12:00 Bill Sevesi

Bill Sevesi's career began the early 1950s in the Auckland inner city suburb of Newton. His much loved band The Islanders, played a residency at the Orange Ballroom that lasted for 16 years.

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Bill Sevesi and The Islanders

Bill Sevesi and The Islanders Photo: Supplied

12.30 Maioha Awards 

The three finalists for this year’s APRA Maioha Award, which recognises the art of contemporary Māori songwriting, have been announced. The award will be presented at the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Awards in October.

2020 APRA Maioha Award finalists:

  • Rob Ruha - ‘Ka Mānu’, performed by Bella Kalolo, Maisey Rika, Majic, Ria Hall, Rob Ruha, Seth Haapu, Troy Kingi, and The Witch Dr
  • Seth Haapu - ‘Ūkaipō’
  • Maimoa - ‘Whāia’, written and performed by by Pere Wihongi, Meto-Tagivale Schmidt-Peke, Hoeata Maxwell-Blake, Awatea Wihongi, Te Kaaterama Pou, Mereana Teka, Raniera Blake, Puawai Taiapa, Nathaniel Howe, and Tawaroa Kawana

The awards will be presented alongside the Silver Scroll, New Zealand's most prestigious songwriting award, at a ceremony at Auckland’s Town Hall on October 14.

Maioha finalists 2020

Maioha finalists 2020 Photo: Screen capture

1:00 TRACK BY TRACK: Troy Kingi on brand new album  'The Ghost of Freddie Cesar' 

A missing father, one old cassette tape and a clutch of memories is the inspiration for Troy Kingi’s new album The Ghost of Freddie Cesar. Yadana Saw talks to the versatile Northland artist as he walks her though his new album track by track and explains that the record is a covers album to make sense of his Dad’s disappearance.

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1.30 The Sampler

The Techtones

The Techtones were an Auckland four-piece punk band in the 1980s. Although they were only together for 18 months, their presence was felt immensely. Within three months of their first gig they were opening for the Ramones and the B52s. Then, they disappeared. Nick Bollinger reviews their recently remastered album TT23 on The Sampler. 

Songs played on this segment of The Sampler:

Techtones - You’re Never Alone    

Techtones - TT23    

Techtones - On Your Mind    

Techtones - If This Is Love    

Techtones - Try It Again    

Techtones - Reply    

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The Techtones

The Techtones Photo: 2014 Simon Grigg

The Luminaries Soundtrack by David Long

Musician, composer, and producer David Long is best known for his work with Peter Jackson. He wrote music and worked on sound design for The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, as well as additional scores for The Lovely Bones and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. More recently, David wrote and produced the score for the TV adaptation of Eleanor Catton's Booker Prize-winning novel The Luminaries. It's now been released as an album. Nick Bollinger reviews the colourful soundtrack on this episode of The Sampler.

Songs played in this segment of The Sampler:

David Long - The Luminaries    

David Long - Twelve Men    

David Long - Wake Up!    

David Long - The Orrery    

David Long - The Swindle    

David Long -Life Pans Out    

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David Long

David Long Photo: Native Tongue

2:00 Mild Orange Live 

Mild Orange formed in Dunedin in 2016, and have since released two albums independently - both of which have received international acclaim, and have clocked up millions of streams on YouTube and Spotify.

Their dream-pop sound has entranced fans around the globe, and we’re lucky enough to present this awesome Industrial Live session for you. It mostly features tracks from Mild Orange's new self-titled album, plus awesome older fan favourites too. 

Industrial Sessions is a collaboration between Queenstown-based production companies TomTom (lighting, video and staging), Shotover Media (filming and direction) and Soundpeople (live sound and mix). 

Do you want to see Mild Orange live? Click here for tour dates and ticket info

This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

Check out the full live session video below

2.30 INTERVIEW: Naavy 

Phoebe Lee Jasper is an Auckland pop musician who works under the name Navvy. She’s clocked up millions of Spotify streams and worked with international producers on a trio of EPs released over the last year. Together the three records tell the story of her breakup with a long time boyfriend, and her recovery from it. Navvy was supposed to be in the UK working right now, but COVID has kept her in NZ for the meantime .She visited RNZ to talk to Tony Stamp about making hit songs out of heartache.

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No caption

Photo: supplied/greatthings.co.nz

2.50 COVID19 vs Wellington Buskers

If you have ever been to Wellington you know just how many buskers perform on Cuba Street . It's become part of Wellington culture. So how have things changed since the pandemic? Harriet Robinson heads to the streets of the coolest little capital to find out. 

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Cuba Street

Cuba Street Photo: supplied

3.15 INTRODUCING: Praize Vuna

Praize may only be 15 years old, but her talent has got a lot of people excited. The Manurewa High School student describes her music as "full on Pasifika" and won second place at last years Tangata Beats competition.Charlotte talked with her about inspiration, singing in Tongan, and her goals for the future. 

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Praize Venu

Praize Venu Photo: supplied

3.30 Songcrush

Tony Stamp is joined by the host of RNZ Concert’s Inside Out Nick Tipping, and social media journalist Jogai Bhatt, to check out songs by The Phoenix Foundation, Estere, Lontalius and more. 

Songs played on this episode of Songcrush:

Quantic - Primate Boogaloo

The Phoenix Foundation - Landline

Throwing Muses - Bywater

Estere - Calculated Risk

Giveon - Heartbreak Anniversary

Lontalius - Someone Will be There For You

Paul Kelly and Paul Grabowski - Please Leave Your Light On

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This week's crushes

This week's crushes Photo: supplied

4:00 The Mixtape with Bic Runga 

Bic Runga is more than a household name in Aotearoa, she's one of our brightest stars. Her debut album Drive became a top 10 hit when Bic was just 20 years old and was certified seven times platinum. Since then, she's received almost every music honor in New Zealand.

Not only has she won the most Tui Awards (New Zealand Music Awards) by any individual, ever (twenty!), she's also won Best Female Vocalist four times, Best Producer three times, and the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll songwriting award. Bic was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Zealand New Year's Honours List in 2006. And in 2016 she received the Legacy Award at the New Zealand Music Awards and was inducted into the New Zealand Music hall of fame.

It was our pleasure to talk with Bic about racism in Aotearoa, her journey so far, and of course her favourite songs.

Songs played on this episode of The Mixtape:

Yasamin - October

Ebony Lamb - Beautiful Things (RNZ Cover) 

Kendal Ellise - The Clock Tower

King Sweeties - Let’s Just Stay In Bed 

Oppossom - Getaway tonight 

Na Noise - Bad Dreams

See Bic Runga live! 

  • Sunday 25 October - Tauranga, Baycourt Theatre, support from Yasamin
  • Monday 26 October - Hawke's Bay Arts Festival
  • Friday 6 November - Wellington, San Fran, support from Ebony Lamb
  • Saturday 7 November - Whanganui, Royal Wanganui Opera House, support from Ebony Lamb
  • Friday 13 November - Auckland, Hollywood Theatre, support from Na Noise
  • Saturday 14 November - Leigh Sawmill, support from Kendall Elise

Click here for ticket info

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No caption

Photo: Karen Inderbitzen-Waller

Songs played on this episode:

Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Father and Son (2020 version)

Fourtet - Two Thousand and seventeen

Moby  - Porcelain

Tiny Ruins - Priest with balloons

Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie

New Order - Be A Rebel

Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire

Marina Satti and Fones - Mantissa

Khruangbin - Time (You and I)

Reb Fountain - Don't you know who I am

Fiona Apple - Criminal

Doves - Black and White Town

Amanda Palmer & Rhiannon Diddens - Its a Fire

King Kapisi - Screams From Da Old Plantation

The Chemical Brothers - Salmon Dance

The Beatles - Across the Universe

TL Stamp – Archipelago