17 September 2024 - 0 Comments

On October 14, acclaimed Kiwi musician Darren Watson will release his latest single, The Naenae Pub on Thursday night in 1991. The story is set in a small, suburban corner of the early 90's live music scene in NZ, and blends Watson’s gritty storytelling with his signature wry humour.

While Watson is well-known for his deep blues roots, this new song showcases some influences from artists he followed before his ‘blues muse’ took hold. Songwriters like Warren Zevon and Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) are obvious reference points and add a twist to his usual sound. The song introduces a cast of memorable characters, drawn from Watson’s nearly 40 years of performing in venues across New Zealand.

"This song is not nostalgic at all," Watson says. "But I guess I am revisiting a time and place long-gone, probably mostly for the best. Some of it is even true. Kind of. I hope folks can smell the stale smoke and feel the sticky carpet under their feet when they listen."

The Naenae Pub on Thursday night in 1991 will be available on Watson’s Bandcamp page and all major streaming platforms on October 14. A lyric video will be released at the same time on Watson’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

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