New Zealand Music Features

Since it first arrived in the late-50s, the surf guitar sound has continued to re-emerge in each decade. Gareth Shute takes a short look back at the history of the style in New Zealand.

The 2020 edition of The Others Way was set to be the sixth such gathering of the musical faithful along Karangahape Road. Preparations were advanced and in motion, before another roadblock forced the event's indefinite postponement. Last year shortly after the second Auckland lockdown, Kate Powell spoke with organisers, artists and venue owners involved about their experiences and what they've learnt. 

Jay Clarkson has been recording and performing music in New Zealand for many years, and she continues to do so. We asked Jay to give us the back story on a number of photos and letters we've unearthed from the archives, as well as what she has in the pipeline. 

Under The Influence (FNCD021) came about through 12 months of loose talk, six months of intensive planning, three changes of date and two final weeks of very late nights. Indeed there were many times we questioned the sanity and feasibility of even attempting to record the Flying Nun 21st Anniversary album in one day... and without the faith of many around us we simply wouldn’t have been able to pull it off! As the Flying Nun label had recently been incorporated, alongside Festival Records and Mushroom Records, into the larger independent company called (deep breath) Festival Mushroom Records incorporating Flying Nun, we had created a strong...