Maggie Shui
New music release: Paige colours her wairua yellow
Imagine the aura or the energy that you’re giving off right now. If that aura had a colour, what would it be?
Auckland singer-songwriter Paige has released…
New release: Adam Hattaway and the Haunters’ “woozy swamp ballad” hits the spot
“I want to make music that's classic and kind of hits the spot,” says Adam Hattaway.
There’s a repeated motif in Adam Hattaway and the Haunters’ new…
New release: How to be The Beths in four easy steps!
The Beths make music that is jubilant, neurotic, carefree and anxious. I revisited their debut album Future Me Hates Me during a state-sanctioned walk around my…
Release of the Week: Auckland R&B singer-songwriter Jordan Gavet is both baby and baddie
One rhinestone-encrusted hair clip reads ‘BADDIE VIBES’. The other reads ‘HONEY BABY’. In the opening of her new music video, directed by Shae Sterling, Jordan Gavet…
Release of the Week: Diggy Dupé turns a Niuean war chant into an exhilarating hip hop track
Since we’ve just entered a nationwide, 4-week long lockdown, Diggy Dupé briefly considered pushing his music video release for ‘Keke Boy’ a week later... but then…
Release of the Week: Raiza Biza and his crew of African-Kiwi artists are stealing back their funds
Like pretty much every artist in New Zealand, Raiza Biza has just had a bunch of shows and interviews cancelled due to measures to stem the…
Premiere: Reb Fountain exposes our false gods in her new song ‘When Gods Lie’
When Reb Fountain sings “when gods lie”, who are the gods she is talking about?
It’s a lyric that suggests a crisis of faith, like a coming-of-age…
Our favourite quotes from wāhine at our International Women’s Day event
We threw a party to celebrate International Women’s Day, along with our mates The Oh Nine, and asked four powerful wāhine how they found their voice.…
Release of the Week: VÏKÆ talks escaping Chernobyl, being bipolar and her new song ‘Liar’
If you’ve ever fucked up, one thing you could do is write a song about it and hope the people you wronged will hear it. That’s…
Premiere: Mo Muse’s new music video “goes out to all the immigrants”
“This one goes out to all the immigrants, maaan,” is how Mo Muse begins his song ‘All the Kids’.
Then he quips, “You know, we always had…
Premiere: Merk makes door hinges sound cool in his new music video
There’s a metallic synth sound, almost like a squeaking hinge, in Merk’s latest single ‘H.N.Y.B’. You wouldn’t think a door hinge in need of lubrication is…
Backstage on a giddy night at the Pride Gala
We handed Freya Finch, the director of OurGala, and Hugo Grrrl, drag king and effervescent MC of the night, a disposable camera each to take photos…
“Righteous and Confident”: Being 18 in New Zealand Today
Classic coming-of-age tales used to include some combination of driving, sex, first loves, alcohol and arguing with your parents. But what would the story motifs be…
Let's talk period sex
Ava*, 26, and Ryan*, 27, have been together for two years. There’s something Ava wants to try in the bedroom - she thinks it could be…
Pasifika voices at the climate strike
In 2012, Tokelau became the first country in the world to switch to 100% renewable energy.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand, we’re extending the lives of our coal…
Our favourite climate strike signs
On Friday 27 September, people young and old throughout Aotearoa striked for climate justice, with numbers in Auckland reaching a reported 80,000.
Here's a collection of our…
Regarde Moi: an exhibition by three siblings making art for themselves
When Synthia Bahati’s Burundian family first moved from Tanzania to Auckland’s North Shore as refugees, they were a source of fascination. “People would come up to…
Talking with your Chinese parents about the Hong Kong protests
A few weeks ago, Alex* was at her family home in Tauranga and posted an Instagram story, limited to her ‘close friends’ list, with an exasperated…
Carving a space for Chinese artists at Auckland's Mercury Plaza
Growing up in Auckland, Ross Liew didn’t think he was brought up Chinese. “But turns out,” he says, “it just didn’t look Chinese or sound Chinese.…
The Asian beauty wave: monolids, puppy eyes and self-realisation
“We have a different bone structure around our eyes,” says Katherine, “and they have more… what do I say, 3D features?”
There’s lots of giggling as we…