Music News - Tāmaki Makaurau's Beachware release their debut album 'It's Only Time'
02 February 2023 - 0 Comments
Beachware is an indie rock group based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Over the course of six years Beachware have honed their craft, making tight indie tracks that juxtapose pop hooks with warm chords, and smooth summer rhythms.
Beachware are the go to for local heritage acts, performing alongside Stellar*, Elemeno P, Autozamm and Voom. The group have graced stages like the Powerstation, supported Billy Idol at Western Springs and won RNZ’s Songwriting competition.
Today Beachware are proud to present their debut album It’s Only Time. The record has been pressed to 140g Rosa Purple vinyl by Holiday Records, Aotearoa's only purpose-built boutique plant. To celebrate, Beachware are about to hit the road traveling the length and breadth of Aotearoa throughout February!
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With six members (Julia Morris, James Mac, Rob Hartnell, Josh Nicholas, Alexandra Selkirk-Hanna, with Scotty Pearson), Beachware genre bend, providing a potluck of power pop guitars, 80's synths and unmistakably kiwi vocals.
“The album is eclectic,” says Hartnell. “We like to think of ourselves as a little bit of an experimental pop group, aiming to use a lot of interesting percussion, 80's synths, and spacey, textural guitars. Our songs tend to start with an imperfect, almost-DIY, bedroom pop songwriting approach that we hope to convey, with moments of complexity, or unusual tones, sounds and samples when it feels right.”
It’s Only Time has been a long time coming, with the band navigating recording delays and tour cancellations due to Covid 19. But the intent behind the album remained the same throughout the process. “We wanted to establish Beachware as a real, proper band - bands put out records. That may be a bit old-hat in the streaming single-to-single world of 2023, but it definitely helps cement us as a team and driven, creative band.”
It’s Only Time was produced by Tom Healy (who has worked with Julia Jacklin, Marlon Williams and The Veils) and recorded between Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios and The Lab. “We felt at home in the Lab and in Tom’s space, which is a heavily analogue, old-school synthesiser and guitar space, and that naturally distills into the sounds you hear. Tom has a way of encouraging a song or band into really precise, natural moments that get captured. He’s very open to experimenting and so fun to work with. He’s mischievous in his work and lets things be silly if it’s all getting a bit serious.”It’s Only Time features co-writing credits with Merk and additional horns performed by Tim Stewart (Hopetoun Brown, Supergroove). “Merk has such a natural understanding of what each song can be. He asks the right questions of what’s trying to be achieved and then suggests how to get there. There’s a reason why Tim plays horns on every record in Aotearoa. He’s an absolute professional, he has patience with no limit - and in a single afternoon he blasted all takes with total precision.”
With the release of It’s Only Time, Hartnell reflects that “so much has happened since we began making this album. Children have been born, members have moved overseas, returned and then moved away again. It’s only time became a bit of a mantra while the world stopped and waited for normality to resume. It’s tongue in cheek cause time is really all we have but you can’t always be so focused on what comes next. The album being finished is a good reminder to just sit with something, and not let the world or industry pace rush things.”
To celebrate the release of It's Only Time, Beachware are hitting the road performing throughout Aotearoa in February - and they’re taking Rockquest runners up Haven along for the ride too!
Catch them at:
Feb 3 : AUCKLAND - Big Fan [ALL AGES]
Feb 4: NAPIER - Paisley Stage
Feb 10: DUNEDIN - Dive
Feb 11: CHRISTCHURCH - Space Academy [ALL AGES EARLY SHOW]
Feb 11: CHRISTCHURCH - Space Academy [R18 Late Show]
Feb 17: WHANGAREI - OneOneSix [ALL AGES]
Feb 18: HAMILTON - Last Place
Feb 24: WELLINGTON - San Fran, supporting Haven
Tickets are available from Undertheradar, early birds have sold out, so grab your ticket before they’re gone!
Photo Credit: Connor Hanna
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