Great North Win Best Folk Album - New Zealand Music Award

Auckland alt-country duo Great North won the award for Best Folk Album at a New Zealand Music Awards side event over the weekend.  Taking out the award for their sophomore release Halves, they were up against Auckland based solo artist Brenda Liddiard (Box of Memories) and Wellington duo French For Rabbits (Claimed By the Sea). Here is a stream of the award winning album...

Press Release:

Great North takes Folk Tui title

‘Halves’, by Auckland-based alt-country group Great North, has taken the Tui for Best Folk Album 2013.

The winner was announced today (January 27) by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) at the Auckland Folk Festival in Kumeu (West Auckland).

Great North has undergone major changes since the release of its debut album in 2010. The band has a new drummer, Ryan Attwood, after the original drummer moved to Hawaii for work and love. Also, guitarist Strahan Cole joined Avalanche City forcing him to split his time between the two groups.

The biggest change though came when frontrunner and songwriter, Hayden Donnell, married the bass guitarist, Rachel Harrison, giving rise to a new lyrical inspiration as he became preoccupied with thoughts of establishing their life together.

This resulted in the collection of unconventional love songs that makes up the award-winning second album, ‘Halves’.

The album dispenses with the familiar tales of infatuation and heartbreak, and instead concentrates on a more mature, meaningful relationship, expressing the depth and maturity the band has gained.

Released in May 2012, ‘Halves’ has received critical acclaim across both the music and general media; being dubbed ‘majestic’, ‘meaningful’, and reminiscent of Okkervil River, the successful Texan indie rock band.

RIANZ managing director Chris Caddick says it’s great to see folk music grow in popularity in New Zealand, as much as it is internationally, and congratulates the band on its success.

“Sincere congratulations to Great North, deserving winner of the Tui for Best Folk Album 2013.

“With ‘Halves’, Great North has fully realised the potential hinted at in its earlier releases. From the sophisticated lyrics to the marvellous instrumental accompaniment – this is a world-class album of which the band should be rightly proud,” says Chris.

The other finalists for the 2013 Folk Tui Award were Auckland-based solo artist Brenda Liddiard with ‘Box of Memories’, and ‘Claimed By the Sea’ by Wellington duo French For Rabbits.

The Auckland Folk Festival is an annual festival of music, song and dance held at Kumeu Showground, northwest of Auckland. The festival is organised by members of Devonport Folk Music Club, Titirangi Folk Music Club, Auckland Bluegrass & Traditional Old Time Country Music Club, Tir Na Nog, and City of Auckland Morris Dancers.

EDITORS NOTE:

The Tui for Best Folk Album 2013 is for recordings released in the 12 months prior to September 2012. The Folk category was introduced to the awards in 1984.

Recent previous winners of the Tui for Best Folk Album
• 2007 – Phil Garland for his 18th album ‘Southern Odyssey’
• 2008 – Dunedin trio Delgirl for the debut album ‘Two, Maybe Three, Days Ride’
• 2009 – Chris Prowse for ‘Trouble On The Waterfront”
• 2010/2011 – Auckland-based bluegrass quartet Wires & Wood for ‘Over The Moon’
• 2012 – Amiria Grenell for ‘Three Feathers’