Kiwi MusicTalk: New Zealanders Talk About Their Music

Flea Miller is a 16-year-old singer/songwriter/musician and record label owner. Flea will make his way to The 13th Floor's performance space this Saturday, treating fans to an acoustic/spoken word set, something a little different for the young artiste. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Flea a few days before the event to find out what the youthful indie rocker has planned. As it turns out, Fle...

Luna Shadows is a US/NZ artist based (mostly) in LA, at least that's where we found her when we tracked her down to talk about her new album, titled, bathwater. Marty Duda spoke to Luna Shadows about making this new record under the restrictions of the pandemic, weighing the pros and cons of working with her co-producer Bradley Hale via Zoom. Our Zoom link was working fine and so you can see and h...

Georgia Lines has just released her debut album, The Rose Of Jericho and its a beauty. Marty Duda spoke to the AMA "Best Pop Artist" about making the record with producer Nic Manders and revealed how early Disney animated films inspired her to make The Rose Of Jericho. 

Mel Parsons  is just about to release her new album, titled  Sabotag e and we thought we’d take the opportunity to talk to Mel about how it came to be. Marty Duda  spoke to Mel, who was at home in Lytttleton, just days before  Sabotage  is to be released. Unlike previous albums, Mel and producer  Josh Logan  played and sang everything on the recording, using no o...

Lehali is Rosalie Norton a 19-year-old singer/songwriter from Hamilton who was in Auckland for Youth Week. We were lucky enough to have her up to our studio to hear her perform her song Venus and the Moon . Marty Duda sat down with the teenager who already has one album under her belt, has been mentored by Troy Kingi, opened for Hollie Smith and  performed her original music as a part of the...

West Auckland band  Park Rd  have just released their debut album titled  The Novel  and we caught up with front man  Tom Chamberlain  on release day! Marty Duda  spoke to Tom on “a moody day in West Auckland” about how the five budding musicians found each other at a Titirangi high school and how they then produced  The Novel. 

Vera Ellen has just released her new EP, Heartbreak For Jetlag on Flying Nun and she's set to go on tour with Reb Fountain and Voom. Marty Duda spoke to Vera about making Heartbreak For Jetlag, winning the Taite Prize and what she and her band have planned for these shows with Voom and Reb....it sounds like we are in for a few surprises!

Marty Duda  sat down with Steffany Beck and went through the new EP, Pillars, track by track, with Steffany getting “dolled” up to sing and play a special acoustic version of her new single,  What Would Dolly Do.

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda sat down with Jenni and had a brief chin-wag about her life, her music and her song before Jenni treated us with this exclusive acoustic version of her latest single T-Shirt.

El Hula  is Kiwi musician  Blair Jollands.  Now based in London, Blair is back in New Zealand to play a string of solo dates throughout the country. Marty Duda  spoke to Blair on the eve of his show at Auckland’s Wine Cellar. Watch and listen as  El Hula  opens up about his film work in London, collaborating with  Delaney Davidson  and thoughts on his days i...

Greg Johnson  has just released his 13th studio album titled  Thunder In Fall . With a special guest and a cool cover looks like this is Greg’s lucky thirteen. Marty Duda  spoke to  Greg Johnson  who was in his home studio in Los Angeles. The ex-pat Kiwi is coming home next month for a 13-date tour wrapping at Auckland’s Q Theatre. Watch and listen as Greg expounds on spac...

Strawpeople have just released their first album since 2004. It's called Knucklebones and here are Paul Casserly and Fiona McDonald to tell us why they are making music together again.

Space Waltz  is back. New Zealand’s first glam band has just released its second album,  Victory,  nearly 50 years after the first. Here is  Alastair Riddell  to explain what happened.

Damien Binder  is about to release his new album,  Bright Side.  Its his 5th solo album overall, and first since 2016. So what took so long? Find out here. Marty Duda  spoke to Damien who was at his new home in Perth. A New Zealander, Damien is no stranger to Kiwi music fans who may remember is old band  Second Child.  So, how did  Brighter Side   come toget...

Ingrid & The Ministers  are about to release their second album titled  Boofhead.  Marty Duda  spoke to Ingrid, who was home in Wellington, about making  Boofhead  along with topics such as renters' rights and relationships. But first let’s find out why Ingrid grew up listening to “bad French rock”

Mali Mali , aka Ben Tolich , has just released their 5th album, Spirit Tide . Here is Ben to talk about saying more with less. Marty Duda spoke to Ben over the Easter weekend. Ben was in a thoughtful mood at his home studio in West Auckland, a place he calls The Coop.

Vera Ellen has released her new album, Ideal Home Noise on Flying Nun and we tracked down Vera to get the inside scoop on the new record. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Vera as she was waiting for a ferry to take her and her band to the South Island to perform in Dunedin. Vera opens up about these very personal songs and how she will bring them to the stage.

Surf Friends , the dynamic Kiwi duo signed to Flying Nun Records, have just released their new album,  Sonic Waves.   Here are Brad and Pete with answers to all our questions.

Roonie  is  Michaela Pointon  and the Christchurch-based dance-pop artist is excited to tell you all about her debut EP,  Loveless.   Marty Duda  spoke to  Roonie  about making  Loveless  with producer  Will Henderson  and shooting her music video at Auckland’s Cassette Nine.

LOVETA  is Christchurch-based artist  Lauren Marshall  and she has just released her debut EP titled  More Than Fun . Marty Duda  spoke to  LOVETA  about making the 5-track EP with guitarist/producer  Wulfie  aka  Tim Heeringa  and she reveals how she got seduced by that 70’s disco beat.

Anthea de Milo  has been commiserating down in Lyttleton with  Adam Hattaway  and  Elmore Jones.  Together they’ve made one of the best albums of the year.  Marty Duda  spoke to  Anthea de Milo  about making (and being)  The Vicar’s Daughter . Known by fellow musicians as “Pipes”, Anthea tells us how she came to make her brand of “dirty, raw soul”.

Miriam Clancy  has just released a new single titled  Velveteen  so we spoke to Miriam about that song and her upcoming album,  Black Heart . Marty Duda  spoke to Miriam who is now residing in Eastern Pennsylvania after moving from New Zealand to New York.

Wet Denim is a hot new band from Wellington who have just released their self-titled 5-track debut EP. Marty Duda found the four bandmates together at a rehearsal space in the home town. So here are Nick, Luca, Jack and Joe to give us a track-by-track rundown of their new EP. https://youtu.be/_gIQ9CqmNM8

Christine White has just completed The Raven Project with a new video for her song Starless Rivers. Marty Duda spoke to Christine, who is in Kapiti, about making The Raven Project which incorporates music, poetry, video and the Farsi language.

Princess Chelsea  is back in New Zealand and ready to tour the country after taking care of business over in Europe. Here she is direct from Waiheke Island to tell us all about it.  Marty Duda  spoke to Chelsea about making the new album, touring Europe and recording live at Abbey Road Studios. Exciting!