ANDREW FAGAN & THE PEOPLE ANNOUNCE APRIL TOUR

Andrew Fagan and his band return to venues across the North Island in April to perform songs from his solo and Mockers years, and celebrate acclaimed new album Act Normal.

Tour dates are:

Fri 9 APR WINE CELLAR Auckland

Sat 10 APR JAM FACTORY Tauranga

Wed 14 APR NIVARA LOUNGE Hamilton

Thur 15 APR TWO MILE SAILING CLUB Taupo

FRI 16 APR HAUMOANA HALL Hawkes Bay

Sat 17 APR MEOW Wellington

Sun 18 APR SNAILS, Palmerston North

Tickets on sale immediately, at Plus1.co.nz 

Fagan’s new album Act Normal was released on the cusp of lockdown, so the band are jumping out of their skins for this delayed release tour. To coincide with the tour, new single You’ll Be Fine is released in early March.

Fagan’s band features Darryn Harkness (New Telepathics, Loud Ghost), Kurt Shanks (stellar*), Joe Dekkers- Reihanna, and John Murray.

CORRELLA 'Chur Māori'

Following the release of their first track Summertime in Aotearoa, Tāmaki Makaurau roots band, Corrella, are back with a brand new track, Chur Māori. This track will have you singing and dancing away without even realising it. 

This anthem, written by founding members of Corrella, grew and developed over the years in the most kiwi way possible, around a guitar over some beers in the back yard. The hook and groove set the tone for what is meant to make you feel like you are there with friends, around the same guitar in the backyard. 

The lyrics of the verse are open to interpretation by the listener. The lyrics are meant to transport you to your chill place, the place you feel most at home, most comfortable, the place you enjoy being yourself the most. The chorus consists of only two words, and for a good reason. When you sing this song you involuntarily find yourself part of a unity unlike any other in the world, regardless of where in the world you come from. 

Chur Māori is the band’s second single of their upcoming debut EP, due to be released in April 2021.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/CorrellaBandNZ

IG: https://www.instagram.com/correllanz/

Pre-save link: https://smarturl.it/pre-chur

Release day link:https://smarturl.it/chur

ARO 'BABY BEAT'

Musical husband and wife duo Aro have just released their latest single Baby Beat on March 11th, celebrating the arrival of their first child. Available now for streaming, the chorus of the new waiata includes the phrase "kaua e aukumea" (don't take too long) - a call their pēpi took to heart by arriving three weeks early.
The buoyant joyful nature of the song is captured in the video for the track, also released today, which shows Charles and hāpu Emily, practicing their best mum and dad dance moves ahead of their baby’s arrival. Inspired by hearing the heartbeat of their baby for the first time, the song is based on a recording of baby Looker’s heartbeat from their sonogram, an image of which is the opening shot of the video.

“It is an absolute delight which makes me smile each time I listen to it” - Muzic.net.nz
Despite baby Olive coming early, Aro is delighted to celebrate her on the original due date by releasing the song and music video - sharing the joy she has brought her parents with the rest of the world. Warm, tender, and uplifting in tone, Aro’s trademark bi-lingual lyrics capture all of the excited anticipation of new beginnings, accompanied by striking harmonies and jazzy R&B.

Aro consists of husband-and-wife Charles and Emily Looker. The pair share a passion for the power of language and music to tell stories and remind us of our cultural identity. The duo were finalists for the Maioha Award at the Silver Scrolls (2019) and the APRA Best Children’s Song Award for their song Korimako (2020).

Single available now: https://smarturl.it/bbybtt
https://aromusic.co.nz/
https://www.facebook.com/aromusicao/

FRENCH FOR RABBITS & TERRIBLE SONS ANNOUNCE THREE SOUTH ISLAND CONCERTS

Tickets on sale from Wednesday

10 April from undertheradar.co.nz

Wellington’s ethereal dream-pop gems French for Rabbits are pairing up with Terrible Sons for a weekend away in the South Island. They will present their dreamy, perfectly-paired music to lucky audiences in Nelson, Blenheim and Onekaka, before French for Rabbits head off to perform at Wanaka’s Festival of Colour.

French for Rabbits released a handful of singles in 2020 – including the soaring chamber pop of ‘The Dark Arts’ in December which is the first single from their forthcoming album (due out later in 2021). Always writing new material, there will likely be a new song or two, alongside favourites from their collection of previous releases.

Terrible Sons released their much anticipated EP ‘Mass’ in February. Having racked up over 18 million streams on previous singles, it may come as a surprise that the Nettwerk-signed duo from Christchurch have never toured. The duo consists of LA Mitchell (Fly my Pretties) and Matt Barus (The Dukes).

Don’t miss these two understated and arguably underrated bands on this brief South Island sojourn.

SOUTH ISLAND SHOWS

8 APRIL: FAIRFIELD HOUSE – NELSON

9 APRIL: THE PLANT – BLENHEIM

10 APRIL: MUSSEL INN – ONEKAKA

18 APRIL: FESTIVAL OF COLOUR – WANAKA (French for Rabbits trio only)

OTHER SHOWS

18 March: FRENCH FOR RABBITS @ AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL

28 March: FRENCH FOR RABBITS @ CUBA DUPA (EYEGUM PRESENTS)

Tickets from www.undertheradar.co.nz

Wanaka Festival of Colour: www.festivalofcolour.co.nz/act/french-for-rabbits/

Auckland Arts Festival: www.aaf.co.nz/event/french-for-rabbits

www.frenchforrabbits.com

SEA MOUSE 'SIDE B TRACK 1'

Wellington’s alternative blues rock trio Sea Mouse make a thunderous start to 2021 with their stonking new single ‘Side B Track 1’.

Listen here :

https://seamouse.bandcamp.com/track/side-b-track-1

https://open.spotify.com/track/2UfR0HoS8Cx56RkLmCNock?si=W2aCY6oIS2GS3AWP-EW_vA&utm_source=copy-link

A rollicking, modern boogie rock tune, which takes its inspiration from legends such as John Lee Hooker and George Thorogood, ‘Side B Track 1’ is a song all about “wanting to make records”.

As the title eludes, the band (Seamus Johnson - vocals/guitar; Thomas Friggens - drums; Scott Maynard - bass) had forgotten all about the demo until their engineer Toby brought it up in the studio when they were recording for another project.

“It had been demoed some time before. Tom and Scott liked it so we just did a few takes and it was done,” says Seamus.

The song is accompanied by a compelling video, directed by Lee Gingold. “The concept for the video is based around temptation to be hedonistic and learning to overcome that and make better life choices. It sort of stems from peoples’ experiences around drinking too much and finding yourself in bad situations,” says the band.

With a uniquely fresh take on rock ‘n’ roll, Sea Mouse formed in 2017. A sound transmogrifying between mammoth guitar-driven garage rock tunes with hooks big enough to snag a whale, to the Delta blues of the 1930s, Sea Mouse are all about hard-hitting, well-hewn, rock anthems.

The band has a number of releases to their name, including their debut self-titled 2017 album, which they describe as a mixtape of savage blues rock and acoustic blues folk. They followed it in 2018 with the double single ‘Skeletons’ and 2020’s sophomore album TROPICAL FISH, which garnered the band a strong following in countries such as Norway, USA, and Brazil.

No strangers to the New Zealand touring circuit, Sea Mouse are a live favourite and not to be missed.

Band links:

www.facebook.com/SeaMouseband

www.instagram.com/this_is_sea_mouse

'MITTENS' A FINALIST IN ISC

Mittens Official Song written by MMF member Chris Sanders and co-songwriter Natalie Conaty, is in the FINAL of one of the largest global songwriting competitions.

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has had over 26,000 entries with Mittens making the top 14 Children’s Songs.

A celebrity judging panel including the likes of Coldplay, Dua Lipa and Tom Waits will announce the overall winner in April.

There’s also a People’s Voice Award, so if you’d like to vote for Mittens you have until April 7 – you can make 1 vote per day! Here's the link to vote: https://songwritingcompetition.com/peoplesvoice~category-5

Mittens is New Zealand’s most famous Cat. The Turkish Angora kitty, known affectionately by his 70K Facebook 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 was awarded the Key to Wellington City by Mayor, has had his own exhibition at Wellington Museum and was up for 2020 New Zealander of the year alongside Jacinda Ardern. 

Released in December 2020, the song was the highest charting children’s song in NZ, reaching #12 in the Official Hot NZ Single Music Charts and #1 across all genres in iTunes.

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.  Chris, Natalie and HRF donate a portion of proceeds from the song to The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.

REI 'LESHGO'

Rei is stoked to present to you his first release for 2021, a new cross-over banger called ‘LESHGO’.

‘LESHGO’ is an upbeat rap/dance track signature of Rei’s genre-bending style. Filled with catchy hooks and high-end production, this club-ready tune will get you boppin’ and tiktokin’ in no time. This waiata is all about letting go of the stress and pressure of daily life and instead, jamming out on the d-floor.

Rei is again proving he is at the forefront of normalising te reo in mainstream NZ music, mixing it seamlessly into his raps. ‘LESHGO’ is no exception, as Rei fluidly dances between languages and punchlines. Following up on Rei’s successful Reimixes projects (playlisted by George and Pulzar), and his collabs with Lee Mvthews; ‘Contact High’, and Sean Richards, ‘Euphoria’ ‘LESHGO’ capitalises on Rei’s wins in the dance music world.

‘I make music that makes people move. It doesn’t matter what language the music is in. If people feel it, they’ll move to it.’

Rei has had a big start to 2021, touring the country and playing at festivals such as AUM and Kotahi, with Splore, Auckland Arts Festival and Newtown Festival still to come.

INTRODUCING CHRISTOPHER JUSTIN

New Zealand musician Christopher Justin, 19, is a rocketman turned musician – literally.

The teenager from the North Shore, Auckland, won a Presidential Scholarship to the University of Miami, but in an unusual achievement, he also won entrance to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and was also invited to study Aerospace Engineering at Purdue University in Indiana.

In fact, Christopher Justin secured and accepted a much-prized place at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, to study for a four-year Bachelor of Music degree.  “I understand that USC’s Popular Music Program has a mere 5% acceptance rate and studying alongside their stellar faculty staff has made my acceptance all the more valuable.”

Christopher has over a decade of experience as a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist.  Writing his own music since the age of eight, he later formed the Auckland- based band Slipstream as their guitarist/songwriter/vocalist, playing only original material.  At 16 (2017), he co-produced their self-titled debut EP.

Music icons such as AC/DC, Deep Purple, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, Guthrie Govan, strongly influence his personal style and numerous original compositions.

In late 2019 (at 18), he recorded and produced his self-titled solo debut album ‘Christopher Justin’.

His debut album has been played on radio stations in Singapore, Europe, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, South America, and New Zealand. Comments like “What a superb album that is!  It’s absolutely fantastic” (Nigel Harris, Radio Caroline, UK),  “Chunky classic blues-rock” (Daniel Pearn, AMR radio, Australia), “ … a thoroughly enjoyable audio experience” (Jay, SLE Radio, UK), are only some of the many memorable comments received.

At the close of 2020, tracks from the album ‘Christopher Justin’ made it to ‘Featured Tracks’, ‘Best tracks of 2020 Show’, and the ‘Best Music to come out of 2020 Show’ on legendary Radio Caroline.

Christopher is the composer, singer, guitarist, bassist, percussionist, and producer of his singles and self-titled debut album, Christopher Justin.  Drums are performed by James Armstrong on all tracks with the exception of ‘Miles Apart’ and ‘One Last Time’ where they are performed by George Brakovich. 

This solo debut album is a culmination of a fresh youthful take on rock and roll, and it has been said that if his music was food, it is a ‘decadent dessert platter”.

The success of Christopher Justin’s debut album has been overwhelming in:

(1)  receiving acknowledgment from New Zealand’s AIMES Awards, winning the Emerging Talent award with a cash prize of $7500;

(2)  reaching the upper echelon – top 20% of 9000 applicants from 84 countries, for The 2020 UK Songwriting Competition.  All 7 songs from his album received 5 out of 5 stars from the judging panel, and 4 went on to compete in the competition’s semi-finals

     (3) the track ‘Brilliance’ making the semi-finals for 2020 International
          Songwriting Competition, which attracted 26000 entries from all
          over the globe – the top 9% of all entries made the semi-finals list.

Alongside making music, Christopher Justin is currently pursuing his music degree remotely but when COVID-19 conditions improve, he would join his cohorts at USC (Thornton School of Music), in Los Angeles.

For more information and updates, follow Christopher Justin on his Instagram 

@christopher_justin_nz and at www.christopherjustinofficial.com