Fresh Talent: Beth Elsden
Releasing her first single, Losing You Slow, in March this year, with the second, Peace Comes With It, following in April, dream pop singer-songwriter Beth Elsden already had a debut EP ready to roll ...
READ MORE >Interviews
Video Premiere – Villain by WILKA
WILKA makes dance-pop that punches emotionally as much as physically. Born in Poland, Patrycja Piasta moved to New Zealand at 12, growing up between languages, cultures and identities in a way that still ...
READ MORE >NEWSMORE >
News
2026 APRA Silver Scroll Award Top 20
The 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Award top 20 nominated songs have been announced by APRA AMCOS Aotearoa, along with the top 11 waiata shortlist for the APRA Maioha Award. From here it's up to voting by New Zealand APRA members to determine the best songs of the past year. The trophy winners will be announced at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards on 14 October at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau. APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka finalists: Afters - written by ...
READ MORE >News
Media Arts Lawyers Close, Stephen King Launches King Media Law
After 20 years as Principal Partner of Australia-based entertainment law firm Media Arts Lawyers, Stephen King this week announced the launch of his new firm King Media Law. Media Arts Lawyers, which previously also had an office in Auckland, ceased trading on July 1st, 2026. In what the remaining MAL web page describes as 'an important milestone in its evolution' each of the five partners will continue their legal practices through four new business entities. King says the time felt right ...
READ MORE >News
July 2026 New Music Single Funding Results
The July 2026 New Music Single funding round results have been announced by NZ On Air, with up to $11,000 provided for 30 songs by local artists to be released in the coming months. The funding is to support recording, video and promotion costs. 143 eligible applications were received, which NZ On Air point out means only 20% of the applications could be funded. Nine of the successful artists are first-time New Music Single funding recipients, the 30 songs showing strong potential to reach a diverse ...
READ MORE >News
Winners of the 2026 Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards
Winners of the 2026 Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards were announced at the Tuning Fork in Tāmaki Makaurau on Sunday June 28, family act Spellodies leading the way in winning two categories. Featuring Steph Brown and Fen Ikner of the 2012 APRA Silver Scroll-winning act LIPS, and their son Freddy on drums, Spellodies collected the Tūī for Best Children's Music Artist for their album 'If You Can Yell It, Then You Can Spell It'. Ikner also won the Best Children’s Music Video award for Night ...
READ MORE >FEATURESMORE >
NewTracks New Artist
NewTracks New Artist: Cindy
Garage rock act Cindy have almost famously been performing around Auckland indie venues for most of the past decade, the more famous part including support slots with Japanese touring acts including Guitar Wolf and Shonen Knife, plus other like-minded international talent. With a debut album called ‘The Way I Do’ expected in September, their recent single All The Nice People found its way onto the July NewTracks compilation from NZ On Air Music. All The Nice People by Cindy Who are ...
READ MORE >Interviews
Adam McGrath: Stand Up, Fight Back
The Kiwi epitome of a working musician, Adam McGrath is nearing his own half century, still playing three or four solo shows a week in music venues and country halls all over the motu. Lyttelton’s favourite folk artist may have slowed his gigging frequency a little in recent years in deference to his health, but with that has come the bonus of two solo albums. Released in May 2026, his sophomore album is called ‘Wrecker Songs’. Richard Thorne talked with him about the project which commemorates ...
READ MORE >Interviews
Menzies: Magic Hands
Menzies’ songs are populated with famously Kiwiana things like our national rugby team, sausage rolls, inter-island ferry crossings and mashed potatoes. Attracting parallels with the Kiwi-conscious likes of The Front Lawn, The Mutton Birds and Ha The Unclear, the Wellington four-piece entertainingly explore the national psyche with a clear Kiwi pitch, while challenging with oddball lyrics, unsettled song structures and raw personal insight. Band leader Chris Brown (vocals, guitar and keys), talked ...
READ MORE >Interviews
Lee Martin: Might As Well Dance
With a background delivering soul-rich vocals across a spread of genres, Ōtautahi singer-songwriter Lee Martin has earned a reputation as a versatile storytelling artist, with an old soul. The first single from her new album ‘Marlene’ delicately captured the cycle of searching for relief from emotional numbness, the next almost buoyantly faced the constantly shifting aspirational goalposts of life. Martin talked through ‘Marlene’ with Nur Peach. Lee Martin’s widely praised third album ...
READ MORE >Interviews
Sylvee: Grace Over Hurt
Performing as her solo indie project Sylvee, and previously in the duo Bank Land, Sarah Ryland has developed a reputation for dark, sharp-edged electropop. With her third solo EP, ‘Tender,’ the Nelson singer-songwriter makes an unexpected pivot into country, resulting in an emotive body of work which is certainly aptly titled. June 2026 has been a busy month for Sarah Ryland. Not only did she just release ‘Tender’, her third Sylvee EP since 2019, but she’s expecting her first baby. “It's ...
READ MORE >NewTracks New Artist
NewTracks New Artist: Mikaela Cougar
Prolifically releasing singles and EPs since her introductory Lucky Stars single back in 2019, Mikaela Cougar describes herself as Auckland’s pop rock pixie. Her uber catchy latest single Still Mine is about emotional relapses that hit during the aftermath of a breakup, and featured on the June NewTracks compilation from NZ On Air Music. What’s your given name, pronouns, and where are you from? My name is Mikaela! I identify as a female and I love being a woman! (Some might argue ...
READ MORE >Interviews
The Veils: Pieces That Make Up The Whole
With more than two decades of evolution behind them, and just a year on from the last album, ‘Asphodels’, The Veils return in June 2026 with their eighth long player, ‘Fragile World’. Dasha Koryagina spoke with Finn Andrews, the creative force behind the band, about the album and how it was pieced together. ‘Fragile World’ is a piano-centric record, with Finn Andrews’ clean vocals and bright keys at its core, supported by measured drumming and softly distorted strings that lend a sometimes ...
READ MORE >EVENTSMORE >
Event Guide
Ammonita celebrate releasing ’Spore’
Otago uni alt-rock stand outs Ammonita are celebrating the release of their debut EP ‘Spore’ on July 24 at Pearl Diver in Dunedin, where they’ll also be joined by two more rocking Ōtepoti bands, FUBAR and Monkey Do. Doors open at 9pm with bands starting at 9:30. Tickets online at just $10+BF, or $15 at the door.
READ MORE >Event Guide
Auckland Phil Perform Waiata Anthems
Auckland Phil will celebrate Matariki 2026 by performing ‘Waiata Anthems’ on Thursday 9 July. In 2019 the album ‘Waiata Anthems’ debuted at No.1 in the NZ Music Charts – the first 100% reo Māori album to do so. Experience the original songs from this iconic multi award-winning album as Auckland Philharmonia and the next generation of up-and-coming young Waiata Anthems’ artists pay tribute to the album that helped start a movement. Jordyn with a Why, MOHI, Geneva AM and Ngā Tapuwae ...
READ MORE >Event Guide
The Trusts Live! at Corban Estate in May
West Auckland organisation The Trusts (Portage Licensing Trust and Waitākere Licensing Trust), are joining in NZ Music Month with The Trusts Live!, five Saturday nights of live music in the intimate wine cellar at Corban Estate Arts Centre, Henderson. With a diverse line-up of local artists across funk, soul, electronic, hip hop, indie and more, The Trusts Live! programme will also shine a light on the emerging artists and sound engineers from Crescendo (the Henderson-based music programme supporting ...
READ MORE >