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Thursday, October 29, 2020

Winners of the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Awards Announced


Stella Bennett (Benee), Joshua Fountain, and Djeisan Suskov have won the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award for their hit song Glitter (published by Sony/ATV Publishing and Universal Music Publishing).

Following on from Soaked in 2019, this is the second consecutive nomination for the trio of songwriters and Stella Bennett was thrilled to win the Silver Scroll for the first time.

“This is nuts. Thank you very much. This is crazy. I just want to say to all the other finalists, you guys are insane.

 “Thank you so much to everyone who has listened to my music and supported the music that I’m making and the kind of music that I want to be making…the support that I’ve received over the past couple of years now has been insane, and I feel like everyone in New Zealand is so welcoming and supportive of new artists, which I think is very important, and it’s been a very great time for me, so thank you very much.”

Bennett and Fountain have worked together since Benee’s 2017 debut single Lonely Guy, through to the chart dominating Supalonely and have now teamed up with Suskov on the double platinum hit Soaked, as well as Glitter and a number of other hits that have seen Benee become a worldwide phenomenon. Suskov and Fountain have also found success with their laid-back pop group Leisure, and Fountain winning the Tui for Best Producer in 2019.

 

The Silver Scroll Award, which is voted for by APRA members, is a delightful acknowledgment from Bennett, Fountain, and Suskov’s fellow songwriters on the impact their songwriting has. It recognises their memorable work on Glitter, and will see their names engraved alongside other Aotearoa musical luminaries like Aldous Harding, Marlon Williams, Bic Runga, Ruban and Kody Nielson, Scribe and P Money, Chris Knox, Dave Dobbyn, and Shona Laing.

 

Fur Patrol pop punk star turned folk songstress Julia Deans was the music director of tonight’s 55th APRA Silver Scroll ceremony, which saw a host of other Aotearoa songwriters collect awards.

Rob Ruha was presented with the APRA Maioha Award. The APRA Maioha Award recognises exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori, and the Ruha was celebrated for his song Ka Mānu.

 

Rob Ruha (Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Rongowhakaata, Tainui, Te Arawa, Ngā Ariki-kaipūtahi, Ngā Puhi) has been a finalist multiple times, and also won the Maioha Award first in 2014, and again in 2016. The winning song Ka Mānu is a waiata written in response to the dispute around Ihumātao, speaking of unity and peaceful resistance, and highlighting the issues of oppression for indigenous people around the world. In continuing the theme of unity, the song brings together musicians from across Aotearoa for a stirring performance full of aroha and hope.

 

Wellington composer Michael Norris won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award – Te Tohu Auaha for the fourth time for his latest composition, Mātauranga (Rerenga). He previously won in 2014 for Inner Phases, 2018 for Sygyt, and 2019 for Sama Violin Concerto.

 

Commissioned by the NZSO, Michael Norris’ Mātauranga (Rerenga) is a work for orchestra, taonga puoro and live electronics which reflects on Captain Cook’s first voyage to the South Pacific and his arrival in Aotearoa. Norris (who has been a finalist six times and won the award three times) recognised the many issues surrounding Cook's arrival in New Zealand, and the piece is not so much a celebration as an evocation of a moment in time.

 

Karl Steven won Best Original Music in a Feature Film for his score on the cult-horror film Come To Daddy. This was his third Screen Award win at the Silver Scrolls and seventh nomination and his work on Come To Daddy has been applauded for its characterful chamber orchestra score which balances intrigue, knife-edge tension, and mayhem, enhancing the unpredictable storyline that unfolds as a son reunites with his estranged father in a remote location.

 

And David Long (also a former finalist and winner), took home Best Original Music in a Series for his work on the sumptuous international co-production The Luminaries (published by Native Tongue Music Publishing). Based on Eleanor Catton’s acclaimed historical novel, the series unravels an incredible tale of star-crossed love bound up in a gold-rush mystery, and Long’s score carefully intertwines the spiritual with the gritty, building drama while also delineating the many characters who cross paths.

 

This year amidst the uncertainties of COVID-19, APRA made the decision to move the awards ceremony to an online streaming platform for the first time in what was an incredible opportunity to capture the much-treasured performances of each Scroll nominee in a studio environment.

 

This year’s cover performances included:

- Benee, Glitter – performed by Delaney Davidson and The All Girl Big Band

- Troy Kingi, Mighty Invader – performed by Alien Weaponry

- Nadia Reid, Get The Devil Out – performed by Neil MacLeod

- Reb Fountain, Don’t You Know Who I Am – performed by Disciple Pati

- L.A.B., In The Air – performed by Mousey

- Michael Norris, Mātauranga (Rerenga) – performed by Sam Trevethick, Darren Matthiassen, and Nick Robinson (members of Shapeshifter) with Tiki Taane

- Rob Ruha, Ka Mānu – performed by Tomorrow People

 

The ceremony also included a very special performance of the Weta song Calling On performed by Julia Deans, Anika Moa, Anna Coddington, Hollie Smith, Lauren Barus and Natalia Sheppard in tribute to Aaron Tokona and in memoriam to members of the music community who were lost this year.

 

The night was rounded off with a tribute to Max Merritt, with an ensemble performance of his soulful classic Slipping Away, by all 2020 Silver Scroll performers around Aotearoa, and led by Marlon Williams.

The winners of all awards were:

- APRA Silver Scroll Award: Stella Bennett, Joshua Fountain and Djeisan Suskov – Glitter – performed by Benee (published by Sony/ATV Publishing and Universal Music Publishing)

- APRA Maioha Award: Rob Ruha – Ka Mānu

- SOUNZ Contemporary Award – Te Tohu Auaha: Michael Norris – Mātauranga (Rerenga)

- APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award: Karl Steven – Come To Daddy

- APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award: David Long – The Luminaries (published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)

The awards are proudly supported by NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho

For more info: APRA Website


 

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Six pioneering Rock'n'Roll legends are to be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame

Johnny Cooper, Max Merritt, Peter Posa, Dinah Lee, The Chicks and Larry’s Rebels will be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame at the Aotearoa Music Awards on 15 November.

Johnny Cooper recorded the first home grown Kiwi Rock'n'Roll record 65 years ago with his self-penned track ‘Pie Cart Rock ‘n’ Roll’.

The hardest working man in rock, Max Merritt who became a local legend and a spokesperson for the new music generation. Max and The Meteors toured and played on singles by their fellow Cantabrian, and our most successful female artist of the 60’s (both here and in Australia), the ‘Queen of the Mods’ Dinah Lee.  She is the most successful New Zealand female pop artist of the 1960s and one of the shiniest stars to emerge from the pool of talent in this small nation. A child of the south, Christchurch raised and launched her, and the ties remain strong, but work was the imperative and it took her away (see her bio at https://www.audioculture.co.nz/people/dinah-lee).

With C'Mon and other great TV shows and on local stages Dinah joined guitar impresario Peter Posa, whose albums of instrumental guitar inspired a whole generation of players and sold by the truckload all over the world. There is a really good interview with the late Peter Posa at: https://www.audioculture.co.nz/stories/peter-posa-hostage-to-the-beat

It turns out that Peter Posa discovered sisters, Suzanne and Judy Donaldson, and their up-tempo harmonies, and grabbed them to go on tour, making them household names - as The Chicks.  Check out their two part interview at https://www.audioculture.co.nz/stories/the-chicks-part-1-down-on-the-farm

Finally, we had our own answer to the Beatles and The Rolling Stones, just in time for moptop fever -  Larry’s Rebels were perfect for the time with the swagger of Jagger and the growl of the Animals to set teen hearts a'flutter with their wild live shows.  See the 2 part interview at: https://www.audioculture.co.nz/stories/larry-s-rebels-part-1-long-ago-far-away


Sadly, this year’s inductions are bittersweet, with Johnny Cooper, Max Merritt and Peter Posa no longer with us.  Presented by NZ Music Hall of Fame Trust, the inductions are undertaken in a private ceremony whereupon inductees are gifted a tapu taonga, in accordance with tikanga Māori.

All six artists inducted this year will be acknowledged with video tributes and live performances at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards, which take place in Auckland on November 15.

The event will be broadcast live on The Edge TV from 7pm and continue on Three from 8.30pm. The entire broadcast will be streamed on ThreeNow.

You can check it all out at: https://www.musichall.co.nz/

You can check out full bios at: https://www.audioculture.co.nz/


Saturday, October 17, 2020

NZ General Election

 Preliminary Results - 98.8% of votes counted:

Labour: 49.0%

National: 26.8%

Act: 8.0%

Green: 7.6%

NZ First: 2.7%

NCP: 1.5%

Congratulations to Jacinda and the Labour team for winning the Election with the biggest majority for Labour since 1938!

Friday, October 16, 2020

Fat Freddie's Drop get Locked-In (New Album)

Fat Freddy's Drop present the Lock-In album, a sonic moment in time as the band jam conscious songs of freedom and hope for a generation.
The studio session was captured at the iconic Michael Fowler Centre in the band’s hometown of Wellington during the pandemic lockdown. Devoid of audience, it’s a reflection of the surreal times that have halted tour life in 2020. 
The Lock-In release is Freddy’s way of giving back to fans worldwide. The band re-located their BAYS studio to the MFC and set up in a circle on the MFC stage for the recording, providing a unique space to jam slow burn classics such as ‘Soldier’, ‘Hope’ and ‘This Room’ as well as test drive ‘Avengers’ a brand new track in the making. The other tracks recorded are 'Special Edition', ‘Six-Eight' ‘OneFourteen’ and 'Trickle Down’ from ‘Special Edition Part 1’ the band’s most recent album.
The crisp multi-track production was recorded by Western Audio, remixed by DJ Fitchie, Freddy’s beat master and producer back at Freddy’s BAYS studio and shipped for final mastering at Calyx studio in Berlin. 
The LOCK-IN session melds Freddy’s fastidious studio chops and love of freewheeling jams with a tautness that comes from 21 years in the business and a reputation as one of the finest live draws in the world. Fat Freddy’s Drop ‘LOCK-IN’ will be accompanied by an online video of the jam session, adding another dynamic dimension to the special documentation. ‘Lock-In’ sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
The album is currently on most digital platforms. Vinyl will be available soon. 

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Julie Lamb Launches New Album


At exactly 20:20 10/10/2020 the Julie Lamb Outfit released their new album 'How Humans Think' at the Eva Beva in Wellington. 

A packed crowd jammed in to enjoy some funk and good vibes and celebrate along with this very dynamic 8 piece band.
Photos below taken by Tim Gruar


 

 

 


 

 

 



 


 

 


And here's the single, 'Hair Power'