through Kartel Music Group on 25 September 2020.

Pre order now.

Physical distribution is courtesy of Border Music.

Follow Sola Rosa

www.solarosa.com

Hawkins soars on soulful live sessions

New Zealand singer and songwriter Hawkins returns with the first of three mesmerizing live recordings, recorded and filmed at the famed Roundhead Studios. 

On September 23rd the Auckland-based artist treats fans to a stirring and soulful rendition of the song ‘Lost Ones’. 

In a series of live releases, ‘What Have You Done’ will follow on October 7, and ‘All This Time’ on October 14. 

Hawkins’ powerful vocals are paired with compelling lyricism, and each song is brought to life with exquisitely shot live videos. 

This live collection pays tribute to the music Hawkins grew up on. Steeped in R&B and soul, with a nod to the sounds of yesteryear, the songs allow a sneak peek of what is still to come from Hawkins on his debut album, scheduled for release in February 2021. 

“The live songs are an extension of the album and an indicator of what it will be,” he explains. “I want people to feel nostalgic listening to it, as though they sound familiar because it reminds them of an artist, a genre or an era. I really wanted to sing live and give insight to what it might be like to hear them as such.”

‘Lost Ones’, is described by Hawkins as a fun song that throws back to the Motown sound. 

“The song is actually a commentary on my experience (as a participant and observer) of the darker side of the industry and especially the 'I love you, you're perfect, now change' pigeon-holing that comes with it. How some people start wanting to be an artist and somehow compromise to the point of losing themselves in the quest for fame. It is a cautionary reminder to remember yourself and stand strong in who you are,” he says.

These live versions pave the way for the single ‘Can’t Leave It Alone’ - also from Hawkins’ upcoming album. It follows the already-released singles ‘Streetlights’, ‘I Couldn’t Tell It All’ and ‘Fireflies’.

Lost Ones (release date 23rd September)

SmartURL: https://smarturl.it/hawkinslo (more links will be added upon release date)

Pre-save: https://smarturl.it/presavehlo

What Have You Done?  (release date 7th October)

SmartURL: https://smarturl.it/hawkinswhyd (more links will be added upon release date)

Pre-save: https://smarturl.it/presavehwhyd

All This Time (release date 21st September)

SmartURL: https://smarturl.it/hawkinsatt (more links will be added upon release date)

Pre-save:  https://smarturl.it/presavehatt

RDU 98.5FM Presents ZORZA

15 Incredible Acts, 3 Iconic Venues, 1 Big Party 
 

On Thursday 12th November, RDU 98.5 FM presents Zorza. For one night only, Zorza brings St Asaph Street to life! 12 Bar, Darkroom & Space Academy will play host to a field of grassroots musicians from Ōtautahi and Aotearoa. 

As pandemic rages around the world, we need the alchemy of local music, local hospitality and our local people to distract us, entertain us, connect us and provide a platform for the industry to flourish.

Entry gives the ticket holder the ability to move through multiple venues on the night, exploring different genres, tempos and mind-melting sonics. 
 

Fifteen New Zealand acts will be performing at Zorza including:

Hot Donnas, Juno Is, Koizilla, Vincent H.L, Head full of Snakes, Internet Death, Liam K. Swiggs, Lucy Hunter, Marsha, Model Home, Mousey, Nervous Jerk, The Transistors, Too Woke for Toast & Toyota. 

 With support from Three Boys Brewery, PALS, C4 Coffee & Ecochem

With thanks to ROCKSHOP, PHANTOM, COSMIC TICKETING & NZ ON AIR
 

For media enquiries please contact Kendra Walls RDU 98.5FM via
admin@rdu.org.nz 

Apply Now for Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau 2021

E te tī, e te tā, kua tae te rā whakapuaki o te hui Tāmaki Makaurau 2021!

Applications are open right now!
For mentors & volunteers, campers and interns,
find out more at our website.
 

Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau has been helping young women, transgender and gender-non-conforming youth form bands, build instrumental skills, and write original songs since 2018, and now our 2021 program is set to be bigger than ever.

Held Monday 18 January to Saturday 23 January 2021, Girls Rock! is open to youth aged 12-17 years who are women, and/or intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming. They’ll learn instruments, form bands, write original songs, and perform at a showcase, all guided by professional musicians in a women-led environment. Alongside collaborative learning, participants will take part in workshops about DIY merchandise, mindfulness, and performance skills. Each day they’ll enjoy lunchtime performances from local artists: the 2020 camp included performances by Paige, CHAII, Fazerdaze, and Nothing But Hole.

For 2021, SAE Creative Media Institute Auckland has partnered with Girls Rock! as our new key sponsor and will be hosting Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau at their SAE Auckland campus, allowing the program access to their state of the art recording studios and equipment. 

New Electronic Stream

Thanks to SAE’s generous support, Girls Rock! is able to offer a new 'electronic stream' for our upcoming program. Following the success of Girls Rock! Pōneke's Ableton and Soundtrap workshops, this stream will teach skills in digital music recording, composition, and production, bringing the sounds of hip hop, house, and electronic pop to Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau. With women making up just 5% to 7% of audio engineers and producers, according to reports by the Audio Engineering Society, Girls Rock’s new electronic stream and partnership with SAE addresses an important imbalance in NZ music.
 

Intern Program
2021 also sees Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau expanding our intern program; an important bridge between being a Girls Rock! participant to becoming a Girls Rock! mentor. Interns will develop leadership skills, attend industry workshops, assist with activities and gear setup, and shadow Girls Rock! staff and mentors. This is an exciting opportunity for women, trans, and gender non-conforming young adults aged 16 to 19 to act as role models and become a part of the Girls Rock! community.

Parabola West’s Moon Phase Crowdfund Promises Magical Music

Raglan Folktronica songstress Parabola West is crowdfunding the release of her next ethereal banger ‘World of Ours’ as well as the recording of two more tracks towards her highly anticipated debut album.

The goal is to raise $4000NZD in just over two weeks, following the moon cycle, for studio production, cover art, and some promotion.

Visit the World of Ours Campaign to learn more & to support this project

The artist mixes old-world folk with new-age electronica and lush vocals to create magical soundscapes around her stories.

The next single ‘World of Ours’ is set for release this November and the album will follow in 2021.

More about Parabola West:

Parabola West is the artist persona of Amy Tucker West, a New Zealand-based American singer & songwriter.

Drawing inspiration from Celtic and Nordic folk roots, electronica, and primal rhythms, West’s sound has been described as “modern music for the ancient soul.”

 “Think of it like mixing Loreena McKennitt with your favourite female-fronted synthpop band and then adding a dash of Middle-earth.”

Social links:

·      Official website: https://www.parabolawest.com/

·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parabola.west

·      YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/parabolawest

·      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parabolawest

·      Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2gT8TsfEV1uoLQhFOFNMaX?si=tj8WB8ZtTwK9cBCFugQlNg

KIKO releases video single for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2020

‘Ka Puta’ a track performed entirely in Te Reo, by Auckland Rock band ‘KIKO’. The song is about escaping the beaten track, dismantling the enclosing barriers and breaking free to find your own path, your new journey.

The context used in this powerful video is about escaping the colonised encroachment and the western determined formula of existence. It’s something the musicians in the band hope will resonate with people around the world serving as a ray of light in these rather dark times. The video will be released by Waateamusic and was funded by Te Māngai Pāho.

It marks a milestone for the band, as the first official track they will have released since their debut EP dropped in 2018 . KIKO is a Māori band comprised of Rewi McLay (Ngāti Kahu/Ngāti Hine), Kara Gordon (Ngāi Te Rangi), Lucas Wharekura (Ngāti Kahungunu), Phillip Peters (Whanau and Rangitane), Windon Bradfield.

Guitars feature heavily in Ka Puta and it’s something of a trademark for the band, which lead singer/songwriter and guitarist Rewi McLay is proud of. “Guitars have been a prominent fixture in the Māori music scene for the past 50 years, which we aim to continue. Our lead guitarist Kara, came up under the wings of Tama Renata and Billy TK senior when he was a teenager starting out in the music scene. It’s hard to define our sound, it’s definitely a multitude of many genres. What ever we make though, we try and deliver songs in a way that’s easily accessible whilst maintaining a level of depth to the music” McLay said.

“This song and video project is very much reflective of my battle to keep the language and culture alive within myself and create an ability to then share it with others,” McLay said.

Theia reveals new project TE KAAHU in celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

Aotearoa singer and songwriter Theia (AKA Em Walker) has revealed a new te reo Māori project called TE KAAHU, which coincides with Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.

Listen to TE KAAHU's debut waiata 'E Taku Huia Kaimanawa' here.

Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpaa) is a fierce proponent for the revitalisation of Māori language and culture and has a double degree in Te Reo Rangatira and Māori and Indigenous Studies from the University of Canterbury. Through TE KAAHU Walker pays tribute to her tūpuna wāhine, including her late great grandmother Mite Kukutai who is a famed Tainui composer. She also seeks to shine a light on the beauty and vulnerability in Māori music, which is so often overlooked in the mainstream narrative.

This is evident in ‘E Taku Huia Kaimanawa’ – a moving ode to Walker’s grandmother Rangirara, who passed away suddenly four years ago. The full name of the project - Te Kaahu O Rangi - is also a nod to Walker’s beloved kuia and it is her photo, which adorns the cover and features in the waiata's lyric video.
 
“’E Taku Huia Kaimanawa’ explores the pain and grief of death,” explains Walker. “That desperate feeling of loneliness and wanting so badly for that person to return to you but knowing that you must let them go.”
 

“Tukuna atu koe kia rerea
Ki tua o te ārai
Noho ki te pō”
 
“I should release you to soar
Beyond the veil
To rest in the night”
 

The song was written as part of Te Māngai Pāho’s Tūhonohono funding round, which inspired Walker to invite her friend and pop music comrade, Sydney-based William Bradshaw AKA Oh Boy, to produce.
 
“When I found out that I was able to ask an artist of my choice to collaborate with me, I immediately thought of Will," says Walker. "I had been excited to learn that he too was Tainui. Growing up in Australia, he had always felt a disconnect with his culture and language but I was so heartened by his desire to learn more. It has been very special to share this experience with him.”

Walker also called on one of her favourite artists, Misery, to create the imagery for TE KAAHU.

It is Misery’s image of a girl atop a kaahu, riding through the night, which poignantly symbolizes the project. The Auckland-based artist is undeniably one of Aotearoa’s most beloved female wall and pop artists.

https://www.misery.com/about

ALIEN WEAPONRY SIGN WITH THE RICK SALES ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

New Zealand metal band Alien Weaponry join Los Angeles based Management Company, The RSE Group, home to high profile artists including Slayer, Gojira, Mastodon and Ghost.

“We couldn’t be more excited to work with Rick Sales and be a part of the company that manages some of our favorite artists.” said Henry de Jong, drummer of the powerhouse trio. “Rick Sales is a legend, and an influential figure in the metal scene worldwide.” Lewis de Jong, singer/guitarist adds, “We’re pretty humbled to be welcomed into this exclusive family of artists”.

The New Zealanders have been making headlines across the world with their unique fusion of thrash metal and their native language, te reo Maori. They occupied the no. 1 slot for 13 weeks on the ‘Devil’s Dozen’ countdown on USA radio station Sirius XM; their debut album Tu was voted album of the decade by Finish metal magazine Tounela; in Denmark they were welcomed to the Copenhell festival by a crowd of 10,000 doing a haka in their honor; and opened up for Slayer in Stuttgart Germany on their final European show last year.

While the world has been in lockdown due to Covid-19, the band has been back at home in New Zealand, writing and recording their second album. The album was due for release in 2020, but this has been delayed until 2021 because of the pandemic.

While Alien Weaponry has had to cancel all overseas touring in 2020, they will soon be announcing dates and locations for a New Zealand tour later this year.