The folk smorgasbord continues this week in Dunedin when acoustic band Belle Bird plays at Arc as part of its Flying North tour, with local support from the recently returned Hana Fahy and thriving musical seedlings the Tomato Plants.
Answering through the band's MySpace page, Belle Bird Anna van Reil said the band was well into the tour and it was going well.
"We've been on the road for six weeks now and people have been so awesome, touring the homeland has been a real buzz."
Belle Bird began life as a duo, but van Reil says it has up-sized from a duo to a band.
"We've somehow expanded into a four-piece. We're now Belle Bird and the Handsome Gypsies.
"We took on two friends at the start of tour quite by accident and it's worked out brilliantly. We have a great energy together on stage."
She says people who go to the band's gig at Arc next week should expect a diverse night's entertainment.
"A cornucopia of originals and classics in a bit of a gypsy form. We play ukulele, kazoo, bass, guitar, flute, accordion, clackers and tooters of all descriptions and just recently got a mandolin.
"We're big on harmonies too."
The last time Belle Bird performed in Dunedin was in 2007.
Van Reil says the night was a classic: "We had a really mixed crowd of hippy young people and toothless old people requesting Kenny Rogers.
"It was a great night."
Just before setting out on this jaunt around the country Belle Bird made an eight-song EP, or mini-album, which is available from the band, or through its MySpace page (www. myspace.com/bellebirds).
One of the bands on the supporting slate is the Tomato Plants.
Bass player and singer Hugh Dingwall says the Plants have been growing as a band.
"This is the most stable the band has yet been, so we're really trying to solidify musical roles and start getting nice and tight."
The Tomato Plants are Marcus Tuwairua, vocals and ukulele; Tahu Mackenzie, vocals; Hugh Dingwall, bass and vocals, and David Kerstens, drums.
Dingwall says it's still difficult to describe the band's sound.
"Well, it's kind of difficult, because there aren't really that many points of comparison. We play jazz, blues, folk, punk, soul, and reggae -influenced music, where the main rhythm instrument is a ukulele rather than a guitar" (the other instruments are bass guitar and drums).
Hana Fahy was a regular around Dunedin venues before dropping under the radar, but it turns out she was just having an OE.
"I've just returned to Dunedin after a couple of months travelling through India and Malaysia ."
Fahy has landed a sweet job and is looking forward to the year.
"Plans for 2009 include the inevitable return to work in all its forms - as the vocal tutor in contemporary rock music at the University of Otago, as well as some private vocal and theory tuition.
"In terms of my own music, I'm just intending to keep playing gigs regularly and am looking to complete some recording in the next few months.
"I'll also be involved in a show for the Fringe Festival called Das Roq Opera, which promises to be very entertaining for both the audience, and the participants."
She says her travels have inspired some new songs, which she'll pull out this week.
"My set on Wednesday will contain a few new songs that have just been written in the last couple of weeks as well as a selection of my older ones."
Belle Bird plays with the Tomato Plants and Hana Fahy at Arc Cafe on Wednesday, January 21, from 8pm.
