Marmalade Goes “Sober”

Indie darlings Marmalade brought the magic to our Monday night with a listening party for their debut EP ‘Sober’. A cosy crew of friends and contributors munched on focaccia and cookies made by Jemilah. The ethos of the evening was to celebrate the moments before rat-racing on to the “next big thing”, and in the whirlwind of industry burnout this is a sentiment I hold close. With home brewed strawberry kombucha in my left hand, and a stunning lyric sleeve (featuring the photography stylings of Flora Driessen) in my right, I settled into the couch for my first listening experience of ‘Sober’.

It begins with the surfy wash of “Bright” – a track pondering on the elusiveness of rockstar status. Marmalade have managed to capture the sound of nostalgia through their production – something in the wash of the sound brings me back to wondering about my future. The room claps for Liam’s guitar solo, and there are a few who can’t resist singing along to the chorus they’ve come to love through the release of ‘Bright’ as the debut single. Perhaps my favourite thing about the track, and Marmalade’s sound as a whole, is the contrast between the smooth sound of Jemilah’s voice and the gravel in Koen’s.

‘Awkward’ begins with a soundbite, which we’re told is taken from a real conversation that happened at MoveSpace. I’m not sure whether it’s the experience of listening for the first time with friends, but there is something social about Marmalade’s sound. The content in ‘Awkward’ is delightfully relatable for a city-slicker with memories of overcommitting. I’ve always loved this track live, but the production allows me to take in the joy of the arrangement. A highlight for me is the layered chorus at the end with group vocals, followed by an abrupt (perhaps awkward?) ending.

‘Houston’ drops a more serious layer onto the EP, as the band addresses the barrier stopping so many of us from reaching out when help is so clearly needed. There’s something moving about the line “somebody help me out” being yelled by a group of friends and flatmates at the end. I think it reminds us that everyone feels isolated sometimes; I can picture the band sitting in their respective rooms with the same need for connection. After listening to ‘Houston’ I made a mental note of who I’d like to reach out to this week.

You can’t beat the rhythm section in ‘Caffeine High’; it’s just so fun. Hearing Jemilah reflect on her time as a barista once again brought me back to my early 20s, and all the fleeting connections made over the top of a till. ‘Caffeine High’ is an ode to the third space. The lyrics are fun, the production swings between funky and dreamy, wrapping up with the signature Marmalade vocal layers.

One mindblowing revelation for the evening was that Koen is not only a talented multi instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, but he is also a gifted bird impersonator. ‘Cigarette Habit’ begins with a highly convincing bird song, count in, and a generous instrumental section. Koen and Jemilah reflected on the length of the introduction – an anomaly to our tiktok trained ears – but I love it as a pensive end to this dreamy EP. It’s the perfect end to this 20-something experience of a collection.

A special shout out to some of the friendly faces that I know stamped their mark on this EP in one way or another – the Auckland music scene is alive and vibrant.

KiwisRetrospective – “Almost Natural”

Acoustic, Easy Listening, Folk, Singer Songwriter, Uncategorized

Almost natural is a hidden gem from 2021. I stumbled upon this album by accident, by being familiar with Jonathan Meyer from the multitude of bands he plays in (Underscore, the late Odds & Ends, Club Ruby, Max Earnshaw, and more, so many more). Jono is usually shredding an electric guitar or keeping the band in line with funky grooves from the bass, but with his solo project he takes a more gentle approach.

The journey begins with eerie guitar and soft saxophone with the intro track Warm. Soft BVs with crunchy harmonies ease us into what is a much more vulnerable and intimate piece of work than what Jono usually is involved in. The album touches on the usual subjects of love with “3AM” and “Foreign”. 3AM features a 10/10 guitar pop pre chorus and some seriously tasteful guitar licks and a big echo chamber solo. Foreign takes a different approach with a very Jack-Johnson-like funky guitar groove. The lyrics are a clever spin on the trope of describing a girl as an angel fallen from heaven (i think) but much less cheesy.

Throughout these songs and much else of Jono’s work we get a strong influence from the 2000s alt rock era. Open stringed chords and octave riffs make this apparent. And this influence comes strongest with the acoustic ballad “Smile”. Smile could’ve been the acoustic hit single on any emo album from 2000. Though I’m not sure of the influence of this track the lyrics are poignant and really hit home the power of a positive outlook.

“Never made it home” is a personal favourite. It tells the tale of a young soldier who snuck onto a boat in the US to join the war effort in Europe in WW2. I’m not sure if this track was inspired by a grandfather figure or just a take on a not so unfamiliar story, but the tale is captivating none the less, and the chorus pops into my head every few months.

A common discussion point I hear from musicians is that the real beauty of art can come from the true authentic moments, the organic little mishaps that can happen and create someone with real human charm. People can strive to create this artificially in the studio, but I don’t think this really comes through unless you have a one take recording that doesn’t try to polish anything. “A song from my dad” combines the charm of getting your father in to help on a project with this kind of magic. It’s a beautiful piece of instrumental piano music that is simple, but effective, and adds a lovely point of distinction to the album as a whole.

“All I needed” is the finisher. The song is built on dreamy synths and lullaby guitars that could sit on an early Bon Iver cut. The lyrics could go either way representing love or a spiritual side of Jono not really delved into yet at this stage in the album. It’s a beautiful finisher either way.

Overall the album is a lovely piece of work. Very unique from the usual projects Jonathan is involved in. It’s a great showcase of his songwriting with interesting lyrical ideas, cliche free harmonic progression and very emotive singing. I’ll be keeping this album in regular rotation.

KiwisRetrospective – “The Tapes Etc”

bedroom pop, indie pop, Pop

I’m a sucker for sad boy music. When I need to indulge in my sad boy feelings and have overplayed Cavetown, Wells* is a good fill in.

Wells* is the moniker of producer/songwriter/keys for hire Josh Naley. If you’ve seen Robinson or Navvy on tour you may have noticed a friendly bowl cut bobbing on the ivories making tasty synth sounds.

I first heard Wells* music through his Tapes series, an annual drop of a single with some supporting tracks which always had the steeziest artwork (credit to Matthew Twyman). These small bodies of work eventually were compiled with a few other tunes into the album “The Tapes Etc”. Each track brings you closer to the acceptance of a break up, with all the petty emotions along the way.

The album kicks off with “Back To You”, a massive sounding track with constant developing layers. The first chorus chord is very leading, like it’s asking the question in the lyrics which some nifty word painting. The song seems to be a gesture of good will to an ex, but mostly its a solid pop bop. Though it didn’t grab me at first, I’ve found over time this track has the most replayability in the album.

“Anytime soon” is a more low energy track about waiting for an impending break up. The lyrics in here are quite humanising and direct, I like the lyrics “you find it hard to work when you want to have a dinner party”. I vibe with that.

“Jealous” drops in with a very distinctive synth lead, and slowly builds with the percussion to a big heavy stomp clap groove. The lyrics are petty, but sometimes that’s how you feel. All the sounds and timbres in this song are really interesting, a stand out on that front.

The next tune “Night and Day” is a bop with a latin feel. This would go off in a club, all about being available for a rebound anytime, classic. I like the high pitched record scratch part way through, a lovely bit of ear candy.

I’m a sucker for implied tension in songs, where the bass is just held off for ages, and you know it’s coming, but the song holds off until the breaking point where it finally hits. “You’re never coming back” does this excellently with its distorted vocal bridge which drops into a massive chorus, well worth the journey. It’s also the first song which seems to address the grief of a break up which feels like a bit of maturing in the story of the album.

Wells* goes full Ken after this and pulls out a guitar for “Baby that’s you”. The acoustic start is a reprieve for the ears after heavy production so far and Josh get’s to showcase his ability to write distinctive vocal melody’s and interesting chord progressions in a classic singer songwriter style. Production elements are still toyed with with some autotune at the end of chorus lines. The synth solo at the end is a lil quirky.

“The Worst Optimist in the World” is my favourite track on the album, it’s just so raw. When I listen to it, I feel like I’m reading someone’s journal after they’ve just had the worst year. “It’s a bad day when I wake up” is a tough line. Wells* does a heartbreaking vocal performance on this and builds up into a groove by the end which lets you transition back into the fuller sound at the back half of the album.

I think I lied, “Depressed” is my favourite song on the album. At least it’s the one I’ve played the most. The guitar and bass are fat and the drum fills are big and it just makes you move. It’s a classic sad-lyrics-but-a-bop vibe with an underlying tone of optimism which feels like a response to “The worst optimist in the world”. “Depressed” was released with Wells* first music video (shout out Molawin Evangelista for the stellar direction here, the video is tight). Highly recommend.

“Therapy summer” kicks off with a chorus of Wells* singing. This builds with a heavy groove and beautiful shimmery synths through the chorus. This song just sounds beautiful, I think it’s the best production on the album. Molawin Evangelista directed another stunning video for this with Wells* performing in an empty theatre surrounded by a large screen, the visuals are as beautiful as the synths, the full whited out screens are particularly striking.

“Quitter” seems to have more of an element of acceptance to previous tracks talking about how “we both messed it up in our own way”. The track seems to have a comical view of a obsessive ex just not being a “quitter”. A fun take,

“The End” provides a solid coda saying “goodbye to my highschool sweetheart”. It’s a fitting end to the journey through the breakup and wraps things up nicely.

Wells* has been a bit quiet since the release of his debut album, and hopefully will be back soon. It will be interesting to see what new musical direction his music could take. In the meantime, I recommend “The Tapes Etc”

Release of the Vengeful Millennial

Electro Rock, INDIE, Indie Rock, Rock

Pop in your air-pods and grab your avo-toast, Hazza Making Noise’s Debut EP Vengeful Millenial is here, and it’s solving the housing crisis.

Harry Platt, the face behind Hazza Making Noise, has been releasing a string of singles since 2018. Each track takes a unique spin on re-imagining the grunge era through electronic music. Singles such as Do You Wish To Print A Receipt cracked the algorithm to break into a hallowed Spotify editorial playlist. Regular single release shows with backing band, The Ellice Road Boys, have helped build up a loyal fan base eager for the first debut EP.

NoMoreGaps is the opening track of the EP, and it starts tentatively. A mellow take on the lead riff begins to fade in with samples taken from the countdown self-checkout aisle, a subtle node to an earlier single. The track then swells in with its catchy synth lead and builds to a fast pasts chorus with off kilter rhythms and shouted vocals. “The duelling riffs in the verse is probably one of my favourite things I’ve stumbled into” says Harry, “The bass and guitar really groove out, and the beat just sews it together”. The track continues bouncing between ambient verses and bridges and its “bipolar punk rock chorus” which talks of liberating oneself to all sorts of vice to fill the gaps.

Boomers is Disguise is a punk rock football stadium chant that comes in hard straight out of NoMoreGaps. The track previously came out as a single with artwork showing ol’ Winnie Peters sporting a fantastic pair of Groucho glasses. The track goes hard with mellow verses teasing the reckless pace and chanted vocals of the chorus. The track came from an old flatmate who dared Harry to write a “rock-opera about baby boomers”. This becomes clear in the bridge where the chorus fade back for a chorus of Harry’s to slowly sing the mantra “Blame the Baby Boomers, Blame the Goverment, Blame the Baby Boomers, It’s all their fault”. Its a hard hitting tune, definitely slaps.

After the two fast paced singles, we’re lead into a reprieve with a slightly western guitar riff over some ambient instrumental loops. Harry starts with introspective lyrics with self doubt and wistful thinking of the past. This builds with a heavy kick groove then proclaims the track title, Rewind Time, Return Desire, in true stadium rock fashion. The instrumentation does a fantastic job of setting the tone of pining for a passion now lost.
“How can a treasure become a monotonous curse?
We follow each other’s lives like two satellites orbiting different Earths””

The ambient instrumental loops begin to speed up as a the bass guitar takes the lead in A Ship Came Into Harbour. The catchy riff is backed up by a soft guitar with a delay that almost makes it sound like a robotic cello. The track takes a twist on the drinking game, describing people as ships struggling to retain control in the ocean, holding the precious cargo of their hopes and dreams. The track builds into a big guitar solo distinctive with its heavy delay, which gives way to a strings led bridge with a final iteration of the chorus in a hard hitting half time.

The music suddenly drops into a menacing groove with the same guitar tone with heavy delay, electric drums and a soft piano line, reminiscent of Gorillaz. NoMoreCows is a scathing critique of people ignorant of their privilege and selfishness from a self proclaimed “Doctor Truth”.

“The diagnosis is not looking good,
with medium to high chance you’re an ignorant fool
Roaming around this stolen land,
All that bastard freedom, can you not give a helping hand?
But alas it’s the divine meritocracy,
a product of your own making that you foolishly believe”

The track also includes some self reflection considering Harry’s own privelege stating he is “Riding [his] bike in a tailwind”. After proclaiming that “this race must be rigged” the track drops, and lets anticipation build. This finally drops into a filthy heavy riff which takes the prize as THICCest groove on the EP.

Vengeful Millenial was a switch up from HMN’s usual exploratory singles to form a cohesive body of work. “I always wanted to do a project where each song blends into the next” says Haryy “I like the sense of journey that is created when the record doesn’t break between songs, and there is relationship between them… I mean it’s probably a f*cking terrible idea in the age of streaming and the dominance of single tracks and playlists … but sh*t sometimes you gotta just do want you want first.”
Personally I’m a big fan of through album listening. It’s good to finally have a cohesive bit of HMN to delve into. Here’s to many more.

Listen in to Vengeful Millennial and Follow Hazza Making Noise on Spotify, Apple Music, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Never Coming Back – Underscore

Indie Rock, Uncategorized

After an enticing build up for their new single on Tik Tok, Underscore have finally released their sophomore single Never Coming back, and oh boy it slaps like a prima donna.

Unlike their first release Dirty Word, Never Coming Back hits hard and heavy with a lumbering blues groove that finishes on a crunchy chromatic descent. Front man Jonathan Meyer describes the track as a “bitter breakup song that draws on progressive rock influences”. Never Coming Back builds on this idea switching between sarcastic verses and emotionally charged choruses. A soulful solo leads into a fast paced bridge that carries the song into a final heavy iteration of the tracks iconic riff.

Underscore features Hon Manawangphiphat on bass guitar, Josh Johnston on drums, and Jonathan Meyer on guitar and vocals. The trio started playing music together as students at the University of Auckland, and have performed shows throughout Auckland ever since. While Jonathan is the principal songwriter and guitarist, the whole band brings together their backgrounds in pop, rock, metal, and jazz to create the one-of-a-kind sound Underscore is known for.

This track was a lot of fun to listen to, and we’re keen to see where Underscores following releases take them.

Make sure to follow them on Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok.

KITA – Self Titled Debut Album

INDIE, indie pop

KITA is the debut self-titled album by Wellington musical alumni Nikita Tu-Bryant, Ed Zuccollo and Rick Cranston. Between them, these talented musicians have played with such artists as Holly Smith, The Black Seeds and The Bushman. Combine this with Grammy award-winning producer Tommaso Colliva and you have an album heavily influenced by a wide range of genres and styles.

The overall feel of the album is very calm and down to earth, with rich instrumentation, warm tones and a rain motif featured in more than one track. I particularly enjoyed the solos and licks that showcased the skill of the musicians without overpowering the vibe of the track – KITA feels like the perfect album for a midnight swim, drive down an empty street or to have a quiet drink in a dimly lit speakeasy. Almost as though they are aware of this, KITA found a few moments to check if you’re really listening with massive musical moments. For this reason, a personal favourite was River in My Veins.

The single from this album is Everyday, released with a music video one week prior to the album release. The relaxed jazzy, indie pop feel of the song is perfectly portrayed in a music video of slow, dead-pad dancing and soft pink and blue lighting. This track is a great introduction to some of the more complex songs on the album. Tickets are on sale now for their album release tour and I reckon it will be one to catch!

Ministry of Folk – Hoop, Jazmine Mary, Being., Looking for Alaska

Acoustic, Folk, folk rock, Live Music

Artists meet sporadically at the Ministry of Folk to deliver intimate live performances in an old church hall. The audience munches on snacks brought from home, enjoying the fairy lights and ambience. The event is hosted by the inimitable Hoop, who make the stage feel like the lounge of a family friend.

Running a little late, we stumbled through the door at 7.35 with a bottle of what we’d just realised was cork wine. Hoop’s talented and kind violinist Emily welcomed me into the kitchen where we found a rustic corkscrew, and their drummer used brute strength to release the stopper. The band was huddled in the kitchen for a pre show chat; it’s clear that they’re a well bonded and comfortable group of musicians.

Hoop opened the stage like the audience were old friends. Based on the Australian bush fires, Devil’s Choice is a stand out track written in 5/4. The violinist imitated an ambulance’s siren, and the band built the atmosphere with a jungle rhythm on the flute. Nick and Al’s voices blended impeccably, allowing for that classic “folk” sound riddled with harmonies.

This Year was written from the perspective of a family who had battled COVID, cancer and chemotherapy throughout 2020. The song claims 2021 as a new and brighter year – a sentiment the room was holding on to with hope. It was a pleasure to watch Hoop perform again.

Jazmine Mary and Being. are a duo founded on the common ground of the name Jasmine. Both artists appeared comfortable on stage, drawing the audience in with sarcasm and a genuine friendship. The set began with Jazmine Mary’s latest release Dancer. The track is melancholy and features impressive vocal depth from Jazmine Mary. We rediscovered our love for Dolly Parton when the pair delivered a haunting cover of Jolene.

Being. fronted the second half of the set. Her music was driven by modal shifts and a precise vocal performance. Count Me In was moving, arranged with sliding synths under a soft guitar. Beings.’s lyrics have a poetic quality to them, as she described the feeling of defeat as “dragging around a lifeless body. Truly, the clarity in her voice held the audience captive.

The final set for the evening was performed by the enchanting Looking For Alaska. What defined their time on stage was the mesmerising stories they had to share. Each song was driven by human emotion; frontwoman Amy told the tales of her late little cousin and a Grandmother who used to laugh so hard her teeth fell out. The duo’s trust for each other was tangible. It was a mesmerising set.

It’s difficult to pick any one piece that stood out, as each song boasted a certain ‘X Factor’. Where Have You Gone was a sultry slow jam with tight harmony that built to a phenomenal belted section. Home drew the audience to sing along and Hey You was a display of love coupled with a drinking game. Each song in the set was polished and precise, featuring flawless guitar playing from Aaron and out of this world vocals from Amy. The duo’s voices blended impeccably.

Part way through a song the room erupted into surround sound alert level 3 warnings. Despite the anxiety the sound always entices Looking For Alaska remained comfortable on stage, and soon had the audience yelling for several encores. I’m glad we spent our last night of freedom listening to such an astonishing display of musicality.

Lucky Stars – Mikaela Cougar

pop rock, rock, Singer Songwriter

Mikaela Cougar is a force to be reckoned with, releasing three killer singles this year alone. Her latest feat is the cosmic Lucky Stars EP, which she hopes will “shoot people through moonbeams, landing them amongst the stars”. Dude. You gotta hear it.

The EP slaps from the get go, starting with nostalgic “grrl rock” single Lucky Stars. The track is moody gold, and it took me straight back to watching 10 Things I Hate About You in the early 2000s. There’s a certain No Doubt energy to the song, but it’s definitely that little bit edgier. It builds through the use of classic palm muting, distortion and layered vocals. It’s a good time.

I Don’t Wanna Be In Love is one of my absolute favourites. It was great to listen to the track again; it impressed me just as much this time. From there it moved into Stupid Love Drunk, which gave me major Lorde vibes. Mikaela’s pop alto shined in this track as her vocals walked the edge of spoken word in the verses. I can picture Stupid Love Drunk being s o m u c h f u n live as the audience yells the words with her. Don’t be fooled by the groovy rhythm section and fun chorus though; the song has secret lyrical substance.

The fourth track See Straight is the single that made me fall in love with Mikaela’s music earlier this year. It was just as eerie and mesmerising this time, and nice to hear it in the context of the rest of the collection. The final track Scared begins a little more sultry than the earlier tracks. It’s cool to see Mikaela experimenting with different sounds and topics. It launches into her iconic “grrrl rock” sound before long. Overall the Lucky Stars EP is a really well balanced set of tracks. Mikaela has managed to develop a distinct and coherent sound while still delivering a diverse set of songs; a feat worthy of recognition.The full Lucky Stars EP will be available to the public this Friday, and Mikaela will take to the stage with her band at Wine Cellar. If her live performance is anywhere near as epic as her discography then the crowd will be in for a super fun night. Get your pre Halloween boogie on, and maybe I’ll see you in there!

You can find Mikaela Cougar and her music on Instagram, Facebook and Spotify.

Wanderer – Molly Devine

Ambient, Easy Listening

After years of working collaboratively with New Zealand songwriters and musicians, the isolation of 2020 has inspired something completely different from Molly Devine. It’s been a year of polar opposites for the artist. One moment she was touring the country with her new single Call Me Up, the next she was home alone crowded by her thoughts along with the rest of Aotearoa. Fortunately for Molly she runs a music school out of her home, so she spent her hibernation in a mini recording studio.

Wanderer is about the “magnetism (Molly) feels towards simplicity and easefulness”. The track is a first for Molly, as she wrote and produced it solo. Wanderer comes with a beautiful music video that paints pictures to compliment the soundscape.

Wanderer begins with a sparkling right hand piano line, and twinkling city lights to match. The introduction is based around a montage of busy modern living; a time-lapse of traffic, flight times at the airport, a crowd at a zebra crossing. As Molly’s soothing voice describes a “familiar silhouette leaning against the door frame”, the imagery settles into a warm indoor scene. There’s poetry in Molly’s lyricism. She “loves you like the ocean loves the moon”, drawing imagery from nature to parallel human emotions.

I particularly enjoyed the appearance of classical guitar; an intricate line written by Jayendra Birchall. The dynamic blend of Molly Devine’s songwriting and Birchall’s mystical performance results in an ethereal piece of writing; reminiscent of some of Sufjan Steven’s work. Wanderer is a beautiful piece of writing. I look forward to keeping up with Molly’s journey on Facebook and Instagram.

Photo: Nik Brinkman

VÏKÆ – Finelines

Pop

Born in Ukraine and seeking refuge in New Zealand post Chernobyl, VÏKÆ is no stranger to adversity. Finelines is her second 2020 single soaked in beautiful tragedy. In this song VÏKÆ “explores the way in which human interaction has changed because of party culture and how this can have an adverse effect on mental health”. The song touches on a similar message to Kendrik Lamar’s “Swimming Pools”, with a bleak but poetic story touching on how good mind altering substances can feel, but ultimately that overuse is “dancing with the demons”.

With a voice reminiscent of Lana Del Rey and Sia, VÏKÆ evokes the similar feeling of a message spoken by a tragic hero. Finelines is co-written by and produced by Abigal Knudson (aka Missy) who provides rich and eerie production. The chorus percussion bounces around your head like a strobe giving you the delirious feeling in a club that the song describes.

VÏKÆ’s music brings to light “struggles with bipolar, addiction and poor judgement”. She describes her art as “brassy to purposefully make the psyche uncomfortable”. In an attempt to steer clear of coming across “disingenuous”, her “unique DIY approach” to making music, costuming and directing and editing her own music videos allows her to have “complete autonomy” of the authenticity of her artistry and music.

Vikae will be going on tour with Prins later in the year playing in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington and Ohakune.

Keep up to date with VÏKÆ on Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify.

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