Funk Up The Country!
Tahini Bikini and Sig Wilder & Friends are joining forces for a cross-genre music experience across Aotearoa’s North Island. Two great acts colliding at the intersection of country and funk. Together they are setting out on their most ambitious tour to date with 10 of Wellington’s finest musicians and creatives bringing the boogie to you. 7 shows across 2 weeks in Raglan, Leigh, Auckland, Tauranga, Whakatāne, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay plus performances at Wellington’s Cuba Dupa festival. You don’t want to miss this!
Tahini Bikini:
Pōneke-based Tahini Bikini are known for their distinctive sound, a combination of funk, soul and pop influences elevated by frontwoman Mads Taylor’s frank, feisty lyrics and smoky voice.
The seven-piece group released their debut album Fever Dream in 2022, and have since become a fixture at festivals across Aotearoa, performing at Rhythm & Vines, Great Sounds Great, Welcome to Nowhere, Cuba Dupa, Outfield, Twisted Frequency and more. As well as Mads on lead vocals, the band features a talented collective of musicians: Mathew Campbell (Backing Vocals, percussion) Darcy Monteath (Bass), Eric Sebastian (drums), Alex Scott-Billing (Guitar) Cameron Robertson (Trumpet) and Aidan Mcculloch (Saxophone/keys).
In 2025 Tahini Bikini released a run of confident, polished singles, with lines like tell me does it taste good when you lick those boots? from 'Mother' emphasising a turn towards a more pointed, critical tone in the Mads’ songwriting.
Sig Wilder & Friends:
Sig Wilder & Friends are Aotearoa’s alt-country storytellers. The band is a D.I.Y. collective currently featuring Mads Taylor (drums/vocals), Tessa Dillon (bass/vocals), Sofia Machray (guitar/vocals) and Sig on lead vocals/guitar. Since forming, they’ve become a familiar fixture in Wellington’s independent music scene, toured around Aotearoa, and won media acclaim from The Post, Ensemble Magazine, Under The Radar, and Radio Active 88.6 FM. As Sig knows, personal growth is a long and winding road. “This project is about becoming content with who I am,” he says. “That’s how it started, and I am in no way finished on that journey. But I’m happy with the cowboy that I’ve become, regardless of any notions of how one “should” be a cowboy.” With heartfelt storytelling and infectious melodies, Sig Wilder & Friends take the listener on a journey through the hills and plains of Aotearoa, weaving the essence of Americana into the fabric of Aotearoa’s musical landscape.
