Janelle Monáe and Kimbra Announce New Zealand Show

Soul lady Janelle Monáe is set to hit to these shores with New Zealand-born electropop musician Kimbra for a one-off show in May. The pair struck up a surprise friendship when they both performed Montreux Jazz Festival in 2013 and ended up jamming together in a bar. The friendship grew and eventually 'The Golden Electric Tour' was born, which is a show comprised of joint and individual performances. Here are the details....

Janelle Monáe with Kimbra: The Golden Electric Tour
Saturday May 24th at Vector Arena, Auckland

To give you a taste of what to expect, here's a video of Janelle and Kimbra covering classic cuts from Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson...

PRESS RELEASE:

JANELLE MONÁE with KIMBRA

The Golden Electric Tour - New Zealand 2014

A serendipitous meeting between two music contemporaries - JANELLE MONÁE and KIMBRA – was the spark for a new friendship that has developed into a mutual desire to explore a joint creative endeavor, culminating in what will be one of the finest co-headline tours of 2014:

Janelle Monáe with Kimbra: ‘The Golden Electric Tour’

Step back to July 2013 when both Janelle and Kimbra were performing at the Montreaux Jazz Festival.

That evening the two artists were in the same Swiss hotel bar with their respective bands. Conversations sparked, bonding over a shared love of Prince, and as the night wore on the collective began jamming in the bar.

The impromptu session cemented their mutual respect for each other’s artistry: it was the budding of a deep friendship. The ties between Janelle and Kimbra grew stronger, in tandem with an artistic curiosity and an exploration of different musical languages, and the idea of the tour collaboration was born.

‘The Golden Electric Tour’ will reveal a stellar show of intertwined joint and individual performances – both artists will perform separate sets with their bands, as well as performing together.

Tickets will go on sale next Thursday, April 17.

My Live Nation members can access tickets first during the exclusive pre-sale beginning this Monday, April 14. Head to www.livenation.co.nz

Janelle Monáe delivered her second lesson in musical sophistication, THE ELECTRIC LADY in September 2013, a follow up to her 2010 debut THE ARCHANDROID, an album critically acclaimed worldwide and featuring the hit single ‘Tightrope’ featuring Big Boi.

THE ELECTRIC LADY debuted top #5 on the Billboard charts and is home to a host of collaborative hits such as ‘Primetime’ featuring Miguel, ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’ featuring Erykah Badu, ‘Electric Lady’ featuring Solange and “her lifetime hero” Prince on ‘Given Em What They Love’.

Hailing from Kansas City, ‘The Golden Electric Tour’ also heralds Janelle’s first-ever New Zealand show, having previously visited Australia to headline at the Sydney Opera House’s Vivid Festival in May 2012.

Kimbra released her debut album VOWS, which debuted in the US Billboard Top 200 at #14 and achieved Platinum status in her native NZ/Australia. There have been close to 70 million views on YouTube which contained videos for the singles ‘Settle Down’, ‘Cameo Lover’, ‘Good Intent’ and ‘Two Way Street’, all of which ranked in Triple J’s Hottest 100 - the world’s biggest music poll.

She won the ARIA Award for ‘Best Female Artist’ in both 2011 and 2012 and five of the six Tui awards she was nominated for at the New Zealand Music Awards. In April 2012, it was announced that Kimbra had won the grand prize in the International Song Writing Competition 2011, for her single ‘Cameo Lover’.

In 2012 Kimbra followed up with the #1 worldwide smash hit, ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, her duet with Gotyé, which topped the charts in eleven countries. The massive single retained the #1 ARIA spot for an impressive eight weeks, was the biggest selling single in the US in 2012 and won two Grammy Awards.

The New Zealand native renowned for her electric live performances is rapidly expanding her reach, establishing herself internationally as a significant talent.

Collaborations with Daniel Johns, Van Dyke Parks, Thundercat, Bilal, Mark Foster, Keefus Green, John Legend, Matt Bellamy and Producer Rich Costey.

Excitement is growing surrounding Kimbra’s highly anticipated sophomore album, expected to drop later this year.

Janelle Monáe with Kimbra: ‘The Golden Electric Tour’

AUCKLAND - VECTOR ARENA - SATURDAY MAY 24

TICKETS ON SALE 12midday THURSDAY APRIL 17
My Live Nation & Fan Club pre-sales begins midday Monday April 14
Ticket Agent pre-sale begins 2.00pm Tuesday April 15