JUDI CRANSTON 'TIME FOR MUSIC'

It’s always a great time for music with kids with Judi Cranston and kindyRock! Especially when there is a new EP on the way. 

Judi Cranston is the founder of kindyRock, a music education company based in New Zealand making music for early childhood educators to help them run their music sessions. 

Her fun and simple musical resources help little kids learn through music, and they also help big people use music in ways that enhance and improve learning. 

In 2024, Judi won APRA Best Children’s Song (Preschool) along with her co-writer Levity Beet. Her top song on Spotify, Wibble Wobble, has nearly 7,500,000 streams. 

The new songs on Time for Music help kids with fine motor skills as a focus, and have been paired with 5 new music videos. 

Auckland-based Judi worked with Levity Beet and his Wild Beet productions in Golden Bay to create the audio and video for this project, and photographer Charlie Rose in Christchurch, making Time for Music a truly Aotearoa-wide project. Distributed by DRM NZ and supported by NZ On Air Music. 

Time for Music will release August 2nd, adding 5x singalong tracks to the 5 singles already released, with Pre Save details here:

https://music.drm.co.nz/time-for-music

Sonic Delusion's 8th Europe Tour

Sonic Delusion embarks on his 8th Europe tour next week! This European summer, Andre Manella will light up stages across Switzerland with his electrifying live performances. The tour features six shows, including intimate garden gigs, lively festivals, and vibrant bar concerts, showcasing the unique blend of upbeat folk and indie pop that Sonic Delusion is known for.

Adding an extra layer of excitement, German saxophonist Chris Kawa will join Sonic Delusion for two special shows, promising a fusion of sounds that will leave audiences mesmerized. 

Throughout August people can experience the magic of Sonic Delusion live, as he brings his infectious energy and soulful melodies to Switzerland once again.

LOUIS BAKER releases soul-stirring new track, ‘Fools Expectation’

Soulful Wellington artist Louis Baker returns with new track ‘Fools Expectation’.

Listen HERE / Watch Video HERE

As a fresh offering, Louis Baker releases ‘Fools Expectation’, a sweet-soul ballad that blends both retro influences with modern sonics and draws from the rich stylings of Al Green and The Delfonics. The track features a tape-saturated 6/8 drum groove, Motown-style bass lines, vibrolux-tremolo guitars, and Baker’s timeless and evocative voice.

Baker reflects on the inspiration of the song, “When the well was running dry, the rain came pouring down. This first line of the song describes how I was feeling about the world at that time. Sometimes you run out of energy or will power. You get down. Then things change. You get through. You remember everyone is having their own unique challenges and you put everything into perspective. You feel grateful for necessities like food, shelter and water.”

Recorded at his beachside studio, ‘Fools Expectation’ features Baker's talent on all instruments, including bass, guitar, vocals, drum programming and production. The track was mixed by Simon Gooding and mastered by Mike Gibson.

‘Fools Expectation’ follows the success of his revered release, ‘Been and Gone’ featuring Wellington songstress Wallace, which has garnered over 800,000 Spotify streams and was recently named one of the APRA Silver Scrolls Top 20 songs. The track received high praise from Rolling Stone, which remarked, "Sounding like if Khruangbin were fronted by two blue-eyed soul crooners”.

Baker has released two EPs, his debut album Open and several well-loved singles, including his cult hit ‘Rainbow.’ Open (2019) earned a Taite Music Prize nomination and 

Aotearoa Music Awards nominations for Best Soul Artist and Best Māori Artist. Singles like ‘Back On My Feet’ (2014), ‘Rainbow’ (2016), ‘Black Crow’ (2018), and ‘Been and Gone’ feat. Wallace (2024) have received APRA Silver Scroll nominations, showcasing his songwriting excellence.

Along the way, he’s entertained ever-growing audiences at festivals and venues across New Zealand, Australia, Europe, and the UK while sharing stages with Jordan Rakei, Allen Stone, Jamie Lidell, and Fat Freddy’s Drop.  

‘Fools Expectation’ marks the beginning of a series of releases for Baker. Anticipate more music and tour announcements as he continues to deliver his signature offering, indie-soul for the people."

‘Fools Expectation’ is available now on all major streaming outlets via his independent label, Ngākau Records.

FOLLOW LOUIS BAKER

INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / TIK TOK / YOUTUBE /

SPOTIFY / APPLE

SOL FIDE 'EASY FOR YOU'

Following the successful release of their debut EP “The Hermit”, Pōneke indie rock band Sol Fide are riding the wave with their new single “Easy For You”, which adds a new sound to their ever-expanding discography.

Preceding this latest release, Sol Fide proved their quality with their single “Ruby” charting in the Student Radio Network Top 10 as well as taking out the top spot in RDU’s Te Ahi Top 10 for two consecutive weeks.

So far this year, Sol Fide have graced the stages of some of Pōneke’s most iconic alternative venues, such as San Fran, Meow and Valhalla. ‘Easy For You’ is available for your listening pleasure on all streaming platforms on July 26th.

 Listen to Sol Fide on Spotify or Apple Music

Acclaimed Aotearoa artists Barnaby Weir and Andy Christiansen release debut album from new band TRiPS

TRiPS is an exciting new musical collaboration from Andrew Christiansen and ear fellow Barnaby Weir. The dynamic duo release their self-titled debut album today, July 24.

On TRiPS self-titled album there’s a glaze of psychedelic calm in the eyes of the new songs that resonate on top of familiar, classic and experimental rock and pop fusion. Steady and juicy drum tones lead the way for Christiansen’s incredible acid soaked riffs and provide comfortable grooves for Weirs and other vocalists intriguing lyrics and vocal delivery.

Christiansen and Weir first met when they both played in the iconic NZ band The Black Seeds “we have known each other for 20 years and played music for many of those touring the world” shares Christiansen. 

This new collaboration was organically created between the friends on a weekend away with their young families. “One weekend I rented a house in the Wairarapa and we took both families over, the guitar came out and we were talking about Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and rock radio and music in general, then we just started writing with no destination for any songs” says Christiansen. “We had maybe 6 ideas in about an hour and so I booked The Surgery and a month or two later we started working on music.” 

For this 10 track album, the rules are set aside without boundaries of a usual band existence and the fresh air is impossible to ignore. Hats are tipped or tripped towards the roots of rock n roll with hand shakes from the 70’s tape heavy quality in sound and hi-fives with tones from the future. 

“On this album we are most proud of the fact that the music is our truth, we ignored any mitigation from the worries of having to fit in a style” shares TRiPS. 

Christiansen adds “I hope for listeners to be grabbed straight away, but also to fall in love with it more on the second or third listen and so on. The song offerings are quite diverse, but there is far more connection between the songs than you may get from the first listen. There has been a lot of thought put into this track listing and the connections than you may first get. It really is a 10 song story and not just an album.” 

Synonymous with well-loved bands, Fly My Pretties and The Black Seeds, long-time musician and songwriter Barnaby Weir’s professional musical career spans more than 23 years. An acclaimed songwriter and producer in his own right, Barnaby has performed  in almost 20 countries and contributed song-writing and producing on over 24 albums. Weir played a strong hand in production, conceptual ideas & vision of TRiPS. His voice can also be heard on songs "Way of my Flow", "I'm on fire" & "Let's go out". 

Fellow Black Seed (2007-2012) multi-instrumentalist Andy Christiansen has a diverse musical career. A New Zealand fixture on trumpet for many bands, genre hopping along the way, he has played at some of the world's biggest festivals & contributed to multiple albums. Andy is currently Managing Director of Goodtime Music Academy, NZ's largest private music school. Christiansen wrote or co-wrote every song on the album. You will feel fully immersed in Andy's creative vision, & hear his hand on the majority of instruments being played.

Creative freedom and collaboration is at the heart of this album. The pair joined forces with multi-award winning producer Lee Prebble and esteemed New Zealand artists Daniel Weetman (The Black Seeds) whose voice can be heard on "Wishes" & "Modern Thinking", Elan Van-Mills (Paslode) on "Beat the Horse" and Iris Little  (Deva Mahal, Bret McKenzie & ONONO) whose vocals can be heard on many songs throughout the album. 

“Being able to work with singers we admire and push them into a direction that people may not expect, whilst also celebrating what we love about their voices was inspiring” shares TRiPS. “We really tried to push the comfort zones a little which was amazing and everyone was willing and receptive which further solidified our decision that they were the right choice of cohorts.” 

The long term working friendship between Weir, Christiansen and veteran engineer Prebble, was confirmed inside of the intensive studio sessions. “His attention to the tracking and mixing process played out like a sculptor of tone” share the band.  “There were, at times, too many laughs per hour, sending all three of us into a distracted state of awesomeness.” The recordings and mixes came to life over 2021 and 2022 with Weir and Christiansen carefully part time crafting the riffs into order.

TRiPS is that feeling of exhilaration when you “step outside yourself and unwind this daily mess” it’s the sound of musical freedom on the back of a mind altering day dream, new vivid colours and open skies as you set out into the unknown. 

“The satisfaction of musical day TRiPS forever stays in our hearts and minds, our own soundtrack to life through the lens of this original Kaleidoscope.” conclude Weir and Christiansen.

TRiPS SELF TITLED ALBUM RELEASES JULY 24, 2024 

Aotearoa Music Award winner Claudia Robin Gunn invites families to look, listen and learn in her upcoming Little Wild Music release Little Wild Learning.

Launching with the single How to Make a Friend with ARIA nominee Benny Time (Sydney) last weekend, the 7th kids album from this Cockle Bay mum tackles one of early childhoods biggest transitions ~ starting kindy, and starting school. 

While it’s a few years since her own children made those leaps (now facing NCEA and graduation years) it’s a time when Claudia was writing constantly but not yet in swing of recording, so expect to hear some sweet memories from her

kindy era songwriting journal approx 2014! Plus more fun, cute and helpful songs for this precious age group, including collaborations with fellow kindie songwriter Angie Who (Sydney) and Claudia’s childhood friend, actress Jenny Freed (Auckland).

Today you’ll find the second single I Love Books streaming everywhere. This project is supported by NZ On Air’s New Music Kids fund and produced by Marshall Smith and Tom Fox at The Sound Room.

Www.claudiarobingunn.com

How Does It Sound When Your Boyfriend and Sister in Law Have an Affair? It Sounds Like A Messy Heartbreak….

Emerging Indie Artist, Murphy Moore, Releases Her Debut Single ‘For The Most Part’ Along With

Evocative Music Video.

Your boyfriend and sister in law having an affair behind your back might sound like the stuff of TV drama, but a good songwriter never wastes a heartbreak. 

Aotearoa New Zealand artist, Murphy Moore, delivers her first single from her upcoming EP. Blending soulful melodies with heartfelt lyrics, ‘For The Most Part’ is a deeply intimate song concerning the complexities of heartbreak - and how complicated it is when the cheating is from your family… 

Inspired by a true story, ‘For The Most Part’ tells a tale about the art of pretending. Exploring themes of loneliness and survival during heartbreak, this track is about being honest to oneself when processing heavy emotions. “I wrote this song while going through a pretty difficult time. I’d found out that my boyfriend and sister in law were having an affair. The whole situation was messy and confusing, I wasn't really sure how to feel or act. This song poured out of me a year after the breakup and it’s really about acknowledging that it’s okay to not be okay”. 

Murphy teamed up with multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer, Christian Tjandrawinata. “I’ve been following his work for quite some time and love his sound and musical perspective”. Together, they’ve created a track rich in gospel like harmonies, poignant melodies and a thundering, full band sound. 

The Auckland based singer-songwriter is set to release her EP, ‘Break’ in October. ‘For The Most Part’ marks her first single from the EP. 

Also being released is the accompanying cinematic music video. Shot by Kontent and edited by Chur Films, Murphy stated she “had a really clear vision for the music video. I knew I wanted it to feel like a whirlwind of emotion, reflecting on the extreme highs and lows that are often experienced during heartbreak”. The music video features Murphy as the lead, navigating through everyday situations whilst emotions are bubbling beneath the surface. 

‘For The Most Part’ is available now on all streaming platforms.

LINK TO STREAM SINGLE: https://on.soundcloud.com/KoAPogRVoYD5Vtum7

LINK TO MUSIC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86NWp6tnTf8

Website: https://murphy-moore.com

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/murphymoore

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murphym00re

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@murphym00re

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/murphym00re

Adoneye Triumphs at 2024 New Zealand Battle of the Bands Competition

Adoneye, the emerging powerhouse in Wellington’s alt scene, has been crowned the winner of the 2024 New Zealand Battle of the Bands competition. This prestigious victory marks a significant milestone for the band, showcasing their dedication to songwriting and performance and solidifying their place in the national music landscape.

The 2024 New Zealand Battle of the Bands National Finals, held at Wellington’s Valhalla in early July, saw a competitive lineup of talented bands from across the country. Adoneye stood out among the finalists with an evocative and powerful performance, captivating stage presence, and an innovative sound that resonated deeply with fans and judges alike.

"We’re super f***ing excited to win Battle of the Bands," laughs lead vocalist Dean Rossell. "We’re absolutely thrilled, humbled and it’s really nice to see our music appreciated.” “We’re really hoping this will open the doors to larger shows with more people," adds bassist Richard Wood. “We’ve got a goal to play Homegrown, and this marks us one step closer.”

Adoneye’s unique blend of heavy riffs, sweet melodies and anthemic choruses has garnered significant attention since their line-up change six months ago, and this victory serves as a significant endorsement of their artistry and potential. The band’s winning performance was noted for its originality, energy, and professional sheen, as they took out bonus awards for Songwriting and Best Vocalist.

The band is set to embark on a series of exciting projects and performances in the coming months, promising an exhilarating end to 2024 for their growing fanbase. With an August tour to Gisborne and Napier and several shows across Wellington, Adoneye fans will not be kept waiting to see their band in action. Their second EP “Cancer” is in the works, with a release date due this summer.

For more information about Adoneye and to stay updated on their upcoming shows and releases, visit Adoneye.co.nz or follow them on https://www.facebook.com/adoneyeband or https://www.instagram.com/adoneyeband/.

About Adoneye:

Adoneye is an alt-grunge band hailing from Wainuiomata in the Wellington region. Adoneye’s current lineup formed in December 2023 and the band has quickly gained recognition for their intricate songwriting, tight performances and friendly approachable nature. With a commitment to pushing genre boundaries and delivering unforgettable performances, Adoneye is poised to make a significant impact in New Zealand’s music industry.