Gareth Shute examines the varied ways songs are written in the modern era by speaking to three artists who’ve released work recently – Herriot Row, Raiza Biza and October. The last two decades have seen digital technology offering new possibilities not only for the recording process but also the act of songwriting itself. To get … Read more
In the lead up to the election, comedians Melanie Bracewell and Angella Dravid take a journey through the voting process in Make Me Tick, The Spinoff’s new four part video series with the Electoral Commission. Today, Melanie gets hyped for the history of democracy. When Angella and I were told that the first topic we were … Read more
Given Australia’s deputy PM seems to have been a New Zealander all along, he should join his compatriots in embracing marriage equality and allowing a free vote, writes Kerry McBride. On 17 April, 2013, I stood in Scotty & Mal’s on Cuba Street singing ‘Pokarekare Ana’ as New Zealand celebrated the legalisation of same-sex marriage. … Read more
Auckland writer Dean Parker backgrounds the making of his novel – a kind of sequel to a classic of New Zealand fiction, Man Alone. I started writing my novel Johnson in 2008. Originally it carried the more effusive title, Hooray, Fuck. I know the year when I started it because of the date on an early file … Read more
‘This is not my New Zealand.’ Ahead of her speech to the UN this week, the Race Relations Commissioner calls on politicians to stand on principle and do right by the victims of institutional abuse. Earlier this year I was on the same train in America where a week before a man had murdered two … Read more
Following a couple of weeks of controversial headlines, Alex Casey assembles a brief history of sexist drivel on The AM Show. Of all the soothing alarm sounds you could use to welcome a new beautiful day on Earth, Mark Richardson barking “a woman can do Dad jokes, which I’m impressed about” has got to be … Read more
Last week ActionStation and the Morgan Foundation launched Liz and Sam’s story. Since then, the pick-a-path game based on the lives of New Zealand families living on low incomes has been played close to 16,000 times. Its co-creator Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw explains the two years of research underpinning the game. Read Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw’s previous … Read more
Boot camps, parental fines… how on earth do these policies fit the social policy framework of the National government in 2017? Simon Wilson takes a look at what the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues have been saying this year. On 14 May, prime minister Bill English told a conference of the National Party faithful … Read more
As the breakneck pre-election pace continues, the Gone By Lunchtime committee convenes to discuss the big issues such as cabbages. With Ben Thomas marooned in Wellington, Duncan Greive pod-hops to join GBLT’s Toby Manhire and Annabelle Lee, but we do take a moment to call and sing him a song. With Metiria Turei having resigned, the Green Party … Read more
Childhood is when your inner voice develops into your best friend – or worst enemy. Life coach Charlotte Hinksman shares the lessons she’s learned about positive communication, and how it has changed the way she talks to her child. My two-year-old has been doing something rather unpleasant lately: she’s started telling people off. It’s mostly me … Read more
Climate change is the defining challenge of our times. The Spinoff is devoting a week of coverage to the issue, its advocates, complexities, and solutions. Today Don Rowe talks to departing Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright. Around the same time Al Gore released his first call to arms in the battle against climate … Read more
Charles Arthur Allen Aberhart was 37 when he died in 1964, the victim of a gay hate crime that would later inspire the New Zealand homosexual law reform movement. His relative Nicole Skews-Poole tells his story. Content note: This article includes a description of homophobic violence. Under layers of Holden memorabilia and orange-toned photos of … Read more
A Māori, a Filipino and a Persian walk into a bar. They’re probably just getting a drink after a day of filming their new comedy sketch show. Hosted by improv comedy trio Frickin’ Dangerous Bro — Jamaine Ross, James Roque and Pax Assadi — Only in Aotearoa is a new Māori Television comedy that skewers modern race … Read more
An essay by Welsh writer Rhydian Thomas on getting the bash, again and again, since moving to New Zealand. The moral of the story: fuck Hamilton. The truck pulls over at the end of the Tauranga harbour bridge and the driver’s out before any of us can say a word, engine still running. He makes … Read more
Martyn Pepperell hangs out at the library with musical polymath Ben Lemi to talk about Lemi’s debut solo EP as Courtesy Caller. “He’s quite an enigma,” muses Brooke Singer, the frontwoman of Wellington dream-pop band French For Rabbits. “Although I’ve known him for a few years, he is still a surprise. When you meet him, … Read more
Election 2017 will see New Zealand’s growing ethnic communities play a greater role than ever in choosing the next government. Ahead of the final leg of the campaign, Don Rowe is speaking to the editors of their leading newspapers. Today he talks with David Soh, editor of the Mandarin Pages. How are you planning to cover … Read more
Lost in last week’s debate about light rail to the airport was another proposal: a Northwest Light Rail line. Harriet Gale from Greater Auckland explains. Just over a week ago Jacinda Ardern announced Labour’s new Auckland transport policy. All the talk was about light rail to the airport, but there were many other components, and … Read more
Coverage of politics generally, and this election particularly, is assailed for focusing too much on personality, and not enough on policy. In an attempt to redress that, we’re excited to unveil a major new project to help you get to grips with the rival parties’ policies and so decide how to cast your vote. Here the Spinoff’s Toby Manhire introduces Policy. … Read more
It sure is hard out there when you want to market your cafe or restaurant as family friendly but you’re not actually family friendly at all. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes has had it with the tired moral outrage over kids with the temerity to be out in public. Another week, another story about a … Read more
Ling and Zing have lost the plot, the Twins are ripping off the Renaissance and Stacey’s taken to wearing a rug – it’s just another week on The Block NZ. In the words of the great Ronan Keating, life is a roller coaster you just gotta ride it. Life on The Block NZ is no … Read more
Hamilton City Councillor Garry Mallett is the subject of a formal complaint over allegations he used the words ‘fags’ and ‘homos’ while on council business. But he has defended any use of such terms, and warned the Spinoff against getting ‘sucked into this politically correct vortex’, reports Angela Cuming. A Hamilton City councillor accused of … Read more
The deputy PM is the latest Australian politician who could have to quit over dual citizenship rules. Fear not, top Ockers! The Spinoff’s legal dept has come up with a 100% foolproof solution to your pickle. To be fair it does seem a bit of an underarm delivery on the constitution’s part. The dreaded Section 44 rules that no … Read more
Henry Oliver went to see Jerry Seinfeld at Spark Arena on Saturday. This is what he thought of it. There’s that cliche: never meet your heroes. I often feel like it should be updated: Never go see your heroes perform long after their peak. I saw the band Television once and was bored. And when … Read more
Exclusive: a book by Steve Braunias, a memoir by the woman who was left for dead by Tony Dixon, and a former TV reporter’s investigation into the wrongful conviction of Teina Pora all feature in the shortlist for this year’s crime writing awards. Ye olde Spinoff Review of Books can exclusively reveal the finalists of … Read more
Ever wondered what Cobb & Co’s menu looked like in the 80s? Thanks to an unearthed staff training video, Sam Brooks knows. Now he’s ready to share the unsettling results. I have been to Cobb & Co once in my life, in 2016. On the way back from Wellington, we stopped in Taupō. Now there … Read more
Climate change is the defining challenge of our times. The Spinoff is devoting a week of coverage to the issue, its advocates, complexities, and solutions. Climate Change Week at The Spinoff is brought to you by An Inconvenient Sequel, Al Gore’s new movie and, says Simon Wilson, it’s not entirely what you might expect. Al … Read more
Just days after the sacking of a Google engineer who shared an anti-diversity manifesto came the reckons of a New Zealand software executive who thinks that women just aren’t ‘wired’ for tech. Sacha Judd stopped eye-rolling long enough to compose a response. When I was a university debater in the nineties, the two most common … Read more
National today announced a policy package aimed at preventing youth crime, including a plan to send ‘youth offenders’ to boot camps. The Morgan Foundation head researcher and Spinoff Parents science expert Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw explains why this is a terrible idea. Perhaps Bill English and other people in the National Party do not intend to … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Kiki Van Newtown: What it’s like to grow up poor in New Zealand “The thing about being poor is that nobody ever intends to end up that way. My family were always working class, but I was about seven when I realised we were actually poor, … Read more