GREAT SOUNDS GREAT: Q&A WITH SOPHIE SCOTT-MAUNDER FROM EYEGUM MUSIC COLLECTIVE

Sophie Scott-Maunder / Photo credit Ryan Clark

Can you tell us a little bit about Eyegum Music Collective, and what your involvement with them has looked like over the years?

Eyegum Music Collective is a group of people based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara who are all passionate about music - in particular live music - and creating environments where people can perform and share in the incredible art that is being made in Wellington and all-around Aotearoa.

I have been involved with Eyegum Music Collective in one-way or another since its conception way back when. Some of my roles have included doing door at one of the notorious house parties, performing with my old band Beatcomber and booking some of the first Eyegum Wednesdays at San Fran. These days I stick to co-curating lineups for some of our bigger projects and running the PR side of things.

You must be busy preparing for 'Great Sounds Great'. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

'Great Sounds Great' is a brand new one-day multi-venue music festival taking place in Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s Cuba Street precinct. Spanning across five neighbouring venues, including Meow, San Fran, Valhalla, Rogue and Vagabond and Bedlam and Squalor, the jam-packed evening will feature 20 of Aotearoa's best alternative acts. It is quite a feat to put on an event of this size so we’re bringing out all the stops to make sure this festival is a night to remember!

Eyegum has been curating music events for years, including 'Welcome to Nowhere' and Eyegum Free Wednesdays at Pōneke’s San Fran! What inspired this new one-day-multi-venue festival?

We’ve always been keen to do a multi-venue festival and figured now was the right time. In 2021 we put on a two-venue end of year bash at San Fran and Valhalla. We thought it would be cool to expand to the other venues in the area (of which there are many) and make a night of it. I’ve always been jealous of Tāmaki’s The Others Way, so why not put our own version on!

Your lineup features an array of fantastic musicians and artists. What drew you to these particular acts?

I think the lineup encapsulates what Eyegum does quite nicely. Most of the well-known acts on the bill have played Eyegum events during its formative years so it’s nice to feel like we’ve come full circle. I also think it’s awesome to give some of the up-and-coming acts an opportunity to play a festival like this alongside more established acts.

Not only are you helping to organise and curate this festival, but you are also performing with your band Soft Plastics. How do you balance your roles on and off the stage?

I find that performing and event organising go hand-in-hand. It’s hard for me to say no to things so I often end up involved in too many projects. But I enjoy helping the Wellington music scene thrive and in turn that also helps Soft Plastics!

You’ve mentioned that 'Great Sounds Great' is also a celebration of Pōneke's venues. What do these venues mean to you as both a festival curator and a performer?

Our venues are what keeps our city vibrant and are vital for keeping our music scene alive. These venues are often undervalued and financially struggling, and we are at threat of losing them altogether, especially where high density urban intensification is underway.

You can find out more about how you can support our venues by checking out the awesome work that Save Our Venues are doing.

What stage are we most likely going to find you spending most time at during the festival?

Most likely San Fran, as that’s where I’ll be performing! In saying that I’m really looking forward to checking out some of the acts I haven’t seen before like Freyja (Sure Boy), Office Dog (Kane Strang’s new project) and Hemi Hemingway. It’d be rude if I didn’t check out the incredible Hans Pucket as well (who’ve just released their excellent sophomore album No Drama).

What is your favourite way to listen to music and why?

On vinyl of course! I’ve finally finished setting up my hi-fi system at the flat so I’ve been diving into my favourite albums of recent times.

Where can people find out more about the festival and purchase tickets?

You can buy tickets and find out more about 'Great Sounds Great' via Undertheradar.

A special thanks goes to Parrotdog, Undertheradar and Wellington City Council for helping make 'Great Sounds Great' happen.

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You can see Sophie performing live with her band Soft Plastics at the San Fran stage at Great Sounds Great Festival at 8pm. How did we know that, you may ask? Well - we all just got the timetable! Check it out below and plan your musical movements out in advance. For more information about Eyegum Music Collective, visit their website here and support them supporting local music by attending the festival if you're gonna be in that part of the motu!

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