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
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Skifield snowmaking a sign of the future, vaccination rates fall alarmingly, and construction industry encouraged to lower emissions. Snowmaking has saved the ski industry from disaster this year, after the weather didn’t create the desired winter wonderland. The ODT reports that South Island mountains have seen very little … Read more
For The Spinoff Music, the big question of the day isn’t what dress Meghan Markle is going to wear, but what song she’ll be dancing to with Harry. Thanks to Spotify, here’s our best guess. Choosing a song to have your first dance to as a married couple is either super easy or super hard. … Read more
From schmaltzy ballads to modern takes on classics, Jilly Taipua from Skinny Love Weddings goes through the most requested songs she gets from couples to play on their very special day. You’re getting married. It’s arguably the most important day of your life, so what one song can encapsulate the importance of this particular day, the … Read more
An exclusive walking tour reveals the true extent of a city’s obsession with visiting pop star Ed Sheeran. Contrary to what an out-of-towner might believe, Ed Sheeran is not the first international pop superstar to ever play a show in Dunedin. In 2004, Busta Rhymes came and played at the Town Hall. In 2006, seven … Read more
Samuel Flynn Scott of The Phoenix Foundation goes on assignment for RNZ, immersing himself in a mixture of mediocrity, dazzle and rain. To steal and ruin a good lyric: there is no sun shining on the black clouds hanging over the domain today. It’s wet, it’s bleak. Ed Sheeran is in town and he’s used … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens making the news. Today, Ed Sheeran fan Fantasia tries her best to win tickets from The Edge.
Mitch James spent two years busking and playing open mic nights around Europe, sleeping in hostels and on park benches, before getting signed to Sony. Henry Oliver asks him how he did it, and what songs make buskers the most money. Mitch James, a 21-year-old Auckland singer/songwriter has released two singles after being signed by … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Kate Robertson and Matthew McAuley join host Henry Oliver to talk about recent new releases. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to contributing critics Kate Robertson and Matthew McAuley about new music from Lorde, … Read more
Every Friday, ‘The Album Cycle’ reviews a handful of new releases. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Xiu Xiu – Forget Prolific avant-pop veterans Xiu Xiu are constantly challenging themselves and transforming their sound with each album. Their 2016 release, Plays the Music of Twin Peaks, showcased re-interpretations of Angelo Badalamenti’s soundtrack to Twin Peaks, while their … Read more
Last week, The Spinoff’s music editor wrote a negative review of Ed Sheeran’s new track, ‘Shape of You’. Mitchell Houlbrooke read that review, disagreed vehemently, and sent us this response. Many people, including The Spinoff’s own Henry Oliver, are not impressed with the new Ed Sheeran single, ‘Shape of You’. It has been variously accused of … Read more
‘Best Songs Ever’ features various contributors to The Spinoff Music assessing recent songs and singles. Song of the Week Grouper – ‘Headache’ In case you missed it: Paradise Valley, a new Grouper 7″ released just before Christmas, is everything you might hope it would be. ‘Headache’ is the longer of the two tracks, and stands … Read more
Alex Casey watches Ed Sheeran’s brief but powerful cameo on Home and Away. Home and Away’s Marilyn is fussing around, as always, trying to throw together a luxury dinner for her mystery muso guest. She’s got bruschetta, linguini and dessert. What rock star would would be gunning for this absolute beige rider, what kind of … Read more