Join us for the very first Auckland Songwriters Circle Showcase, a new platform celebrating original music and the voices behind it. Inspired by the legendary Nashville Songwriters Circle, this intimate event brings together local songwriters to share their stories, songs, and creative journeys in a collaborative setting.
The idea is simple: five local songwriters sit on stage together, each sharing one song and the story behind it as we go around the circle for four rounds. After the showcase, you’ll have a chance to meet and mingle with the performers.
Proudly supported by the Auckland Council’s Creative Communities Scheme, the Auckland Songwriters Circle is all about celebrating local talent and introducing the community to the artists and original music being created right here in Tāmaki Makaurau.
We’re excited to kick things off with a stellar lineup of five local songwriters, each bringing their own unique voice, stories, and creative spark to the stage.
Featuring:
• Ed Wakem
• Faith Wilde
• Jesse Wilde
• -Loveray-
• Victoria Perry
Ed Wakem
In a small village suburb of Auckland New Zealand, in a downstairs studio, a musician sits contemplating what the next journey will be. The amplifiers are turned on, the atmosphere is serene and the guitars come out. Ed Wakem is an Auckland musician who has been writing and performing for the last 20 years. A founding member of Pleasant Feedback in the early 2000s and then forming Telepathy Council in 2010. Ed has had many an adventure and personal success with both acts. With the dimise of Telepathy Council over the covid lockdown period, Ed has gone on to release the music as a solo act. Starting with recording his music with Nicolas Brown at the helm producing, Ed has had the freedom to record and interpret what he actually had in his head. Influenced by the world around him, his own struggles and the wish for peace in society, Ed Wakem's music is a colourful and moving listening experience. Enter the world of Ed Wakem as he takes you on a journey of light darkness and something in-between.
Faith Wilde
Faith Wilde is a singer-songwriter/guitarist from Auckland, NZ. She has been writing and playing music ever since she can remember. Faith was lucky enough to grow up and be constantly inspired to follow her dreams in a music household with her father Jesse Wilde, a singer-songwriter, who owns Wilde Records Recording Studio in Auckland CBD.
Although her music is predominantly Country/Folk, she has written hundreds of songs in a range of different genres, including songs with her indie pop band ‘Goodnight Faith’. The band has performed at venues like Studio 38, The Whammy Bar, The Anthology Lounge, The Ding Dong Lounge, and Totara Street in Tauranga.
Faith gained attention on TikTok with a girl’s point-of-view rewrite of Noah Kahan’s Dial Drunk, which earned 2 million views and a duet from Kahan himself. He invited her to perform the song live with him at the 2023 Hinterland Music Festival for 25,000 people. The Project TV show featured her on 14th August 2023.
In June 2023, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and became a semi-finalist in the Tennessee Songwriters Week Competition, hosted by the Bluebird Cafe and Taylor Guitars. She writes and records in her bedroom and performs at local writers-in-the-round nights. Faith is currently completing her dregrees in Computer Science and Chemistry Auckland Uni.
Jesse Wilde
Singer/songwriter, Jesse was raised on the music of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, and Fleetwood Mac. He went on to develop his own musical interests including the sounds of
popular Rock and Southern Rock artists such as Springsteen, Mellencamp, and Dylan and the vibrant up-tempo alternative southern rock beat of Steve Earle & the Dukes. The result is the unique Southern
Folk Rock flavour of Jesse Wilde, renowned for his onstage presence, ability to rock the house and connect with any audience.
His first major band, _Acoustic Attitude_, became a popular Auckland 'Folk, Rock & Blues' act, known for its mix of covers and original songs, many written by Jesse. He has toured extensively overseas including the UK, Europe and North America. During a ‘Rock Pilgrimage’ of his musical heros, he met and played with John Cougar Mellencamp, Bob Seger and Steve Earle.
Jesse has formed successful bands including Fiesta Drive, Jesse Wilde & The Drive, and his current group The Jesse Wilde Band, as well as The Refugees NZ Tom Petty Tribute Band, performing at major venues and festivals across New Zealand.
-Loveray-
Based in Karekare, West Auckland, -Loveray- are a unique collective of multimedia performing artists led by Rayna Love, combining modern experimental contemporary jazz, improvised funk & pop, combining live music with dance & multimedia art, creating immersive entertainment experiences, interactive workshops & open mic sessions at community events and festivals across Auckland.
Victoria Perry
Victoria Perry is a singer-songwriter and multimedia artist from Tamaki Makaurau Auckland. When she's not writing and releasing her own music, Victoria works as a voice coach and writes custom tracks for an international music licensing company. Her debut single ‘Every Wish’ gained radio airplay in both New Zealand and Australia, gaining praise from Empty Spaces, who describe Victoria as “a songwriter capable of holding space for nuance, conflict, and quiet honesty.”
This will be an evening of songs and stories that will leave you uplifted and inspired. Come experience the passion and support Tāmaki Makaurau’s vibrant songwriting community!
