I can feel it when you breathe: SJD, Samuel Flynn Scott and Bill Manhire on Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen has died. Sean Donnelly, Samuel Flynn Scott and Bill Manhire reflect on his music and life. I stepped into an avalanche It covered up my soul In trying to write something about ‘Avalanche’, I’m listening to it and, again, I’m just floored by it. As a songwriter, I want to ask him which … Read more

Docu-drama Pike River is a labour of extraordinary love and care

Duncan Greive reviews the NZ on Air-funded Pike River, a docu-drama blending dramatic recreations and interviews with those most affected by the 2010 tragedy.  “29 men died on the 19th of November. Is that OK? How can that be,” she asks, “in the 21st century, in New Zealand?” These are questions posed by Kath Monk … Read more

Which New Zealand television heroes should definitely host The Project?

Who will host 7pm current affairs show The Project when it comes to TV3 next year? Tara Ward makes some very early, very plausible predictions.  All my dreams came true in one press release when Mediaworks announced the launch of current affairs panel show The Project. Scheduled in the troublesome 7.00pm timeslot, Mediaworks promises The Project … Read more

Best Songs Ever: New singles reviewed, featuring Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Justice & more

‘Best Songs Ever’ features various contributors to The Spinoff Music assessing recent songs and singles. SONG OF THE WEEK Miranda Lambert – ‘Pink Sunglasses’ The first lady of country’s new double album The Weight Of These Wings is chocka with hits (and she plays around with vocal personas nearly to the same extent Beyoncé did … Read more

Aaradhna, ‘urban’ music and the privilege of definitions

Reflecting on Aaradhna’s speech at the New Zealand Music Awards and the subsequent media coverage, Mana editor Leonie Hayden reflects on language, race and how racism is covered in the media. Just listen. I’ll admit I laughed when I saw that Aaradhna had been given the same lazy headline as Efeso Collins after his family … Read more

Ruka’s War: Why The Hui took a Vietnam vet and his whānau back to the land which stole his legs

This morning Māori current affairs show The Hui devotes a full episode to the extraordinary story of Ruka Hudson, who had his legs taken from him in Vietnam and returned there this year with his whānau and reporter daughter to make peace with the land. If there was ever a man who had the right to be … Read more

Pod on the Couch: Aaradhna, ‘urban’ music, race and awards

The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Leonie Hayden, Duncan Greive and Damien Vaughan join host Henry Oliver to talk about everything that happened with Aaradhna and the Urban/Hiphop Album award at this year’s New Zealand Music Awards. Spinoff Music editor … Read more

The Album Cycle: New releases reviewed from Bic Runga, Tove Lo, The Japanese House & More

Every Friday, ‘The Album Cycle’ reviews a handful of new releases. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Bic Runga – Close Your Eyes Last night, Bic Runga was honored with the ‘Legacy Award’ at the New Zealand Music Awards. Today, she released her fifth album, Close Your Eyes, and, as shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, it’s … Read more

No barriers, no walls, no seams: Seamless bring music to the masses of all ages

This weekend, Spark presents Seamless, an all ages show at Auckland’s Tuning Fork. Henry Oliver gathered two of the bands and the promoter in The Spinoff’s boardroom to ask if the kids are alright. On Saturday night, Auckland venue The Tuning Fork will host Seamless, an all-ages show featuring four young New Zealand bands that … Read more

New Zealand Music Awards: Winners, bragging and mea culpas

Yesterday, Henry Oliver embarrassed his future-self with predictions for last night’s New Zealand Music Awards. Today he updates that post with the actual results and the requisite quippy commentary. Yesterday: The biggest night of the musical year – the New Zealand Music Awards, brought to you by some communications services company – is tonight! was last night! And … Read more

Ratings show people under 50 are abandoning television. So what are NZ on Air going to do about it?

A call for submissions on a new NZ on Air television funding strategy closes today. Duncan Greive looks at the familiar biases hidden in the new strategy – most notably a continuing bias towards television, a medium which ratings numbers sourced by The Spinoff show is plummeting in popularity for younger audiences. A few months ago NZ … Read more

‘I just feel like it was the time for me to say something, stand up for something’: Aaradhna explains her explosive NZVMAs speech

Aaradhna explains why she declined the Urban/Hiphop Album award at the New Zealand Music Awards. It’s something I’ve always thought – this is unfair, I’m a singer and we’re being put against hiphop. I’ve always felt – why am I in this category? I’m a singer. My music is a blend – it’s R&B, it’s soul, … Read more

Aaradhna at the NZ Music Awards: ‘I feel like if I was to accept this, I’m not being truthful in my song’

Aaradhna just stopped the New Zealand Music Awards in its tracks with an incredible speech in which she declined to accept the Best Urban/Hip-Hop Album prize. This is what she said. Update, 21 June 2017. The Vodafone NZ Music Awards today announced a number of changes to the categories for this year’s awards, including splitting … Read more

Throwback Thursday: Here’s what you missed from the 1978 NZ Music Awards

Before Jono and Ben, before Taika Waititi, before Paul Ego fell off the stage… there was Stu Dennison wearing overalls in Avalon Studios. Alex Casey recaps the 1978 NZ Music Awards, just in time for the 2016 VNZMA’s tonight.  With the VNZMA’s arriving faster than a free bag of bagel chips hitting the open gullet … Read more

Rapper KINGS and dad blogger Ben Tafau chat about their lives as single fathers

Two solo dads chat about the joys and challenges of parenting and how life changed forever when their daughters were born. One is Vodafone NZ Music Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year nominee KINGS, the man responsible for the smash hit ‘Don’t Worry ‘Bout It’. The other is Ben Tafau, author of the popular blog … Read more

New Zealand Music Awards: Finalists and regrettable predictions

Henry Oliver embarrasses his future-self with probably-inaccurate-and-on-the-internet-forever predictions for tonight’s New Zealand Music Awards. The biggest night of the musical year – the New Zealand Music Awards, brought to you by some communications services company – is tonight! And just in case there’s still a market for predictive data-driven (okay, not really) journalism after a … Read more

We’re with them: A salute to the ambitious women of the small screen

Pete Douglas seeks to find some light in the dark as we near the end of a horrific year, lining up some incredible TV women who have risen above The Worst Men Ever.  2016 has been a rough year, especially so for women. Between the subhuman treatment of a young woman by the Chiefs rugby … Read more

The Chainsmokers: Abrasive man-children, fratboy assholes, makers of the best song of the year, or all of the above?

Elle Hunt leaks her Facebook chat with Joseph Moore and Ciaran O’Regan about the Chainsmokers, the world’s favourite pop bros, and ‘Closer’, their globe-smashing hit. ELLE: Even if you don’t know the Chainsmokers by name, or their previous work (mostly: a song called ‘Selfie’, about selfies), you will have heard ‘Closer’. I dislike it with … Read more

‘Why say tree when you can say sycamore?’ Bic Runga on stalking, memorising and meeting Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen has died. Bic Runga recalls memorising his songwriting advice, driving to his monastery and supporting him on tour in 2010. There aren’t too many artists I would call myself fanatical about, but Leonard Cohen is one of them. When I first started to write songs, I memorised huge chunks of an interview he … Read more

Inside the Lightbox: Our picks for the People’s Choice Awards

Lightbox are currently running their grand annual People’s Choice Awards, giving you the chance to win a trip for two to New York. Alex Casey and Madeleine Chapman aren’t allowed to win, but that won’t stop them explaining who they would be voting for and why. Best hero: Captain Flint, Black Sails The pirate market … Read more

‘I’m disappointed and I’m angry’: Mike Puru, the nicest man in NZ show business, has finally had enough

Last week – before Trump won and the Earth shook in fear – it was announced that Mike Puru was being replaced as the host of The Bachelor New Zealand by Dominic Bowden. Alex Casey sat down with with Puru on the day the news broke. He’s got his fingers in a lot of pies, … Read more

Best Songs Ever: New singles reviewed, featuring The xx, Alicia Keys, Kevin Abstract, Shia LeBeouf & more

‘Best Songs Ever’ features various contributors to The Spinoff Music assessing recent songs and singles. SONG OF THE WEEK The xx – ‘On Hold’ The first xx album pre-dated the likes of Miguel and Drake, but its melancholy and longing and preference for a pulse over a beat make it seem of a piece with … Read more

Shortland Street Power Rankings: Chris Warner dances because nobody’s watching

Tara Ward brings you her rankings for Shortland Street last week, including Bella’s move to Raglan, Chris Warner’s afternoon delight, and Boyd being miserable yet again. 1) Bella makes like a tree and leaves It took sitting on a park bench for Bella to realise that the universe was telling her to leave Ferndale. “Get out,” … Read more

Pod on the Couch: The state of the music festival

The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Leonie Hayden and Duncan Greive join host Henry Oliver to talk about the state of the music festival. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver, Spinoff editor and publisher Duncan Greive and Mana magazine editor Leonie Hayden chat … Read more