‘Old Town Road’ has gained fame not just for its country-hook goodness, but also for the controversy raging around it. Sam Brooks explores what the song’s success says about country music’s purity problem. “Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more I’m gonna take … Read more
The prolific and acclaimed country singer-songwriter Brandy Clark performs in Auckland tomorrow. Sam Brooks talked to her ahead of her performance. “I hate stripes, and orange ain’t my colour. If I squeeze that trigger tonight, I’ll be wearing one or other. There ain’t no crime of passion worth a crime of fashion The only thing … Read more
By her early twenties, Kaylee Bell had achieved the top honours in local country music – Best Country Album in 2014 and APRA’s Best Country Song in 2015. Before that, she’d set her sights overseas where strong interest pushed her 2017 single ‘Getting Closer’ past 1.5 million streams. She’s just released two new songs and … Read more
Kate Robertson talks to multi-Grammy Award-winning Americana singer-songwriter Jason Isbell about politics and gender in country music. “If Taylor Swift’s ideas on politics are stupid I don’t wanna hear them,” Americana artist Jason Isbell says when I ask if music and politics can be separate from each other in 2018. It’s not the answer I … Read more
Kate Robertson has, on occasion, soundtracked her life entirely with Shania Twain. Here’s how you can too. GIVEAWAY ALERT: Looks like we made it… closer to Shania’s New Zealand tour! And Spark is giving away 20 double-passes to her Auckland and Dunedin shows. Entries close 27 July 2018. Stop everything you’re doing – the OG … Read more
Kate Robertson talks to Americana singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, who plays in Auckland this week, about music and survival. Justin Townes Earle is a complex character to unpack. Son of Steve Earle (who was singing about a Galway Girl long before Ed Sheeran), Townes Earle’s somewhat turbulent childhood has long served as a launch pad … Read more
Nine-piece Auckland band Magic Factory name-check ZZ Top and Creedence Clearwater Revival as cornerstones of their music. Ahead of their US tour, Hussein Moses sits down with Rory Treadaway and Scot Brown from the group to find out how they got hooked on such a throwback sound. It’s lunchtime on a cloudless Auckland day when … Read more