Bret McKenzie Announces 'Songs Without Jokes' NZ Album Release Tour + Shares 'A Little Tune'

Academy Award winning composer and internationally beloved Flight Of The Conchords co-founder Bret McKenzie has reemerged with a lovestruck new ditty from his forthcoming debut solo album Songs Without Jokes, launching in August via Sub Pop. Channeling his inner Randy Newman on the lushly arranged single, McKenzie takes centre stage in director Ezra Simons' video co-produced with fellow Earth Tongue member Gussie Larkin, donning suit and bow tie while skiving off inside the inner workings of Royal Whanganui Opera House, the last Victorian theatre remaining in Aotearoa. Stage manager Madeleine Sami cracks the whip and local celebs gracing the vid include electronic ace Ludus — all devolving into a glitzy late night showbiz soirée, as these things tend to do. Take in the magic and keep your ears peeled for McKenzie's new album, which if the title isn't enough of a clue is emphatically not a comedy record, and catch him touring Songs Without Jokes with seven-piece band across NZ in September...

“Post-Conchords, I’d been working on songs for the Muppets films, and during a session I had the thought that it would be fun someday to work on some songs that weren’t for someone else, that don’t have to tell a story or be funny or continue the narrative plot, checking all the boxes for the character in the movie... I thought it’d be fun to do a record like that, something different.” — Bret McKenzie

Bret McKenzie - Songs Without Jokes

Friday 2nd September - Trafalgar Centre, Nelson*
Saturday 3rd September - Town Hall, Christchurch△
Sunday 4th September - Town Hall, Dunedin*
Monday 5th September - Civic Theatre, Invercargill△
Thursday 8th September - Opera House, Wellington*
Monday 12th September - Royal Whanganui Opera House, Whanganui△
Tuesday 13th September - Opera House, Hastings○
Wednesday 14th September - Town Hall, Auckland*

General public tickets on sale from 10am, Friday 20th May
All shows all-ages

*Tickets available via ticketmaster.co.nz
△Tickets available via ticketek.co.nz
○Tickets available via eventfinda.co.nz

'Songs Without Jokes' launches on Friday 26th August via Sub Pop — vinyl LP and CD preorders available HERE.