MUSIC
Colours of autumn With the change in weather comes a need to hit pause on the relentlessly upbeat summer jams, and settle into slower paced, more introspective sounds. MELODY THOMAS profiles five Wellington bands with brand new music to help ease the transition.
Groeni
g irlboss
Local electronic trio Groeni (pronounced groan-ee) have just released their debut full-length album, Nihx, expanding on and refining their blend of atmospheric electronica, melancholic vocals and introspective songwriting. Their music is beautiful, and so too is the relationship between band members Al Green, James Paul and Mike Isaacs – selfdescribed as ‘the three least blokey blokes in New Zealand.’ There’s a photo online of them cuddled up together that feels like an accurate snapshot of their personal and creative affinity. ‘It must be a social, macho thing that stops you sharing on an emotional level,’ says Al. ‘Once you get rid of that it opens up super rewarding friendships.’ It also opens up creative pathways, and audiences both here and abroad are responding to the openness and vulnerability that permeates Groeni’s music (they’re also very funny, but that’s another story).
Seven years ago, musician Lucy Botting moved to Wellington from Christchurch with her boyfriend and Wet Wings bandmate Darian Woods. A week after they moved the earthquake struck, taking out the venues that had cultivated the local music scene and causing their ‘cosy community’ of fellow musicians to disperse around the world. Though the couple (and their band) split a few years later, both stayed in Wellington, and Botting started to write and record solo as girlboss. She eventually grew frustrated as material accumulated but never really ‘turned into anything’. Botting started a band, rekindling the musical friendship she had once shared with Woods and bringing Douglas Kelly and Olivia Campion (Yumi Zouma, Estère) into the fold, and with this sounding board began to whittle down her compositions to the best and brightest. The songs were recorded in Auckland over 12 hours and released on the debut girlboss EP Body Con, out now on local label Ball of Wax Records.
On Nihx as a soundtrack to autumn: One of the themes of the album is dark vs light. Autumn being a transition season seems to fit nicely.
62
On Body Con as a soundtrack to autumn: Autumn can be a nice change. You don't feel so bad about curling up and having a lazy day.
