NICK WARD RELEASES DEBUT EP ‘EVERYTHING I WISH I TOLD YOU’

Nick Ward is a 19 year old songwriter, vocalist and producer from Sydney Australia.

With a strong lyrical focus on the concepts of breaking down traditional ideas of masculinity, sexuality and gender - as experienced by himself as a teenager navigating the current political landscape - Ward is excited to bring his fully realised debut EP 'Everything I Wish I Told You' out of his bedroom studio to share with the world on 5 February. 

In the three years since his first single release the young artist has swiftly gained attention in both his home country of Australia and internationally.

In 2019 he was named a finalist for the prestigious triple j Unearthed High Competition for his highly personal song ‘Skin’, and saw continued support from the station when he received grant money towards his debut EP in 2020.

Last year saw him release singles 'Aubrey Plaza', 'Holding the Man' and the critically acclaimed 'I Wanna Be Myself Or Nothing At All' - which features NZ artist Lontalius. 

'Everything I Wish I Told You' really feels like a summation of my life so far – musically and emotionally," says Nick. "It was written, produced and mixed by myself during lockdown in 2020, and is six tracks long. It was important to me that every song came from a different palette of sounds and emotions, but still felt cohesive.

"The project begins with the real audio of my birth, and poses the lyric 'Do you know who you are?', which brings me to the main theme of the project: identity.

"I'm 19 years old, so it wasn't too long ago that I was attending an all-boys school that warped my sense of masculinity and sexuality, and made my 'coming out' pretty convoluted. The emotional centrepiece of the project, 'I Wanna Be Myself or Nothing At All', goes into pretty explicit details about that experience." 

Nick's debut project wrestles with these moments in his life in intimate detail, allowing the listener a gentle immersion into the young artist's inner monologue.

"The refrain on this song 'Everything I wish I told you all comes out / you've never known as much about me as you do right now' is the inspiration for the project's title, and also feels like its mission statement," Nick continues.

"Do I know who I am? The short answer is no, but I think that it's the interrogation of that question that will bring me closer. I really hope you love it." 

Despite his age, Nick has already played support for major international artists such as BENEE, KIAN, George Alice, JOY., and Tora since he began releasing songs in 2018.

His music videos and songs are all self-produced, earning him a reputation as a bit of a wunderkind within the industry. Pilerats named him an "artist to watch in 2021".

Released under local label Hunnydew Recordings; 'Everything I Wish I Told You' is full of the honest lyricism and anthemic pop melodies which have earned him fans worldwide. 

LOCAL LADIES NIGHT

Live and local musician collaborations make a recipe for entertainment galore. A group of local talented upcoming female singer songwriters decided to combine forces and collaborate to showcase and support their amazing talent by highlighting the diverse range of female musicians rising up in our own backyard. This incredible bunch will treat you to a one night only Local Ladies Night event of an intriguing mix of original RnB/ Hip hop, pop, country, folk, and blues tunes.

This event celebrates a diverse range of the Christchurch female music scene, the full line- up includes pop country national song writing competition winner Steffany Beck, captivating RnB/ Hip Hop songstress Juana Kino, pop fiction singer songwriter Michele Ducray, pop/ folk singer songwriter Madeleine Howard, Multi-instrumentalist Yippy Skippy Rosie, Acoustic singer/ songwriter Courtney Allison and emerging pop’s pandora’s box Keren Mara featuring Lisa Baxter.

This amazing all female line up show will be held at the weirdest, coolest little bar and live music venue in New Zealand the Wunderbar Lyttelton on Friday February 26th, 2021. 

Presale Tickets available for $15 on Under The Radar NZ. Door sales also available on the night for $20.

Purchase a ticket and get down to the Wunderbar Lyttelton for a great evening of Christchurch original music with your local ladies!

Purchase presale tickets - https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/.../Local-Ladies-Night!.utr

Estère releases masterful album Archetypes

Ever since Estère spoke to her grandmother about Carl Jung and his concept of archetypes, the Wellington-based producer knew the direction her next album would take. Fascinated, Estère dedicated herself to creating a record based on Jungian theory, devouring five books and filling six notebooks with ideas, brainstorms and eventually the material that appears on her third masterful record, the concept-album Archetypes.

Estère’s Jungian obsession dominated her sleep, creating bizarre dreamtime scenarios featuring encounters with cheetahs in a garden or sea creatures in a flood, while others revolved around delivering life into the universe and the massive task of guardianship over these beings - the instinctive selflessness of motherhood. Other dreams depicted violence and killing of the other; in some, Estère saw herself as a boy or a man. The imagery and meaning in these dreams have been incorporated into the archetypes that are featured on the album.

Archetypes is a departure from the bedroom beats of Estère’s previous two albums. Co-produced with Massive Attack producer, Stew Jackson, each track on the album comes alive through the Wellington-based artist’s deft production. Defying categoristion, her music is a mixture of folk, R&B and electronica, blended in a unique fashion, easily identified as ‘Estère’. Archetypes is the sound of an artist who entirely commits to creative instinct.

Album opener ‘Into the Belly of Capricorn’ sets the scene, inviting the listener to close their eyes and be absorbed into Estère’s enchanted narrative. The track is based around the archetype of youth, where Estère meets her own inner child as a separate mythical entity, reminding her of the freedom she felt in early life. Written in the filtered light of the nikau forest on Waiheke Island, where Estère was born, the song captures the essence of those surroundings. “The forest is primeval - when you enter it, your sense of self, time and space are lost and you become absorbed inside its majesty,” explains Estère.

Lead single ‘Calculated Risk’ is based around the archetype of suppressing desire. Estère says, "There are age-old myths and archetypes about how women taking risks and being curious about things can literally ruin the world. Calculated Risk explores how I can be freed from the chains of judgement and failure, opening- up about my feelings, deep desires, and dreams”.

Second single ‘Mad About Your Sea’ depicts the addiction archetype, in this case, the idea of feeling addicted to a person, wanting to ‘save’ them, despite them hurting you. ‘Animal Pleasure’ tackles the archetype of female sexuality, exploring Estère’s journey towards recognising her own sexual instinct as a woman and acting upon it without fear or shame. “Mish-mashing folkloric storytelling styles with more personal dialogues enabled me to really dig my teeth into each archetypal theme I wanted to explore”.

Breathing life into narratives that marry the acutely human to the achingly mythic, Estère’s highly-anticipated third album brims with imagery and sonic amalgamations that merge culture, language and legend. ‘Archetypes’ is set to be released on 22 January 2021 on Blue Riot Records and is available to pre-order now.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GIRLS ROCK! TĀMAKI MAKAURAU!

Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau is over for another year and a fantastic time was had!

For 2021, Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau partnered with SAE Creative Media Institute Auckland for the first time, holding the programme at their SAE Parnell campus, and allowing them to access their state of the art recording studios and equipment.

This gave the girls the opportunity to launch their new electronic music stream, giving the campers the chance to learn new skills in electronic music production and arrangement. Listening back to the electronic bands' performances at the Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau 2021 Showcase, I'm sure you'll agree that it's been a great success.

You can rewatch the livestream of the showcase here.

Here's what some of our campers had to say about this year's Girls Rock! Tāmaki Makaurau:

“you meet so many new friends and have a whole new experience of playing with people and creating music with everyone.”
- Fran (15)

“So this year I did the electronic music stream, and that was probably my favourite part because it’s so different and it’s so new. I’ve done a bit of work on Logic before but this was just a whole other level of amazing stuff which was really cool. And also working with my band mates has been one of the biggest highlights of Girls Rock! - being able to communicate with other people who love music and that’s one of my favourite parts about Girls Rock for me.”
- Evie (14)

“It’s so good and I’ll totally do it again next year, and the year after until I can’t do it anymore. The people are so amazing and the music is great, the community is wonderful - it’s just so much fun!”
- Shiray (15)

The kaupapa of Girls Rock! is to empower young women, transgender and gender non-conforming youth by giving them practical skills and role models in a safe, supportive space.

As a community organisation, we're extremely grateful for the support we receive from people like you. We simply couldn't operate without it.

If you'd like to show off your support of Girls Rock! Aotearoa, you can do it with one of our groovy tote bags. Made of high-quality 100% cotton canvas, they're perfect for carrying records, musical accessories and implements for overthrowing the patriarchy. Check out the totes on Bandcamp.

SAM BARTELLS ANNOUNCES LET'S GO II TOUR NEXT FEBRUARY

Following on from performing sold-out Let’s Go EP release shows last October, New Zealand rock-country singer/songwriter Sam Bartells is ready to hit the road again for five dates this February, taking in Auckland on Wednesday 17th February, before heading to Hamilton on Friday 19th and a second Auckland show on Saturday 20th. The tour then travels to Tauranga on the following Friday 26th before finishing in Gisborne, Saturday 27th Feb.

For these shows, Bartells will once again be performing with his exemplary band of hand-picked session musicians, whose unique talents and added charm complement every song. Special guest for this run of shows is young country-pop sensation Grace Kelly, nicely rounding off the bill. 

“Time to take a moment to appreciate what a great singer Bartells is…there’s a bright future ahead…”
– 13th Floor

Bartells is excited at the thought of touring and performing all the tracks off Let’s Go and more. “After such a restrictive year for us all, I’m thrilled to be able to get out there and perform to new audiences around the North Island. We had such a blast at the last shows, I can’t wait to get back in front of a live crowd and have some fun times with good people again.”

Sam Bartells debut EP LET’S GO was recorded in Nashville at Sound Kitchen Studios with renowned producer Dr Ford, after a 2019 trip set the wheels in motion for this talented rock-country artist. Fuelled by fight, passion and purpose, his unique blend of alt-rock and country music is not only filled with grit and raw emotion but with an authenticity that shines when shared with a live audience.

“Sam Bartells and his effervescent band deliver a first class set… a rollicking good experience” – Radio 1 

With Bartells’ stirring vocals, vivid story-telling and the players’ talented musicianship at the heart of each show, the evenings promise to be memorable as Bartells continues to share his story through his songs, laying each chapter of his book bare to the audience. Let the story continue!

SAM BARTELLS – LET’S GO II TOUR

AUCKLAND – WED 17 FEB – PORTLAND PUBLIC HOUSE

with Grace Kelly

HAMILTON – FRI 19 FEB – NIRVARA LOUNGE

with Grace Kelly

AUCKLAND – SAT 20 FEB – OKURA FOREST FESTIVAL

TAURANGA – FRI 26 FEB – MOOD

with Grace Kelly

GISBORNE – SAT 27 FEB – SMASH PALACE

with Tim Prier

TOMORROW PEOPLE RELEASE TE REO MAORI SINGLE ‘RERE TE WA’

The chart topping and award-winning band TOMORROW PEOPLE have wasted no time, in releasing a full Te Reo version of their latest release, titled ‘RERE TE WA’

The members of TOMORROW PEOPLE are of Maori and Samoan heritage; and all have a strong commitment to language and culture.  As music artists one of the ways they can support the preservation of indigenous language, is by releasing their original music in their own languages, Te Reo Maori and Samoan.  

‘RERE TE WA’ kicks off with a 1940’s cabaret vibe, before dropping into a modern reggae style that shouldn’t really work but it actually does.   The band has changed their angle with this one, but they see it as a reinvention of their sound, with the introduction of their new female singer Ara (Te Aranga Savage - Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Awa). Ara sits perfectly on the groove channeling her inner ‘Etta James’, and reciting melodic poetry.

TOMORROW PEOPLE have also released previous successful songs in Te Reo, such as WHANGAI AROHA & KUA TŌ TE RĀ

Since the release of their hugely successful EP BBQ Reggae, which went to #1 in the Official NZ Charts and earned them a number of awards – the band have been collectively working on their next release, a full album, and they believe this will be their best release yet.  The EP was packed with hits and included “Don’t Wanna Fight It” which was a world first, as the song was released in English, Maori and Samoan. 

Listen and enjoy ‘Rere Te Wa’:   https://bit.ly/Rere_Te_Wa_TOMORROWPEOPLE

TOMORROW PEOPLE – Te Aranga Savage (Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Awa), Snow Chase (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Duane Te Whetu (Ngāi Tūhoe), Avina Kelekolio, Kenape Saupese, Hennie Tui and Tana Tupai -  are one of the country’s most-loved reggae bands, with a string of popular releases to their name, including ‘Souljah Feeling’, ‘Feel Alright’ and ‘Take It Away’.

They made headlines when their EP BBQ REGGAE toppled Ed Sheeran from the charts and drew praise for releasing single ‘Don’t Wanna Fight It’ in three languages - English, Te Reo and Samoan, as a mark of respect to the band members’ heritage and the diversity of their audience.   Follow Tomorrow People - www.tomorrowpeople.co.nz

Kei ngā taumata o te ao pūoro te pēne nei a TOMORROW PEOPLE, ā, kua pao tōrea rātou, kua tere whakarewa i tō rātou waiata reo māori, a ‘RERE TE WĀ’ hei whai i te waiata hou nei, a ‘LOSE TRACK OF TIME’

Nō ngā iwi Māori o Aotearoa, nō ngā iwi o Hāmoa anō hoki ngā manu o te kāhui o TOMORROW PEOPLE, ā, he hira nui ki a rātou ngā reo me ngā ahurea o ō rātou iwi. Ko tā rātou he tautoko i te oranga o ngā reo taketake nei mā te whakarewa me te whakatangi i ō rātou ake waiata Reo Māori, Reo Hāmoa anō hoki.

Ka timata a ‘RERE TE WĀ’ i te wairua o ngā waiata cabaret mai i ngā tau 1940, ā,  ka tahuri ki ngā tāera reggae o te ao hou nei. He huriunga tai tō te waiata nei nā te urunga mai o tō rātou manu tīoriori wāhine hou a Ara (Te Aranga Savage – Ngai Tuhoe, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngati Awa). Ka rere mowai te reo o Te Aranga i runga i te ia o te waiata, ā, ka oho i roto i a ia tana reo ‘Etta James’ ano nei e whakahua huahuatau ana ia.

Kua oti hoki i a TOMORROW PEOPLE te whakarewa i a rātou waiata reo Māori angitū nei a WHANGAI AROHA, me KUA TŌ TE RĀ.

Mai i te whakarewatanga o tō rātou kōpae pūoro EP angitū a ‘BBQ REGGAE’ – tērā i tau ki te taumata #1 i ngā rārangi waiata o te motu, tērā hoki i whakawhiwhia ai ki ngā tohu waiata o te motu – kua ihu oneone te kāhui nei ki te whakarite i to rātou kōpae waiata motuhake, e ai ki a rātou, ko tō rātou tino. Kī pai tā rātou EP ki ngā waiata pakō, arā, a ‘Don’t Wanna Fight It’ – te waiata tuatahi o te ao i whakarewahia i roto i te reo Pākehā, te reo Māori me te reo Hāmoa.

Areare taringa mai ki te waiata pārekareka nei, ki a ‘Rere Te Wā’:  https://bit.ly/Rere_Te_Wa_TOMORROWPEOPLE

Ko TOMORROW PEOPLE - Te Aranga Savage (Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Awa), Snow Chase (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Duane Te Whetu (Ngāi Tūhoe), Avina Kelekolio (Ngāti Hāmoa), Kenape Saupese (Ngāti Hāmoa), Hennie Tui (Ngāti Hāmoa) rātou ko Tana Tupai (Ngāti Hāmoa) – tētāhi o ngā pēne e arohanuitia ana e te motu, ā, he nui ā rātou waiata rongonui pēnei i ‘Souljah Feeling’, ‘Feel Alright’ me ‘Take It Away’.

I hou te rongo mō te pēne nei i te wā i turakina a Ed Sheeran mai i ngā rārangi pūoro o te motu e tō rātou kōpae pūoro EP a BBQ REGGAE. I whakanuia hoki rātou i te rewanga ake o ‘Don’t Wanna Fight It’ i ngā reo e toru – te reo Pākehā, te reo Māori, me te reo Hāmoa - hei whakanui i ngā whakapapa o te kāhui me ā rātou apataki.  Whāia mai
a Tomorrow People - www.tomorrowpeople.co.nz

MITTENS OFFICIAL SONG SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH GOES TO #1 IN CHARTS

Mittens is New Zealand’s most famous Cat.  He was awarded the Key to Wellington City by Mayor Andy Foster, has had his own exhibition at Wellington Museum and now he’s got a #1 hit song beating the likes of Taylor Swift and Six60.

The song which has also reached top 10 in USA, Canada and Australia iTunes Charts, was written by 2020 Children’s Tui Award Finalist Chris Sanders and Natalie Conaty. “Mittens – Official Song” is all about the adventures of Mittens around the city of Wellington. 

“What an honour to write this song for Mittens and his fans,” says song co-writer Chris Sanders. “He has become such a huge celebrity in his own right and we felt it was fitting to give him his own song to help share his adventures around Wellington.” 

The Turkish Angora kitty, known affectionately by his legions of fans as ‘His Royal Floofiness (HRF)’ shot to fame when he began turning up in random places around Wellington, from offices to rest homes, yoga studios to night clubs – he’s even been known interrupt the occasional health and safety briefing!

“Mittens has brought so many people together through his real life encounters around Wellington bringing a ray of sunshine wherever he goes. He is a wonderful example of the positive influence animals can have on mental health and the community and has connected people globally in a way that very few could,” says Mittens owner, Silvio Bruinsma.

As his reputation grew, a Facebook page, ‘The Wondrous Adventures of Mittens’ was set up and has grown to almost 65K fans who follow his every move.  For those lucky enough to encounter Mittens on his journey, selfies are snapped and shared on his page for the whole world to enjoy. 

In a year that has seen so many people suffer from loneliness, isolation and separation, Mittens has become a great ambassador in bringing people together and spreading joy around the world.  So at the request of His Royal Floofiness a portion of proceeds from the song downloads are going to The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand! 

“This purrfect sense of wellbeing is what we call the ‘Mittens Effect’ and it is great to know the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand will receive the proceeds from the song to support its critical work,” says Wellington Mayor Andy Foster. “Who Let the Dogs Out won a Grammy in 2001, so perhaps it will be Mittens strolling the red carpet in 2021! We would just need to ensure Paris Hilton didn’t try to nab him!”  

There’s something for the little and big kids in this song, it’s catchy, a little bit cheeky and very funny!  As part of the release of the song there is also a music video featuring Mittens, those he has met on his travels and some well know Wellington faces including Mayor Andy Foster and RNZ presenter Kim Hill!

Released through Angel Star Publishing House, pre-order commences on Friday December 4 and goes on full release Saturday December 12.

Listen here https://smarturl.it/7uxbgb

THIRD ROUND OF AOTEAROA TOURING PROGRAMME OPEN NOW – CLOSES WEDNESDAY 27 JANUARY

The third round of the Aotearoa Touring Programme is now open.  The Programme is a new initiative run by the NZ Music Commission to grow the potential for original New Zealand artists touring across Aotearoa and enable more New Zealanders to experience live, local music.

The Aotearoa Touring Programme is a contestable fund intended to reinvigorate the live music sector and assist in the recovery from the effects of COVID-19 in the domestic touring market. This programme will invest in approved domestic touring costs, to enable more NZ artists to grow sustainable careers and increase the access to live music for NZ audiences.

The third round will close Wednesday 27 January.

Please go to the NZ Music Commission website (hyerlink https://nzmusic.org.nz/touring/) for a full overview of the programme, information about the tiers of funding and details of eligible costs.

Prospective applicants need to contact the Music Commission for access to the online application portal. When you get in touch with the office, you should know when your proposed tour would be taking place, where in the country you intend on playing, why you want to play in these towns (previously successful shows, good airplay on local radio, interest from the area etc), and approximately how much you intend to apply for. The application process will require you to have a full budget and business plan that will show how this investment will contribute to growing the artist’s business and career. Please email touring@nzmusic.org.nz

AOTEAROA TOURING PROGRAMME APPLICATION DATES 2021

• Wednesday 27 January 2021 - Round Closes

  Thursday 18 February – ATP Results Published

• Wednesday 24 March 2021 - Round Closes

  Thursday 15 April – ATP Results Published

• Wednesday 19 May 2021 - Round Closes

  Thursday 10 June – ATP Results Published

• Wednesday 21 July 2021 - Round Closes

  Thursday 12 August – ATP Results Published

• Wednesday 22 September 2021 - Round Closes

  Thursday 16 October – ATP Results Published

• Wednesday 24 November 2021 - Round Closes

  Thursday 16 December – ATP Results Published