Love Square Reveal 'Live At the Oven' EP + Video

We all could use a bit of mellowing out after a tumultuous few days for Aotearoa. Tāmaki trio Love Square are here to help with a healthy dose of smooth grooves on their brand spanking Live At The Oven EP, plus an accompanying live video for their take on "Cannonball" Adderley's ‘Mercy Mercy Mercy’ filmed by Paul Taylor. Founded by Nick Atkinson (of Hopetoun Brown and Supergroove fame) with Finn Scholes (Carnivorous Plant Society) and new drummer Karen Hu, Love Square’s jazz-tinged three track instrumental offering was recorded live in Jol Mulholland’s studio (aka ‘The Oven’) — raising expectations to lofty heights for their forthcoming appearance at The Others Way multi-venue extravaganza this coming September, along with a forthcoming performance with DJ Tina Turntables at Piha Bowling Club scheduled for 22nd August (we’re keeping our fingers crossed for that one). They shared an evocative tale of how Hu came to join the band and the origins of their new EP…

“They say nothing good comes from a night in Kingsland drinking massive gins, but how else do you stumble across one of the finest up and coming young drummers holding down an unwieldy Afro-jazz band? Love Square founder Nick Atkinson found himself in exactly this position. While grappling with strange foliage planted between the icecubes of his enormous cocktail he noticed Karen Hu, an oasis of rhythmic calm behind her drum kit. After a quick introduction between sets Atkinson knew he'd found the key to a great trio. His key man Finn Scholes was already tripping over crescendos and sneezing cadenzas. The scene was almost set for an epic recording session.

When Nick and Finn aren't crossing trackless alpine passes or circumnavigating Aotearoa in a small wooden boat, they're playing horns. In fact they were both welded to their shrieking instruments and birth. Finn's also been teaching Nick a few numbers on the piano and now this adventurous pair swap from keys to brass willy nilly! The trio, now complete, have just been added to The Others Way line-up and they've been playing steamy club dates in and around Auckland.

To capture this fresh exuberant sound our brave threesome descended one thousand stairs into the very heart of The Lab in Mt Eden, where they found Jol Mulholland in his poky, yet atmospheric mezzanine twitching beside his Pro Tools. Love Square's fiery new line-up blazed out a fresh live EP in a matter of hours inside The Oven, as Jol calls his studio. Filmmaker Paul Taylor was on-hand to film the session."

You can catch Love Square playing at The Others Way festival on Friday 11th September, tickets available HERE via UTR.