Music
TEEKS on being Māori in a mostly Pākehā music industry
TEEKS and Matariki Bennett have a beautiful kōrero at a beautiful location.
K-pop helped me accept myself as non-binary
“I felt very alone, I felt very isolated. And then I discovered K-pop.”
Marama Davidson on being told she’s a “good Māori” | Church and State
19-year-old musician and first-time voter Church meets the co-leader of the Green Party.
Winston Peters on how fish heads are the secret to youthful skin | Church and State
19-year-old musician and first-time voter Church, from Church & AP, speaks to Winston Peters.
Judith Collins on white privilege and politics | Church and State
19-year-old musician and first-time voter Church talks to National leader Judith Collins.
Melodownz shows us how to make his banana pancakes | Party Trick
Hip hop artist and hot sauce maker Melodownz shows us his banana panikeke recipe.
Hokohoko Kākahu me Theia | Thrifting with Theia
Alt-pop artist and lifelong thrifter Theia shares her best advice for shopping second-hand.
Watch out for NZ rap competition winner RAAJ
Meet RAAJ, an upcoming talent in our underground hip hop scene. The Red Bull Next winner joins Church and Smoke in the studio to cook up…
Pop duo Foley show us their hidden talent: ranking Birkenstocks
Auckland indie-pop duo Foley exercise their footwear critiquing skills, and review a handsome selection of Birkenstocks. Which Birk comes on top in Comfort, Utility and Fashion?
Many…
Bailey Wiley on the power of your family calling you out for your bullsh*t
Last year, Bailey Wiley won the NZ Music Award for Best Soul/RnB Artist. At the time, her baby girl was five weeks old. We join Bailey…
Troy Kingi spent a year researching his Taite Award-winning album, then wrote it in two weeks
Troy Kingi has committed to writing ten albums in ten genres in ten years. Fresh off a Taite Music Prize win - one of the most…
Revealed: New Zealand's top five underground rappers, judged by Smoke and Church
Red Bull is searching for the next big thing in New Zealand hip hop. Here's an exclusive look at the five finalists chosen by Church (Church and…
How to make a beat with SWIDT producer Smokeygotbeatz
Whether it's some snare drums or a packet of Yum Yum noodles, SWIDT producer Smokeygotbeatz knows how to use sounds to create a bouncy, catchy beat.…
Sound Check: HIGH HØØPS on how NZ music can emerge stronger from Covid
The music industry is suffering, but it might emerge from this pandemic stronger than before.
Sound Check: Randa rejects the productivity myth
And they talk gender identity, and dealing with OCD before and during Covid.
Sound Check: Folk singer Holly Arrowsmith is rebuilding a housebus and her dreams
All of Holly's shows for the year are cancelled, so now she's turning an old bus into a house.
Live music's fight to survive Covid-19
It's estimated the NZ live music industry has lost $68 million due to Covid-19. Musicians, venue owners and all those who love music are rallying us…
Sound Check: Indie-pop duo Imugi 이무기
Yery and Carl tell us how they're looking after themselves as the music industry slows down.
Melodownz turned self-affirmations into a catchy hook
During a rough time in his life, Melodownz repeated positive affirmations to himself in the mirror. Then he realised the mantras made a pretty sweet hook.…
Sound Check: Merk carries on
We check in with artists who were on the verge of breakthroughs - before a global pandemic happened.
5 things we learnt about JessB in our IG live chat
It's NZ Music Month and we're having lunchtime chats on the gram with NZ artists! First up, we talk durags from AliExpress and being creative during…
Auckland rapper Hans. shows us how to make Korean cocktails | Party Trick
Impress your friends at your next Korean barbecue hang. Auckland rapper Hans. shows us how to whip up yum cocktails that disguise the "ass" taste of…
Release of the Week: Auckland rapper Hans. takes us into his dreamy $5 music video
This week, Hans. released ‘Getby’, our first peek into his new project Tango Hue.
Hans. has a knack for transforming everyday motifs into something special. In the…
Re:hearsal Room: Mazbou Q
Mazbou Q (formerly Unchained XL) talks tapping into Pan-Africanism in his music, being united against imperialism and, really, just being a dope rapper.
Re:hearsal Room: Swizl Jager
Swizl Jager is all about using as much te reo in his music as he can. He talks about "keeping it reo" and the joys of…
Re:hearsal Room: Raiza Biza
What's it like to move to NZ and feel the pressure to fulfill the classic immigrant's tale? That is: get educated, make lots of money and…
NZ Music Awards: Breaking Down the Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Stylist to the stars Sammy Salsa takes us through a night at the Vodafone NZ Music Awards following the nominees for Breakthrough Artist of the Year…
Re:hearsal Room: Bobandii
Bobandii can only cry when he's making music - and he thinks maybe that's why he's a musician. He talks self-exploration, putting out music as a…
Re:hearsal Room: Lachie Hayes
Southland musician Lachie Hayes talks blues, cowboy movies, and how locals in the old days had to make their own entertainment... so they became musicians.
Re:hearsal Room: Nikita Tu-Bryant
Nikita Tu-Bryant talks us through her songwriting process and how she's moving on from writing songs about heartbreak, in our second installment of Re:hearsal Room.