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Swallows are gathering; it must be spring. Like the blossoms, new music is appearing every day.
There are intriguing gigs to point to but let’s start with new releases. Bay of Plenty musicians are offering albums, EPs and singles, all very different, each worthwhile if they tick your particular musical boxes.
The Artist Red. Photo / Supplied
As mentioned last week, The Artist Red, stage name of singer-songwriter Dionne Stanbridge, has just released another single, a follow-ups to last month’s ‘HybRED’. ‘Paradigm Of History’ was recorded at Welcome Bay’s Colourfield Studio with multi-instrumental studio boss Tim Julian, who recently released his own album under the band name Fragile Colours.
Anthem
Julian’s collaborator on that, Brian Franks, plays bass here, along with drummer James Bos, guitarist Steve Kopae and percussionist David Aupapa. Stanbridge said: “The track is an anthem, a positive affirmation to one’s self about letting go of the past and not looking towards your future through past mistakes and experiences”.
She said: “I’m an over-thinker and would often analyse things to the tenth degree” so the song is “a nod to the artist’s mind”.
These are from a new album Stanbridge is recording with Julian. Her last was 2023’s ‘Gemini Woman’. Six tracks are in production with four more to be added; the next single drops later this month.
Sophisticated beauty
Liam Ryan, currently a resident in Waihi, has a new EP, ‘Pastiche’. It’s a thing of sophisticated beauty, four orchestral tracks, two being collaborations with legendary, if largely unknown, Kiwi singer Evan Silva.
‘Pastiche’ goes wide digitally next week. In the meantime head to Bandcamp where you can actually pay to download it. It’s an old-fashioned concept I know – consider it buying Ryan a cup of coffee if that sounds more reasonable...
Sean Bodley. Photo / Supplied
New single
Local guitar virtuoso Sean Bodley has a new single, ‘Road To Nowhere’, an immaculate guitar piece in vaguely Satriani mould. Guitarists who haven’t heard Bodley should discover his YouTube channel; he’s also a highly-regarded tutor if you want to learn how to actually play that stuff!
Two quick corrections from last week: False Waltons’ new release is an album not an EP, called ‘Purpose’, and reveals the band to be much more than just a wall-of-sound noise machine. Looking forward to living with ‘Purpose’. And the new Grant Haua offering is called ‘Two Roots’ while his band name is Atua Blues; I suggested the inverse.
Now I’ve gone on too long to dig into those gigs. Let me offer précis. Saturday, November 15, at the Jam Factory catch Nikau Grace with creative activist Juice for an acoustic session: music, storytelling, community and collective action.
Tuesday, November 18, Kiwi legend – and this time I really mean legend – Wayne Gillespie, folk singer-songwriter, is there celebrating the 20th anniversary of acclaimed album, ‘Live At The Bunker’. He’ll be joined by fantastic guitarist Kim Halliday and Narc bassist Tony Waine. This should be brilliant; John Michaelz plays support.
Over at Totara Street? The Butlers on November 14 and Tahuna Breaks on November 15. Spring really has sprung!
Hear Winston’s latest Playlist: https://tinyurl.com/yp6czwm5