Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GOOD LORDE!
Of course, the big news in Kiwi music recently has been the success of Lorde, a singer-songwriter from Devon-
port on Auckland's North Shore. Known less regally to her friends as Ella Yelich-O'Connor, Lorde cracked the
number-one spot on the US Billboard charts in 2013 with her magical, schoolyard-chant-evoking hit 'Royals' -
just 16 years old at the time, she was the first NZ solo artist to top the American charts. 'Royals' then went on to
win the 'Song of the Year' Grammy in 2014. Her debut album
Pure Heroine
has spawned a string of hits and is
selling millions of copies worldwide. Not bad for 16!
Rock
New Zealand also has a strong rock scene, its most acclaimed exports being the revered
indie label Flying Nun and the music of the Finn Brothers.
In 1981 Flying Nun was started by Christchurch record store owner Roger Shepherd.
Many of the early groups came from Dunedin, where local musicians took the DIY atti-
tude of punk but used it to produce a lo-fi indie-pop that received rave reviews from the
likes of
NME
in the UK and
Rolling Stone
in the US.
Billboard
even claimed in 1989:
'There doesn't seem to be anything on Flying Nun Records that is less than excellent.'
Many of the musicians from the Flying Nun scene still perform live to this day, includ-
ing David Kilgour (from The Clean) and Shayne Carter (from the Straitjacket Fits, and
subsequently Dimmer and The Adults). The Bats are still releasing albums, and Martin
Phillipps' band The Chills released a live album in 2013.
Gareth Shute wrote this music section. He is the author of four books, including Hip Hop Music in
Aotearoa and NZ Rock 1987-2007. He is also a musician and has toured the UK, Europe and Australia as
a member of The Ruby Suns and The Brunettes. He now plays in indie soul group The Cosbys.
Reggae, Hip-Hop & Dance
The genres of music that have been adopted most enthusiastically by Maori and Polynesi-
an New Zealanders have been reggae (in the 1970s) and hip-hop (in the 1980s), which has
led to distinct local forms. In Wellington, a thriving jazz scene took on a reggae influence
to create a host of groups that blended dub, roots, and funky jazz - most notably Fat
Freddy's Drop. The national public holiday, Waitangi Day, on 6 February, also happens to
fall on the birthday of Bob Marley and annual reggae concerts are held on this day in
Auckland and Wellington.
