Making their first appearance in Dunedin, Watercolours is the musical moniker of Auckland musician Chelsea Jade.
Trading in melancholic swirling dream pop, Jade was the New Zealand Music Awards critics' choice award-winner in 2012, and spent autumn opening for Cat Power, Bloc Party and Dirty Projectors, while mixing her highly anticipated debut album with Justyn Pilbrow (formerly of Elemeno P) in London.
Jade met Tonnon through childhood friend and Artisan Guns guitarist Jonathan Pearce, who currently performs in both Tonnon's band and Watercolours.
''I have a feeling that if you take the template from the terrible '90s TV show Touched by an Angel, that really cheesy template, and apply it to one musician helping another, that's how I came to be on this tour,'' laughs Jade on the phone from Auckland.
''I feel like Tono maybe saw that I find organising things quite overwhelming, so asked and organised everything.''
Like Tonnon, Jade shares a focus on the lyrical content of her songs, saying she often feels most comfortable in theatre-like environments, where the atmosphere creates different and often more focused experience for performer and audience alike.
''I feel inadequate in most areas, but somehow I feel a sense of power when it comes to my writing,'' Jade says.
''It's not that I feel it's phenomenally good or anything, I just don't compromise in any way. There are always elements of musicality I feel lacking in, but there's something about words that I feel challenged and enlightened by.''
Aside from music, Jade is an accomplished photographer, working primarily with analogue film for her blog willowships.blogspot.co.nz.
Next Saturday, A Low Hum presents Secret Knives and Glass Vaults at Queens. The two Wellington bands share a love for lush psychedelic reverb, with Secret Knives keeping towards straighter synth-driven pop, and Glass Vaults being tribal, hypnotic and expansive.
The show is part of Secret Knives' New Zealand tour and comes on the back of a run of successful shows in China late last year.
See it
Secret Knives and Glass Vaults NZ Tour, Saturday, July 6, at Queens (1 Queens Gardens). Pricing and door time to be confirmed. Visit www.facebook.com/alowhum for updates.
Anthonie Tonnon and Watercolours New Zealand tour, Saturday, July 13, at Chick's Hotel with support from Paul Cathro. $15 tickets available now from www.undertheradar.co.nz.
The Chick's Hotel magic bus will depart from Countdown Central at 8.30pm, and the University of Otago library at 8.35. Free with your 2013 Radio One card, $10 without.
