Feature Friday: Nicole and Freddie
Is it a boy? Is it a girl? No, it’s a new single from Nicole and Freddie! Photo provided by Nicole and Freddie.
Local duo, Nicole and Freddie have been dominating the live Christchurch music scene with frequent gigs, alongside releasing their phenomenal new single, I Can’t Keep Up which absolutely blew the hat off my head upon hearing it for the very first time.
I caught up with the talented duo for this week’s Feature Friday to see what 2024 has in store for them, what colour they’d describe their music and some information on their upcoming EP release, accompanied by an awesome gig.
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If you could describe your music as a colour, what colour would you choose and why?
Nicole and Freddie: I would describe our music colour as blue - our EP starts out as a light calming blue and evolves to a dark moody blue colour.
How do you feel with your first single, I Can't Keep Up out in the world now? What was the process to get the song out?
Nicole and Freddie: I Can't Keep Up has been such a terribly demanding child! It's been in the works for probably over a year now from sorting out our first demos to getting it released. We were lucky enough to qualify for NZ on Air's Producer Development Fund and started off creating some demo recordings with Sarena and Chris (aka Mousey). We gradually worked them into fully-fledged songs over several months, adding track by track in bedrooms, living rooms, storage rooms. Getting it off to be mixed and then mastered was such a relief (shoutout to Tim Heeringa for the mixing and KOG studios for mastering, they have done a wonderful job).
What kind of things do you hope to happen for you both as individuals and musicians in 2024?
Nicole and Freddie: I'm excited to see where 2024 brings us, but it's a little bit of an unknown. We have a stacked calendar of bar gigs for the rest of this year, and we'd both love to dip our toes into cruise-ship work as a duo which is a goal of ours looking to next year. An EP is due out in October along with a release gig at Darkroom on October 19th, look out!
Have you got any life mottos? If so, do you mind sharing them?
Nicole and Freddie: I don't think anyone can really keep up with life, just keep doing what truly makes you happy even if it's scary and unknown. Stick out projects to the end even through the agonising bits!
I Can’t Keep Up is out now on all platforms! Artwork provided by Nicole and Freddie.
If you could take off on a flight to anywhere right now, where are you going?
Nicole and Freddie: If we had the money, we'd both be visiting Bri'ish Land - Freddie was born there and we'd love to take the duo there at some stage.
What's the best part about being a duo?
Nicole and Freddie: There's always someone else to have fun with, we share the workload and bounce ideas off each other. It's a lot easier to keep up on the admin than on your own - and always useful to have a singer to help out carrying all the stuff! We balance each other out well and we're lucky enough to have plenty of musician friends to call on for recording and band productions.
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To follow along with Nicole and Freddie, you can click the links below. Thanks team for your awesome answers!
Feature Friday: Natassja Kelly
Absolutely chuffed to feature Natassja Kelly as this weeks Feature Friday! It is always lovely to catch up with her. Photos provided by Natassja/photos taken by Taniesha Parker.
This week on Feature Friday, we have the incredibly lovely Natassja Kelly who popped through to answer some questions about her newest single, Isn’t It Nice? that made its way into the world at midnight (it is an absolutely stunning track that you need to go and check out!), what’s been the most surreal moment she’s experienced recently and more. Keep reading below to get to know Natassja and make sure to give her a listen!
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Congratulations on your newest single, Isn't It Nice! Can you give readers a rundown on what the track is about?
Natassja: “Isn’t It Nice?”, at its core is about trying to convince yourself and the people around you that reigniting an old flame is more than okay to do, since you felt happy with them. The track talks about how nice it could and can be to feel that way, despite the unserious nature of the relationship itself. TLDR; a song about being delusional, haha!
If you could liken your music to any animal, which animal would it be and why?
Natassja: That’s a tough question!! I’d probably say a bird? I think with my love of harmonies all throughout the music I make, it reminds me of birds a little bit, haha! That and the fact that the Rio soundtrack is one of my favourites would probably be the main reasons why.
What do you feel has been your biggest challenge being a young person in the NZ music scene?
Natassja: I believe that being young in this industry is both a blessing and a curse. Being a music student especially, there are plenty of opportunities that are offered to me. However, due to the busy nature of being a full-time student, it is almost impossible to find the time to accept these opportunities or even have time to make music at all. I definitely know that I am lucky to have these opportunities as a student, it is frustrating at times to have to turn things down due to being one.
Natassja’s newest single, Isn’t It Nice? almost had me in a weeping heap on the floor when hearing it this morning. Cover art by Tia Tara.
What has been the most surreal moment you've had recently?
Natassja: Honestly probably the making and finishing of the new single! I sent an idea to my very talented mate Myshaan - who produced the song - and we ended up recording the rough idea of it in one session. I wrote the second verse while we were recording too, which was so, so fun. Myshaan’s so great to work with and it was just so incredibly surreal to have the song be written, recorded and mastered in such a small time!
What would your dream festival line-up look like?
Natassja: Lizzy McAlpine, Bruno Major, Billie Eilish, Mac Ayres, boygenius, Clairo and SZA.
What's next for you?
Natassja: Hopefully an EP on the way! I’ve been saying that for a few years now, but fingers crossed that I actually release one sometime soon. I’ve written quite a few songs the past year that I’m super proud of, so either way I’m excited to share those with the world in an EP or not.
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Thank you so much Natassja, for allowing me to send you questions to be on Feature Friday, I am always super stoked to hear your answers and enjoy seeing your growth through your musical career.
Check out Natassja at the links below!
Spotify
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Natassja’s Interview (WTTG)
Feature Friday: Emily Alice
Emily Alice are a five-piece who rock the whole of Dunedin when they play. Photo credit: Emily Alice Band.
Dunedin-based Emily Alice absolutely adore having some funky jams and making good memories together. They are the perfect addition to Feature Friday! Have a read below to find out more about these lovely humans.
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What was the moment each of you decided that music was something you were going to pursue?
Jakira: When I played bass for our high school production of Grease, I realised I didn’t wanna do anything else.
Toby: My teachers in high school pushing me to give it a go.
Gus: When I sucked at everything else.
Josh: For me its seeing AJ Hickling the piano busker in Queenstown for the first time.
Emily: Doing BV’s for an arrangement of a local artists music with a choir and string quartet - it blew my mind.
If your music was a flavour, what would you describe it as?
EAB: Mixed-berry gelato in a waffle cone.
How do you cope with challenging moments or days?
EAB: Our current coping mechanism is spending far too much time and money at Beam Me Up Bagels.
Any funny memories to share from recording or gigs?
EAB: Our favourite core memory as a band was playing a gig on a snow day! We had a massive snowball fight with the other bands in between sets and it was super wholesome.
Dream festival line-up?
EAB: Olivia Dean, Yussef Daves, The Beth’s, Back Seat Lovers, Lizzy McAlpine, Norah Jones.
Looking for more Emily Alice? Sure, you are! Here you go -
Feature Friday: Jack Robertson
Jack Robertson, a local star in the local music scene. Photo credit: Willow Handy.
It’s a long awaited return for Feature Friday, however, it’s back with a bang and this week is the awesome Jack Robertson, who has been highly requested to be featured on Welcome to the Gig by some loyal fans!
I touched base with Jack and he let me run through a few questions with him, so make sure that you read on to find out about this rising star.
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If your music was a country, what country would it be and why?
Jack: Ironically it would be France where the city of love is! Where there’s love there’s heart break, and my music tends to draw a lot from nostalgia, past experiences and relationships.
What has been the biggest lesson you've learnt over the past year?
Jack: We don’t always attract what we are, we sometimes attract those that are in desperate need of what we are.
Which song of yours has taken the longest to get right?
Jack: “LY” has been the only song that I’ve unreleased then later rewritten, re-recorded, and re-released.
If you could wish for one thing in 2023, what would you wish for?
Jack: Can I wish for more wishes? Otherwise I’d wish for luck.
What's been the coolest moment you've had since becoming involved in the NZ music industry?
Jack: The release show for my song Dim Lights was the coolest moment, I had never done a release show, let alone been a headline! Having the band cranking and the crowd rocking out to a song I wrote with some of my closest mates, I think that’ll always be one of those moments I’ll cherish.
Another rather amazing shot of Jack by Willow Handy.
Feature Friday: Feeling 21 with Mitch James
Proud to bring back Feature Friday for the first time in 9 months and it’s the GOAT himself, Mitch James! Photo credit: Mitch’s Instagram.
Wow, it has been a long time coming, but Feature Friday is finally back and what a way to bring it back with the legend that is Mitch James himself!
I reached out to Mitch over on Instagram to ask him five quickfire questions to re-kick off the segment here on Welcome to the Gig and I can assure you that his answers will not disappoint.
Keep on reading to find out a couple of things that you may not have known about Mitch!
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If you could go back to the past, or go forward to the future, would you choose to? If so, which would you choose?
Mitch: Probably not! I take every moment as it comes. But if I had to I would probably go to the future in 10 years time and see how I do and then straight away wish that I was back to now.
If your music was a flavour, what flavour would it be?
Mitch: Red velvet cheesecake. Because it’s smooth and cheesy but mainly I say that because I am craving red velvet cheesecake.
The most funny thing that’s ever happened on tour?
Mitch: I’m not sure I can share that. There’s been many crazy moments with my band who I absolutely adore. Too many to list!!
The best song you’ve ever written?
Mitch: I haven’t written it yet! 21 is my favourite off album one, and a song called Home Is Lonely is my fave off the second.
Since releasing your debut album in 2018, what has the journey of growth been like for you?
Mitch: It’s been crazy, I’ve had to hurt people, get hurt myself and have every single obstacle imaginable thrown in the mix, I couldn’t be happier with who I’ve become though.
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Keep up-to-date with Mitch’s epic adventures below -
Spotify
Instagram
YouTube
Motions Review - WTTG
Thank you, Mitch, for taking the time to answer a few questions for Feature Friday though you’re a busy man! It was an absolute honour to have you be involved. Looking forward to album number two!
Feature Friday: Tossing Lemons with Plum Jam
Look at this dude, he’s got style and a voice beyond what you could imagine! Plus, I love the Gremlins poster in the background. All photo credits to Plum Jam!
This week for Feature Friday #8, we have the awesome Joshua Derwahl AKA Plum Jam, who identifies as both German and Kiwi with his groovy way of expression and twists of bedroom-pop, with a hint of jazz thrown in there, too. A fantastically fun musician, I am absolutely stoked to have been able to ask a few questions and feature him and his awesome talents on the blog this week! Plum has some fun cover art on his Spotify for his current releases, with more excellent projects on the way, I’m sure. If you’re in the mood for something fruity, have a listen to Mornings Without You - a fun track featuring Caitlin Joy. What are you waiting for? Let’s get onto this and have a jam with Plum!
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Such a vibe. Photo by Emily Pitt
Was music your first choice of career? If not, what was?
Plum: I wanted to be an archaeologist before I learnt about music, but I haven’t looked back since I learnt music.
What draws you to a certain song?
Plum: Authenticity and innovation. I love discovering new sounds and new grooves or even just a new take on already existing conventions. Innovation in music is very exciting, there’s just so many creative people out there and you never know what someone is going to come up with. Authentic music is just nice, nothing worse than music just for views, but that’s subjective.
Just a happy Plum and an epic waterfall!
What has been the happiest day of your life so far?
Plum: Happiest day of my life changes all the time, I’m sorry I can’t give you a specific answer. I’m happiest when I’m road tripping New Zealand with my girlfriend.
If you had to be a fictional character for ONE year only, who would you be and why?
Plum: I’d want to be in the band of Star Wars Cantina! The meanest stuff must go on there!
If your music was a meal, what would it consist of?
Plum: It’d be something nostalgic from my childhood, kind of like a sweet and sour taste. One of those sweet and sour lollies that you had as kids, but in todays context. I’ve grown, but I still am striving for the carelessness I had from back then.
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A massive thank you to Plum for answering some random questions - what a legend.
You can follow along with Plum at the below links - check out his original pieces on Instagram - he has some incredibly creative ideas!
Feature Friday: Finding Dream Days with Flaxxies
Living their best lives - just talking to the guys from Flaxxies on Instagram gave me such a genuine vibe from them. Excited to bring you this Feature Friday! (ALL photos provided by Flaxxies).
Welcome to Feature Friday #7 and this week is the wonderful Auckland-based surf-rockers, Flaxxies who love the Coromandel, are working towards big goals and fulfilling their passion of creating full-time careers out of music. These five mates are not letting anything slow them down - they’re pushing forward at full force and are getting their name quickly out there. I’m really stoked to feature Flaxxies this week because I love their strive and energy that they send out into the world. While a majority of their monthly listeners are based in Auckland, it’s good to see that they have made it over the ditch and have a few listeners in Sydney, Australia too. Get to know more about these exceptionally talented guys below and don’t forget to have a listen and go see them at a gig when you can!
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What would be your dream to happen over the next year?
Benji: The dream for me would be to release some new music, tour around NZ and meet some cool new people in the industry. Can’t wait to play in some new cities…
Jayden: To not have to work a 9 to 5 anymore... My biggest life dream is to turn my passion for music into my full-time job.
Eric: I'd love for us to get to a point where we can sign on with a manager! Also, it would be great to get into as many festivals as possible and record some more music!
Chris: It'd be so awnn if we could get a song to 100K on Spotify, release a bangin’ EP, get to a few more festivals like Bay Dreams, Soundy, etc. -- also we would LOVE to open for an international act!
Nick: A huge goal of mine for next year is to just keep growing ourselves as a band, be it on both individual and collective grounds. If I had to pin that onto specifics I'd say that I'd be super stoked to be hitting bigger venues, more festies, and really just more progression onto bigger achievements!
Looking forward to some slapping Flaxxies gigs soon!
Flaxxies song that you are most proud of and why?
Eric: I'd have to go with Erica, because it was the first song I wrote for the band, (the name might make a bit more sense now!) and I think that experience really sealed my connection with the rest of the team!
Benji: That’s on Me is the song I feel most attached to. I wrote the lyrics to the chorus in a dream of mine, and when we play together on stage or even just when practicing, everything feels so natural and clear. We play… you jump. It's as simple as that!
Jayden: King of the Reef, (which is an unreleased one that you might know if you've been to any of our recent gigs) just because of the energy it has! Love playin' that song live.
Nick: One song I always look forward to in our set is That's on Me. I think Benji did a brilliant job lyrically on that one, and Eric's riff is just way too nasty! It never ceases to amaze me how much it seems to get people going at gigs!
Chris: Lot 61, which is a new jam we've been working super hard on over this lockdown, I just think it's got some great potential and is really radio-playable! Also, it's got an aaabsolutely slappin' bassline.
Hella summer vibes.
Ever wish that you could go back to the past and change something? If so, what would it be?
Eric: I wish I picked up the guitar much earlier in my life... It's such an amazing outlet for emotion and I don't know how I ever lived without it. It's something that I can always count on to be there for me when I've had a sh*tty day, and nothing beats the feeling of satisfaction it gives me when I've fully figured out a part I've been struggling with.
Jayden: Honestly, overall, I'm pretty stoked with the progress we've made. I've been in a few bands over the years and this one has made it pretty damn far in a short amount of time.
Benji: There are a few things I would try to change in my past. I think the one thing I would tell myself is to stop comparing myself to others. Every person takes their own path and comparing with others is something so toxic that I wish I drifted away from growing up. However, we are who we are, if something needs changing go out there and do it, it’s only yourself holding you back.
Nick: The only thing I ever really regret in regards to music is the fact that it took me so long to find my own motivation for playing my instrument - I've had a guitar in my hands since I was really young, and it's always been a real go-to for me in times of stress or struggle, but it hasn't really been since I started playing with the boys that I've felt truly inspired to grow as a musician.
Chris: I wish we'd have gotten Benji involved earlier! He's been a huge motivator for us and puts the fire under our asses when it's needed.
Their beachy/surfy tunes will make you want to go to the sea - I went straight to the beach after the guys sent through their answers for this FF! Their latest single, Take Me Home is very calming and relaxing.
What has been the most rewarding moment being in Flaxxies?
Eric: I'd have to go with the time a younger kid came up to me after a gig and said something along the lines of "I hope one day I'm in a band as good as yours..." It sounds cliché, but it's the moments like that which really do keep you going sometimes.
Nick: Honestly, for me, it comes down to the five minutes before we go on stage at any venue. That look of determination and commitment I see on any one of the boys' faces gives me all I need to know that I've got four brothers who are willing to commit every last ounce of their energy into giving it their all.
Benji: Not sure I can pin it to any specific moment... The most rewarding thing would be the mate-ship we’ve created. Every moment is big. Those small, little achievements all add up to who we are and that’s something we appreciate a lot. From high school mates to playing shows we’d never dreamed of has been pretty surreal. Watching the other four grow as people and musicians is pretty rewarding, and I just enjoy being able to share some cool memories with them.
Jayden: Hearing the lyrics of Dream Days getting absolutely screamed back at us at our Galatos show, it was just so crazy to me that people's vocal cords could drown out even some of the sound coming from my kit... Which is quite a lot.
Chris: Definitely when we played a New Years’ Eve slot at Rhythm and Vines' Garden stage - it's something we worked super hard for, and the payoff was just absolutely great.
Impressing audiences for a while - their first EP hit the shelf last year and it is 100/10! Favourite track is either Eucatastrophe or The Runaway.
Favourite place in the entire world and why?
Benji: My favourite place in the world would have to be Whangapoua. I've been going to the Coromandel since I was a kid and nothing beats heading back there for summers and writing music. Peaceful, great beach and kind people, not a lot more I could ask for!
Nick: My first instinct is to go for anywhere with sun and salt, because that's where I've always gravitated to for happiness, but the more I think about it, the more I keep coming back to my room. I feel like anyone deep down probably feels the same... No matter where that room may be: In your parents' house, your flat, an apartment, a uni dorm; maybe you share it with a family member, maybe you share it with a non-family member - it's the one space every human truly has to make their own, and it's the one place we all have to truly just chill out and be ourselves. For me, that's the sort of environment that encourages creativity.
Chris: In hindsight, my old man's place on Beach Road in Mellons Bay would be the go-to answer for me. He was often either at work or at his partners place, so it was the first time we all had somewhere we could just show up, play music, and chill out together whenever we wanted. He's been gone from there a while now, but those memories are always super evocative of both my early teenage years and our early days as a band.
Jayden: Would probably have to be the Coromandel! I hadn't really traveled there much at all before we started going there as a band, so that place holds a real strong connection with music for me.
Eric: My favourite place in the world is our little practice room/studio that we've been working in/on since the start of 2021. It's the one space that's always there for us to come back to and regroup after we've had any amount of time apart, and it's where all of us come together to turn our song ideas into actual, tangible recordings.
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Huge thank you to Benji, Nick, Eric, Chris and Jayden for taking the time to answer the questions and be Welcome to the Gig’s Feature Friday for this week. That was super fun!
For more Flaxxies, make sure you check them out below -
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Feature Friday has been created to help promote New Zealand artists and get to know artists, no matter how big or small their following is. I think there is so much passion behind music, but we lack being able to learn about the artists personally unless we get the chance to meet them in person and while we are lucky enough to be able to do that in our little ole country, I think it’s special to have the opportunity to chat and get to know them and post it on the blog for those who aren’t able to go out and meet them. I hope that Feature Friday helps you not only discover your new favourite tunes, but helps showcase that the artists in our country and very down-to-earth and genuine people, too.
If you would like to be considered for Feature Friday, an interview/review etc., please flick me a message on Instagram or an email. At the moment, I only have capacity to cover New Zealand artists, however, keep an eye out on the Facebook and Instagram pages as this could change at any time.
Feature Friday: 5am Toast Vibes with Harry Burt
Harry out there doing his thing! Make sure to check out his SoundCloud (linked at the end of the Feature)
Hello and welcome back to Feature Friday - can you believe we are up to #6 already?! This week, we have an awesome local Christchurch musician who is a big fan of words and sounds, as he describes it. I’m really happy to announce this week we have the wonderful Harry Burt being featured!
Harry is a local musical legend having proved that he works extremely hard to get to where he wants to be and creating some great tunes and continuing to amaze us, even during lockdown times with his fun live streams and fresh vocals. While it took Harry some time to find his sound - he has admitted that he is happy with where he is now and cannot wait to break out further into the New Zealand music scene. by being a full on creative, writing his own songs and covering his favourite musicians with fun flare and his sound encorporated.
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You have an outstanding song called 5am Toast (and You) available on SoundCloud, what is the song about? (He also has multiple other tracks on his SoundCloud, too!)
Harry: The idea for 5am Toast (and You) came about when I woke up at 5 in the morning and was just really hungry for some toast. Thought that the journey to the kitchen and the whole thing would be a lot more enjoyable if I had someone to share it with. It’s really an ode to how the simple things in life can be more beautiful when you’re in love and that simple things like that can make you feel fulfilled.
How have you found the NZ music industry so far - has it been hard to get your music out there?
Harry: The NZ music industry is filled with the loveliest and most talented people. It’s really inspiring to see and support the music being created on your doorstep, there’s some real hidden gems. Personally, I have found it quite difficult to get my music out there largely due to my own journey as a writer and performer, but I’m now in a place as an artist where I’m ready to explore ways to show everyone what I’m about!
If you had to time travel, would you go back to the past or the future and why?
Harry: I would definitely time travel to the past so I can see people perform that I never had the chance to. Going to the future means life wouldn’t be as surprising!
Music runs in Harry’s family - he has performed with his brother, Sam Burt, previously in a duo!
You have to choose one musicians album to cover in its entirety, which album would you choose?
Harry: I would definitely choose Let A Good Thing Die by Bruno Major. It’s a true masterpiece and I’d be keen to try my best to do it justice.
List 5 random facts about you.
Harry:
1. I was born in a little village called Rheinfelden in Switzerland (but I’m not Swiss).
2. I am a classically trained singer and huge musical theatre nerd.
3. I used to sing in a duo with my older brother, Sam.
4. I know the High School Musical trilogy inside and out.
5. I sing in a Barbershop Quartet, Promenade Quartet.
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Big thank you to Harry for being this weeks Feature Friday! This may be the first time he is on the blog, but it certainly will not be the last. You can check his work out below and give him a follow, too -
* ALL photos provided by Harry himself.
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If you would like to be considered for Feature Friday, please feel free to DM me on Instagram here or email me here.
Feature Friday: Taking a Picture of Odds and Ends
Everyone’s faces when gigs can resume again! From L-R: Luan, Koen, Max and Jonathan.
Cool cats, Odds and Ends, have finally released a new single, Picture, after a long hiatus of not chucking their music out for us and I’m so glad they are back on their creative grind as their tunes are fun and tell some great stories! For this reason, I am proud to say that Odds and Ends are the Feature Friday for this week. I caught up with vocalist, Koen Aldershof, from the band to have a wee chat!
Odds and Ends describe themselves as being like fruit salad - filled with juicy melodies, tasty songs and sweet harmonies. I believe this is one thing that we can all agree on. Their rock sounds really bring out the best of what the band has to offer and though they’ve been doing this for the past three years, they aren’t stopping soon and are making their comeback to rock your socks off. Grab a tea, pop them on your Spotify and have a read to find out what the guys are all about.
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Tune in next week for another amazing local artist on Feature Friday!
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The very thoughtful artwork for Picture, available now!
Your new single, Picture, has just come out! What can you tell me about it?
Koen: Picture isn’t musically unlike other music we’ve put out, but lyrically it goes into way more serious stuff. I remember rocking up to work one day - don’t get me wrong, my job is awesome and I love it - but I simply started feeling off, like something was wrong. I started asking myself the big questions such as “what am I doing here? Is this what I want to spend my time on? Time is limited, what is life’s worth?” and these type of tangents got me quite down. So, I called up my friend who I know lives around the corner and we had a cup of tea and she basically is this genius at letting me figure it out by myself. She is brilliant and should be a psychiatrist.
That’s the start of the song. “Oh I’ve been thinking about all of the things we said aloud.” The story develops from there but the chorus lyrics are that I still haven’t figured it out, but that’s okay. The story here is like a full circle, I started out feeling that something was wrong and I end up not knowing what it is. Bringing me back to the start.
Favourite thing to do in lockdown? [At time of publication, New Zealand is in a nationwide level 4 lockdown - the toughest restrictions]
Koen: Sadly, we are all in different bubbles. We all have very nice home setups so we can record and mix anything we want, we realise that we are very lucky to [be able to do that]! The last few lockdowns, we did a few covers of songs we love, like our cover of I Want You Back by the Jackson 5. Max recorded with pots, pans, tupperware and a wine glass instead of a drum kit for that one. Long story short, we love keeping ourselves busy. Also, I’ve been watching Parks and Recreation on Netflix and I can definitely recommend it here! My flat also loves card and board games. Sadly, I wasn’t able to score a game of Catan before the lockdown, so we’re about to make one out of cardboard - DIY all the way!
Fun in the sun!
What has been the top achievement as a band that you guys have had so far?
Koen: Mmm, that’s a tough one. I recently found out that when we released our second single, City of Sails in September 2019, it charted at #46 in the iTunes Rock Top 200, that was pretty awesome! I guess you could say that is somewhat an achievement. I mean, we’ve been at this for the last 3 years and to be honest, it’s been a very steady climb. We haven’t won any awards or whatever, we just put in the mahi and once its done, we go on. We are lucky enough to be able to gig with mates and have a good time in a safe environment, not very rock and roll, I know, but that’s what we aim for, so that’s an achievement for us!
Dream musician/s that you’d love to perform with?
Koen: Oh, there are a few. There are many, actually. But realistically, I am crossing my fingers, toes and eyes we get to support Kings of Leon on their upcoming tour over here! I have already contacted the touring agency and that little spark of hope is slowly growing into what will likely be a bush fire by the time they announce the opening act.
You can only shop at one store for the rest of your life (supermarkets are exempt!). Which store would you choose and why?
Koen: Easy. Op shops. I can’t stand branded clothing etc. where a piece of cotton gets a logo and suddenly it’s $80. You’ll find the exact same thing, if not better quality for $5 in an op shop. I have actually started buying blank t-shirts, long sleeves, crewnecks, hats, beanies and bucket hats from op shops with the idea to sell them on as merch. I’ve bought a bunch of custom “Odds and Ends” patches to sew onto the clothing and make them our merchandise products! Think about it, upcycling is a whole other ball game. I am quite excited about it! These clothes, which will likely have been made by underpaid people overseas, sometimes children, were thrown out, that’s a massive waste!
I recently read that at the moment, figures show that of the textiles manufactured each year, 12% are lost during manufacturing in the form of cutting and production waste, 75% are sent to landfill by consumers, 12% are put back in the system through donating or recycling and less than 1% are regenerated into new fibre for new clothes. I am encouraging people to go op shopping and if you like our music as well, you can recycle clothes by buying our merch, giving clothes that have been thrown out another chance. We don’t have the merch ready yet, but of course you can follow us on any social media platform and we’ll let you know when they are ready.
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Big thanks to Koen for answering the questions and being Welcome to the Gig’s Feature Friday for this week! Love the guys’ work and it will be exciting to see their next steps within the industry. It goes to show the hard mahi is worth it.
You can follow Odds and Ends below -
Instagram
Spotify
If you would like to be considered for future Feature Fridays, please DM me on Instagram here.
*ALL photos provided by Koen.
Feature Friday: Nobody Call Noise Control on The Gateways
L-R: Zach, Josh and Charlie at Space Academy, July 2021.
Feature Friday is back! Finally, after a long hiatus, I’m here to bring you yet another band that you NEED to know about.
The Gateways are a garage rock band from Christchurch who are set to release their very first single Noise Control which is actually available from midnight tonight on all good streaming platforms and it certainly lives up to its name! Who is down to party at midnight while blasting the track with me?!
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The Gateways definitely live up to their garage rock nature with heavy music and fun shows all around. They are an incredibly talented bunch of four men who are taking our music scene here in the city by storm. Get ready to know the members of the band below!
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L-R: Charlie, Josh, Daniel and Zach having an absolute blast at their recent Space Academy gig - such a fun time!
You’re about to release your first single, Noise Control, what can you tell me about it and how excited are you?
Charlie: We are so excited to finally have some music out, we’ve been working towards this for a really long time and to release our first single on the one year anniversary of our first gig just makes it that little bit more special! Also a little bit about the song - it’s about calling Noise Control on a party out of spite because you weren’t allowed in, which is something me and my partner did…
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If you had to be a character in a book or movie, who would you be and why?
Charlie: Garfield because he lives (and loves) to eat lasagna, hates Mondays and torments his owner.
Daniel: Mike Nolan from The Big Lez Show because he loves a bit of cash in hand.
Zach: Naruto because he eats a lot and constantly has to save himself from his own stuff-ups.
Josh: Lord Farquaad from Shrek because he is a short king like me.
Short king or power sing(er) there Josh?!
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What other passions do you have besides music?
Charlie: Pretty keen on history. I’m doing my psych degree and playing games here and there. Pretty riveting stuff obviously.
Daniel: Getting onto the volleyball court.
Zach: I’m very much into skiing around this time of year, as well as rock climbing.
Josh: I’m a bit of a nerd to be honest, I like learning about local wildlife. (Google the Christchurch Seagull Pit). I also love my pet rats and frog.
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What’s your absolute favourite memory you have (in your musical career or in life in general)?
Charlie: When I went to see Green Day when I was 17, it was my first big gig ever and being able to see one of my childhood favourites was really special.
Daniel: The first time we saw people really moshing to our original songs was pretty wild.
Zach: Our first ever gig at Space Academy was pretty hectic and it’s something we still talk about today.
Josh: My Dad is a musician as well, so in retrospect it was cool being dragged to local gigs when I was younger. Either that or being in Nervous Jerks mosh at Zorza last year.
Noise Control is out in a mere few hours!
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If you could perform a festival/gig with all your favourite artists, who would be on the line up?
Charlie: A Gateways organised festival lineup would like FIDLAR, Anderson Pak, PUP, Arctic Monkeys, Rage Against the Machine and I would summon 90s era Oasis good measure.
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Awesome stuff, thank you to The Gateways for being our Feature Friday of the week and a huge congratulations on the release of your first single, pretty radical times ahead for you guys. You can keep up with The Gateways below -
Instagram
Facebook
(You can search them on Spotify from tonight at midnight!)
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If you would like to be featured for Feature Friday, you can DM me on Instagram here!
Feature Friday: FOMO on There’s a Tuesday
There’s a Tuesday, L-R: Minnie Robberds, Nat Hutton, Angus Murray and Joel Becker. Sunshine in human form! All band photos courtesy of Minnie.
Welcome back to Feature Friday, week three! This week, I had the opportunity to ask the wonderful Minnie Robberds from local Christchurch-formed band, There’s a Tuesday, some questions.
There’s a Tuesday have quickly gained a fair bit of popularity over the past year, with their hit jams such as Piñata Head, Sound of the Stars and most recently, FOMO.
Having previously opened for Mako Road and also finishing their own headline tour, Dance With Me Before We Cry [also the name of their self-titled EP, released November 2020], this lovely four-piece of friends are some of New Zealand’s rawest and most professional bands who are busy bringing their incredible skills and musical dreams to life. It has recently been announced that There’s a Tuesday are on the bill for opening up on Benee’s next tour, which is super exciting and well deserved. They work hard and play even harder, which is proved after seeing their determination to do what they love, while living their best lives on stage and in the world!
The beautiful artwork for the Wimpy Kidz tour by TAT’s wonderfully creative friend, Tui Wright. Tickets on sale now!
During the editing of this Friday Feature, they announced their new tour, Wimpy Kidz, which you can purchase tickets to now from Live Nation! This is one tour you won’t want to miss - you will have the most fun you’ve ever had in your life because TAT bring it each and every time they perform, no matter what they’re feeling that day or what state the world is in. They are fun, fun, fun. I promise.
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Now that you have the lowdown on TAT, let’s get into some questions with Minnie!
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What is the coolest/most surreal moment you’ve had while being in There’s a Tuesday?
Minnie: As a band, we have shared some truly surreal and cool moments together. I think, personally, it was during the previous summer where we got to play a bunch of beautiful [NZ] festivals including Le Currents, R&A [Rhythm and Alps], RnV [Rhythm and Vines] and a couple of other surreal events. We were/are still pretty new to the music scene, so having the opportunity to play all those gigs was so, so cool and we will always feel so lucky for that summer.
What sparked your passion for music?
Minnie: We all think creating music is so, so special in so many different ways. I think the way it can help one process their feelings is something we all love about creating music. Doing that tighter as friends and musicians is so special to us. That feeling of togetherness that we all get through creating music is probably what sparked our passion for creating music initially and has continued to do so along our journey as a band and as pals.
Proud as punch about being on tour and rightly so. They have worked so hard to get where they are now and have a lot more exciting times ahead of them.
Which There’s a Tuesday song do you relate the most to and why?
Minnie: I personally relate to the songs pretty equally! But if I had to pick, I'd say Amsterdam! Nat, my beautiful friend [and other lovely female in There's a Tuesday!] wrote that beautiful song. Nat has such a wonderful brain and that song has such a beautiful message. I remember hearing it for the first time and smiling so much!
What would your perfect day look like?
Minnie: Ooo, very cool question! I reckon waking up feeling super rested is so nice, I would probably start with that! I'd be pretty keen on a yum breaky maybe including tofu scramble and some other fun veggies! Whilst having this yum breaky, I would listen to the album Crushing by Julia Jacklin. I'd be keen to spend some time with my family and I love family movies, so maybe watch one of those together! I'm a huge fan of Toy Story, because it is heartwarming af, so probably one of those.
It's probably lunchtime now, so I'd be keen to go to my favourite restaurant in Christchurch, North and South Gourmet. I'd invite all my beautiful friends and we'd share some beautiful food and fun.
By the way, my recommended dish is the vegetable dumplings!
After that, I'd have an afternoon nap because those are the best. In the evening, I'd love to go watch some friends play music! Dream day complete!
Loving Joel’s pink socks here - such a classy vibe.
If you had to relive one year of your life, which year would you choose?
Minnie: I've had some really lovely years and I'm so thankful for that ❤ I think that one of my favourite moments in my life was visiting my older sister who was living in Japan in 2017. We had such a beautiful time together and I would love to relive the few weeks we spent together 100 times!
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Thank you so much Minnie for taking the time to answer some questions and giving your fans/pals some more insight into yourself and There’s a Tuesday! We all think you and your TAT pals are the coolest people and we are super grateful for you and your beautiful music.
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You can find There’s a Tuesday below -
Feature Friday: Hey from Mild Orange
The Mild Orange men in all their glory! What a shot! Taken by the wonderful Cam Hay.
I just want to say Hey and I hope you’re doing fine.
Welcome to Feature Friday, week two!
This week, I had the chance to have an Insta-chat to Mehrt (Josh Mehrtens) from Mild Orange and asked him a few questions about music, one of the highlights of being in Mild Orange and his love of selfies.
A classic selfie moment! Credit to Mehrt who provided me with this sick shot!
Mehrt met his Mild Orange brothers at Otago University in Dunedin back in 2017 and they have since hit the ground running with their dreamy pop, psychedelic rock sounds absolutely making waves worldwide, not just in their much loved home country of NZ.
With a big following both here and overseas, you’re sure to have all the feels listening to their music with absolute bangers such as Share this Dance, Freak in Me, Stranger… The list goes on.
All smiles during their downtime! Taken by Cam Hay.
Mild Orange’s latest single being Getting Warmer, featuring B. which was released at the end of March, coincided with the weather getting colder. The track gives you that infinite feeling of being in a warmer place, such as Ibiza - wouldn’t that be nice right now? Now, let’s get into the questions!
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What has been the best tour experience you’ve had so far?
Mehrt: Hands down the EU & UK ‘Foreplay’ Tour in 2019. It was our first time playing overseas and we had 21 shows in 30 days to complete. That first show in Budapest playing at a packed venue on the Danube River to an audience who knew all the words was magical.
The cover artwork for Mild Orange’s album, Foreplay, released on April 18th, 2018. Simple, however it leaves everything to the imagine, which is quite exciting. I suppose the artwork is meant to be interpreted by the listener.
If you had to either go back to the past, or go forward to the future, which would you choose and why?
Mehrt: If I couldn’t stay in this present time, I’d be very sad. But I’ll say future. I’m a history grad and love it, but I’m content right now learning about times been, instead of experiencing them first hand, nor would I want to mess with the butterfly effect. Exploring the future is intriguing since it’s the unknown. Good question haha.
Mehrt created this artwork for Mild Orange’s self-titled album, released May 29, 2020. How amazing is this?!
Which Mild Orange song are you most proud of?
Mehrt: Losing Time or Share This Dance. Both serve as time stamps for me to revisit throughout my life that I wrote with the intention of being little ‘life checks’ from the perspective of 21 and 23 year old me.
Which musicians do you look up to most/dream artist/s to perform with?
Mehrt: I look up to The Beatles, songwriting/sound pioneers Burt Bacharach and Ennio Morricone (the GOATs). Dream artists to perform with would be Norah Jones, Bic Runga and Burt Bacharach.
Favourite part of being in Mild Orange?
Mehrt: Creating and growing all the time.
Mehrt: Thank you, great questions.
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Hands up if you would’ve loved to have been in that crowd! Taken by Cam Hay.
Mehrt revealed that he has a lot of selfies in his gallery, with 1200+ on his phone! Don’t we all wish we had as much confidence with selfies as he does!
I think Mehrt has Some Feeling(s) here. Shot by Cam Hay.
Huge thank you to Mehrt from Mild Orange for taking the time to have a chat through Instagram for this weeks Feature Friday, it was an absolute pleasure to get to know you more mate. Remember, if you would like to be featured, pop me a DM here!
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To locate Mild Orange, the guys are on all of your favourite streaming and social media platforms, flick them a follow and give their music a listen below, you will quickly be seeing orange everywhere -
Feature Friday: Couch Moves with Half Moon Baby
Welcome to Feature Friday! The title is pretty self explanatory: each week, I will find a new artist or band to feature for a small segment to bring a bit more attention to them, where possible! Each artist will have been asked a max of 5 questions, music related and not - just a fun way to promote some underground Kiwi musos.
If you would like the chance to be featured, DM the Instagram page!
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This week, we have Matt Herd from Half Moon Baby answering some quick fire questions!
*ALL photos provided by Matt (legend!)
The guys doing their thing on stage - look at that audience soaking it up!
A little background: Half Moon Baby are yet another epic band who hail from Auckland, New Zealand and are arguably the best 7-piece band since S Club 7. HMB's musical talents will absolutely blow you away, they are fun to see live and listen to when you need a moment to chill out! Their musical abilities and fun personalities will make you want to hit the repeat button for hours. They put the extra in extraordinary. From incorporating brass instruments to hitting the stage with some heavy energy, they are certainly 7 musicians you don’t want to sleep on.
While having only seen Half Moon Baby once personally, they are certainly a band that I feel deserve more recognition (and I would love to see them live again!) Without further ado, here are some questions (and answers) for the first ever Feature Friday!
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What is your favourite Half Moon Baby song?
Matt: Personally, I love Couch Moves, it’s just got such a certain vibe to it. We do have some new stuff in the works which is at certified bop status (can’t wait!)
Most memorable gig that you have ever played?
Matt: We had this stupid idea to get a bunch of HMB labeled 3D glasses and do a Half Moon Baby live in 3D gig, we built a little set based off our artwork for the Crowded cover, we did nothing special for the performance, but it was just a lot of fun, all of our favourite people were there and a fantastic time was had by all.
Half Moon Baby playing at Wellington’s infamous Meow bar, March 2021. How lit was this night though!
If you weren’t in Half Moon Baby, what would you be doing?
Matt: I’m still on my full time grind working as a builder, so it’d probably be the same day to day, but my weekends would have a little less fun involved and that’s really why we have the band. It’s fun, isn’t it?
Favourite drink?
Matt: Sailor Jerrys rum and coke for sure. They are way too easy to sink.
Best place you’ve visited and why?
Matt: We do love a Welly (Wellington) gig. We’ve found this karaoke spot which has a dirt cheap bar and seems to be open around the clock. As long as you’ve got your bros with ya and everyone is having fun, anywhere you go can be the best, ya know?
A good looking bunch of talented men - I bet they hit the karaoke hard after this shot!
Thanks Matt for your time and for answering a few questions for the blog. Looking forward to seeing you and the boys live again - a very fun time seeing you in Wellington. Hopefully we can tee up an interview sometime! PS: come to Christchurch soon!
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You can find Half Moon Baby below (and keep an eye out here for more HMB on the blog) -