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Winner of the 1998 NZ Young Composers’ Award, Ewan Clark began his compositional study at the University of Otago before moving to Victoria University in 2001, where he completed a Bachelor of Music and Graduate Diploma in Arts. He’s a composer, teacher and conductor who was accepted last year into the Royal College of Music in London, in fact ranking among the top percentile of all applicants to the Composition for Screen course at RCM. He is currently studying there towards a Masters of Music, condensing the normally two year course into one. ...more

Late last year Julian Temple released his solo album, 'Nowhere Fast'. Better known for relentless touring throughout NZ as a power trio, the solo version allows more focus on his inspired lyrics and masterful voice. What better way to celebrate than by completely ignoring the album's title and throwing together a last minute world tour, on route to tying the knot in his native California. The man himself takes NZM along for the ride. ...more

Determined and multi-talented, Fleur Jack is a music enthusiast in every sense of the word. If she’s not working at Kiwi FM, presenting her own independent music radio show I.A.N., she’s likely busy rehearsing, playing or promoting. Well known around the country as lead singer and bassist in The Twitch (NZ winners of the 2005 World Battle of the Bands), 2010 saw her start a new project called Pavlova and the Jandals. This year has seen another shift, with the focus even more on her own music and a strict-budget solo tour of Canada and the USA, with the International Pop Overthrow Festival in Vancouver as the carrot and her first stop. Fleur very kindly agreed to share the challenge with NZM. ...more

Angular noise pop trio Die! Die! Die! have spent the last two and half months on the road, touring first Australia and the US, then Europe including recording in France. Most recently they have been testing the waters in China, one of the first Kiwi bands to officially tour there. Drummer Mikee Prain somehow managed to sneak the following busy week tour diary out from behind China’s firewalls. ...more

Battle Circus are a four-piece cinematic progressive rock band originally from Auckland who’ve been based in the US since last October, touring from the east to west coasts and getting ready to release their new album. Most recently they drove across the country to perform at the legendary South By South West music festival in Austin, Texas. Guitarist and vocalist Marcel Bellve imparts some worldly wisdom about how to make the most of a SXSW experience. ...more

At the end of September 2010 Greg Malcolm set out on his fourth European tour, the ‘continuing journey of three guitars and suitcase’. With funding assistance from Creative NZ, Greg was booked to play 24 gigs in seven different countries over the next six weeks. Impetus for the tour had come with festival invites from Berlin and Norway. These were at the beginning and end of the six weeks, giving him a neat and reasonable timeframe to book other gigs throughout Europe, which kept the experienced and experimental Christchurch guitarist busily on the move. ...more

As the 2010 NZ Gold Guitar winner (she took out the Country Rock, NZ Composition, Female Solo and Duet sections plus the overall senior title), Saelyn Guyton won the chance to attend the Australian Country Music Association’s two week Academy of Country Music in Australia’s capital of country music, Tamworth. She also got to check out and play at the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. In many ways a musical outsider, Saelyn generously shared that experience, and her own career conclusions, with NZM. ...more

Since releasing their self-titled debut album in 2009 to critical acclaim, the three prodigious members of Electric Wire Hustle have been busily spreading their sound far and wide. With the aid of an intro Outward Sound grant, the Wellington band hit the UK and Europe for a showcase tour to support the release of their album through UK record label BBE in July. Singer Mara TK gives us a peek at their travel diary. ...more

Having released their first studio album ‘Rhythm & Rhyme’ in 2007 after years of live shows and international touring, Batucada Sound Machine (or BSM as they are more readily known) have been back on the road recently, again luring audiences with their irresistible brand of latin rhythms, hip hop, jazz, afro beats and good times in the UK and Europe. Guitarist and vocalist Richie Setford, along with percussionist Darryn Sigley show us around their northern summer tour. ...more

Auckland-based, prog-rock instrumental three-piece Kerretta were recently finalists for the inaugural Taite Music Prize with their 2009 album ‘Vilayer’. They missed out on the prize, and the ceremony, having headed off to Austin, Texas for their first bash at the South By South West music festival. Here Dave Holmes, Will Waters and Hamish Walker give an hilarious low down on surviving the onslaught of music, networking, performances and that odd southern food, before they headed off across the US on a three week tour. ...more

Precocious punk prodigies Bang Bang Eche recently released their first EP entitled ‘Sonic Death C*nttt’ in NZ, but rather than touring on home soil, have since been off spreading their wings across the US and Europe. After making quite an impression at New York’s music industry festival CMJ in late October (they apparently had unsuspecting jocks blasting Bang Bang Eche from their convertibles) they embarked on a US tour with American RnB sensation Har Mar Superstar, who has a proclivity for performing in his underwear. Crossing the Atlantic they then tried their hand in the UK and Europe. Eschewing any educational pretense, Bang Bang Eche vocalist Zach Doney entertains us with some stories from the road. ...more

Well familiar to bFM listeners, Jose Barbosa has a nose for news and a good story. He recently returned from an extended European sojourn during which he caught up with a number of familiar faces and gauged the mood of some Euro-based Kiwi artists for NZM. ...more

Auckland’s new wave electro indie power pop four-piece Charlie ASH recently jetted off to Europe for an extensive festival and showcase tour ahead of their debut album release later this year. The tour so far included gigs at illustrious ‘new music’ festival The Great Escape, SoundCity Festival in Liverpool, and at the famed Koko Club in London with Ladyhawke. Gigs in Amsterdam and Berlin are up next. Frontwoman Rosie Riggir fills us in on the details. ...more

Wellington-based hard rocking four-piece Marystaple have been doing the hard yards for quite a while. They released an EP over three years ago, gaining attention and acclaim then promptly going into hibernation. Finally releasing their infectiously energetic debut album 'No Need To Be Nervous' in 2008, they resurfaced and decided to take on the world. In fact Matt F. and Matt C. are now based in London, although the whole band are really of 'no fixed abode' at the moment. Currently touring the UK and Europe, Matt Fairley, Aaron McMinn, Mike Enoka and Matt Coplon sent home the following run down of events so far. ...more

Currently based in the US, and having just finished recording their third album, brilliant alt-rock foursome The Veils have just finished a massive 23-date American tour along with Liam Finn, on their own super-sized tour bus. Bassist Sophia Burn gave NZM some insight into the delights of travelling the land of stars and stripes, with this selection of diary entries ...more

Gene Bennett was the guitarist in Auckland fun popsters Rubicon, the wacky threesome featuring on NZM's August/September 2002 cover. All the guitars Rubicon used were made by Gene and in the years since he has pursued his guitar tech skills, established G-Spot Guitars, repairing and building stringed instruments from scratch. ...more

They recently picked up the bNet award for Best Live Group and Shapeshifter have definitely earned their reputation as an awesome live act - ...more

Having recently signed a two-album European deal with top German label Sonar Collective, and a further deal with Dutch label Rough Trade, The Black Seeds are looking pretty hot up north at the moment. ...more

Cut Off Your Hands returned to Auckland in the middle of May after 12 weeks spent on the offshore road, establishing their newly re-named credentials in Australia, the US of A and London. ...more

The Ruby Suns have had a fairly busy time since dropping the Ryan McPhun name to help speed things up. ...more

P-Money was one of the few NZ acts to play all the Big Day Out shows this year, the one in Auckland and five in Australia. Playing as part of Scribe's newly formed band as well as doing his own DJ slots made for an interesting, albeit exhausting trip. He generously agreed to share his BDO experience with NZM... ...more

"... and now you must have one of the cocktails that are only from this club - it is one part absinthe, one part triple sec, apple liqueur..." I don't remember what else was in it, nor much else that happened from then on... Welcome to Finland. This is Minuit on tour in Europe promoting the new 12" of Fuji we just pressed in the UK. But mainly it's an excuse for a glorified holiday, and to go to some crazy places and have a laugh. It's electronic, but it's live. It's breakbeat, but you'll sing along - tell me if I'm wrong. ...more

Dave Saunders is a highly acclaimed keyboard programmer and “supertech” (Keyboard Magazine’s words, not his!). Originally from the UK, he is a veteran of numerous world tours and recording projects with the likes of Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck, Sade, Roger Waters and Lisa Stansfield. ...more

Kia ora. The last time I toured this part of the world was about four years ago with TrinityRoots when we spent six weeks playing the UK and Europe. ...more

The Checks have had an extraordinary year. After impressing the NME editor who was here in March, they traveled to England to play on the NME tour. ...more

Te Vaka's manager Julie Foa'i shares her experiences of travelling in a war zone after being invited to perform at a Peace Festival... ...more

On the strength of a live DVD submitted by manager James Toplis, Auckland band Batucada Sound Machine were selected to headline the Barcardi Latin Festival at the Sydney Festival from January 20-23. ...more

One of the fantastic things about gigging in New Zealand is the never-ending chain of connections and coincidences that lead on to new opportunities and adventures. ...more

Mid November last year Jenny Ward and I headed to Europe for a 10 ten-week tour. Ahead lay 23 concerts in eight different countries, performing a program based on my 'Homesick for Nowhere' CD. The tour was funded to the tune of $2000 by Creative NZ. ...more

Sure, we've just got C4, but in Indonesia MTV is the bomb and Blindspott's Nil By Mouth (international version) was the number one most played video on MTV for two months. ...more

Thirty-five degrees, the streets smell like bad oranges and the Lower East Side is our home for the next eight days. ...more

After a successful European tour in 2002, Auckland punk 4-piece Sommerset flagged the NZ autumn for the even less palatable temperatures of European spring in March and April this year. ...more

After a 12 date NZ tour built around support of USA band Disturbed, 8 Foot Sativa had a luxurious one day off before departing for LA, first stop of their 28 day Sativa World Tour. ...more

As a last minute addition to the 10 week 30-gig Moana & The Tribe tour of Europe last summer, I was summoned to produce backdrop videos (NZ scenery, contemporary and traditional Maori Art, and historical footage), in collaboration with Toby Mills of Tawera Productions in Auckland. Three weeks and 22 videos later, my retinas fried from too many all-night crash courses in DVD burning, there I was racing to Auckland International. ...more

Cloudboy have taken their show 'Shape of the Land' - a live music accompaniment to films from the New Zealand Film Archive - to the fjords, valleys and towns of Scandinavia. ...more