Antiform have firmly embraced the latest in digital technology, both as a recording tool and as a way to link themselves into the worldwide music scene, while retaining an organic sense to their sound and their live shows. Possibly the most surprising thing about their new album, ‘City In Exile’ however, is the astoundingly varied roster of featured artists. Gareth Shute talked to this savvy Auckland trio. ...more

Annabel Alpers (aka Bachelorette) is not your usual breed of pop star. She’s had two critically acclaimed solo releases, toured America, can count Bonnie Prince Billy and Ryan Adams among her admirers, and has secured a deal with Drag City Records for her latest album ‘My Electric Family’. Yet she remains unassumingly modest and is steadfastly uninterested in fame or glory. Before she leapt on a plane for another intensive American tour, she sat down with Lydia Jenkin to talk about finding her own musical path and finding out that the best way to be a solo musician is with talented band mates. ...more

Although best known for his drumming, Julien Dyne has a broad and envy-inducing CV that includes working with many of NZ’s best musical talent, as well as producers and musicians of international renown thanks to time spent at the Red Bull Music Academy. In 2007 he released a solo EP he called ‘Phantom Limbo’, and now has an album ‘Pins & Digits’, an impressive addition to the new breed of beats and percussion-based electronic dance music. He spoke to Lydia Jenkin about piecing it all together. ...more

I didn’t expect local pop-rockers Midnight Youth to come out fighting. The brave certainly don’t run, and here, hunkered down in the dimly lit, cavernous boardroom of their record label Warner Music, on a miserable wet Auckland evening, vocalist Jeremy Redmore and lead guitarist Simon Oscroft make their stand. Leading the assault right off the bat is Redmore. “We’re not ashamed of the music we make,” he states. This opening salvo catches me completely unawares and off guard, as I struggle to pop a bottle top off a beer with a lighter. But now it’s abundantly clear that the core songwriting team of Midnight Youth have a lot to say, some scores to settle and a few points to prove. I put my beer back down on the desk, where it remains largely untouched for the duration, and return fire in anticipation. Why would you be ashamed of your music? ...more

The Minuit three have been in action for 10 years, carving themselves a niche as a class live electronica act, releasing EPs, two well-received albums, an international compilation and award-winning website. The trio’s reputation for providing electronic- and beat-based music with that special X-factor is well established, their live shows infamous for the theatre, energetic performances and singer Ruth Carr’s onstage persona. Amanda Mills met up with Carr and multi-instrumentalist Paul Dodge (Ryan Beehre wasn’t in Wellington), to talk about the last three years and creating their lengthily-titled new album, ‘Find Me Before I Die A Lonely Death Dot Com’, due for release here in July. ...more

PNC seemed to come out of nowhere to explode onto our airwaves. In 2004 when the spotlight was firmly fixed on home-grown hip hop music, Sam Hansen, aka PNC, was the most highly anticipated draft pick with his thunderous vocals, tricky wordplay, barely decipherable slang and infectiously catchy hooks blazing up Auckland city. Single A Day In the Life confirmed Hansen had arrived and his 2006 debut album ‘Rookie Card’ won a swag of awards. Three years on he’s now released a follow up ‘Bazooka Kid’. Just back from Australia, Hansen spoke to Andrew Hughes about his new ’80s influences, producing this album on his own and finding his way across the ditch. ...more

Brett Adams and Dianne Swann have been writing songs together for 17 years. A bio that includes playing with the likes of Radiohead, Oasis, and Green Day really only hints at the esteem in which they’re held by many in the music industry, around the globe. Lingering success remains elusive, but they maintain a particularly relaxed attitude towards their music, turning out catchy rock/alt-country tunes that hook your ear with ease from their home in west Auckland. The pair talk to Mark Bell about their journey to the release of the latest Bads’ album ‘So Alive’. ...more

It’s rare for bands to play through a new record beginning-to-end in any gig, but that’s what The Checks did for the premiere of their sophomore album ‘Alice By The Moon’. Given that the bulk of the songs were new to the bulk of the audience (and a few even new to the band in terms of live performance), the response was mighty encouraging. The Checks are back. Richard Thorne sat down for breakfast with singer Ed Knowles and guitarist Callum Martin to talk about Alice, astral expectations and UK experiences. ...more

They’ve been a fixture of the southern music community for years, produced two well-received EPs, and have just released a heart warming, self-titled debut album. Adam McGrath, lead man of Christchurch’s hardest gigging alt-folk slash alt-country band The Eastern talks to Vicki Anderson about keeping it together, in spite of the odds. ...more

Since getting together in the late ’90s, Wellington Heads have forged their own jazzy headway through the capital’s music scene, along the way releasing three critically acclaimed albums. Their fourth, ‘A Night on the Town’ has just been released on Ode Records and provides another batch of their hot jazz/blues originals. Del Thomas caught up with two of the main ’Heads recently to talk about their development as a band and the recording of the album. ...more