Goodnight My Darling turns grief into indie-rock triumph ‘Until I Return’

Goodnight My Darling (Maxine Macaulay) continues her musical revolution with ‘Until I Return’ - an indie-rock triumph born from a time of loss for the artist.

Listen to ‘Until I Return’ HERE

‘Until I Return’ was written during a seven-month winter lockdown in Berlin, where the Wellington-based songwriter-producer-vocalist was living at the time. It follows on from the release of her magically hypnotic single ‘The Carriage’ and is described by Goodnight My Darling as a “revolution of self."

“At the beginning of 2020, my Grandmother passed away, followed by my Aunty and my Poppa (all on my Dad’s side). This was quite a lot of death in the family within the space of four months. I delved deep into grief during that period and experienced the intensity of the pandemic hitting Germany. It was a time of great introspective, personal growth. ‘Until I Return’ came about due to all of that intensity and is directed primarily towards my only remaining Grandparent, who is in his late 80s and felt quite far from reach throughout that time.”

Back in Aotearoa and having reconnected with family, Goodnight My Darling reflects on the time as being extremely reinventive and empowering - something she explores in her video.

“There’s symbolic use of light and dark, death and rebirth in the video. We’ve used stop motion, and it was an amazing challenge to pull off both the recording and editing of this process. I had to stand still for a long time and used a doppelgänger, which was so fun.”

Watch ‘Until I Return’ HERE

With the exception of the drums being recorded at The Surgery in Wellington, ‘Until I Return’ was recorded & mixed by Toby Lloyd at Tiny Triumph Recordings, then mastered by Robin Schmidt @ 24-96 Mastering in Berlin. Goodnight My Darling performs with her band of Wellington-based musicians, from Ingrid & The Ministers - Ingrid Saker (Lead Guitar) & Kim Andrews (drums); Connor Taumoepeau (LOTU) (synths) & Mitch Kirk (bass). With more new music on its way, be sure to stay tuned!

New Bird Machine single + video tunes into ‘Moneyache’

LISTEN TO ‘MONEYACHE’ HERE

Hamilton duo Bird Machine (Jenna and Luke Grbin) have today released their new single + video ‘Moneyache’.

Following on from their recent release, indie alt-folk ‘Our Kind’ (over 16k streams across platforms and Top 11 Radio One Chart), ‘Moneyache’ is a shoegaze, dream pop track written for “all the people feeling frustrated with any of life’s inequities,” says Luke.

“A lot of the lyrics I wrote on the bus home from work one day, while feeling a little jaded about my career choice and a bit trapped. But one lyric was inspired by a time I was busking outside a grocery store and a man who dropped a coin in my guitar case later came back out and told me he’d just given me his last dollar. I did ask if he wanted it back.”

‘Moneyache’ is at times entrancing, and others urgent and commanding. While it reflects personal soul-searching, it also speaks to the duo’s continued desire to speak out about issues they feel are important - with the hope of raising awareness and spur on action. 

The video, created by Jenna’s sister Shaeana Jaunay, leaves a lasting impression by showing children in roles that should be filled by adults - like work, childcare, and managing expenses.

“The economic demands of life can be pressurising enough for adults, but seeing children thrown into such predicaments just accentuates the way we might all feel sometimes,” says Jenna. 

The Bird Machine sound encompasses alt-rock, pop, dream pop and folk - with social commentary being a big part of the pair's music. With so much more to come from them, be sure to stay tuned!

AVYA SEE’S ‘GREEN’ WITH NEW RELEASE

Following the 2021 release of ‘In Love With Broken’, singer-songwriter AVYA’s latest offering ‘Green’ is a beautifully raw, layered, story-driven ballad.

The honest lyrics follow a narrative of a lull in a relationship, in a circumstance where doubt starts trickling in. The artist shares that her inspiration for the track came from some of the questions she held close to her chest during that lull. “Am I really in love? Is it normal to have nothing to talk about over dinner? Would all of these problems exist with someone else?” says AVYA. “Doubt is a horrible, numbing feeling and ‘Green’ is my expression of that.”

The Tāmaki Makaurau local wrote the track with Noema Te Hau, who helped curate the title. Whilst searching for the emotional centre of the ‘Green’, her co-writer simply asked “what colour(s) do you see?” Explaining further, the artist states “the grass is greener on the other side. At least, it can feel that way sometimes. When the conflict is at its peak, it can feel like things would be easier somewhere else, with someone else.”

Accompanying the track are stunning visuals of a dry, barren desert. Shot in Utah, these images are a perfect juxtaposition that represent the “greener grass” isn’t always what’s to be expected. “I almost feel like through the conception and creation of ‘Green’, its meaning revealed itself to me in parts, and I learnt a lot about love in the process.”

‘I Don’t Wanna’ - the new rock-anthem from Christchurch’s Pieces of Molly

Loud, fast-paced, primal rock n roll! This is what Christchurch four-piece Pieces of Molly deliver, and they haven’t held back with their new rock-anthem ‘I Don’t Wanna’.

Listen to ‘I Don’t Wanna’ HERE

Watch ‘I Don’t Wanna’ HERE

Building excitement for their debut album in October, ‘I Don’t Wanna’ is the follow-up single to their bone-shaking track ‘Dead Sky’. the self-proclaimed ‘mind-altering riff hypnotists’ have written an anthemic track about the push and pull, or ups and downs, experienced when burning the candle at both ends - and what could be a more perfect anecdote than high-octane primal rock n roll to smash out your feelings too.

“The song was originally ‘shelved’ after we started jamming it,” says lead singer Ewen Glasgow, “but months later I came up with the pre-chorus and it made the song come alive. That’s when we knew it was a banger.”

Not only have Pieces of Molly got the rock look fine-tuned, but it’s also crystal clear they’re a solid group with every member knowing their craft, and how to rock out. Made up of Ewen Glasgow (lead guitar/vocals), Doug Stewart (bass, backing vocals), Sam Kubiak (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Kurt Fleming (drums, percussion, backing vocals).

“Although it is easy to draw comparisons to a host of classic rock influences, the band’s sound is a tightly constructed cocktail that includes everything from Aerosmith to Red Fang.”

-         NZ Musician

“We all have a lot of influences, but if you put us in a room with a live setup, we a gonna come up dirty rock n roll every time.”

The production quality of ‘I Don’t Wanna’ is noteworthy for its high-quality live sound. Recorded and mixed at Loho Studios in Christchurch by Adam Hogan and Josh Logan, and mastered by Samuel K Sproull.

Pieces of Molly formed in 2012, and have released 2 EPs and 7 singles, including ‘Spirit Man’ and ‘Dead Sky’, which have been blasted on The Rock FM and Radio Hauraki.

Alongside their high-energy shows on tours across New Zealand and Australia, the band have played well-known festivals such as River Range, Mojo Burning, and Dead of Winter. They’ve also played support slots for International bands such as Radio Moscow, Anvil, 1000mods, Wo Fat and local legends Head Like A Hole, Beastwars and The Datsuns.

With loads of new music and more shows set to be announced - as well as heading on the road with Californian stoner rock legends Sasquatch for their Fever Fantasy Australia/NZ tour - you want to be following Pieces of Molly!

RUBI DU DROPS BLAZING NEW REGGAE / DUB SINGLE + LYRIC VIDEO ‘BROWN SKIN’

Aotearoa’s undisputed maven of dancehall, reggae, and hip-hop, RUBI DU today releases a powerful feel-good reggae jam ‘Brown Skin’. The world class MC’s new tune is set to uplift and inspire fans, with its empowering and positive message delivered via Rubi’s assertive toasts and vibrant flow.

With her ear-hooking latest tune, Rubi’s polished delivery and confident sound on ‘BROWN SKIN’ sees this talented genre-merging vocalist staying true to her inherent love of reggae.

Says Rubi, “Reggae music is my absolute favourite genre to play, and I really wanted to make a song for people who look like me. So, as a Caribbean / Polynesian woman, I made this for all the beautiful shades of brown all over the world!”

‘Brown Skin’ marks an exciting glimpse of what’s to come from Rubi Du and her band. Following on from the April release of her smoking hot track ‘Back Up’, ‘Brown Skin’ is the first single produced by members of the Rubi Du band Mokoia Huata and Travis Deardon, from her upcoming new album, due for release early 2023.

Says Rubi “Mokoia wrote the original music, and once I started writing to it, the arrangement and chord progression came naturally – as did the dub at the end!  I love working with Mokoia and Travis, they’re both super talented multi-instrumentalists, and when we were in the studio it just came together really fast. And having the legendary Chip Matthews lay the bass for this track was definitely a highlight for me!”

The Tāmaki Makaurau-based singer proudly creates music that represents who she is, and ‘Brown Skin’ is a song that is profoundly connected to Rubi. A smoothly melodic, conscious-driven track fuelled by a strong reggae-dub beat, Rubi’s joyous vibes keenly evoke the self-love and positive vibrations that can come from celebrating yourself and your roots – ultimately satisfying the heart and the soul.

OUT NOW! VÏKAE’s ‘Ultimate Heartbreak’ Mixtape LOVE GAMES + ‘Lonely Doll’ video

VÏKAE has today released her brand new mixtape LOVE GAMES - a collection of cleverly crafted songs that showcase the Ukrainian-Aotearoa alt-pop artist's skill in vulnerable storytelling.

Listen to the full Mixtape HERE

Calling it the ‘ultimate heartbreak mixtape’, LOVE GAMES includes previously released tracks ‘Love Games’, ‘Final Breakdown’, and ‘Lonely Doll’ - alongside unreleased spacial-electro track ‘Who Would Stay With Me?’ and stripped back piano ballad ‘Destination Nowhere’.

LOVE GAMES was created with long-time collaborator/producer Abigail Knudson and features Christian Tjandrawinata. Most of the five tracks were tracked and recorded at Auckland Parachute Studios, aside from additional vocals added remotely due to the lengthy 2021 pandemic lockdown Auckland went into. It was then mastered by Silver Scroll nominee Dan Martin (Rob Ruha).

VÏKAE says that each of the five tracks on LOVE GAMES represents the different viewpoints of those directly and indirectly affected by a breakup. “I’m a sucker for cathartic writing,” she says, “but I think a huge part of the record is the idea of ‘coming of age’.”

LOVE GAMES MIXTAPE

1. Lonely Doll

2. Love Games

3. Who would stay with me…?

4. Destination nowhere

5. Final breakdown

Another exciting addition to today’s release is VÏKAE’s stunning new video for ‘Lonely Doll’, which goes live at 7pm Friday 26 August.

Watch ‘Lonely Doll’ video HERE

In this follow-up to the artist's 2020 debut ep FINELINES - LOVE GAMES blends pop sensibilities and emo rebellion, with the singer singing for the voiceless and the underdogs. Having grown up listening to the emo bands of the 2000s, it may come as no surprise that her music is pseudo-romantic, unapologetic and sometimes just a little bit brash.

VÏKAE is an exciting artist on the rise - with over half a million streams across all platforms, honourable mentions on the NZ Official Charts, and has performed throughout Aotearoa, including some of the country's biggest music festivals like Bay Dreams Nelson and Mardi Gras. Be sure to keep watch on VÏKAE!

Loopy Tunes and E Tū Tāngata collab!

Ōtautahi-based, children’s music sister duo, Leah and Siu, of Loopy Tunes, collaborated with the team at E Tū Tāngata to create three new waiata for young tamariki, to help them identify with the organisation's three strands - You Have Value, We Succeed Together and Others Matter.

E Tū Tāngata is an initiative tackling the ever present tall poppy syndrome, that is no stranger to any of us. The three new waiata created is supported by resources created for preschools to help tamariki learn more about E Tū's founding principles.

The songs feature the talented Toa Siulangapo on guitar, with Leah and Siu's own tamariki featuring throughout, and were mixed by Thom O’Connor. They are concise and to the point and are the kind of waiata that you'll find yourself still humming, well after you heard it! Check them out below, and enjoy!

You Are A Taonga - how can you teach a preschooler that they have value? "A taonga is a treasure. It's special, unique, one of a kind."

He Waka Eke Noa - how can you teach a preschooler that we succeed together? "When we do this together, there's really nothing better."

We Are All Different - how can you teach a preschooler that others matter? "Kōrero, talk to them. Whakarongo, listen to them. Akohia, learn about your new friend."

Leah and Siu have been making music for tamariki for nearly 13 years, releasing their first album, Kākāriki – Simply Us, in 2019. The Tongan-Ngāpuhi sisters have a passion for creating music that encourages tamariki to embrace te reo Māori, as well as songs from the Pacific. The pair collaborated with Whānau Āwhina Plunket NZ and Ministry of Pacific Peoples to create 10 Pasifika Beats albums in 10 different pacific languages – the Pasifika Beatz series.

SOJØURN 'THE KAIPARA LIVE SESSIONS'

Kiwi surf-rock six-piece SOJØURN will release the “tiny desk” inspired “Kaipara Live Sessions” EP on Fri August 26th via the Meow label. The live EP features four songs off their recent “Mystic Ways” EP including ‘Waiting’, ‘Chasing Sunsets’, ‘Mystic Ways”, and ‘Birdsong’. The “Kaipara Live” sessions were recorded live at the Otamatea Eco-Village on the Kaipara Harbour and took place in the Autumn of 2022.

SOJØURN’s indie psych reggae sounds continue to strike a chord with music critics and fans alike, with the “Mystic Ways” EP with plenty of airtime on NZ and Australian radio along with deservedly rave reviews. The east-coast groovers, hailing from the surf town of Mangawhai Heads, continue their rise through the music scene in NZ, with recent subheadliner slot at “Après Surf”, a live-to-air performance on 95bFM along with an upcoming show with The Black Seeds in Auckland in early August.