South For Winter Named As Grand Prize Winner for Indie Acoustic Project’s “Album of the Year” With Concept Album, Of Sea and Sky
New Zealand-formed South for Winter, the internationally-touring folk-rock duo renowned for their enchanting melodies and introspective lyricism, has just won the Indie Acoustic Project (IAP)’s “Album of the Year” and “Best AAA Album” for 2024-2025 with their independently-released concept album, Of Sea and Sky.
New Zealand-formed South for Winter, the internationally-touring folk-rock duo renowned for their enchanting melodies and introspective lyricism, has just won the Indie Acoustic Project (IAP)’s “Album of the Year” and “Best AAA Album” for 2024-2025 with their independently-released concept album, Of Sea and Sky. Recorded and produced in Nashville TN alongside two-time GRAMMY award-winner, Matt Leigh, Of Sea and Sky weaves a tapestry of diverse songs unified by celestial and maritime elements. The album has received an outpouring of support since its debut in 2024, raising over $21,000 (>141% of goal) in Kickstarter contributions to fund its independent release, garnering millions of streams, and continuing to collect accolades and critical acclaim. Instrumental “Tears of an Albatross” is currently listed as a Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition and was a Semi-Finalist in this year’s American Songwriter song contest, while single “Underneath the Blood Moon” has previously been named as a Semi-Finalist in both the Americana and Music Video categories of the International Songwriting Competition.
From the delicate instrumental that opens the album, "Tears of an Albatross (Part 1)", listeners are beckoned onto a diverse musical journey. One minute, they’re being pulled into the dreamy
world of “Sky Side (Side A)” with finger-picked guitar, angelic vocals, and emotive cello; and the next, they’re dragged into the depths of “Sea Side (Side B)” with swampy blues licks, roaring vocal melodies, and heavy rock rhythms. Each lyric and soundscape has been meticulously crafted to fit its corresponding album side, emphasizing the conceptual thread that weaves these fourteen songs into one seamless creation. South for Winter’s proficiency at melding genres into one unique sound has once again been proven, and each track on the album Of Sea and Sky invites listeners to immerse themselves in the band’s dreamy folk-rock soundscape.
Lead guitarist and songwriter Nick Stone reveals that the album took years of brainstorming to conceptualize. “We had a lot of time to think about the direction we wanted to go in while we were touring together in a van,” says Stone. “We knew we wanted to lean into a bluesier sound for ‘Sea Side’, since that fits the theme - and we also knew we wanted to pull inspiration from post-rock music for ‘Sky Side’, since that fits that theme. Trying to combine our influences into one cohesive sound has been our goal for years, and this album feels like we’ve finally figured it out.”
Lead singer and songwriter Dani Stone describes the album as both a creative and artistic challenge, to which the band rose to the occasion. "From the moment we had the idea for this concept album, every choice had to be really intentional," she says. "Like the amount of reverb on the vocals, the simplified drum parts that give the acoustic instruments room to breathe, the song stories and the lyrical choices… everything had to fit the album’s concept perfectly. We did lots of pre-production, re-writing, song critiques, and touring for two years before recording to make sure we could achieve the vision we wanted - and we’re really proud that we managed to do it.”
Of Sea and Sky is available on all major streaming platforms. Fans can also purchase physical copies of the album here.
RISING POP ARTIST ZOË VERA UNVEILS AN INTIMATE AND EMPOWERING DEBUT EP WITH LIVE HARDER
ZOË VERA is a courageous and resilient woman, and her debut EP LIVE HARDER is testament to the profound well of quiet strength she drew on to survive and overcome trauma - so that she could emerge, against the odds, a stronger and more visible version of herself.
Five tracks of electro-pop detailing one woman’s highly personal journey of processing and transforming extraordinary internalised pain into a powerful, healing musical response, as she embarked on the intense journey of rebuilding of her life.
ZOË VERA is a courageous and resilient woman, and her debut EP LIVE HARDER is testament to the profound well of quiet strength she drew on to survive and overcome trauma - so that she could emerge, against the odds, a stronger and more visible version of herself.
The final and title track on the EP, ‘Live Harder’ is about hitting a point of two choices: let what’s been done to you destroy you, or recognise that you’ve already survived the worst.
It's about realising your resilience. It’s about accepting that you can’t control people. You can’t stop cruelty, and you can’t stop the existence of darkness, but you can control how you respond.
And ‘Live Harder’ is that response.
On the track, Zoë: says “’Live Harder’ is about choosing how you respond when life tries to break you. I can’t control what people do, but I can control how I live. And I choose to live fully, loudly, and unapologetically, despite everything."
Recently making Rolling Stone’s Best NZ Music of the Week list, and with debut interviews on The Hits and The Edge, Auckland singer-songwriter Zoë Vera is set to release her debut EP Live Harder on April 24th.
Following her previous Live Harder single releases, ‘White', 'Good Enough’, ‘Twelve Feet Under’ and ‘Dizzying’, the final track, ‘Live Harder’, completes the EP and its harrowing, life-changing and trauma-informed narrative.
The Live Harder EP was produced by highly respected and multi-talented local musician Danny McCrum, with the single ‘Live harder’ featuring keys by renowned Los Angeles-based musician Alexander Burke, who between them, have worked with heavy-hitting music legends such as Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Ferry, to name a few.
Instead of shutting down, Zoë chooses to rise. Because sometimes the most powerful form of resilience, and the best kind of revenge is simply refusing to be diminished, and choosing to live harder anyway. To live louder, fuller, and more freely than ever before.
"Baby Heavyweight" Delaney Davidson Announces New Album and NZ Tour
Baby Heavyweight, born in a kitchen in Switzerland, is Delaney Davidson’s 11th solo album. Somewhat more groovy than his previous releases, this is the second album he has made with Merk (Mark Perkins). Building on the smooth depth of the previous album “Out Of My Head”, and taking it into a new realm of story telling and emotive music.
Baby Heavyweight, born in a kitchen in Switzerland, is Delaney Davidson’s 11th solo album. Somewhat more groovy than his previous releases, this is the second album he has made with Merk (Mark Perkins). Building on the smooth depth of the previous album “Out Of My Head”, and taking it into a new realm of story telling and emotive music.
Delaney pitches himself headlong into the realm of shaman and trickster, navigating themes of trauma, loss, heartache, poison and cynicism and love, reinventing himself song after song to give a fuller and more multifaceted picture than we have ever seen of him before. Collapsing roles as quickly as they are introduced the albums fluidity and movement is at times cathartic and others polemic.
The theme of Lucifer seeking his own redemption through recontextualising his past, is the strongly themed undercurrent that weaves the albums 13 songs together. Universal concepts such as coming to terms with the roles we have been cast, learning to see our own trials as heroic, accepting love and surrendering the anger that masks the pain, are abundant.
Charting through a heady mix of influences, Delaney weaves a circular story of the hero’s journey circling the full gamut of emotional experience. Featuring co- writes with Kommi, Barry Saunders, Marlon Williams, Sean Wheeler ( LA’s Westcoast skater punk scene), Tami Neilson and old Dead Brother - Pierre Omer, Delaney shows again his diverse range of musical connections and versatility as both songwriter and collaborator.
Delaney Davidson On Tour in July
Hitting the road with a stacked band featuring Heather Webb, Cass Basil, Alex Freer and Ryan Fisherman, Delaney sets his sights on a show that will deliver the album in all its complexity and nuance. Truly something to be witnessed. Do Not Miss Out.
This nationwide tour is possible thanks to NZ On Air funding and the support of the NZ Music Commission.
Fri 03rd July - Auckland Cabaret Festival, Wintergarden: The Civic
Sat 04th July - Auckland Cabaret Festival, Wintergarden: The Civic
Wed 08th July - Last Place, Hamilton
Thurs 09th July - 4th Wall Theatre, New Plymouth
Fri 10th July - St. Peter’s Hall, Paekākāriki
Fri 17th July - The Boathouse, Nelson
Sat 18th July - Meow, Wellington
Sun 19th July - War Memorial Centre Concert Chamber, Whanganui
Fri 24th July - Errick’s, Dunedin
Sat 25th July - James Hay Theatre, Christchurch
Thur 30th July - The Small Halls Sessions, Hawkes Bay (DUO)
Friday 31st July - The Small Halls Sessions, Hawkes Bay (DUO)
Sat 01st Aug - The Dome, Gisborne (DUO)
Sun 02nd Aug - Ātea, Whakatāne (DUO)
JESSICA LEIGH UNLEASHES POP/ROCK INDIE SAPPHIC ANTHEM ‘DREAM GIRL’
Self-producing Aotearoa indie pop/rock darling Jessica Leigh delivers her second single for 2026 - Dream Girl - from her forthcoming five-track EP I WANNA BE A STAR, due for release this June. Co-written and produced by Leigh alongside Jacob Brown (Muroki, ratbag), and mixed by Noema Te Hau III, Dream Girl is an irresistibly catchy pop/rock cut that leans into Leigh’s signature storytelling and tongue-in-cheek lyricism.
Self-producing Aotearoa indie pop/rock darling Jessica Leigh delivers her second single for 2026 - Dream Girl - from her forthcoming five-track EP I WANNA BE A STAR, due for release this June.
Co-written and produced by Leigh alongside Jacob Brown (Muroki, ratbag), and mixed by Noema Te Hau III, Dream Girl is an irresistibly catchy pop/rock cut that leans into Leigh’s signature storytelling and tongue-in-cheek lyricism.
The track follows Leigh as she attempts to move on from a past relationship,finding closure in an unexpecteddreamwhereaformerloverappears-offeringexplanationandforgivenessbefore she wakes to confront the emotions it stirs.
Sonically, Dream Girl opens with thick, electric guitar power chords, setting the tone for a gritty, guitar-driven track. It steadily builds in intensity, layering acoustic guitar, live drums and organic textures, before bursting into a soaring chorus packed with lush synths and stacked background vocals.
The single follows Leigh’s recent independent release I WANNA BE A STAR, which was written, produced and mixed entirely by Leigh and earned placement across multiple global Apple Music editorial playlists. Dream Girl also marks her first openly sapphic release, as she continues to carve out her identity as an artist, songwriter and producer.
To celebrate the release, Leigh will perform a special support slot at Auckland’s BIG FAN. Alongside her own work, she has also been steadily building a reputation producing for other female and LGBTQIA+ artists - establishing herself as a fresh, disruptive voice in the industry.
As the second taste of her June EP, Dream Girl signals a bold and assured new chapter for Jessica Leigh.
Will McClean x Young Gho$t Return with Second Single “No Giving Up” Ahead of Collaborative Album Release.
Following the release of their debut collaborative single, Wellington artists Will McClean & Young Gho$t return with “No Giving Up” releasing today. Written and performed by both artists, with production from McClean, “No Giving Up” carries a more direct and resolute energy.
Following the release of their debut collaborative single, Wellington artists Will McClean & Young Gho$t return with “No Giving Up” set for release April 24th.
Written and performed by both artists, with production from McClean, “No Giving Up” carries a more direct and resolute energy. Where the first single leaned into ease and reflection, this release sharpens the focus - built on a soulful sample, steady drums, and layered melodies that helps reinforce the track’s core message of persistence.
There’s a clarity to “No Giving Up”. The record speaks to consistency over time - staying the course, maintaining belief, and moving with intention regardless of external pressure. Both artists deliver measured, deliberate performances, balancing introspection with quiet confidence. It’s not framed as a struggle for the sake of it, but as a commitment to process - showing up, staying level, and continuing forward.
As the second release from the upcoming project, “No Giving Up” expands on the themes introduced in “Sippin’ On The Wine” - patience, growth, and self-awareness - while reinforcing the foundation of the album as a whole. The collaboration continues to reflect a shared mindset developed over years of performing, creating, and moving within Wellington’s music community.
The upcoming album stands as a fully collaborative body of work, with both artists present across the entire record. Will McClean shapes the sonic direction from the ground up, while Young Gho$t brings a sharp, composed vocal presence that complements and challenges in equal measure. Together, the project is built on discipline, trust in timing, and a clear sense of identity - no excess, no compromise.
With a full music video ready for release, “No Giving Up” offers a deeper look into the tone of the project: focused, grounded, and committed to the long run.
“No Giving Up” is available on all major streaming platforms from April 24th.
POWERHOUSE BLUES-ROCK TRIO BB & THE BULLETS DROP ELECTRIC SOPHOMORE ALBUM WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER
Fresh off a meteoric rise that has cemented their status as Aotearoa's hardest-working blues-band, electrifying trio BB & THE BULLETS are thrilled to announce their highly anticipated second album, WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER is out today.
Fresh off a meteoric rise that has cemented their status as Aotearoa's hardest-working blues-band, electrifying trio BB & THE BULLETS are thrilled to announce their highly anticipated second album, WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER is out today.
Recently signed to Memphis label Overton Music, BB & THE BULLETS continue to build on the runaway success of their acclaimed debut album High Tide – which was released last year via iconic French blues label Dixiefrog Records.
Now, with Wrong Side Of The River, the band cranks the intensity even higher. These songs build on the rock-solid foundation of their debut, fusing deep blues-roots with genuine rock firepower.
This new collection delivers 10 razor-sharp original tracks, plus a ferocious, reimagined cover of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac classic ‘Oh Well’ – transformed into a thunderous, proto-Led Zeppelin-style juggernaut.
Since bursting onto the scene, BB & THE BULLETS - guitarist/vocalist Brian Baker, bassist Stu “The Glue” Duncan, and drummer Brad MacMillan – have earned a reputation for blistering live performances and tireless touring. From intimate blues clubs in Raglan and Wellington to packed gigs in Dannevirke, Paihia, Milford Beach, Hamilton, and beyond, the band has played to enthusiastic crowds across the country, leaving fans hungry for more.
Debut album High Tide stormed the charts, hitting #12 on the Aotearoa Music Charts, #5 on the IMNZ Independent Music NZ Chart, and claiming the #1 spot on the Roots Music Report’s Australian Album Chart for 20 weeks. It continues to sell strongly in stores and at shows – with signed vinyl editions proving especially popular among devoted fans. Globally, the album is currently sitting at #16 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Rock Album Chart and hit #29 on the NACC (North American College and Community) chart.
Hailing from Whanganui, Aotearoa/New Zealand, BB & The Bullets are a dynamic three-piece blues-rock powerhouse: Brian Baker (guitar/vocals), Stu Duncan (bass), and Brad MacMillan (drums). Known for their soulful originals, killer covers, and unstoppable live shows, the band blends timeless blues grit with modern rock muscle.
Their debut album High Tide earned international acclaim and chart success, and their new studio album Wrong Side Of The River promises to be a landmark release for the band – a bold, confident step forward that solidifies their place as one of the most exciting blues-rock acts to emerge from New Zealand in years.
With their well-deserved reputation for killer live shows, the band are working hard to consolidate their burgeoning fan base by hitting the road again over the next few months.
It is clearly evident that the blues scene is alive and vibrant on Antipodean shores, so blues fans, buckle-up, grab your mates and tickets - don’t miss your chance to check out an epic blues-rock experience like no other with BB & The Bullets!
SEE BB & THE BULLETS LIVE - NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES
– Thursday 16 April - Capital Blues Thunder Road, Blair St - Wellington
– Friday 17th April - Vinyl Room – Whanganui – OFFICIAL ALBUM LAUNCH
– Sunday 19th April – Cancer Society Fundraiser – Whanganui
– Friday 24 April - Waipu Hotel - Waipu
– Saturday 25 April – Jack Dusty’s - Tauranga
– Friday 1 May - Commercial Hotel – Whanganui
– Saturday 2 May - Hokowhitu Bowling Club – Palmerston North
– Friday 15 May - Kentish Hotel - Waiuku
– Saturday 16 May - The Tahi Bar – Warkworth
– Friday 29 May - Stallions – Te Awamutu
– Saturday 30 May - Rosemary’s Bar - Taupo
Sunday 31st May - Backyard Gastro Bar – Whatawhata
– Thursday 4 June – Stationhouse Social Club – Otaki
– Thursday 2nd July - Biddy Mulligans - Hamilton
– Friday 3 July - Beer and Loathing - Whangarei
– Saturday 4 July - The Stables - Matakana
For tickets and more information, go to: nixonstreetrecordings.nz/bb-and-the-bullets
MOKOMOKAI - The Lowlands Tour
This April, the celebrated Māori hip-hop group MOKOMOKAI, are headed across the tasman sea to tour Australia for the first time. Known for moody songs that explore habits and contradictions, the push and pull between life in the city and the country, and how young boys running wild in the dark grow into principled men who’d do anything to protect their whānau, their live show is unforgettable.
This April, the celebrated Māori hip-hop group MOKOMOKAI, are headed across the tasman sea to tour Australia for the first time.
Known for moody songs that explore habits and contradictions, the push and pull between life in the city and the country, and how young boys running wild in the dark grow into principled men who’d do anything to protect their whānau, their live show is unforgettable.
Since 2022, MANU, DUSTY and GHOS have released three celebrated albums: MOKOMOKAI (2022), WHAKAREHU (2023), and PONO! (2025), on pounamu green, merlot red and whalebone white vinyl, no less. Across those treasured taonga, they’ve collaborated with a who’s who of Aotearoa hip-hop, soul and funk talents, including Brandn Shiraz, Melodownz, Mā, Troy Kingi, Lukan Raisey, Tyra Hammond, Lui, Chip Matthews, Willie Wes and Tai Walters.
On a sonic level, their music blends jazz and exotica loops, taonga pūoro (traditional Māori instruments), hard, programmed drums and live basslines and guitars to a cinematic mode of moody, lower tempo boombap. It’s a backdrop that captures the gritty realities of young lives lived fast in small towns and inner city backstreets across Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu (New Zealand).
The bloody, beating heart of their music is the relationship between DUSTY and GHOS’ meticulously arranged beats and MANU’s magnetic rhymes and presence. Their songs shift effortlessly from jaw-dropping narratives to laugh-out-loud punchlines, introspection and social observation, drawing audiences into a world that feels intimate and expansive. On stage, their energy is electrifying and undeniable, imbued with a vibe you can almost reach out and touch. A night with MOKOMOKAI is always a night to remember.
Celebrated by Rolling Stone Australia/New Zealand, Sniffers, Radio New Zealand and The Spinoff, their records and performances have earned them international acclaim. In 2025, MOKOMOKAI won Te Rōpū Mariu Favourite Group at the SRN’s Aotearoa Alternative Awards, solidifying their spot as one of the most exciting contemporary hip-hop acts in Aotearoa. That same year, their single ‘KUPE’ featuring Melodownz was nominated for Single of the Year at the Aotearoa Music Awards.
MOKOMOKAI April 2026 Australian Tour Dates:
Naarm (Melbourne) – The Night Cat, Saturday 18th April
Warrane (Sydney) – Crowbar Sydney, Friday 24th April
Meanjin (Brisbane) – Crowbar Brisbane, Saturday 25th April
Boorloo (Perth) – Goodwill Club, Sunday 26th April
Support acts to be announced. Presale tickets are available here. Further tour updates will follow.
dān dān Releases FOURTH SINGLE (cookie) crumble
Tāmaki Makaurau-based soul-food singer-songwriter dān dān has released self-produced single (cookie) crumble, a quietly devastating acoustic ballad on the slow unravelling of relationships, and the growth that follows. (cookie) crumble traces the subtle process of falling apart - the distance that builds without confrontation, the silence that replaces closure, and the questions that linger long after something has ended.
Tāmaki Makaurau-based soul-food singer-songwriter dān dān has released self-produced single (cookie) crumble, a quietly devastating acoustic ballad on the slow unravelling of relationships, and the growth that follows.
(cookie) crumble traces the subtle process of falling apart - the distance that builds without confrontation, the silence that replaces closure, and the questions that linger long after something has ended. The song holds space for contradiction, where loss and clarity can coexist, and unanswered questions become part of closure.
A song baked in honesty & self-reflection, written about the pushing & pulling of growth, it reckons with identity, expectation, and the gap between who we thought we would be and who we are becoming.
Sonically intimate and restrained, (cookie) crumble is led by dān dān on the piano, confessional vocals, allowing space for each lyric to land. The track is elevated by delicate violin from sibling collaborator Tee Hao-Aickin. Recorded with sound engineer Jess Haugh, mixed and mastered by Dan Martin, the single continues dān dān’s work towards a debut EP to be released in July this year.
As one half of sibling duo Ersha Island 二沙岛, dān dān is known for bilingual lyricism and introspective songwriting that explores identity, culture, and emotional complexity.
An accompanying visualiser shot by Struan Caughey, edited & colour graded by dān dān, is to be released on the same day.
Praise for pressure cooker (debut single)
dān dān’s debut single pressure cooker made waves across Aotearoa and beyond, with its delicate storytelling and bilingual lyricism drawing attention from fans and press alike.
Juice TV: #1 in Top 20 Most Streamed Videos
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Cover artist of
Best New Zealand Music of the Week: June 23rd-29th
“dān dān’s smooth vocal textures carry the evocative lyrics flawlessly as percussive arrangements and flowing key patterns ensue, enriched only by the creamy string work courtesy of the violin.”
- The Ticket Fairy (US)
“pressure cooker is not merely a melody to be heard; it is to be experienced… Sincere, sentimental and filled with raw human emotion… If this is her debut single, I cannot wait for more from this talented musician.”
- The Other Side (UK)
“A soaring ballad… ”
- UnderTheRadar
The track was named Song of the Day by The 13th Floor, featured in Kick Drum Magazine, profiled by AsianTones, and spotlighted on TAHI FM, Radio One 91FM, 95bFM, and more.
Made with the support of NZ On Air, pressure cooker was accompanied by a surrealist music video (with over 46k views on YouTube) inspired by Everything Everywhere All At Once, praised for its tender portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship across cultural and emotional universes.