Long-listed for a Silver Scroll award in 2012, frontman and songwriter Hayden Donnell went one better the following year when his band won Folk Album of the Year at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards for Halves.
Now, the Auckland-based group has followed the spare, rustic vibe of Halves with a collection of songs that ranges from a cappella folk to pedal steel-infused country to lusher territory that involves choirs and swirling guitars.
Along with Donnell on lead vocals, guitar and piano, Up In Smoke features Great North band members Rachel Donnell (Hayden's wife) on bass and vocals, Dale Campbell on piano, guitar and vocals, Strahan Cole on lead guitar and new recruit Ryan Attwood on drums. Matthew Hutching has been called in to play pedal steel.
As with previous releases, the album was produced, mixed and mastered by long-time collaborator and producer David Parker at his Oratia-based Little Monster Studios.
According to Donnell, Up In Smoke examines the things you lose getting older, ''moving from certainty to uncertainty, feeling beliefs you once held tight collapse into thin air''.
Eclectic tourAuckland hip-hop artist Tourettes, aka Dominic Hoey, is taking his acclaimed mix of beats and poetry on the road with Melbourne-based songwriter Ben Salter.
The duo's ''Party Tricks and Boring Secrets Tour'' will feature Salter performing solo material from his back catalogue and Tourettes celebrating the launch of his first book, a collaboration with illustrator Joshua Solomon (artist/tattooist).
Tradition celebrated Celebrating the worldwide release of his debut taonga puoro album, Whaia Te Maramatanga, Manawatu-based musician Rob Thorne will appear not once but twice at Otago Museum today.
A musician with more than 25 years experience, predominantly working within alternative rock, free noise, experimental and improvisational sound art, Thorne has focused on traditional Maori musical instruments since 2001 and blends such textures with electronic loops.
Ruin nation
Following the release of new album Brightly Painted One, Tiny Ruins has announced a national tour.
Formed as a solo project in 2009 by songwriter Hollie Fullbrook, the band now includes bassist Cass Basil and drummer Alexander Freer.
While continuing to be based in New Zealand, Tiny Ruins has spent much of the past three years touring throughout Australia, the UK, Ireland, Europe and the US, playing with and opening for Father John Misty, Fleet Foxes, Calexico and, most recently, Neil Finn.
Catch Them
Great North performs at Chick's Hotel, Port Chalmers, on Friday, May 16
Tourettes and Ben Salter perform at Chick's Hotel, Port Chalmers, tonight.
Rob Thorne will present a talk and lead a discussion on taonga puoro and his research at Otago Museum at 1pm today. Thorne will later perform at the same venue, along with Phil Dadson and Chilean musician Enrique Sique, at 7pm. There will be a short discussion before the performance and a question-and-answer session will follow.
Tiny Ruins performs at Queens Bar, Dunedin, on June 7; and at Gin and Raspberry, Wanaka, on June 8.
