Overview
New Zealand music; it's around us every day, but for four weeks every year, the movers and shakers of the local music industry shine their target logo squarely in the eyes of our nations songwriters and their musical outpourings.
New Zealand Music Month was officially launched in 2001 to boost the visibility and success of New Zealand music and create a commercially successful platform for local performers. It's taken place every May since, giving artists an extra dose of exposure for releases and shows.
As per usual, there's a great selection of interesting gigs spread through the calendar month of May this year, here's some of the best for the latter half of the month.
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Okay, so they were sold out practically before they even announced they were going on tour, but if you somehow find a way to go see this local band known for provoking en masse swooning, we highly recommend that you do.
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Acts performing include: 2014 Taite Music Prize winner SJD, acclaimed songwriter and producer Jol Mulholland, /disco band She’s So Rad, indie rock band Clap Clap Riot and 2014 Silver Scroll recipient Tami Neilson. In between the live performances, Hauraki disc jockeys will keep the local tunes flowing.
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With her finely tuned live band in tow, singer/songwriter Jamie McDell will hit the road to celebrate the release of her new second album Ask Me Anything. The new release has seen her drift away from the ocean lyrical content of her Tui-winning debut album Six Strings And A Sailboat and delve more into the realm of uncomplicated story telling. The release will also be her first ever full blown nationwide tour.
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To mark the recent 20th anniversary of their second album Killjoy, the nation’s forefathers of rock and speaker stack clambering, Shihad, will perform the explosive release in its entirety. The gig at Auckland’s Powerstation will see the four-piece rip through the iconic album from fierce opener ‘You Again’ through singles ‘Bitter’, ‘Gimme Gimme’, ‘Deb’s Night Out’ and everything in between.
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Instead of using the stage at Auckland’s Powerstation for her latest gig, Anika Moa and her band will cosy up on the floor with the audience spread around them. The aim is to make the setting as comfortable, intimate and enjoyable as possible; the same probably can’t be said for the sound engineers.
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Since their reformation in 2010 and the comings-and-goings of different drummers, Trinity Roots have melded back into a live tour-de-force and a fully operational band. The Wellington trio is now held down by Ben Wood on the drum stool, with respected songwriters Warren Maxwell and Rio Hemopo still leading the way. As well as a new member, the band recently released their first album in 10 years – Citizen.