RNZ Music
Featured Music Stories
VIDEO PREMIERE: Lake South ‘South Coast’
Wellington musician Lake South makes gorgeously lush electronic music with richly layered vocals and warm, fuzzy synths. He’s due to release his second album in August, and RNZ Music is proud to premiere the first single, ‘South Coast’.
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Lonnie Holley on turning trauma into beauty
Surviving a childhood of neglect, abuse, being hit by a car, put in a prison camp, and living though the Civil Rights movement in Alabama, Lonnie Holley, now 69, turns his experiences into things of beauty and hope. Audio
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Song Crush: Best songs of the year (so far)
Here is a mid-year round-up of the best songs of 2019 so far, eight of them, courtesy of the RNZ Music Song Crush crew. Soundtrack your solstice! Video, Audio
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Heavy metal makes happy adults
A study by a heavy metal groupie-turned-developmental psycho-pathologist Dr Tasha Howe explores the experiences of 1980s heavy metal groupies, fans and musicians vs other music fans. Turns out the kids are alright! Audio
RNZ Concert
RNZ Concert is New Zealand’s fine music network. Concert promotes New Zealand music and composition and features live broadcasts of concerts and recitals, as well as international content from other public radio broadcasters, podcasts, and on-demand programmes.
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Live jazz: Alicia Olatuja at 2019 Wellington Jazz Festival
8 Jun 2019Alicia Olatuja brings luscious tone, personal engagement and natural elegance to her recent Wellington performance. Audio
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Kiwi wins a major prize as part of an international quartet
11 minutes agoThe Marmen Quartet, including Kiwi viola player Bryony Gibson-Cornish, has won a major prize in France.
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More tales of Offenbach
25 minutes agoJacques Offenbach takes an irreverent approach to Greek mythology and his opera Orpheus shocks the music world in 1858.
Featured Music Programmes
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Nashville Babylon 17 June, 2019
17 Jun 2019On tonight's show Mark pays tribute to the Night Tripper - the late and forever great Dr John. There's also new music from Sturgill Simpson, a live track… Audio
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Nashville Babylon 10 June, 2019
10 Jun 2019On tonight's show Mark says happy birthday to Howlin' Wolf, celebrates the 70th anniversary of Hank Williams's debut at the Grand Ole Opry and spins classics… Audio
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Nashville Babylon: Best of the year - so far
3 Jun 2019This week's Nashville Babylon is a 'best of the year - so far' special for Queen's Birthday weekend with tracks from the likes of Reb Fountain, Son Volt, Tiny… Audio
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Nashville Babylon 27 May, 2019
29 May 2019On tonight's show Mark plays birthday tunes for Don Williams and John Fogerty, spins classic country-soul from Larry Jon Wilson and Bobbie Gentry, a track from… Audio
Recent Music Stories
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Kiwi wins major prize as part of international quartet
19 Jun 2019Kiwi violist Bryony Gibson-Cornish is part of the Marmen Quartet, which has won a major international music competition. Video
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First song - Crimson Coast
19 Jun 2019Rockers Crimson Coast have just returned from a quick UK tour, and join us to play a song in the Auckland studio Audio
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On tour with the NZ Guitar Quartet
19 Jun 2019Fresh from tours to China and Australia the New Zealand Guitar Quartert is gearing up for a tour of their home soil. They chat to David Morriss about their repertoire, travels and working closely… Audio
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What RNZ Music has in store
19 Jun 2019Kirsten Johnstone & Elliot Childs share some of the interesting stories RNZ's music team has been working on, including the Universal Music archive fire in 2008, the WOMAD 2019 concerts that are… Audio
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Band-poster hoard from '60s to be preserved in music studios
18 Jun 2019The mystery of who created a 1960s pop-culture time capsule uncovered in a New Plymouth cottage last week has been solved.
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Pop culture time-capsule mystery solved
18 Jun 2019The McIsaac sisters, Ann and Peggy, travelled from Stratford and Auckland respectively today to be reunited with their childhood home - and the wall-to-wall posters they put up as kids. Video, Audio
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VIDEO PREMIERE: Lake South ‘South Coast’
18 Jun 2019Wellington musician Lake South makes gorgeously lush electronic music with richly layered vocals and warm, fuzzy synths. He’s due to release his second album in August, and RNZ Music is proud to…
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Nocturnes: Music and the night
18 Jun 2019Nocturnes: Popular Music and the Night is a new book looking at how culture changes at night. It can be romantic, but also be a place of terror and of excitement. Audio
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Great album: Long Ago
18 Jun 2019Long ago is the third release, and first full albun by the band Herbs released in 1984. Audio
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Herbs: the band, the movie
It's been 40 years since the formation of one of our most iconic bands. HERBS: Songs of Freedom is a new film, looking at the creation and success of the pioneering pacific reggae band, that had its… Audio
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Filipe Manu and Friends
18 Jun 2019New Zealand tenor Filipe Manu is on home soil to perform with friends at The Auckland Opera Studio. He joins David Morriss to chat about travels, attending the Guild Hall and what it's like to perform… Audio
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Call for Kiwi kid rockers
18 Jun 2019The producers of the Broadway and West End blockbuster musical, are calling for talented New Zealand kids to seize the chance to write their very own rock song that will be played live in front of the… Audio
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National music centre secures Te Ngākau Civic Square building
17 Jun 2019Wellington City Council, Victoria University and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra have taken a major step in the establishment of a national music centre.
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Steve Young - collector of unusual musical albums
17 Jun 2019Anything can be a musical. The mega hits about the beliefs and practices of Mormons and that one about American history and a man named Hamilton are surely proof of that. How about a musical about dog… Video, Audio
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Great albun - The Joshua Tree
17 Jun 2019The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2. Audio
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Jesse Peach on bringing Once:The Musical to NZ
17 Jun 2019One of the world's most celebrated modern musicals is premiering in New Zealand this month, brought here by kiwi director Jesse Peach. Audio
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Northern Migrations with Francesco Turrisi
17 Jun 2019Pianist Francesco Turrisi's music defies categorisation. The musical alchemist discusses what the audiences might expect during his CMNZ tour Northern Migrations. Audio
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POULENC: Dialogues of the Carmelites
16 Jun 2019Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the classic John Dexter production of Poulenc’s devastating story of faith and martyrdom. Video
Coming up
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Jan Hellriegel - Sportsman of the Year
16 Jun 2019Jan Hellriegel's new album, autobiography, and podcast come with the eyebrow-raising title, Sportsman of the Year. William Dart looks into the mystery. Video, Audio
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Hymns on Sunday, 16 June 2019
16 Jun 2019It's Trinity Sunday, and this week's selection begins with Reginald Heber's great Trinitarian hymn Holy, holy, holy. There's also a hymn by New Zealand composer Jenny McLeod, and a contemporary… Audio
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Hungary for Bartók
15 Jun 2019Helene Pohl leads a discussion about Bartók and his chamber music. Audio
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Worlds of Music Episode 141 - June 15 featuring the band Equus
15 Jun 2019Music from the world, for the world, hosted by Trevor Reekie features an interview with Australian band EQUUS, who’s music focuses on the traditional music of Mongolia. Audio
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The Mixtape: Indira Stewart
15 Jun 2019Indira Stewart is the host of RNZ's new 5am news show First Up. She's also a very talented musician. The former music teacher and NZ Idol runner up joins Tony Stamp to discuss healing after… Video, Audio
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