Gareth Shute

New FERBY! Don’t think I’ve heard te reo on a trap-influenced rap track before. Worth checking out:

Would you like to win Bic Runga's lush new album Red Sunset on vinyl? We're giving one away!
Answer the question in our current newsletter by midday tomorrow (March 6th) – we'll announce the winner in our new newsletter tomorrow afternoon. mailchi.mp/2f16d7c403d4...

Spark Arena Community Fund Announces $100K Pilot to Future-Proof Auckland’s City Centre Independent Music Venues | NZ Music Commission The Spark Arena Community Events Fund (SACEF) has today announced a landmark venue support initiative, providing more than $100,000 in initial resource support to independent music and comedy venues across Auckland city centre.

The Live Nation-owned Spark Arena doing what the government wouldn't for Auckland's small music (and in one case, comedy) venues. The $100k for capital improvements given here is tiny in the scheme of things, but it will make a huge difference to the grassroots venues. nzmusic.org.nz/music-indust...

Princess Chelsea: Watch Special Live Session at Abbey Road Princess Chelsea and her band performed 10 songs at Abbey Road's Studio Two in November 2022.

Princess Chelsea has the “Record of the Week” on Rolling Stone (AU):

au.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Time to crush my silly questions about the NZ scene with your sharp answers!

Princess Chelsea And The Dream Warriors - Pop Up Show - Public Bar (Whammy), Auckland Princess Chelsea And The Dream Warriors - Pop Up Show, Public Bar (Whammy), Auckland Thu, 12 March

Princess Chelsea has unveiled a splendid new live album & concert film with her band The Dream Warriors + announced a pop up show at Tāmaki's Public Bar — previewing new material on 12th March!

Strictly limited tickets via UTR, all proceeds to Palestinian Childrens Relief Fund.

Taite Music Prize 2026 Finalists Announced The shortlist of albums has been unveiled for this year's coveted award.

The 2026 Taite Music Prize Finalists have been announced!

Congratulations Dick Move, Geneva AM, Jazmine Mary, MĀ, Marlon Williams, Phoebe Rings, Reb Fountain, Ringlets, Tom Scott and Womb 🏆🫡

Amelia Berry - AudioCulture Over the last 17 years, Berry has applied her skills as an instrumentalist, songwriter and producer to a range of bands and solo projects, including Nice Birds, Polyester (formerly Kip McGrath), Fimo,...

Even if you know of Amelia Berry, maybe best known as Amamelia, you probably don't know quite how many musical projects she's helmed, or been involved with. The award-winning electronic musician, producer... www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/amel...

Release Roundup: Princess Chelsea & The Dream Warriors, Frau Knotz x Amamelia, c cada, Lorazepam, Secret Sorcery, Data Animal + More New and recent sonic gems from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dive into our Release Roundup — Princess Chelsea & The Dream Warriors, Frau Knotz x Amamelia, c cada, Lorazepam, Secret Sorcery, Data Animal, Infinite Hex, WHO SHOT SCOTT, L.A. Mitchell, Adam McGrath and frog power ⚔️

YouTube video by Lil' Chief Records Princess Chelsea - Live At Studio Two (Full Special)

If you need some weekend viewing, Princess Chelsea’s full one hour special filmed/recorded at Abbey Road is up now. It was co-directed by Marc Swadel (cinematographer for the Chemical Brothers live film, Don’t Think) so it’s visually striking too:

youtu.be/6mZxgG2eQNc?...

This is big: Ōtautahi Christchurch radio station RDU turns 50 today!⁠ ⁠
They first went to air at 8am on 23 February 1976 as “Radio U”. Operating under a special licence, initially they were only allowed to broadcast during the Orientation/enrolment period. ⁠
www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/rdu...

Release Roundup: Amamelia, DC Maxwell, Eden Burns, Body Beat Ritual, Keepsakes, TL Stamp, Sanoi, Mudgoose + More New and recent sonic gems from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dive into our Release Roundup — Aotearoa highlights from @amamelia.bsky.social, DC Maxwell, Eden Burns, Body Beat Ritual, Keepsakes, @tonylstamp.bsky.social, Sanoi, Mudgoose, frog power & this dog 👽

Mainard Larkin on life after Randa and his pivot from hip-hop to country music For ten years Randa released a string of hip-hop EPs and singles, and after a three year break has returned with a completely different sound. Released under his own name, 'Rattlesnake Boy' is the fir...

www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

Mainard Larkin is on RNZ now - talking going from rap as Randa to alt-country under their own name

All the best new songs as always.

This is an incredible story of how a record deal with a major label can go bad. But moreso it’s about an artist talented enough to recover and go on to release their biggest songs!

Janine - AudioCulture Throughout it all, she was driven by her own self-determination. Janine has produced many of her own hits – most notably ‘Loving Me’ and ‘Broke Me Down’ – and performs sold-out shows across the US. Ja...

Brand new: Janine Foster broke through as Janine and the Mixtape in the early 2010s, and was living in the US when she won the Urban/Hip Hop award at the NZ Music Awards in 2015. She reverted to her first name Janine, had ups and downs... www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/janine

Yeah Shannon Fowler (Tom Lark) actually made a lot of beats for Randa and one day Randa/Mainard said ‘it’d be fun to do a country album’ … and so they made one and it’s great!

YouTube video by Lil' Chief Records Mainard Larkin - 'Rattlesnake Boy'

Lil Chief Records has a new artist - Mainard Larkin (after a dozen years of being too busy due to the incredible success of Princess Chelsea and Jonathan Bree). ‘Rattlesnake Boy’ is out now:

youtu.be/bTvzA9eJjEY?...

For Te Rā o Waitangi, here's Geneva AM's gorgeous song ‘IHO’. It was her first solo single; the striking video was directed by Keely Meechan. Geneva Alexander-Marsters (Ngāti Kahungunu) attended kōhanga as a child, and went to bilingual schools. She began... www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/wai...

Damien Wilkins: Seven Songs - Article | AudioCulture Damien Wilkins in 2024. - Ebony Lamb Damien Wilkins is the author of 14 books, including the novel Delirious (2024), which won the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2025 Ockham NZ Book Awa...

Next-level critical analysis by Damien Wilkins of 7 NZ songs. Building up with sections on Dave Dobbyn, The Clean, Chris Knox, Aldous Harding, Don M, and The Beths, the final part on Martin Phillipps is superb. Raises the bar.

www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/dam...

Prize time! Here's a chance to win a Collector's Edition Double LP Pixie Williams set. In December last year, via Holiday records, 'Blue Smoke' returned on vinyl, 76 years after it was recorded. To mark this, we have 2 LPs to give away:
- 1. For the Record: The Pixie...
mailchi.mp/7a0adc3b54c4...

Princess Chelsea - AudioCulture All this has largely happened without the artist’s contrivance; in fact she seems slightly bemused by it. Chelsea herself doesn’t even have the TikTok app. Her videos are low-to-no-budget and usually ...

In November 2022, Princess Chelsea & The Dream Warriors recorded a live session at Abbey Road’s Studio Two. Yes that room, made famous by The Beatles and Pink Floyd. The 10-song performance was filmed by London-based Kiwi director Marc Swadel. Studio Two... 1/3 www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/prin...

Reminder to all NZ musicians who released an album in 2025 that you have about 4.5 hour left to nominate yourself for the TAITE MUSIC PRIZE. You probably won't win, but you will get reviewed in The Spinoff when I do my annual thing of listening to the entire list. Do it. Do it now.

YouTube video by Lil' Chief Records Princess Chelsea - Time (Live At Studio Two)

New Princess Chelsea video out today. Filmed and recorded at Studio Two in Abbey Road Studios. Fun to play on the same piano as The Beatles! Full album and one-hour video special coming soon...

youtu.be/ROe0fmlRKIA?...

Release Roundup: Bic Runga, Kimbra, Mimi Riverz, Heavy Flow, Beth Torrance, Kaishandao + More New and recent sonic gems from Aotearoa NZ.

Dive into our Release Roundup — Aotearoa highlights from Bic Runga, Kimbra, Dream Chambers x Hun Lynch, Current Bias, Mimi Riverz x Takatapunani, Kaishandao, Heavy Flow, Beth Torrance, frog power, Blowfly Saint and Human22 👻

Jenny Morris - AudioCulture Born in Tokoroa in 1956, Jenny Morris grew up in Hamilton, where she first performed professionally at the age of 15 before joining How’s Your Father in Auckland, finalists in the Battle of The Bands ...

Music lovers are very sad to hear that Sly Dunbar has died at 73. With Robbie Shakespeare, his influence is immeasurable. New Zealander Jenny Morris recorded the 1991 album Honeychild with Sly and Robbie, featuring No. 3 charting single ‘Break In The Weather’. www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/jenn...

Papalii Sia Figiel Found Dead in her Cell at Tanumalala Prison - Samoa Global News Papalii Sia Figiel, renowned Pacific novelist, poet and painter has died at Tanumalala prison while awaiting the result of her murder trial. Sources at the correctional facility say Papali was found d...

Tragic, unsettling news. Papalii Sia Figiel was a complicated genius, a groundbreaking storyteller of Oceania.

samoaglobalnews.com/papalii-sia-...

One of the biggest NZ indie bands of the 90s remained virtual unknowns at home, most likely because they found success through the US Christian rock scene...

One of the most intriguing names on the Laneway @lanewayfest.bsky.social line-up this year is NZ act 9lives - he's been incredibly successful online, but what will his live set be like?