Half a century after Split Enz released their landmark debut Mental Notes, a new generation of Aotearoa musicians is paying tribute — not in a concert hall or recording studio, but in a classroom in Hamilton.
Led by musician and storyteller Lachie Holt (aka Kaupapa Kid) and original Split Enz founding member Mike Chunn, a unique project is underway to reimagine songs from Mental Notes through the voices and creativity of school students.
“This special project brings together a new generation of artists to learn, perform, and record their own interpretations of songs from Mental Notes — honouring the album’s rich legacy while adding their own youthful twist,” the project’s organisers said in a statement. “The sessions will be captured live and pressed into a limited-edition vinyl album, preserving their interpretations for future generations of fans.”
A blend of legacy and mentorship, the project “is a powerful blend of past and future — a veteran songwriter mentoring rangatahi, passing on knowledge, skills, and stories to a group of young people eager to make their mark in Aotearoa’s musical narrative.”
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For Holt, the classroom teacher overseeing the initiative, it’s about more than music. “This project is more than just a recording — it’s a chance to celebrate Aotearoa’s musical heritage, empower future generations of artists, and connect communities through song,” he said.
The performance and recording will take place at Hamilton East School on June 17th, with Chunn joining the students on stage; a highlight for the Year 5 and 6 kids who’ve been studying and rehearsing the songs for weeks. A few older students who’ve graduated from the school are also returning to help round out the band.
Speaking to Stuff, Holt said, “On the day we are going to play four songs. There are about 60 kids involved in one of the songs, and we have got a little band. Three of our students have come back from high school to help out one of our junior singers.”
The class has a track record of musical projects, previously tackling songs by Liam Finn and Opshop, but revisiting Mental Notes for its 50th anniversary felt like a natural fit. “We try to do one [project] each year in the classroom, and this just seemed like a fitting event,” Holt explained.
Beyond the performance itself, the students will also get a chance to speak directly with Split Enz alumni — both Chunn and drummer/percussionist Noel Crombie — to learn more about the band’s history and the making of the record. The hope is to record the songs live and press them onto a small run of vinyl.
The initiative has already earned praise from inside the Split Enz camp. “I was shooting a music video for Neil Finn a few weeks ago and I was lucky enough to show him what we had been working on,” Holt said. “He was really stoked and blown away with what the kids had done.”
For the students, the experience has been eye-opening and inspiring. “When they started researching Split Enz and saw how massive they were and how they were kind of our original Six60, I think they were kind of blown away they would want to do anything with us,” Holt said.
TVNZ’s Seven Sharp is documenting the journey, adding a national spotlight to what is quickly becoming one of New Zealand’s most heartwarming musical tributes of the year.
To support the project and contribute to the vinyl pressing, visit the official PledgeMe campaign.
