The Ten Most Social Bands in New Zealand

Each year (apart from last year), we take a look at New Zealand musicians who are taking the world by storm on the world's largest social platform. When you take a look at our 2012 list of NZ's most social bands, and then view our very first instalment in 2011, you start to really get a gauge of our favourite kiwi artist's, how far they have come and where they are going. Lorde's biggest fan base is Mexico for example and the city of Warsaw providing the greatest level of engagement for The Naked and Famous.  Truly interesting stuff. SOCIAL!

This year, inspired by Music Managers Forum, the list will also contain names of each groups management. Because let's be honest, they're are likely to be the ones who instigate the social messaging, and quite often go unrewarded for their hard work.

So as of May 2014, here are the ten most social New Zealand musicians and their management.

1. Lorde

4, 368, 287 Likes | Manager: Scott Maclachlan

This little lady needs no introduction. One of the few names to not make the list last year has easily topped it this year as well as entertaining 1.2 million Instagram followers and 1.7 million on Twitter (hell, she is even on LinkedIn. Making some serious waves in the US music industry, she's been rubbing shoulders with the likes of Questlove of The Roots and refusing tour collaborations with Katy Perry (great call). But behind the scenes Scott Maclachlan's been working so hard to make sure she holds on to that spotlight. He recently received the MMF award for manager of the year.

2. Flight of The Conchords

1, 678, 329 Likes | Manager: Chambers Management

Still riding their tsunami of success, The Conchord boys are NZ icons. They put our small little slice of heaven on the map for so many Americans. These days mentioning you're a kiwi (in the states) results in a five word reply every time: 'Oh, Flight of The Conchords!' What's so good about these lads, is that their fame came from just being a couple of chilled/ hilarious kiwi dudes. No image, no theme, just quiet kiwis in a loud American environment. Chambers management did their job to get them to The Canadian Comedy Festival and then these boys took care of the rest with raw talent, which HBO ate up and turned into a great TV show.

3. The Naked and Famous

680, 717 Likes | CRS Music Management

In 2011 Rolling Stone Magazine called 'Young Blood' one of the year's biggest singles, not bad from a few mates from Auckland's North Shore. The group have since been touring all around the world, recently playing Coachella (as seen above). But as always, it's the management that translates a hit single from 2011 into a career for these young musos. So we at Concrete take our hat off to CRS Music Management and it won't be the first time in this countdown.

4. Kimbra

519, 121 Likes | Manager: Mark Richardson

This little Hamiltonian went to market and picked up a record deal. No but seriously Kimbra's been singing her heart out for a long time. Entering Battle of The Band competitions from a very young age and forcing her way into the industry. A battle that's paid off big time. She'll soon be coming home with US soul singer Janelle Monae for the Golden Electric Tour. The tour manifested from a bar room jam between the two singers at a jazz festival. Kimbra's manager Mark Richardson puts in the work to insure Kimbra's reach as big as it can be, but he must be happy to know that wherever he puts her she seems to shine.

5. Brooke Fraser

441, 384 Likes | CRS Music management

Lower Hutt's big-lipped beauty storms into number five. Daughter of All Black Bernie Fraser, she took piano lessons from age seven to seventeen, making her own music since twelve years old and teaching herself guitar at fifteen. Never having singing lesson, she still manages to blow our minds with her beautiful voice. Such a New Zealand treasure, it's good to see we still hold her in high regard in these fast paced technological times. Once again we see CRS Management in the list, a dominant name in music management. proving with Brooke Fraser that some music (if good enough) can be timelessly marketed.

6. Mt Eden

346, 943 Likes | Manager: Scott McLachlan

Mt Eden (Dub Step) took the world by storm when they dropped 'Sierra Leone'. It was almost the flagship track for Dub Step, people started thinking what is this ridiculously heavy genre of music? And why am I so into it? All the people asking this question were pushed in one direction... straight to the track; 'Sierra Leone'. This caused these two local Auckland boys from Mt Eden boys to blow-up on a worldwide scale. Since 2010 they've been building a name and touring the world with their heavy sound, showing party animals around the world that NZ does it a little bit harder. Taken under the wing of the monster label; 'Ultra Music', these boys share a label with the likes of; Calvin Harris, Steve Aoki, Benny Benassi, etc. Needless to say they're very well looked after.

7. Katchafire

229, 815 Likes | Manager: Grenville Bell

Katchafire skank their way into seventh place. What more can we say, these dudes just don't get it wrong. With an exceptionally consistent back catalogue of diverse reggae tunes, it's not hard to see why they stay relevant in social media. After solidly establishing themselves in New Zealand, they began to become one of the most played groups on Hawaiian radio. After that the US caught on and the rest is history. The boys have mapped out a future that should see them touring for a very long-time to come, which one would assume, is exactly what they'd want. They're new manager; Grenville Bell, is also they're Bass player, literally staying in tune with their every need.

8. Fat Freddy's Drop

278, 690 Likes | Manager: Nicole Duckworth

You know you're probably gonna do alright when John Campbell offers his iconic look of confusion to your first music video. And it would be safe to say the brothers haven't done to bad. These guys are bigger in Europe than they are here. They headline festivals, above names like Madlib. In every sense of the term these lads have cracked it, spreading their Wellington based soul music throughout the globe. Manager Nicole Duckworth's name may elude you into thinking she's a girl who can't handle the manager racket, but my god you'd be wrong. She makes some big calls. She wasn't scared to pull Fat Freddy's out of Coachella one year, explaining that they weren't aiming for the US market. A call that, they're rising fame in Europe proves, was right.

9. Crowded House

221, 691 Likes | Manager: Michael Bradshaw

When typing the name 'Crowded House' into a list about social media, it really only raises one easily answered question; How does such an old group make a list like this? Answer; they're just that good. A favourite for people all over the world, Crowded House's music will go down timelessly for many years to come. Spanning tastes from the most emotional of the emos to the heaviest of the Hip Hop heads. No one can say no to a bit of Crowded House once in a while. It's no wonder then that they manage to still find their way into our 21st century conversations. Manager Michael Bradshaw started from humble beginnings at Hutt Valley High and now manages most of the Finn family, previously working for Sony Music and BMG.

10. Six60

220, 060 Likes | Manager: CRS Management

Sneaking into tenth place are the Dunnaz boys from 660 Castle St. With their roots in mind these boys blew-up thanks to a solid fan base made up of good friends made whilst attending Otago University. With an easy listening, but powerful sound, these boys are pop gold and revealed a perfect sound for radio upon releasing their self-titled debut album in 2011 that shot to number one. For the third time in the countdown we see the name CRS Management, suggesting one thing, they seriously know what they're doing.