Welcome to September everyone! It's going to be a great month. Spring is officially here, although I'm dubious with the still cooler temperatures and rain of late! It's also roughly 111 days or 16 weeks until Christmas. Daunting, but exciting.

In September music news, New Zealand's finest Rockers, Villainy will release their second album, Dead Sight on September 18 and it's promising some exciting stuff. J Williams also released his latest offering Virgo on 4 September, and we've also been enjoying recent releases from Eden Mulholland and AHoriBuzz.

Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden have also been hot news of late with impending tours to our shores early next year. This will be Black Sabbath's final tour to end their mammoth career so it's one not to be missed!

We're also looking forward to this years APRA Silver Scroll Awards, taking place at Vector Arena, Auckland on 17 September.

In this month's newsletter, we check out new talent, singer/songwriter, Coral Pitcher and Auckland stompers, Hunt The Witch as well as crowd favourites Night Gaunts. Elsewhere we take a look at Midnight Youth in our Where Are They Now feature and give you the latest NZ music news and more reviews, photos and interviews.

Kerry and the Team.

Midnight Youth formed in 2006 while at Rangitoto College in Auckland with three members of the band competing in the Smokefree Rockquest under the band name Resonate. Jeremy Redmore and Nick Campbell joined the group in mid-2006 after their lead singer, Scott Franz, left due to creative differences.

In 2009 the band released their debut album, The Brave Don't Run, in New Zealand and Australia where it debuted at #2 on the NZ Top 40 Album chart. The album produced five singles - The Letter, All On Our Own, Learning To Fall, Cavalry and Golden Love. The latter featured on US TV series One Tree Hill. The band took home three awards at the NZ Music Awards in 2009 - Best Rock Album, Best Group and Best Engineer (Andrew Buckton).

In 2011 they released their second album World Comes Calling before Jeremy Redmore quit the band to pursue a solo career in late 2012.

Since leaving Midnight Youth, Jeremy released his debut album, Clouds Are Alive in 2014 and continues to write and record material. Jeremy has performed with Ed Sheeran, and he also features on PNC's track Fame Kills All from his 2012 album Under The Influence. Redmore has also performed at a number of New Zealand celebrity weddings, including those of Mike Hosking, Dane Rumble and Angela Dotchin.

Lead guitarist, Simon Oscroft now lives in New York and continues to play music with his new band, MOTHXR.

Drummer Aiden Bartlett is a member of the online marketplace, Designer Wardrobe for women to buy, rent and sell designer clothing.

Bassist Matt Warman has been a judge for the Rockquest Bandquest.

Into the Black is the first recording of Auckland band Hunt The Witch.

Bevan Carbines (guitar) and Anthony Lakin (bass) started jamming on ideas in 2013 where a solid foundation of heavy sonic riffs were laid. Jason Peters (drums and formally of Pumpkinhead) joined a while later and they continued to write songs as a three piece.

The last ingredient required was vocals and so Sam Whitley entered into the fray, whose vocal range, personality and writing abilities were the glue needed to complete the line up, from the first rehearsal it was crystal clear that the line up was going to work well together. Fast-forward to April 2015 and the band went into Roundhead Studios to record their debut EP that was engineered by Jordan Stone (The Datsuns/Neil Finn/Wilco) and produced by Hunt The Witch.

The tracks on Into the Black were recorded the old school way of analogue live to tape. Most tracks were completed in one or two takes as the band wanted to capture a performance that focused on the music and the way they sound, rather than digital computer recording and editing waveforms for days on end. The result is a band playing live, raw and heavy just as they like it. The EP was mastered in California by Gavin Lurssen (Foo Fighters/QOTSA/Tomahawk) and the results are five original heavy rock tracks.

Into The Black will be officially released on October 12th 2015, and in support of their EP release they will be playing at the Auckland, K Rd venue Backbeat Bar on Saturday October 10th. In order to get the full impact from this music we highly recommend that you listen to these songs at a very high volume!

Hunt The Witch are Sam Whitley (vocals), Bevan Carbines (guitar), Anthony Lakin (bass) and Jason Peters (drums).

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Coral Pitcher is a professional Singer/Songwriter from Hamilton. She performs a variety of music and styles to suit any occasions from bars, restaurants, weddings and much more. Her powerful voice and rhythm guitar playing makes for a memorable night wherever she plays. Coral answered the following questions for muzic.net.nz:

Who are your role models in the NZ Music Industry?

There are so many, it is an amazing time to be a part of the NZ music scene! To name a few: Devilskin, Kimbra, Gin Wigmore, Anika Moa and of course Lorde!!

Do you have any plans for future collaborations?

I would love to do a duet with Stan Walker.

Where is you favourite place in NZ to relax?

I love Whangamata - have been playing and going there holidays since I was very young!! There is no sense of time there!!

What is the one thing you want NZ to know about you?

That I am a young working class musician that has huge dreams of global success.

What is your most memorable show to date?

After the release of my first single The Rolling Stone we put on a concert called The Purple Gallery at my favourite pub Biddy Mulligans. We decorated the whole venue purple, had 8 acts, full band show and all of my friends and family were there!!!! Was so much fun!!!!

What is your long term goal?

My long term goal is to be playing music all around the world!!!

Where do you get you inspiration to create music from?

Life!

What can we expect to see from you over the next year?

I am just about to release my new single Shooting You Up and first ever music video, so on the back on that will be going on a Summer Tour around the North Island, and will be finishing my first fully produced EP Living On The Moon!!!!

What advice would you like to give to other aspiring musicians?

Get out there and play live!!! Work hard, practice and always be grateful for every opportunity and the people around you!!

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Night Gaunts are an Auckland party-punk band that also combines sax, ska, synth, and rap to create a good time head-nod tunes to rock any club, venue, or house party alike. Despite no record label, distribution, or government grants, they are currently five weeks into a full, self-funded, two month US tour, including selling out way over double capacity at the iconic '924 Gilman Street' venue in Berkeley, CA - the launch pad for punk bands such as Rancid, NOFX, Green Day and The Offspring. They've also sold out venues in Phoenix, Jacksonville, Portland, and Miami, played packed venues in Los Angeles, Houston, Albuquerque, San Antonio, and even been playing the ridiculously thriving house party scene throughout the States... with half a dozen more shows to go!

They're promoting a split EP release with Houston cult thrashgrass band Days n Daze, who are joining them for every show. They've done slots on US college radio, and had a great response to their two new music videos, 8 Dollars  and Trippin' In The Basement. They told us "It's friggin' amazing to have been told every single night that our show is the best show of the year and to have had entire rooms dancing. It's an amazing boost for our band and NZ music!"

Night Gaunts are Paul (vocals, guitar), Hayden (bass), John (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Jacob (saxophone, vocals) and Simon (drums).

Website Links

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Graham Brazier - One of our greats

We were saddened to hear the passing of Graham Brazier, NZ music legend and frontman for Hello Sailor and The Legionnaires, on Friday 4 September, aged 63.

Hello Sailor formed in 1975 and were inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame in 2011. The band's self-titled album was released in 1977 and produced three top-20 singles: Gutter Black, Blue Lady and Lyin' in the Sand. Gutter Black went on to become the theme song for TV's Outrageous Fortune and another single Watch Your Back was the theme for 2015's Westside series.

Our thoughts are going out to Graham's friends, family and fellow Hello Sailor members during this time.

More Info

Finalists announced for the 2015 APRA Silver Scroll Award

The biggest names in music alongside some of New Zealand’s most critically acclaimed artists and songwriters – APRA AMCOS are proud to announce the five finalists in line for the 2015 APRA Silver Scroll Award.

Prodigiously gifted songwriter Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde) is a finalist this year for Yellow Flicker Beat, alongside co-writer and super-producer Joel Little. This is the third year running as a finalist for Little, who was in the Top 5 last year for his work with Broods, and in 2013 when he jointly won the APRA Silver Scroll Award with Lorde for Royals.

Brothers Ruban and Kody Nielson are also finalists with Multi-Love, the Unknown Mortal Orchestra song that chronicles the trials and tribulations of polyamory. This is the second time the critically acclaimed Portland-based electronic psych-funk band have been finalists for the award, having made the Top 5 in 2011 with Ffunny Ffrends. 

Lyttleton’s golden boy Marlon Williams makes this year’s list with Dark Child, which was co-written with fellow ex-pat New Zealand songwriter Tim Moore. Widely tipped as New Zealand’s next international success story, Marlon Williams has been garnering widespread acclaim, with glowing reviews for both his live and recorded output.

Deft urban storyteller Anthonie Tonnon is also a contender for the award with Water Underground, a cleverly constructed song about the ‘political masterstroke’ involving land use in the Canterbury plains. Water Underground is taken from his recently released and critically acclaimed album Successor. 

First time Silver Scroll finalist Mel Parsons rounds out the list with Get Out Alive, a song she wrote after a brush with death in a vehicle accident last year. With three solo albums to her name, Mel Parsons is well known as one of NZ’s indie-folk song-writing stars.

Full Article

Finalists announced for 2015 APRA Maioha, SOUNZ and Screen Music Awards

A mix of fresh and familiar faces - APRA are pleased to announce the finalists for the APRA Maioha Award, SOUNZ Contemporary Award and APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film + Series Awards. 

Finalists for the APRA Maioha Award include Stan Walker, Vince Harder and Troy Kingi with their soaring anthem in te reo Māori Aotearoa. The song is performed by dream team Stan Walker, Ria Hall, Maisey Rika and Troy Kingi.

Moana and the Tribe are also in line for the award with Upokohue - an electronic masterpiece lamenting the demise of the Maui Dolphin. Upokohue was written by Moana Maniapoto along with electronic maestro, Pitch Black’s Paddy Free, and Scotty Morrison.

The third finalist for the APRA Maioha Award is Ki Uta / Rāngai Maomao, written by Ranea Aperahama and performed by Ranea. The soulful waiata is taken from Ranea’s debut album Tihei Mauri Ora, which was released in January this year.

All finalists for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award this year are from Wellington, with all three also graduates of Victoria University. In a strange twist of fate, Chris Watson is up against his PhD supervisor Ross Harris for his composition sing songs self (for piano and orchestra). Ross Harris is in the running with Piano Quintet, and at age 22, the youngest finalist in the history of the award Reuben Jelleyman is a finalist for Expanse (for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble). 

Finalists for the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film include Dana Lund, who is a finalist for her work on The Dark Horse, the story of chess prodigy Genesis Potini. Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper is also in line for the award for his score for Housebound, and wunderkind Grayson Gilmour is a finalist for his work on Consent, the dramatisation of the Louise Nicholas story.

Emile de la Rey is a finalist for the APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award this year for his work on Hope and Wire, the affecting dramatisation of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Last year’s winner Tom McLeod is again a finalist for his score for comedy series Girl vs. Boy (Series 3). Industry veterans David Donaldson, Janet Roddick and Stephen Roche (Plan 9) round out the list of finalists for their epic orchestral score for Life Force Series Two / Mutant Planet.

Full Article

Bill Sevesi to be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame

The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame pays tribute to those musicians who have had a significant impact on New Zealand life and culture through music. APRA AMCOS is proud to announce that songwriter and guitarist Bill Sevesi will be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame at the 2015 APRA Silver Scroll Awards.

The remarkable Bill Sevesi – born Wilfred Jeffs in Nuku'alofa, Tonga more than 90 years ago – grew up at a time when Hawaiian music was a global phenomenon and the sound of lap steel guitar evoked a Pacific of palm trees, warm breezes and the exoticism of the islands.

As a boy in Auckland he tuned his crystal set to hear Sol Hoopi and other legendary Hawaiian guitar masters, learned to play lap steel by listening to 78rpm records on a wind-up gramophone, and in the early 40s watched band leader Epi Shalfoon at the Crystal Palace in Mt Eden week after week until eventually he was invited up to play.

Bill only knew one song with any confidence – the standard Isa Lei – but the makings of a career started that night . . . however, the war intervened. On his return he picked up where he left off.

Bill Sevesi and his Islanders became increasingly popular at dances in those days before television. In '54, after being invited to play at the Orange Coronation Hall in Auckland's Khyber Pass (which he renamed, giving it a little more sophistication) Bill Sevesi and His Islanders became an Auckland institution and would remain there until the mid-Seventies.

Full Article

Soundsplash Early Bird Tickets Sold Out

Soundsplash announced its long-awaited return to Raglan’s Wainui Reserve only two weeks ago.

Now the festival has been welcomed back in a big way, having already sold out all early-bird tickets with the first line-up announcement. The response has been massive from the local community who are glad to see the institution return to the shores of Ngarunui Beach. 

Full Article

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You can read all the latest NZ music news here.
More gig and tour announcements can be found here.

Join The Muzic.net.nz Team

Do you love listening to music? Do you enjoy going to gigs? Maybe you get a buzz out of discovering new music and telling everyone about it, or perhaps you'd like to meet some of the incredible musicians that NZ has on offer?

If any of these apply to you, we want you to join our team!

Muzic.net.nz are looking for people who are lovers of music to join our team as reviewers, interviewers and photographers. The criteria is simple - you must be computer literate, a 'people person', and able to meet due dates.

Anyone, from anywhere in NZ, will be considered - especially if you are a musician yourself. We'll even consider anyone in Australia who is able to attend gigs by NZ musicians and bands.

If you think you are the best person for us, we'd love to hear from you! Email [email protected] today - we'll look forward to hearing from you.

New Artists

The following musicians and bands have been added to the muzic.net.nz website in the past month:

It's free to add yourself or your band to muzic.net.nz:
Add Artist Form
Info about filling out the add artist form

New Reviews

Check out our latest reviews at the links below:

Eden Mulholland - Album Review: Hunted Haunted
Written by Ria

Coridian - EP Review: Oceanic
Written by Peter

Shady Brain Farm - EP Review: Robot Radio
Written by Andrew

Deadboy Records 10 Year Anniversary Party Gig Review @ The Kings Arms, Auckland 08/08/15
Written by Matt

AHoriBuzz - Double EP Review: Into The Sunshine

You Barbarians - EP Review: Helioshiva
Written by Jason

Head Like A Hole Gig Review @ Galatos, Auckland - 6/08/2015
Written by Lou

Medusa Glare - Single Review: Rock Your World
Written by Kerry

I Am Giant Gig Review @ The Powerstation, Auckland 1/08/15
Written by Andrew

Gin Wigmore - Album Review: Blood To Bone
Written by Andrew

Like A Storm - Album Review: Awaken The Fire
Written by Peter

The AJ Crawshaw Band - EP Review: Phoenix Burning
Written by Andrew

Holly Arrowsmith - Album Review: For The Weary Traveller
Written by Ria

Arcee - LP Review: The Arcee LP
Written by James

The Phoenix Foundation - Album Review: Give Up Your Dreams
Written by Andrew

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All of our reviews can be read here.
Email [email protected] if you would like us to review your music.

New Photos

We've had an incredible month for new photos, and we've also welcomed a new photographer to the team, Matt Henry - check out our newest photos at the links below:

8 Foot Sativa and Head Like A Hole
Tunes of I with Paddy Free and Rainbow Warrior
Photos by Bradley

8 Foot Sativa
Head Like A Hole
Reaving
Spork
Opium Eater
Super Narco Man
Photos by Lou

Depths
Prowler
Saving Grace
Too Late
Out Cold A.D.
Arcadian
The Inquisition
Thy Assassin
Seas of Conflict
Breathing Still
Mothra
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Motion City Soundtrack
Photos by Matt

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All of our photo galleries can all be viewed here.
Email [email protected] if you would like us to photograph you.

NZ Blokes Interview - Devilskin

Francis from NZ Blokes travelled down to Hamilton to meet up with the guys from Devilskin to talk about a whole bunch of things like their new tour, music, the success of We Rise, their thoughts on current sales models, and future plans!

http://www.nzblokes.co.nz/devilskin-interview-3/

This is the 3rd time he has spoken with the band so have a watch and get to know the band and its members even better!

Devilskin are out on the road with Villainy, City of Souls and Stonehurst throughout September and October travelling all over the North and South Island for 12 shows.

Tour Features

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All muzic.net.nz tour features can be viewed here
Email [email protected] if you would like us to create a tour feature for you.

The next muzic.net.nz newsletter is going out on Sunday 4 October 2015.
There are only 3 issues left for 2015!

If you are a NZ musician and you would like to promote your music,
we would love to feature you in this newsletter
and you can choose the date which suits you

We can also feature record labels, venues, music stores, music websites...
anything that has something to do with NZ music

Email [email protected] for more information about our newsletters

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with this number growing every day, featuring in our newsletter is an excellent promotional tool

Access our newsletter archives and see all our previous newsletters

- The muzic.net.nz team

• 1
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• 2
  Horror Story
• 3
  Fraser Ross
• 4
  Fur Patrol
• 5
  Michelle Rounds
• 6
  L.A.B.
• 7
  The Boondocks
• 8
  Late to Chelsea
• 9
  Springloader
• 10
  Baconfoot

• 
  Nadia Reid @ Loons, Lyttelton - 16/11/2024
• 
  Pull Down The Sun @ Franks Bar, Whanganui - 15/11/2024
• 
  Elidi @ Franks Bar, Whanganui - 15/11/2024
• 
  Infinity Ritual @ Franks Bar, Whanganui - 15/11/2024

• 1
  APT.
  ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
• 2
  DIE WITH A SMILE
  Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
• 3
  BIRDS OF A FEATHER
  Billie Eilish
• 4
  TASTE
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 5
  I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
  Gracie Abrams
• 6
  ESPRESSO
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 7
  SAILOR SONG
  Gigi Perez
• 8
  LOSE CONTROL
  Teddy Swims
• 9
  A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
  Shaboozey
• 10
  GOOD LUCK, BABE!
  Chappell Roan

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