Bic Runga "Close your Eyes" 2016

...The record marked 20 years since Hinewehi Mohi sang the New Zealand national anthem in te reo at the Rugby World Cup in 1999, igniting controversy and much needed conversation. Mohi was the project coordinator for the record and mentored the vocalists in te reo. Waiata/Anthems debuted at the top of the Official NZ Music Chart in September 2019...

...Runga’s next release arrived in April 2020: a new project with Cass Basil called King Sweeties. The first single ‘Let’s Just Stay in Bed’ nicely introduced the group’s sparse, fun and post-punk sound. The duo share vocal duties, with Runga taking on the drums, engineering and production, Basil on bass, and Nielson on mixing. Since then, there have been two more singles, ‘Lydia’ and ‘Tonight We Could Go Out Dancing (As If It’s The Last)’ – all from their forthcoming EP, We Are the Bosses. King Sweeties have begun playing their first live shows, frequently alongside Opossom.
After the many cancellations and postponements experienced by all musicians in 2020, Runga has been able to get back on the road for a spring tour. Taking to her social media, she sounds more than ready to be playing live: “Music has been my sanity this year, I’m excited to be doing this!” - audioculture

trax:
01 Close Your Eyes 02 What'cha Say 03 Wolves 04 Things Behind The Sun 05 Tinsel Town In The Rain 06 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 07 Andmoreagain 08 Viens 09 Dream A Dream 10 The Lonely Sea 11 Life Will Get Better Some Day 12 Only Love Can Break Your Heart
…served by Gaius & BIG GRAY…