NZ Music Month is a promotion run by the NZ Music Commission that takes place each May, in association with many other NZ music organisations including NZ On Air, Independent Music NZ (IMNZ) Recorded Music NZ, APRA AMCOS and The Music
Managers Forum (MMF). NZ Music Month also relies on the support of the country's labels, media, the general public, and, most importantly, the artists themselves.
NZ Music Month originally started as NZ Music Week on Anzac Day 1997. In 2001 it became NZ Music Month and took up permanent residence during May.
Not only is this a great time of the year to show our support for our local bands and musicians, but during May 2020 we will also be celebrating 20 years of NZ Music Month!
Download your own NZ Music Month 2020 posters
What's Happening?
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This year sees the return of the NZ Music Month T-shirts through Hallensteins, with unique tees, designed by local NZ artists available to purchase here. Proceeds from the T-shirt sales will be donated to MusicHelps. Hallensteins will also be showcasing a great range of incredible local NZ artists live on Instagram and they will be continuing the Live in the Lounge’ series every weekend throughout the month of May. |
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Online music channel E NOHO have partnered with the NZ Music Commission to put on a live-streamed show every Friday night at 8pm throughout May to showcase emerging talent and new discoveries. Presented by Auckland-based musician Ed Waaka, these incredible shows will feature three talented musicians each week via the E NOHO and NZ Music Month Facebook pages. |
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The wonderful people at NicNak Media continue to bring us the Lockdown Live online music series, showcasing a line-up of NZ's hottest emerging talent. During May you can tune in on Wednesdays 6, 13, 20 and 27 May at 8:00pm. |
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Independent Music NZ's (IMNZ) Going Local seminars and the NZ Music Month Summit (presented in association with the NZ Music Managers Forum (MMF)) will
be hosted online, prioritising advice and helpful information on building a music career and profile when touring is off the table. The NZ Music Month Summit is taking place on Saturday 23 May at 11am. There will be discussions with NZ artists and music industry professionals around the NZ Music Month theme of supporting our local music industry. |
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Presented by Electric Kiwi, Jam on Toast is a Facebook live festival featuring a range of great Kiwi acts such as The Upbeats,
Paige, Alae and Randa. Check it out on Saturdays 2 and 9 May. |
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To show their support for NZ music and music venues, Auckland Museum has shared some of their favourite posters showcasing Auckland bands and iconic Auckland music venues. These posters offer a glimpse into Auckland's anarchic, door-kicking
punk and new-wave scenes that stomped their way into the city's late 70's-early 80's musical landscape .
Check out the posters here |
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The Performing Arts Network of NZ (PANNZ) in association with Auckland Live are hosting an online hui here with the aim to connect the creative sector on Monday 4 May at 11am. |
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The Taite Music Prize awards ceremony is taking place on Tuesday 5 May at 5:30pm via RNZ Music's Facebook Page,
to recognise outstanding creativity in an album or EP. The ceremony can also be viewed here and here. |
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The Two Daze music compilation is making a return, recruiting a nationwide dream team of musicians to contribute songs they've written in just 48 hours. Organiser Isaac MacFarlane (Hahko, ex-Two Cartoons and Spawts invited 34 artists such as Koizilla and Dicatphone Blues to write and record a new song in early April. These songs will be released during every week in May. |
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Holiday Records in association with Roundhead Studios, Munki Studios and Sunday Best plan to press a 7" record in Aotearoa for the first time since 1987, choosing which artist it will feature during May. Entries are open until Wednesday 31 May. More info here. |
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The Nook and Cranny Music Festival will be going virtual with live performances for the ultimate taster of NZ music direct to your devices and living
rooms on Sunday 3 May from 11am. More than 50 Dunedin artists will be performing between bookstacks, in elevators, on tables, in the Nooks and Crannies of the Library. |
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Last October Bulletbelt entered The Surgery studio with Producer James Goldsmith (Beastwars, Earth Tongue) to record their album. Filmmaker Amber Beaton was on hand to capture the process. On Friday 1 May they will be sharing an advanced premiere of Prevail and Conquer on Facebook and Instagram. |
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Christchurch venue The Darkroom is launching a Boosted crowd funding campaign to help cover rent and utilities. To coincide with the launch of the venue's fundraising efforts, and the 20th anniversary of NZ Music Month, the Darkroom has also announced the Darkroom Social Distancing Special, an online gig featuring 24 local Christchurch bands and musicians. Live streaming will take place on Facebook and Boosted Live from 6pm until Midnight on both Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd May. |
| TOO CUT'S NZ MUSIC MONTH CHALLENGE Friday 1 May and Friday 22 May More Info |
THE STOMACH LIVE STREAMED SHOWS Every Friday More Info |
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| SPARK SESSIONS Every Sunday and Wednesday night More Info Be in to win your own Spark Session here. |
THE BIG LITTLE LOCKDOWN KIWI MUSIC QUIZ Wednesday 6 May More Info |
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| VODAFONE LOUNGE JAMS Thursday 7 May More Info |
NZ STORY For every day in May, NZ Story are sharing a current favourite Kiwi song to highlight NZ's vibrant music community. |
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| NZ MUSIC T-SHIRT DAY Wear your favourite NZ music t-shirt and donate to the MusicHelps Lives appeal New Zealand Artist Merch 29 May |
RAGLAN ROAST WEEKLY SHOW Now streamed from a coffee shop every Saturday night SOUTHERN CROSS WEEKLY MUSIC QUIZ Every Thursday More Info |
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| BAND FERNS Players from the Black Ferns have created this rendition of Tutira Mai Nga Iwi. The Black Ferns have also created playlists of their favourite local songs. Links are on their Twitter. |
PACIFIC MUSIC AWARDS VOTING Vote for this year's Pacific Music Awards here There is also a Spotify playlist featuring the nominees here |
Details for more gigs and events can be found here.
| Boosted campaigns Boosted has a 'Pay It Forward' fundraising strategy. More info here and here. |
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| Cassette Nine | Whammy Bar and The Wine Cellar |
| San Fran | The Dark Room |
| Blue Smoke | Cabana |
| The Dog with Two Tails | Neck of the Woods |
| Smash Palace | Totara Street |
| Space Academy | Meow |
| The Dome Bar | Cassette Nine |
| Galatos | Ding Dong Lounge |
| The Plant | Wunderbar |
| Boosted Shows | |
| NZ Symphony Orchestra 1 May - 6:30pm Stretch 1 May - 7pm |
Arjuna Oakes 1 May - 7pm 9 May - 5pm 15 May - 7pm |
| Luigi Cappel 3 May - 5pm 10 May - 5pm |
Bryony Matthews 3 May - 3pm 10 May - 3pm 17 May - 3pm |
NZ Radio
RNZ is celebrating NZ Music Month with fresh daily music, sharing a new song and video from
an up-and-coming Kiwi artist every day throughout May.
Music will be played after 1pm weekdays and during Saturday's Music 101 show.
RNZ will also be showcasing covers of classic Kiwi songs every Monday at 3:30pm. A host of well-known Kiwi artists will be sharing their covers, so stay tuned for some nice surprises.
All five student radio stations around the country; bFM, Radio Control, Radio One, Radio Active and RDU are confirmed to feature a week of 100% local music during NZ Music Month.
George FM is stoked to be presenting Aotearoa Anthems, a countdown of the
Top 100 Kiwi songs as voted for by the
George Listeners.
The Molten Metal Show on Rock It 107.5FM Port Chalmers will be presenting
NZ Metal Month - more info here.
Flava will be presenting the History of NZ Hip Hop every Friday during May from 10am.
ZM will be presenting Float At Home through their Facebook page on Saturday 9 May from 3pm.
Most FM are hosting Under the Mic Archives almost every day during May, as well as a Graham Brazier special on
Saturday 16 May.
Mai FM will be hosting Backyard Beats 50 on Sunday 31 May from 12pm.
The Edge is hosting Insta Sessions featuring NZ bands and musicians.
Join Jay and Dunc on The Rock each weekday to hear highlighted Kiwi artists. The Rock are also giving listeners the chance to win $1,500 for their next local music experience, and donating $1500 to MusicHelps. More info here.
New Music
There'll be plenty of delicious offerings of new music available during NZ Music Month 2020. Here's a selection of what to expect:
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We'll see more "impressive energy and powerful sounds" from Auckland four-piece Coridian as they release their highly-anticipated third EP Eldur. Featuring their latest singles Rite of Passage and The Witness, this is one EP which is sure to excite. Eldur (Nordic for fire) is the third in a four-part EP series that the band began in 2015 with Oceanic. The four EP cycle covers off all of the elements that comprise the earth. The Eldur EP will set its release into the world on Friday May 22, and is available for pre-order now. It will also be accompanied with a video documenting the entire process and concept. Coridian will also be releasing their newest single Good For Nothing on Friday May 8. Chris Chick from Muzic.net.nz recently spoke to Coridian - check out their interview here. |
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May the Fourth be with you, as Channeled release their brand-new single. The Taste of Blood is hard hitting right from the roaring guitars that come blasting in from the start. The opening riff will get your heart pumping with adrenaline, and by the end you will want to experience it all over again. Carrying on and evolving the sound found on the well-received self-titled debut album, The Taste of Blood is the perfect first track to promote the new upcoming, yet to be titled, second album due end of the year. The Taste of Blood will be released globally on all streaming platforms at 8pm on Monday May 4 and you can pre-order it here. |
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Auckland based alternative rock band, Bad Jones will be releasing their debut EP entitled You Are All Animals on Friday May 15. You Are All Animals will be available through digital platforms. Recorded and mixed by Dave Rhodes in October/November 2019 between Auckland's Parachute Studios and Matarangi in the Coromandel, You Are All Animals is a blend of dissonance, vocal hooks and aggressive riffs, and is an authentic replication of the bands live highlights to date, including the previously released single, Soul No Body. You can follow Bad Jones on Facebook and Instagram to receive up to date information about upcoming events and releases. |
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West Auckland alternative Metal band Primacy are releasing their debut album Seeds of Change on Friday May 22. Seeds of Change comprises 7 songs that explore the pressures we face as humans and as custodians of an overburdened planet. Dark technical basslines blend with a heavy rhythmic groove, while aggressive guitar and raw moody vocals complete a dense and detailed soundscape. Produced and mixed by guitarist Jared Tobin and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, Sepultura amongst others), Seeds of Change is the culmination of two years of hard work and growth.
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2020 is looking too be a massive year for The Nighthawk Experience as the NHE has its debut EP release Current Lies on Friday May 22, which has 5 banging tracks on it. The NHE currently has a website under development and the beginnings of an online merchandise shop. The NHE is created by Scott McDonald-Bull, a singer/songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand. He writes and composes all the music you hear from the NHE. Scott recently spoke to Muzic.net.nz - you can check out his interview here. |
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Auckland alt-rock outfit City of Souls dropped their mammoth 16-track debut album Synaesthesia last Friday May 1. Synaesthesia has been an album five years in the making. Marcus Powell elaborates: "City of Souls have hit every single obstacle and block you can imagine. For us, this album is about endurance, passion, and a deep love for music." City of Souls have built a solid reputation as a live act to be reckoned with and developed a strong fanbase in New Zealand and across the world. With support locally including The Rock and Radio Hauraki, the band continue to push the envelope with their sound single by single, resulting in a solid collection of 16 tracks for the debut album. The City Of Souls sound is a true amalgamation of the members bringing something from each of their projects. Creating one of New Zealand’s heaviest and most loved rock bands. |
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Outside In weave together alternative and prog-rock elements to produce a sound that is their own. |
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Lost Tribe Aotearoa is a Raglan based group of talented musos, hailing from all over the Pacific. Lost Tribe Aotearoa's self-titled album dropped on Friday May 1. There’s something for everyone on there, and 2 of the tunes, including the lead single Wicked Man, has caught the ears of NZ On Air, who gave them a couple of sweet grants to get their album on the way. They also won the Mai FM ‘Big Break’ for their track Irie in 2018! Lost Tribe Aotearoa is authentically from this land. This album is gritty, fun, upbeat and thought-provoking, as well as sounding amazing as it is recorded and produced at Roundhead by Scott Seabright and mastered at Kog by Chris Chetland. |
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Dunedin musician Darryl Baser is set to release his second album #secondselfie on Tuesday May 12. #secondselfie is a collaboration between Baser and a bunch of others, including EDM producer Robots in Love and electronic producer Haszari. There are also a few tracks recorded town Stephen Hastie on drums and Paul S Allen on bass. The album is being released two ways: a 5 song version on Bandcamp, and a 12 song version on CD. There will only be 50 CDs made on the first run, all featuring original artwork by Dunedin artist Sarah Flourish. The first single from #secondselfie is set go live on Bandcamp at the start of May to celebrate the 20th anniversary of New Zealand Music Month. |
May Releases
| MAY 1 City of Souls Synaesthesia Album Lost Tribe Aotearoa Lost Tribe Aotearoa Album Holly Afoa Sister EP Mazbou Q Afroternity EP Midnight Manor Save The World Single Reb Fountain Reb Fountain Album Sonic Space Lab Up In The Air EP Kaela HTKY Single Fly My Pretties The Studio Recordings Part Two Album Chris Lake Explore EP Outside In Om Video Known Associates Ride The Wave Album Dateline Dateline Live EP Milly Tabak & The Miltones Honest Woman Single Jed Parsons Playstation and Porn Single Tim Allen Won't Let You Win Single JessB Pon It Single Little Ripples Rise and Fall Album |
MAY 12 Darryl Baser #secondselfie Album KITA Try To Find A Way Video Audiophysical Feat. Wallace Cosmos Single/Video MAY 14 Repairs Last Chances Single Giantess Big Woman Album MAY 15 Bad Jones You Are All Animals EP Sofia Machray Handstands Single Theia Celebrity Single MAY 18 WHIM Mother Tongue EP MAY 19 Ivy Angel Escalade Single |
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| MAY 2 Age of Destitute Lunar Love Single MAY 4 Channeled The Taste of Blood Single Ryan Lovins Feat. Anime, Two6Seven and PHD Hip Hop NZ Crazy Love Single Katie Thompson West Coast Video Social Shun Hmmmm It Tastes Just Like Garlic Bread Single MAY 5 Buda Days of Colour EP Steve Abel Ache of You Single |
MAY 22 Coridian Eldur EP Primacy Seeds of Change Album The Nighthawk Experience Current Lies EP Mudbelly Mudbelly Album Voodoo Bloo MMA Single MAY 29 Outside In Karmatrain Album Alayna Powley EP Alexa Casino Keep Breathing She Loves You Devout Single Konarucchi They Follow Single |
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| MAY 6 Milly Tabak & The Miltones Honest Woman Video MAY 8 Coridian Good For Nothing Single Amamelia Wow EP Goodspace Under The Loquat Tree Album Madeleine Howard No More Single Bad Hagrid Bad Hagrid and The Planet of the Androgynites Album Daily J Skylah Single |
OTHER MAY RELEASES Jacquie Walters Time Will Tell Album Dilz Feat. Ty and Sid Diamond Rewind Single Ashley Alexander Staring At The Sun For Too Long EP Banks Arcade Fever Dreams Album Claudia Gunn Singles Mental Fatal Album Guardian Singles Single and Video Crap Date Single and Video Joseph and Maia Music Video |
NZ Music Month Links
Donations to MusicHelps can be made via Give A Little, texting 'MUSIC' to 2448 to donate $3, by transfer using internet banking and by PayPal.
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