SOUTHERN COUNTRY BELLE MIRANDA EASTEN DROPS SASSY NEW SINGLE ‘KIP MOORE SMILE’ AHEAD OF NATIONWIDE TOUR

Fast-rising Ōtautahi singer-songwriter MIRANDA EASTEN delivers an addictive country-pop banger with new track ‘KIP MOORE SMILE’ off her upcoming sophomore album CONCRETE & HONEY due out this July.

An instantly memorable sing-a-long track, ‘Kip Moore Smile’ is charged with street-smart lyrics and attitude, a cleverly-crafted toe-tapping hook, and Eastern’s smooth, dulcet vocal.

An easy-going number with a cheeky narrative, ‘Kip Moore Smile’ takes a light-hearted swipe at the male ego and a wannabe player who’s full of himself, but for no good reason. Reminiscent of Shania Twain’s ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’, with ‘Kip Moore Smile’ Easten serves up a fun, tongue-in-cheek song about female empowerment that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Revealing another dimension to her song-writing skills, the broad allure of ‘Kip Moore Smile’ is that it maintains one foot in the country genre, while drawing on a modern pop-infused vibe, seeing this cross-over tune destined to become a playlist favourite.

A co-write with Emily C Browning, the radio-friendly tune came together extremely easily.

Says Easten: “I’d already had the idea for a song about a bad boy with a worn out truck, and had a good idea of how I wanted to execute it. So one very hot February day I took what I had to Emily’s house, and boom, the music was born. I knew right away that we had something special when the song was bouncing around in my head all week after.”

The accomplished singer, songwriter, poet and author has many strings to her bow, having developed her technical prowess and garnering necessary musical experience working with beloved Kiwi singer-songwriter Greg Johnson, both as an as an executive producer on his album Swing The Lantern and as a collaborator with him on ‘Stay’ and ‘Stars & Dreams’. Easten continues to work on other projects and collabs, most recently as co-writer of ‘Listen to the Stars’ with Delaney Davidson from his album Out Of My Head.

Now set to release her sophomore album CONCRETE & HONEY this July, Easten travelled far and wide, recording the album in the United Kingdom, the USA and New Zealand with a selection of international producers and session musicians.

With an extensive list of career highlights and being no stranger to the music scene, Easten’s musical reputation and connections garnered her an invitation to record at the world famous Rockfield Studios in Wales.

Says Easten: “It was an incredible experience to add my name in pen to the studio walls alongside Coldplay, Oasis, and a long list of heroes. I mean ‘Yellow’ was written there! I saw the wall where ‘Wonderwall’ was written! One of the most famous bands to write and record at Rockfield was Queen, and I made sure to use the ‘Freddie piano’ on as many tracks as possible while I was recording.”

With world renowned Producer Greg Haver at the helm, and Scott Seabright on Engineering duties, the magical recording experience was enhanced with a quality team of talented players from both The Spice Girls and Manic Street Preachers on board.

“I love working with Greg and Scott and it felt a bit more homely to have my Kiwi team and good friends with me. Also, my pedal player Neil Watson added some stunning riffs  from back in New Zealand. The track was then mastered by Ryan Smith at Nashville’s Stirling Sound, who really knows what he’s doing as he masters for Taylor Swift, Adele, Coldplay, Brad Paisley, Bob Dylan – the list goes on and on”, explains Easten.

Recording ‘Kip Moore Smile’ during a cold Welsh winter didn’t put a dampener on the proceedings either. As both Greg and Scott had also worked on her first album Behind Unbroken Strings in New Zealand, the studio sessions were imbued with the familiar vibe of home resulting in a genuinely warm, friendly and fun atmosphere, ultimately reflected in the music.

“We had such a blast when it came time to record KMS, and it really did feel like a bit of a party. We worked into the night in the warm studio while keeping the wintry Welsh air outside! Lots of snacks were had and it was a pretty memorable experience which all added to the overall feel of the track. I am super happy with the finished song, and can’t wait to share it with the world”, said Easten.

The charming Southern country belle has a talent for writing polished modern country tunes that extend across the country-folk-pop genre, and over the past few years has refined and crafted a unique sonic identity to call her own. Possessed of a poetically lyrical viewpoint, Easten blends her heartfelt observations, honest storytelling and memorable melodies together, to invoke connection by sharing comfort in times of sorrow, and bringing joy in times of happiness with her music.

Since becoming a solo artist in 2019, Easten has released a slew of singles most notably the pure county hit ‘Cowboy Lullaby’, followed up by the super-catchy ‘Country Boy’, both off her debut album BEHIND UNBROKEN STRINGS, and both cracking the Official Top 40 Country Music Chart in Australia, reaching #16 and #25 on the Australian charts respectively. Success was also found in the USA, with the music video for ‘Country Boy’ being picked up on the highly popular Country Music Network, MTV, CMT and other top channels.

Easten’s single ‘View From Here’ topped the Tasmanian charts, reaching the #1 spot in 2022, with the accompanying music video voted into the top spot by American viewers on their famous ‘Taste Of Country’ platform for multiple weeks, followed up earlier this year with another stunning track in 'Revelstone'.

Alongside an invitation to judge the prestigious Golden Guitar Awards, upcoming live performances start with a show at Gore’s Tussock Country at the end of the month followed by a national tour through June/July with rising country star Steffany Beck called ‘Hell & Back’, to celebrate the release of Beck’s EP PILLARS.

The two are partnering up on the Saddle Up Sisters Tour, bringing their new original cowgirl country music to the major centres with a full band in tow. So round up  your friends, dust off your boots and saddle up to join them for an unforgettable night of country music at a town near you!

The Advocators Release Debut Album ‘Songs from an Endless Night’

The hillbillies and misfits rejoice as Maungaturoto-based two-piece, The Advocators, release their debut album ‘Songs from an Endless Night’, for independent release.

Songs from an Endless Night was recorded between bitter sou-westerly squalls in a barn-studio out the back of Tomarata. The recordings were supported by William Jackson (Sharpie Crows, Erny Belle), Anita Clark (Motte, The Phoenix Foundation, Nadia Reid). and mastered by Chris Chetland of Kog Studio. 

The album has a sparse, gritty, vintage sound, oscillating between bluegrass country ballads and hostile gospel stomp rock and features the singles ‘Dreams’, ‘Bad Girls’, ‘Elijah’ and ‘Waitin’ Round to Die’ (the latter an abrasive cover of the profound and haunting Townes Van Zandt song)

Flirting with both cynicism and naive hope, the album explores themes of unrequited love, contempt, disillusionment, and redemption.

The songs on the album were written largely in isolation by Leroy Brown (guitar, banjo, and lead vocals) and Mark Bruce (guitar, backing vocals and melodica). The result of this isolation is a singular set of songs with raw emotion and meticulous attention to lyricism. 

Tour dates to all the hillbilly hotspots around New Zealand are set to be announced for later this year, keep an eye on Instagram for further details to come.

SAM BAMBERY RELEASES SOPHOMORE ALBUM ‘RUBRICATOR’

“Rubricator'' the highly anticipated sophomore album from Ōtautahi/Christchurch artist  SAM BAMBERY  has been released. 

“Rubricator'' releases after two years of considered studio work and tours across the motu. Bambery shares “this album felt like an ecstatic jigsaw, pieces coming together in spontaneous takes whilst also holding songs and feelings tightly to our chest. It felt like present music at the time, dominated by process, nothing to do with the past or the future. It was a therapeutic escape at a time where I felt a bit lost as to what direction I should take my songs.”

This 10 track album features hit singles ‘Parasite’, ‘The Burnout’ and most recently ‘24.01’ alongside stunning new tracks ‘Life in Tandem’, ‘Spring’, ‘Tricks of Light’ and lead track ‘Doctor’. 

Bambery was hands-on with every creative aspect of the album, everything from screen printing of vinyl jackets, to manipulating a roll of Super 8 for a music video. “It gives me great pride to be able to say I did a lot of things for the release of this album. There’s a lot of people before me like Chris Knox or Elliot Smith that pursued these things and they are awfully inspiring to me.” 

“Rubricator'' was recorded in houses, old photography studios and lounge rooms across Aotearoa/New Zealand. Bambery’s curiosity for a DIY approach extends into his sound. Listen closely and you can hear experimental sounds of a hot sauce bottle, a broken drum kit recorded with a lot of reverb, vibraphone (the vibrato function was broken so it vibrated via shoestring on the valves), Sony Microcassette recorder (tape manipulated in post) and intercom feature on the album, alongside drums, congas, tambourine, electric, acoustic and baritone guitars, Yamaha organ, korg minilogue synth, lap steel and kalimba. 

“I have the great privilege of having close friends that have either amazing music gear or unbridled creativity within them. Or both. We felt free and playful with all the sounds we had available but also there wasn’t any hesitation. True surrender to whatever sounded good.”

Bambery and Under Underground Records label manager Hannah Everingham are at the helm of a fresh creative community in Ōtautahi / Christchurch, where DIY approaches are like a sort of indie baptism. For Bambery, DIY became a way of expressing new ideas and exploring new identities. “I went from recording with De Stevens on a shady landing in a Grey Lynn flat to spilling out over guitars and synths on the floor of a former photography studio-gone-music studio helmed by Thomas Isbister. Each occurrence making new stitches in Rubricator’s seams” shares Bambery. 

Collaboration and community is at the heart of this album. De Stevens (Marlin’s Dreaming, Asta Rangu)  co-produced the album alongside Bambery, “working with De Stevens in a co-producer role is like working with a stoic magician” says Bambery. “I distinctly remember kneeling on the floor after a day of intense recording, trying to get inside my body again. And there he is, still tracking and listening to what we need to add. I think people will look back in a few years and really marvel at the type of work De puts into the work of Aotearoa-based musicians.” 

Ryan Fisherman and Thomas Isbister (Engineering) Mackenzie Hollebon (Juno Is) on backing vocals, and songwriter Hannah Everingham on single 24.01 all contributed to the album too. 

“There’s nothing like capturing a certain time or place in your life with a piece of art shared amongst friends” says Bambery. 

“From the beginning the process for this album was deeply collaborative. It felt reminiscent of the long-standing kaupapa within my band for the previous years, a potluck of personalities leaving delightful imprints all over. We were on the same page, the whole group of us recording. Although I didn’t have any expectations on what the page should have on it.”

“Rubricator” is an indie-rock record through and through, but is conscious of its own existence. Microcassette recordings and intercom static weaved through the album make it feel as though it’s talking to itself. Jokes, French alphabetisation and self-deprecating humour all have their place. This personal touch feels like an encounter with Bambery’s psyche that leads us through his diverse songwriting palette.

The title “Rubricator” references the maker of rubrics. Bambery explains “The scribe who wrote in red in every medieval text; signifying the rapid change of theme, setting or nuanced articulation across the page. It is named as such because I feel this collection of songs is a change in the way I make music after 2 years of writing and playing in the country-folk vein.” 

Bambery’s 2022 debut "Songs About Sailors" saw him riding a tide of emotionally fraught alt-country, yet, on “Rubricator”, although Bambery’s warped folk tendencies persist, the arrangements breathe more freely. 

Lead track “Doctor” stretches Bambery's palette into a space where gentle electric-folk buzz meets elongated psychedelia, ensnaring his existential and romantic lyricism tightly. The track features jazz-like vibraphone, weighty guitar lines and plenty of percussion echoing the influence of Stereolab. “24.01” leads the listener towards tight indie pop then diverting to lush piano work. The pitched-vocal opening of “Parasite” will remind 90’s indie kids of the irreverence of Pavement’s Silence Kid. The distinctive drums on “Tricks of Light” recontextualise classic trip-hop inclinations. “The Burnout” surf-psychedelia situates itself in classic Aotearoa pop-rock. Bambery reminds us that we live in a postmodern world where nothing is truly new, just our individual expression.

“Rubricator” releases in New Zealand Music Month “the standard of music in Aotearoa is just so high and we should all really celebrate and amplify that” enthuses Bambery. “For me it’s less about releasing in an auspicious month for NZ music and more about being part of this great community. I’m a huge fan of the music that gets made here.”

Sam Bambery will play a Rubricator Album Release Show with Jobs, Holly Kimber, Craigslist Soundsystem (DJ set) on Friday 7th June at Space Academy, Christchurch. Tickets are available from Under The Radar. 

“Rubricator” releases May 17 and is available on all streaming platforms + Limited Edition 12" Vinyl - Translucent Red available via bandcamp 

Listen to Rubricator here 

TESS LIAUTAUD Releases New Single & Video 'HERE GO THE LOVERS' + Announces Sophomore Album

WATCH HERE
LISTEN HERE

Sometimes a song comes in on the breeze and slides like ice into your heart.
The likes of a lost John Lennon track or something you missed off Bob Dylan’s New Morning. A song that sounds like it’s always existed, warmly
familiar but not quite like anything else.

Part Jackson Browne, part Springsteen, part Lucinda and all Tess,
Here Go The Lovers is a major highlight from her freshly announced
sophomore album, 'Blue Mind' out October 18th. 

"I've waited on that train of desperation,
living every day from station to station, before I hit the road,
here go the lovers"

Today's single release is paired with a sentimental, autumnal video directed by
Robyn Jordaan and Caleb MacDonald.
''It's almost like there's something inevitable you expected but there's something
dramatic and cinematic about it'' - TL


Tess Liautaud, currently on tour in Aotearoa.
Dates & Tickets below

TESS LIAUTAUD - GOLD DIGGER TOUR
AOTEAROA 2024

MAY 17 - Ophir / Peace Memorial Hall
w/ support fro Just Janie

MAY 18 - Oamaru / Grainstore Gallery
w/ support from Jessie Rose Shanks

MAY 19 - Dunedin / Folk club
w/ support from Jessie Rose Shanks

MAY 24 - Pigeon Bay / Pigeon Bay Social Club
w/ support from Jessie Rose Shanks

MAY 25 - Lyttelton / Wunderbar
w/ support from Ryan Fisherman

MAY 31 - Mapua / The Playhouse
w/ support from Jessie Rose Shanks

JUN 01 - Onekaka / Mussel Inn

Tickets from undertheradar.co.nz

The music of Franco-American singer-songwriter Tess Liautaud can not be easily defined. It hangs in the balance of her voice, warm like honey; it carries a depth of raw emotion, delivered with melodic grace and country soul. 

Her songs are easy listening, in that Jackson Browne, dreaming of Laurel Canyon, Americana sort of way, so it would make some kind of sense that she’s found a home on the east side of Ōtautahi, among the folk singers and the rock'n'rollers.

Together with her band (Adam Hattaway, Frankie Daly, Elmore Jones and Michael Kime) Liautaud creates a sound steeped in classic Wilco 'esque' guitar twang, good old honky tonk piano and big organ washes. This is music that will grow roots in your heart and lift you up, the way it is supposed to. 

Tess cut her teeth in the Paris music scene for the better part of a decade, honing her live performances and endearing herself to the hearts of audiences and fellow musicians alike. She has toured in Ireland and places beyond and eventually curiosity led her to Aotearoa in 2019. Burgeoning friendships and collaborations swayed her to stay and now two albums and five years deep she has become an endeared part of our musical landscape. As well as leading her own band Tess sings and plays with Adam Hattaway and The Haunters and The Eastern.

Liautaud recorded her debut, self-titled album in Kurow at Sublime Studios. A collection of songs that are an ode to change, reflection, nature, saying goodbye, and the grief that follows. ''This journey is a long one, as all journeys turn out to be, you never really arrive, but along the way, a lot is bound to change. And change makes me want to write'' 

“It is warm and giving, open and true, devoid of pretension, gentle and full of heart, It sounds beautiful and everything is in its right place . A special balm for jolting times.'' - Adam McGrath

And now Tess has new music in the pipeline, these recordings mark an expansion in her songwriting and a move toward a bigger band sound.

Tess Liautaud online
Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Miki Rapu Waiata: Pikipiki

Pikipiki is the upcoming single by Geneva AM featuring Samara Alofa, Hawkins, Rewi McLay and Mara TK.

This song is about overcoming obstacles with the intention to uplift listeners through the challenges of day to day life.

Pikipiki was created as part of the Waiata Takitahi Fund.Ngā mihi nui ki Te Māngai Paho & NZ on Air.

Miki Rapu Waiata: Pikipiki, Launch Event, Saturday 11 May, 1pm 

The Winter Gardens, Auckland Domain.

Miki Rapu Waiata: Pikipiki is a virtual listening party made to celebrate the latest single Pikipiki by Geneva AM featuring Samara Alofa, Hawkins, Rewi McLay and Mara TK.

This mobile experience will  feature music by Geneva AM, Samara Alofa, Hawkins, Kiko, Mara TK and Ngāsti.

This is a free, whanau friendly experience where the audience is invited to explore the Winter Gardens at the Auckland Domain in search of songs that have been ‘hidden’ in this physical space.

“My mother and I have many fond memories admiring the vibrant colours, scents and plant life here in The Winter Gardens”

This experience will be made available to the public from Saturday 11 May, 2024 and will continue throughout NZ Music Month. It can be accessed on a phone browser or downloaded via a link that will be made available closer to the time. 

Pickpath is an affordable and flexible tool that supports creative projects throughout a wide array of applications. There will be a chance at the end of this experience to volunteer your feedback which would be greatly appreciated. 

The experience is estimated to last 30 minutes however, we recommend that you allocate a bit more time if you decide to take a slower approach. 

The Winter Gardens opening hours are:

9am- 4:30pm, 7 days a week.

Award-winning Holly Arrowsmith shares mesmerising single 'Neon Bright' - second release from new album

Award-winning Aotearoa-based Alt-Country and Contemporary Folk songwriter Holly Arrowsmith releases her mesmerising track 'Neon Bright', continuing to define the Americana landscape in Aotearoa through the beauty and excellence of her craft.

Holly is a master at pairing dark and weighty topics with lighter, sometimes danceable music, and Neon Bright guides us through the gravity of depression with a toe-tapping, memorable tune. Holly says, “I like towing the line between serious and a little irreverent, and I think making fun of my own tendencies helps me work with them. ‘Sadness wants to talk? Well, put her on the line. Sadness at the door so I let her inside.’ 

Led by accomplished producer Tom Healy (Marlon Williams, Bic Runga), and accompanied by an all-star cast of New Zealand musicians (Cass Basil, Anita Clark, Alex Freer), Holly has composed yet another winning work with Neon Bright. The song has a an Alt-Pop lean which was newly explored territory for Holly, drawing on styles like that of Kurt Vile meshed with a circling, alt-country vibe accentuated by Holly's playing of the Dobro (resonator guitar.) 

The video for Neon Bright brings us into a world where feelings have literally taken control of the movement of Holly, as the main character. "I had this idea of being manoeuvred around by other hands, helping me to play the instruments, fix my face, stand up, and look ahead. I wanted to show the loss of vitality in this character: The feelings aren’t bad, they are just trying to serve a purpose. In the end I have a standoff with Delaney Davidson, the perfect cowboy villain, whose attempts to intimidate me go unnoticed. I love this trope in Western movies, and we gave it our own design with a spinning plinth instead of a dusty street. The heroine finds courage again, to turn face to face with this charading character, to see it for what it is."

Sam Fowles & The Experience to Debut Electrifying Psychedelic Soul Set.

Sam Fowles is thrilled to announce his upcoming performance with his band, The Experience, promising an exhilarating blend of psychedelic soul at Vogelmorn Upstairs in Wellington on Friday, May 31st, 2024.

This event marks the celebration of Fowles's recent debut single release, 'Butterfly Baby.' It serves as his first official gig with The Experience and offers a sneak peek into songs from his forthcoming album, 'After Dark,' slated for release later this year.

Fronted by the charismatic Fowles, who brings his soulful voice and magnetic stage presence, The Experience is a collective of talented musicians assembled by him to perform his psychedelic grooves. Drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of soul, funk, and blues, and infused with a modern psychedelic twist, he has crafted a sound that is both familiar and refreshingly original. This is music that makes you feel, but, man, does it make you move.

The night will feature support from Ferry, Like the Boat, a newly formed band performing Victoria Ferry’s soulful folk music

Expect a groove-filled evening brimming with soulful magic as Fowles and his five-piece band, The Experience, are prepared to deliver a swashbuckling performance packed with passion and raw, foot-stomping energy

“I’m super excited to be playing these songs live, after spending so much time crafting them in the studio. It feels right to let them out into the wild for a night. I’m looking forward to grooving out!” - Says Fowles

Tickets are available from Under The Radar:

- $15 (Unwaged)

- $20 (Waged)

- $30 (Support the artist)

Doors open at 7:00 PM, with the show starting at 7:50 PM.

ISLA NOON Her

An introspective yet expansive alt-pop gem, the brand new single 'Her' from Aotearoa New Zealand artist Isla Noon is a driving new outing, also fittingly accompanied today by an intimate and energetic music video. 

Unflinching and forgiving, ‘Her’ shows Isla Noon at her most candid, with a song that drives forward leaving you hanging on every word.

“‘Her’ is about my younger self,” explains Noon. “Life often ends up taking you down a whole lot of roads you could not have anticipated when you were young. I didn’t want to lose my child self in adulthood, because I still have a lot of the same dreams I’ve had since I was a little kid. In a way, I felt like I owed that little kid, like she was counting on me. Writing this song allowed me to open a dialogue with my younger self and let her know; “You can trust me to take over now. It won’t be perfect, and some of the things you thought you wanted will change, but you’ll be happy”.”

The 'Her' music was directed by talented and artful film maker Oshara Ardelean, director of multiple viral music videos for Kiki Rockwell. This is not the first time Noon and Ardelean have worked together, collaborating on Noon’s 2023 track ‘Body.’ The video shows Noon interacting with her younger self (played by the absolutely joyous Scarlett Ewen), and also features members of her live band, Maude Minnie Morris and Swap Gomez. 

"I wrote the music video concept the same day I wrote the song. They exist in tandem. The fake car in the video is a nod to the driving metaphor throughout the song, but also a metaphor for my life and the way in which I felt I was being driven by a younger self that had high hopes for me. It was a really personal shoot. Full of laughter and also a few emotional moments."

'Her' was made with Noon’s long time collaborator Maude Minnie Morris, as well as Chris van de Geer. 

"I was sitting on the couch behind Maude, recording in the demo vocal, and I just remember her turning her chair around when the song ended and looking at me like she was about to cry. It only really struck me then that anyone else would understand what I was feeling or connect with the song, it just felt so incredibly personal when I wrote it."

Drawing influences from artists such as Sam Fender, Holly Humberstone, and MUNA, Noon has received both local and international acclaim, with previous releases ‘Body’ featuring in Rolling Stone, and premieres on Pilerats and Backseat Mafia.

On the release of ‘Her,’ Noon says “It feels quite freeing. I wrote ‘Her’ alone, at home with my guitar. It’s me at my most candid and conversational. I’m describing feelings as if I were trying to explain them to a friend. It felt like a gift to myself to write, and releasing it feels like passing that gift on to anyone who may have ever felt that they were falling behind in some way, or struggling to reconcile expectations that their younger self may have had about where they “should” be in life.”
Follow Isla Noon
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