NZ Music Month / Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa has wrapped up for another year, closing out with the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards. The Beths, TAWAZ, and Tom Scott were among the big winners on the night. Last week featured Marlin’s Dreaming and Erny Belle’s stunning new collab, Hans. and hanbee, Shepherds Reign, and Crowded House.
Plus, catch up on fresh highlights from SWIDT, Nathan Haines, skinnyandsoft, lilbubblegum, Katie Thompson, Anna Coddington, and The Big Fresh Collective below.
SWIDT – TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
After a month-long barrage of fresh releases and music videos dropping almost daily during NZ Music Month, aptly named SWIDT MUSIC MONTH, Onehunga’s iconic rap group SWIDT have unleashed their highly anticipated album, TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS. This powerhouse release marks their first full-length album since 2018’s STONEYHUNGA: The Bootleg.
Nathan Haines – “Come Into the Light”
Nathan Haines has shared “Come Into the Light”, the first single from his upcoming 11th studio album, set to release in August. This jazzy track channels a West London sound, thanks to frequent colloborator Frank Booker on beats and Auckland-based vocalist La Coco.
skinnyandsoft – showhilla
skinnyandsoft, the artist project of Taranaki-raised, Tamaki-Makaurau-based artist Lou Smith, has released his debut album, showhilla. The cathartic collection of songs spans dream pop, electronica, and hip hop, most of which were made on Waiheke Island with his best friend, rede.
lilbubblegum – “PROTAGONIST”
With just three tracks, West Auckland’s lilbubblegum’s latest EP hits hard. The final track, “PROTAGONIST”, follows heavyweight collaborations: “Scraps On” with Rico Nasty and “I SEE RED” with REI AMI.
Katie Thompson – “I See You”
Katie Thompson, a finalist for Best Country Song at this year’s Country Music Awards, brings her heartfelt croon to an upbeat anthem about acceptance.
“This song encapsulates the intimate moments I’ve shared with those who truly understand me. It highlights the beauty of being seen and accepted for who I am, inspiring me to become a better version of myself,” she shares.
Anna Coddington – “Mōhou Rā”
Anna Coddington and her band The Appreciations (Jol Mulholland, Mike Hall, and Fen Ikner) have dropped the second single from her upcoming album, Te Whakamiha, set to release in June for Matariki. “Mōhou Rā” is upbeat guitar-driven funk-pop with lyrics in both te reo Māori and English.
Liam K. Swiggs & Young Gho$t “Skate Park”
Wrapping up NZ Music Month in smooth style, Canterbury’s The Big Fresh Collective drops a special track. Founder Liam K. Swiggs teams up with Pōneke rap figurehead Young Gho$t (Bad Taste) for “SKATE PARK”, a laid-back, horn-laden hip hop cut reminiscing about crew memories, personal growth, and dedicated to the memory of Jesse Crossan.
“This track is extremely special to us as it ended up being dedicated to our very dear friend and all round Ōtautahi legend Jesse “Mother****ing” Crossan – who unfortunately tragically passed away last year in a car accident halfway through the process of us making the music video leaving us all with a giant hole in our hearts,” they say.
