Music News

Weekly Roundup: Friday 7th September

Friday 7th September, 2018 4:02PM

It’s been a week of huge tour announcements and in-depth interviews, as we collectively licked our wounds after the absolutely bananas weekend of The Others Way and Going Global mega-shows - check out our team's amazing selection of photos for both events here (The Others Way) and here (Going Global Presents).

Wellington superstars Bret McKenzie (Flight Of The Conchords), Age Pryor (Fly My Pretties), Justin Firefly (Fly My Pretties), Nigel Collins (Wellington Ukulele Orchestra) and Ben Lemi (Trinity Roots, Dawn Diver) are banding together as Congress of Animals for the Strange Caravan Tour, hitting venues throughout Aotearoa in November and December with new songs in tow. US RnB icon Ms. Lauryn Hill announced a headline show at Auckland’s Spark Arena this February to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her landmark album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill with equally iconic US rapper Nas, and Gisborne summer festival Rhythm and Vines released their first lineup for this years NYE event, featuring international heavy hitters Vince Staples, Peggy Gou, Flight Facilities and lots more.

That's not all - JC Caroll of UK punk trailblazers The Members is heading our way for an Auckland show in October, Christchurch tunesmiths Ben Woods Group and Motte are playing throughout New Zealand in September, Auckland horn-tooters Hopetoun Brown are cramming in the van with sonic travellers Carnivorous Plant Society for a five date North Island jaunt, Wellington alt-country figureheads Eb & Sparrow are playing a three date farewell tour in October, Wellington post-rockers Hiboux are saddling up for a North Island album release tour in February, Auckland 'winecore' punks TOOMS are teaming up with buds Exit Fear to tear the North Island a new one this month, and Dunedin underground folk legend Maxine Funke is playing a very rare Auckland show this month with support from Pumice and P Wits.

Auckland-based cyber pop star Princess Chelsea unveiled her superb third studio album The Loneliest Girl today, her friend and video collaborator Kermath cornered the artist for a no holds barred candid interview about the new record and more, in advance of her New Zealand tour in October and November. We were stoked to present Fluffy's conversation with politically-charged doom / drone duo Divide and Dissolve, who are currently touring Aotearoa in support of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, along with Kiki Van Newtown's (Hex) incisive chat with Auckland songwriter Ary Jansen, whose debut collection Cut Off dropped this week.

We were psyched to premiere the lead single from Wellington musical cosmonauts Orchestra Of Spheres' upcoming album Mirror, and premiere the assured new collection from Auckland-based indie songwriter Fables. More killer local releases included the long-awaited return of noise-loving Auckland super group It Hurts who unleashed an ear-bleeding four song EP, and the debut self-titled collection (with accompanying gut-squirming clip) from Wellington sonic monster Mutation.

Our Caught Live video for the week features iconoclastic super city punks P.H.F., whose new album I Hate Myself dropped in July to instant acclaim. Off having adventures overseas when their record originally came out, they'll be playing some tardy local release parties in the next few weeks, hitting Auckland's The Vault with Nuggiez and Cindy on Friday 14th September, Christchurch's Space Academy with Roy Irwin and Wurld Series on Saturday 15th September, and back at Auckland's The Vault with buds ROIDZ on Friday 28th September. Here's insane footage of the band at Camp A Low Hum festival 2014 (filmed by Walters Prize nominated artist Simon Ward), tearing through their track 'O.K. It's Gone' from P.H.F's classic 2013 album PUKER...