Tom Scott thinks Herbs are 'the greatest'

Last November, at what felt like "the best show of his life", Tom Scott performed songs from his intimate solo debut Anitya at Auckland's Civic Theatre.

A couple of months later, the songwriter was onstage with his old hip-hop group Home Brew at Coromandel's Coroglen Tavern. Taking out his earpiece, he could hear the crowd singing along, loudly: "I was like this is the poor man's Coldplay... I was sort of happy to be delivering Temu Coldplay to these kids," he tellsOn The Air.

As he prepares to release six new songs of his own on 14 February - "just for the lovers, you know" - Scott shares six favourites from other New Zealand artists.

Butler was a band of "psychedelic-soul 70s-era local cats" who demonstrate the musical talent of New Zealand, Scott says.

"They're just singing a Four Tops song, but it goes."

"I feel like this song is perfect for the apocalypse. Dance your life away while everything you thought you had is just falling into the ocean."

Mara TK co-wrote this song with the Dunedin kapa haka group He Waka Kōtuia.

"[Mara TK] had this band that was successful over in Europe… then they blew up, and then they blew up in a bad way. Mara just sort of retreated into his hut and just makes music that has a Māori kaupapa and doesn't give a stuff. The stuff that he does with that mindset is so beautiful, and this is one.

"This is like a soulful Māori song. Not that Māori songs aren't soulful, but American soul."

This 2002 track is a "classic" that Scott also selected as a shout-out to the late Chris Ta'aloga Faiumu (aka DJ Fitchie and Mu).

"He's our [J] Dilla, he's our Madlib, just one of the greatest to ever do it. I think we all just slept on his greatness because he just stood behind that desk, humble, you know, not needing any spotlight, nothing, just holding everything together.

"We were all inspired by him... When [Fat Freddy's Drop] took me on tour, he was the most lovely dude to me. That's all I remember. And we ate. He had the Mad Max barbecue."

"This is one of my mum's favourite songs. I just remember on sunny days like this, she'd be on the deck, and there would be a certain smell of something, and then you would hear the song. I just always relate this song to beautiful times like that.

"Charlie [Tumahai] was a friend of my mum's, and we just grew up with this in the household. Herbs are the greatest."

'Non-Handler' by Wellington songwriter AJA (aka Aja Ropata) is the third song on Scott's list that's related to Mara TK.

"He famously sampled it on his album Bad Meditation. I think it's the lead track, but it's her genius that he acknowledges."