Brad Craig (left) and Isaac McFarlane, of Two Cartoons,
"probably the least serious or overbearingly musical band
in Dunedin". Photo by Craig Baxter.
A young Dunedin band has won NZ On Air funding with its
first song.
Two Cartoons was one of 16 bands selected from 99
applications for a $10,000 "Making Tracks" grant this week.
The funding will allow the band to record its single
Better Coast and make a music video to back up its
release.
"It's pretty exciting news. Better Coast is the first
song we wrote," Brad Craig (19) said yesterday.
"The idea behind Making Tracks is NZ on Air wanted to record
radio quality tracks for bands that couldn't afford to do
it," he said.
"It's one of those 'big tick' things, because it means that
not just our friends like us, which is a nice feeling."
Funding for the $2 million 'Making Tracks' programme is
advised by an independent panel of broadcasting and music
professionals, based on the broadcast, music and audience
merits of the submittted songs.
Two Cartoons played its first gig in May and followed that up
with a tour of Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and
Auckland.
"We're very different from most bands in Dunedin. For a
start, there's only two of us and we really just make
carefree pop music," Isaac McFarlane (20) said.
"We're probably the least serious or overbearingly musical
band in Dunedin."
The band also recently appeared on a 8500-run industry
compilation album of up-and-coming independent bands.
"That was huge for us. We started getting emails from people
in the States, and things, from people wanting to work with
us," McFarlane said.
"We've got ambition, but we don't take ourselves too
seriously. The band name, Two Cartoons, is about us having
the same crazy ideas and just being kids.
We wanted a name that represented that.
The duo plans to release Better Coast in February or March,
but they had "no idea" what they were going to do for their
video, McFarlane said.
"Knowing us, it won't be something very serious."
Dunedinmusic.com manager Scott Muir said Two Cartoons was the
youngest band to win a NZ On Air grant.
News of the funding comes as Flying Nun Records celebrates
its 30th anniversary this month.
The band will play in Saturday's Flying Nun tribute concert
at Chicks Hotel in Port Chalmers.
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