Our stereos, record players and Spotify are going to be working overtime over the coming months, so we’ve put together a few suggestions of New Zealand (and abroad) artists that we think you should know about or discover if you don’t.
These artists have all had tours cancelled over the coming months and some extra streaming or online sales will greatly assist them with winter on the way.
Holly Arrowsmith was due to head off on a full European and UK tour, with stops in the United States including South by South West. Her latest album A Dawn I Remember will give you a perfect escape to sink into. The world Holly brings to life with her lyrics and the soundscape are just what we need right now.
The East Pointers are one of the highest energy and exciting acts to come out of Eastern Canada in the last few years. They perform on fiddle, acoustic guitar, banjo and keyboard and bring a contemporary evolution to the Celtic tunes and fiddle tradition of their home state of Prince Edward Island. They were due to tour New Zealand in late March including a stop at Cuba Dupa and our local venue The Tuning Fork. Their new album Yours to Break came out in 2019 and is a huge development on their party folk sound, bring ideas from pop and rock into their songs.
Tami Neilson’s new album CHICKABOOM! is out now. The latest from the largest voice in Aotearoa is a party, and one that has represented a shift in Tami’s outlook on touring. Rather than put herself on the road for a month she has focused on small, bite sized tours focusing on festivals, meaning she can be home with her family for longer. She has stepped away from the five plus piece band of the past and is joined by her co-writing brother Jay, helping to ease the burden of being on the road. Having family with her has made all the difference. Tami has also been impacted by the closure of borders and tours falling by the wayside. A brand-new album to listen to, or purchase, is up on her Bandcamp or Spotify.
John Smith has built a reputation as one of the UK’s finest guitarists and songwriters. He is five albums deep and performs to sold out audiences worldwide. He takes his cue and ideals from Richard Thompson and John Martyn, developing a blend of fingerstyle and slide guitar techniques. His honey-on-gravel voice tells of loss, love and journeys. He brings traditional songs to life, those we’ve heard before reimagined, and presents his own songs to add to the tradition. I was lucky to catch John in Australia before he had to cancel the rest of his Southern Hemisphere tour. He returned home quickly to his family, but he’ll be back on this side of the world. Probably worth familiarising yourself with him so you can be first in line for tickets to his next Auckland show. (FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT)