What can we expect to see from you over the next year?
I am about to embark on my album release tour, then in October I will be performing in Fly My Pretties around NZ and Melbourne. I will play at the Kaikoura Roots Festival & at the Tuborg Summer Sunday festival as part of Fly My Pretties in January 2012. And hope to tour the South Island with my Dad (John Grenell).
What advice would you like to give to other aspiring musicians?
Pick up your chosen instrument, play, experiment, practise until it sounds like your style, make up chords & songs, get some lessons, and practise your craft, get out there and play gigs, keep reaching higher.
Who are your favourite NZ musicians/bands, and why?
Paul Ubana Jones - I love his music, his way of playing and performing is amazing. Fat Freddy’s Drop for a good groove and Teacups to walk the hills to.
What will your next release be?
‘Three Feathers’ – album out next week!
How do you come up with your lyrics?
I imagine myself somewhere, in a situation, and paint a picture in my head, or they just come from an experience or emotion.
What can you never leave home without?
I can never leave home without my eco tank. Water is a must.
How do you describe your music?
Folk, bit of pop, music to smile or cry or dance to.
What is your favourite NZ venue?
Music Festivals! Aotearoa have amazing music festivals.
What is the best part of being a musician?
Being on stage with your band, feeling the rhythm and loving performing.
When audience members come up afterwards and tell you how a song you sang really moved them.
What is your most embarrassing on tour/gig moment?
Forgetting my words in a song where everyone is quiet and captured by the music...aaahhhh...blush!
What is your favourite place in NZ to be?
Summer holidays at Mums, near Nelson. Sun, nature, outdoor gigs, good food and great swims.
What inspired you to become a musician?
I couldn’t not be. I looked up to my brothers and had to do what they did.
What is the best gig you have ever performed at, and why?
At the Christchurch Botanical Gardens as part of a Summer concert this year, beautiful sunny day, was great performing with the band, Dad got up and sang a song and it was my birthday. Seeing my little girl dancing around on the grass with her friends was pretty beautiful too.
How do you keep in contact with your fans?
Various websites, and email outs .
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MySpace Page
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With the dawn of Swampfest in Palmerston North comes the release of AmosAnon’s new EP 'Darkness from Light', and when we say release we mean it in the ‘return to the wild’ sense of the word. You can’t buy AmosAnon’s album from anywhere; you have to find it hidden around the city or even better, legally download it. We talk to AmosAnon’s Peter-James Dries about the album.
Why is this album free?
It’s not just this album. AmosAnon’s music is always free. It gives the torrent freaks something to seed while we wait for this Skynet law to fail. Plus, I’d feel kinda bad charging for the CD. It’s not right when it costs me less than a dollar to make. I mean you get a 50 pack of CDs for ten bucks… That’s like twenty cents for the CD, and it’s like seven cents for the cover, eight cents for the sticky CD label… So I can recover those costs for like 35 cents. And it’s not your fault I bought a second hand guitar and an amp, and I already had a computer, so I’m not trying to recoup those costs at all. So what would I be charging you for? For my service? It’s a hobby not a job. I shouldn’t have to get paid for doing something I enjoy. For the guitar lessons I never took? For my talent? That’s just egotistical. And what’s the point trying to charge when people will just download it for free if they like it anyway…
What can you tell us about the new album?
Darkness from Light is in the same vain as theLachrymist, as opposed to My Schizophrenic Acoustic, but it’s far from theLachrymist 2. It’s sung in it’s entirety by Palmerston North’s most famous busker, Marque Duckmanton. He was the singer on Kill your Darlings off theLachrymist. You’ll find it’s a lot more accessible than our other releases, but it’s also a lot heavier at the same time. It’s very atmospheric too; like the other releases I experimented with infrasound in the background. Like they used in that movie Paranormal Activity. Stuff you can’t hear, but can feel.
What Artists have inspired you while making this album?
I’d usually say no one inspires me, but this time it’s not entirely true. Marque’s said he’s been drawing on Zakk Wilde and Black Label Society, Rob Zombie, Josh Homme but also people like Nick Cave and Bob Dylan. I’d agree with the Rob Zombie; Venereal came out of me playing Dragula wrong. I’d also say a bit of Marilyn Manson. The obligatory Tool. Chevelle. HLAH. Deja Voodoo and by extension Buckethead. There’s even a bit of Chopin in there.
Will there be any touring for Darkness from Light?
Sure. One day. Supply where there’s demand and all that. But at the moment we’re more like early Nine Inch Nails. I remember reading the press release for 1992’s Broken where it said something like, “Nine Inch Nails is not a real band with real people playing real instruments. There will be no touring for this…” and that really struck a chord. If people want it, I’ll look into rustling up a band. I’ll see how this release goes.
What’s next for the band?
I’m preparing an EP of the lighter stuff that came out of the jam sessions for Darkness from Light, just like the My Schizophrenic Acoustic followed theLachrymist. It’s sounding a lot happier this time around, whereas last time the acoustic stuff was just as dark as the heavy stuff, maybe even darker at times. I’m also wondering about two onlineonly Remix releases for Darkness from Light; a Doom Metal mix in honour of CEOMONG, the music.net.nz reviewer that coined our style Progressive Doom Metal, and an Ambient mix, which will bring the atmospheric surround track to the front, in the style of say Lustmord or NZ’s Seabed.
For those of you that can’t find a copy of Darkness from Light you can download it for free from AmosAnon’s Bandcamp (http://amosanon.bandcamp.com).
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Kimbra has been named as the 2011 winner of the Gravity Coffee Critics’ Choice Prize.
The Unfaithful Ways, Popstrangers and Kimbra performed live at the King’s Arms in Auckland last night where a panel of 13 top music critics was charged with selecting a winner they believe has the talent to add a Tui to the mantelpiece and pursue a successful music career.
Kimbra says: “It’s wonderful to be acknowledged here in my homeland by critics and music industry insiders. I’ve put a lot of hard work into my music and winning the Critics’ Choice Prize means the world to me.”
In addition to being recognised by the nation’s top music industry experts, Kimbra also gets a hand up in the competitive music marketplace.
For five years, More FM has brought the best in local music to some of the country’s finest locations. Hitting the road in February 2012 with a fresh look and name, the More FMSummerVineyardTour will travel to the beautiful surrounds of New Zealand vineyards with the addition of hot international acts headlining the tour’s stellar line-up.
This year’s tour will see legendary Australian roots act and NZ favourites John Butler Trio co-headline the show alongside so-hot-right-now funky American soul singer Aloe Blacc & The Grand Scheme, following Aloe’s sell-out NZ shows earlier this year and NZ top 40 chart success. Kiwi pop-sweetheart Annabel Fay also joins the line-up off the back of a stint in the
The following musicians were added to the muzic.net.nz website during the last fortnight:
The Tiny Lies | K.I One Music |
PlanQ | Bury Me At Sea |
Adam Page | Funkommunity |
K.One | Jeremy Mason |
DJ Definite |
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These reviews were added to the site in the last two weeks, check them out at the links below:
- Kerretta - Saansilo Album Review
- Kasium - So Electric Single Review
- Scribe - Not Many Cities Single Review
- Beltane - Auld Toby Album Review
You can check out every single interview and review in our Articles Page.
Our latest photos can be viewed here.
Every feature we have ever had on the site can be viewed here.
The next muzic.net.nz newsletter is going out on Sunday 9 October
and will feature The Tiny Lies and Adam Page!
Feature space is available in our newsletters from 6 November!
Space is only available in two more issues for 2011!
The last issue for 2011 is going out on 20 November 2011!
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...even if you featured in a previous year.
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The next muzic.net.nz gig mail out is going out on 16 October.
- The muzic.net.nz team