Making Tracks with The MOST FM: Artist Interviews

No Reply (Tauranga, New Zealand) is stoked to announce the release of their third single “Big Bad Takeaway” available everywhere on 18 September 2024. Big Bad Takeaway reflects on both the good and challenging times in a relationship and recounts having someone by your side through it all. Big Bad Takeaway is a horn-led groove on top of a hip hop beat, with flavours of rock throughout.

Big Bad Takeaway is the third song No Reply have collaborated on with engineer Nate Sowter at Link Flamingo Studios (Blindspott, PNC, Deadbeat, Matty Buxton, The Sun Gods, MICAH). No Reply’s two previous singles have received rotation on commercial and non commercial radio stations in Aotearoa, New Zealand and abroad, as well as on Air New Zealand flights. Formed in 2022 as a ska cover band, No Reply practices turned into original music that tries to emphasise the magic of the horn section with catchy melodies.

Georgia Gets By, the project of New Zealand’s Georgia Nott, announces her new EP, SPLIT LIP, due September 6 on Luminelle Recordings. The announcement comes with a dual single release of two instantly memorable tracks ‘Some Kind of Angel,’ which was co-written by Grammy award nominated producer Billboard (Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Blackpink) and the EP’s title track ‘Split Lip.’

“‘Split Lip’ and ‘Some Kind of Angel’ are depictions of my masculine and feminine counterparts. The songs and their visual worlds express how it feels to engage in intimacy through these two lenses,” Georgia explains. “The soft gentleness of some kind of angel vs. the stoic and at times aggressive nature of split lip. Although these two parts of myself are inseparable it was fun to play with the contrast between them.”

Jealous is the first of three upcoming singles from Jaz’s upcoming EP. By combining alternative pop beats with contemporary R&B vocals, the gifted New Zealand based artist juxtaposes light and dark themes to produce an introspective and confessional style of music.

Jealous is an upbeat track inspired by the human condition of jealousy. Jealous was lyrically inspired by her ex partner’s friendship with another woman, and draws on production influences of artists such as Kito and BANKS.

Comfort Soups is a Dream Pop ballad about the darkness hidden under the pleasant outward expressions of an Asian woman. This is the song that made the singer-songwriter fall in love with songwriting.

She was going through some disappointments, but the people around her expected her to move on. She felt angry and lonely in her sadness. Through writing the song, she felt her feelings were being heard by another person, even though the person was herself. That's how she realised songwriting was good for her.

Comfort Soups is written, performed, and produced by Raging Flowers, who is a Chinese- Kiwi Indie Pop artist living in New Zealand.

‘Baited’ incorporates the group's classic pop hooks with a twist of punk and angst, beckoning an exciting new era with a refreshed sound for the band. Also being released is an epic new music video directed by David Argue - bringing just the right darkness and angst to match the track’s empowering message.

This electric new release joins Coast Arcade's widely adored discography, including their debut EP NEXT TO ME which features chart-dominating tracks ‘Tattoo’ (#11 Hot NZ Singles Chart, RadioScope Most Added), ‘Highest Heights’ (Official NZ Charts ‘Ones To Watch’, #2 Hot NZ Singles Chart, RadioScope Most Added + NZ Airplay), and ‘Surf Club’ (Hot NZ Singles Chart).

The group have played countless opening slots for Kiwi and Aussie icons like Teenage Dads, The Beths, Princess Chelsea, The Grogans, and more. They’ve also played Rhythm and Vines two years running, White Out Festival, Spring City Festival, and a sold out North Island headlining tour!

Formed in early 2023, Psycho Gab is the force that challenges everything you thought you knew about good music. A five-piece, neo-soul band based in Tāmaki Makaurau, the group have cultivated a unique sound formed at the crossroads between soul, RnB, jazz and pop, leaving endless possibilities of smooth grooves up for exploration.

Their debut single ‘Messy’ was released in 2023 and saw love from across Aotearoa (95bFM, Radio One). The self-recorded, produced, mixed and mastered single explores the complexities and insecurities of modern relationships through raw and honest lyrics, flanked by a tight ensemble of jazzy keys, smooth guitars, playful bass licks and driving drum grooves.

Spring is promising, hopeful, colourful and a time for blossoming. Many writers and poets have written about it, musicians have sung about it, artists have painted it, all trying to capture the feelings that spring evokes after a long winter. Since it's just around the corner for us in Aotearoa, I wanted to spread some spring joy early.

The first half of ‘The Heart of Spring’ was completed in 2021 on my laptop; those original home-recorded vocals and MIDI arrangements remain on the final track. But the magic lies in the second half; composed and recorded within three hours in the creative cradle of Rhythm Ace.

So, from me to you, I give you a song from the depths of my soul. 'The Heart of Spring' is available for you to purchase on Bandcamp, Shazam it, add it to your playlists, stream this song, watch the video on YouTube and encourage friends to listen/watch too!

Originally from New Zealand, Alternative Pop group Skymachine is known for their indie nostalgia andenergetic live shows, synth tapestries and weightedlyrics.

Formed by multi-instrumentalist Brydon, their debut EP 'Young Guns' was championed by curator Alex Rainbird, receiving over 1 million YouTube streams inonly six weeks, and was followed up by ‘IWTKWYLF' in

2018.

That year they also launched their ’Secret Spots Tour’ , booking niche shows at unusual locations aroundNew Zealand, from abandoned WWII bunkers and seaside clifftops.

Joe Kearns is a Christchurch born and bred singer-songwriter who's been plying his trade in Chch and trying to get his unique poppy songs heard.

Formerly a student of the University of Canterbury's School of Music where he has an honours degree majoring in composition, he's just released his 10th single full of his usual pop sensibilities with intelligent and interesting lyrics. 'Contestant Number 3' is a fun 80s synth pop song representing how we used to look for love in those days - via TV dating shows!

Based in Wellington, this year, First Reserve has played alongside international acts Hot Mulligan (US), and Movements (US), as well as local legends Wet Denim, There's A Tuesday, and Daffodils. Previous singles have received airplay on Radio One, and new single "alice" combines hard-hitting rock instrumentation with ear-worm hooks.