This past weekend the five shortlisted songs for the 2020 Silver Scroll Award were announced. Here, exclusively for The Spinoff, the finalists discuss each other’s nominated songs. Benee on ‘Get the Devil Out’ by Nadia Reid This is a beautiful, poignant and moving song. I love its wistfulness and the depth of feeling her voice … Read more
Under Cover is a new series that brings musicians together via video link to bond, chat and play each other’s songs. The fifth episode features Troy Kingi and Warren Maxwell. Troy Kingi and Warren Maxwell have shared stages and many musical memories together. Kingi still cites opening for Maxwell’s band Trinity Roots at the Leigh … Read more
The 2020 longlist for the APRA Silver Scroll Awards – New Zealand’s premiere songwriting awards – have just been announced. Here’s the full list of the 20 finalists, with the songs themselves to listen to. This morning saw the announcement of the longlist for the APRA Silver Scroll, New Zealand’s most prestigious music award recognising … Read more
Under Cover is a new series that brings musicians together via video link to bond, chat, and play each other’s songs. The fourth episode features Sharon Van Etten and Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins). American singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten and New Zealander Hollie Fullbrook of Tiny Ruins found each other back in the MySpace days, but … Read more
Under Cover is a new series that brings New Zealand musicians together via video link to bond, chat, and play each other’s songs. The third episode features Chelsea Jade and Liz Stokes. Liz Stokes (The Beths) and Chelsea Metcalf (Chelsea Jade) go way back. They were in the same guitar group in high school, just … Read more
Under Cover is a new series that brings New Zealand musicians together via video link to bond, chat, and play each other’s songs. The second episode features Nadia Reid and Reb Fountain. In this episode of Under Cover, produced in collaboration with RNZ Music, Nadia Reid and Reb Fountain discuss changing career trajectories in a … Read more
Like the rest of New Zealand, musicians Marlon Williams and Finn Andrews (The Veils) are in lockdown. They caught up via video chat to perform covers of one another’s songs, talk about their punk dads, and reminisce about backstage karaoke. Before the lockdown, musicians Marlon Williams and Finn Andrews were set to embark on a series … Read more
Is your iso playlist in dire need of refreshment? Here are some of our favourite new local releases to keep you going, no matter what your bubble likes. Although the lack of live music at the moment means supporting local acts is a bit harder than it was, there’s still a ton of great music … Read more
Formerly known as Tom Lark, Shannon Matthew Vanya is an artist familiar with reinvention. The Spinoff is extremely excited today to premiere his new single ‘Closer’, a roller disco hit that walks a careful line between Japanese city pop and smooth French neo-disco. Here, Shannon explains how it all came together. I worked on a … Read more
The Spinoff presents the exclusive premiere of MAALA’s new music video, the Connor Pritchard-directed ‘Fire Burning’. Evan ‘MAALA’ Sinton says: I released Composure, my first album, in 2016 and then I did these two quite random singles – ‘In My Head’ and ‘Crazy’ – in 2017. Those songs were quite a weird tangent, which I … Read more
A te reo Christmas song, 2019’s favourite mumbler and music’s coolest sisters are all part of our songs of the month for November. International ‘Everything I Wanted’ by Billie Eilish I run hot-and-cold on Eilish as an artist. I think her album has a few great songs – ‘bad guy’ especially – but it feels … Read more
The Spinoff presents the premiere of buzzed-about Auckland post-punk band Daffodils’ new music video ‘Boys’. Daffodils songwriter and frontperson Theo Spike Salmon says: I wrote ‘Boys’ two years ago, around the end of high school. We’ve revised stuff, and played around with slightly different structuring, but it’s honestly not changed much at all. When I … Read more
The return of the original girl group babes, the twink Taylor Swift, and New Zealand’s most electrifying rap group are all part of our songs of the month. International ‘Flowers’ by DJ Spoony (feat. The Sugababes) An orchestral-ish cover of a early-00’s garage hit? Sure, whatever. But put the Sugababes, and I mean the original … Read more
A re-recorded Kiwi classic, the best song by pop music’s greatest diva, a supergroup of country’s finest highwomen – they’re just some of the tracks gracing The Spinoff’s songs of the month for September 2019. International ‘Highwomen’ by The Highwomen There are many things I love about country music: it captures narrative better than any … Read more
As part of this year’s World of Wearable Arts Award Show, musical director Paul McLaney has brought six of New Zealand’s best and most acclaimed composers together and commissioned a new work from each of them. Here they comment on each other’s work – not just for WoW, but across their careers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwMqdLxaFoM Tane Upjohn … Read more
The biggest popstar in the world, a trash country icon and a dancehall legend are what we’ve been listening to this month – it’s The Spinoff Music’s Songs of the Month for August. International Mess with My Head by Miranda Lambert I included Lambert last month, justifiably, because that song bangs. But I kind of … Read more
Taylor Swift’s seventh album Lover dropped around the world over the weekend. The Spinoff reviews the entire 18-song album, track by track. 1. I Forgot That You Existed Pure alpha-cheerleader Taylor Swift, sounds like Avril Lavigne circa ‘Girlfriend’ or maybe Skye Sweetnam circa 2003. The distinctive bouncy riff that’s lifted from ‘Fancy’ totally works here, it feels … Read more
This morning the five shortlisted songs for the 2019 Silver Scroll Award were announced. Here, exclusively for The Spinoff, the finalists discuss each other’s nominated songs. Tom Scott of Avantdale Bowling Club on ‘The Barrel’ by Aldous Harding it’s such a beautiful stunt to witness. breaking just before the cliff edge. the rush of a … Read more
Featuring a New Zealand supergroup, a Spanish superstar, Canadian’s finest super-lesbians (just go with it) and more. International ‘Milionària’ by ROSALÍA Not gonna lie, I’ve had this on repeat all month. ROSALIA continues her reign of triumphant, major-key yet low-key, hits with ‘Millionara’. The song is a tribute to extreme wealth, in the same way … Read more
Fifteen tracks, 22 guests, one album. The Spinoff Music listens to Ed Sheeran’s No. 6 Collaborations Project and considers why each track really shouldn’t work – and the sometimes surprising reasons why they do. 1. Beautiful People – Khalid Khalid and Ed Sheeran are two of the biggest stars in the world right now – … Read more
The 2019 longlist for the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll Awards have just been announced. Here’s the full list of 20 finalists, with the songs themselves to listen to. This morning saw the announcement of the longlist for the APRA Silver Scroll, New Zealand’s most coveted music award, recognising outstanding achievement in the craft of songwriting. … Read more
One of New Zealand’s great pop maestros returns, the rein (geddit?) of Lil Nas X continues, and sci-fi series Stranger Things inspires a superb single: welcome to The Spinoff Music’s best songs of June 2019. International ‘Jealous’ by Ingrid Michaelson Ingrid Michaelson’s new single hits on two obvious truths and subverts a third. Truth the … Read more
What does a Sleater Kinney collaboration with St Vincent, an epic mashup, and the return of bro-music’s moodiest navel-gazers have in common? They’re all in The Spinoff Music’s best songs of May 2019. International ‘Hurry on Home’ by Sleater Kinney 2019, and the only thing that can save the world is a Sleater-Kinney song produced … Read more
A little bit of K-Pop, some local artists, and the return of pop music’s best twins: it’s The Spinoff Music’s best songs of April 2019. International ‘Cellophane’ by FKA Twigs Honestly, just click on that video and give it a watch. If it doesn’t win whatever award people give out to music videos, then it’ll … Read more
With the increased security threat after the Christchurch attacks, Wellington’s CubaDupa street festival has had to move off the street and into venues around the city. The Spinoff spoke to the festival’s artistic director about why this was necessary for safety, and why the changes are not about letting fear win. The presence of armed … Read more
Last week APRA AMCOS NZ hosted SongHubs Auckland, an initiative which saw 18 Kiwi and Aussie songwriters connect with four international guests, for a week long song writing camp in Roundhead Studios. This is the fifth installment of this collaborative event, where curator Greg Haver shepherd writers and producers into groups of four to write … Read more
Through rain and shine, Splore 2019 shone bright for three days. Photos by Kelsy Scott, Federico Pagola, Connor Crawford, Glenn McLelland and Dane Scott. Read Simon Day’s journey into the 20 year history of the Splore festival here Read Simon Day’s journey into the 20 year history of the Splore festival here
From vineyards to forests, beaches to baches, New Zealand offers a bloody smorgasbord of ways to bring in the New Year. Here’s where to go and why. Pack your bukkie hat and *get out the speed dealers*, she’s looking like a big one Ah, New Years Eve! There’s truly no way better to set your … Read more
Cardi B plays Bay Dreams festival in Mount Maunganui and Nelson just after New Year’s. What should she do while she’s here? What should she eat? We offer her some suggestions for her itinerary. Cardi B is coming! Cardi B is coming! One of the best rappers, best talk show guests, best Instagrammers, will grace … Read more