A Dunedin performer I recently had the good fortune of seeing live for the first time is the very talented Abby Wolfe.
Born and raised in Dunedin, Wolfe began teaching herself guitar at the age of 15, inspired by the likes of Ed Sheeran and Norah Jones.
Now, bypassing university to focus on her art ("I'm not the kind of person who has the attention span to study''), Wolfe is the leading performer among a small collection of promising solo singer-songwriters carving out a spot in Dunedin's music community.
"It's such a cool wee scene,'' Wolfe said recently on a beachside wander for website Insiders Dunedin "and there's a lot of people coming into it now, instead of the band scene. It's cool to have different parts to the city. Dunedin is such a 'Dunedin Sound' type place, and everyone's like 'Oh yeah the Dunedin sound, that must be like the only music there' but there's so much other music here!''
Wolfe hasn't released much music yet, but year-old single Runaway, a start-stop ballad anchored by her powerful voice, has been on high rotation in recent weeks as Wolfe builds towards the release of her debut EP.
"The very first song I wrote is Runaway, which is the first song I put out,'' Wolfe said.
"It's probably my favourite song, and I wrote it in only 15 minutes. From there, they've just been dribbling out from 2013 to the end of 2015. Those songs are from a totally naive point of organic music. They're just my life experiences thus far. Like relationships, and going to LA, and coming back and missing it, like a nostalgic song. Just an emotionally and angsty kind of thing.''
Highly recommended listening, and a highly anticipated EP.
Follow Abby online at Facebook.com/Abby Wolfe
KILLERGRAMS
Relative newcomers on the scene, Killergrams is performing a minimal set of rock, country and blues tonight.
The duo of Tom Maxwell and Joe Bishop share a love of traditional form, '90s alt rock inflection and rabble rousers, and come highly recommended.
Their debut EP, So in the Night, was released on Bandcamp last year, and gives off some Delaney Davidson vibes in its aesthetic.
Support comes from the folk duo of Jo Little and Jared Smith.
YESSES
Dunedin-born DIY psych-pop musician Jack Brosnahan is nearly ready to release his debut album under his Yesses moniker. Brosnahan recorded the album, called Fixated, while travelling solo around Canada and Europe last year. It follows the brilliant self-titled EP put out in early 2015, a collection of sugarcoated pop zingers. As a preview, he's dropped first single Bamboozled (supercilious boy), a super-detailed (Brosnahan is again working with friend, producer, and audio wiz De Stevens) and super-woozy sentimental number. The album will be out June 17 and I'll be speaking to Brosnahan in the lead up, but in the meantime, get on to bandcamp and have a listen to Bamboozled.
CELEBRATE THE SQUELCH
With Dunedin's dance scene on the up, prepare for a night of acid-influenced house and techno curated for your listening and dancing pleasure by Danny Creature, Somatech, and Mysterious Stranger.
It's a mash-up of old school, new school and traditional djing with live performance.
Come celebrate the squelch.
The gigs
• Killergrams with Jo Little and Jared Smith, tonight at Dog With Two Tails from 8pm.
• Yesses releases Fixated on June 17 at the Attic.
• Lush acid house and techno with Mysterious Stranger, Somatech, and Danny Creature, Saturday, June 11, Inch Bar. Free entry from 9.30pm.
