Originally published April 3, 2013 in Capital Times. We listened to Being There that winter it snowed so much we could jump off the balcony. One summer, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was the soundtrack at every barbeque. Sky Blue Sky took me to California and all the Mermaid Avenue volumes across the sea to New Zealand. I … Continue reading Fell in love with the bassist
Originally published March 27, 2013 in Capital Times. The way Albert Dadon sees it, being a successful musician means being a good businessman. Fortunately, he’s both. “I’m a business musician. Music is part of everything I do,” says the man who plays jazz under the banner Albare, but signs important property development documents with the name … Continue reading Take it from the heart
Originally published March 20, 2013 in Capital Times. When Mara Simpson and her guitar landed back in New Zealand she made a goal to go swimming every day. Well, almost every day, she confesses to Amanda Witherell at a café on a morning before the sun’s high enough to hit the beach. When Mara and The … Continue reading Swan song for the sea
Originally published March 6, 2013 in Capital Times. It’s New Zealand Book Month and Amanda Witherell talks to one of Wellington’s newest and smallest publishers about how to print quality books and still be able to feed the cat. You don’t, according to Stephen Minchin. “I’ve lost chunks of money. It’s kind of depressing,” says the … Continue reading Steam is up for sci-fi
Originally published on January 23, 2013 in Capital Times. An affair with H.G. Wells, hidden homosexuality, undercover spies, and coups before teatime, Diplomatic Ladies: New Zealand’s Unsung Envoys is a page-turning account of what really goes on behind embassy doors. Not just a chronicle of juicy anecdotes, the book details the inherent sacrifices wives and … Continue reading Diplomatic Ladies
Originally published January 9, 2012 in Capital Times. When a band gets big – selling out shows, touring the world, opening for Pearl Jam, and getting Grammy nominations – the handlers really limit their contact with journalists. Yet, the musicians in Band of Horses have always seemed like they’re just out there having a good … Continue reading A short ride with Band of Horses
Once upon a turn-of-the-century time, The Datsuns churned out cutting edge rock from the sleepy Waikato town of Cambridge. A decade later the four are scattered like sparks – living in Stockholm, London, Auckland, and Wellington. Has distance diminished the fire of this well-known and revered Kiwi band? It’s the middle of the night in … Continue reading The Datsuns – Behind the wheel
