All I'm Trying to Do is Get Back to You

After all my time in New Zealand (over two years now), I've come to discover some super sweet-as music over here. In May of every year for the last 10 years, they put on what is known as "NZ Music Month", and put out some cool swag like t-shirts and compilation cds to help spread the word of NZ Music (duh!). One of my favourite bands from Kiwi-Land is called Shapeshifter. They are sort of a live drum and bass band, which I know sounds kinda sketchy, but follow me on this one. They don't use any buttons or prerecorded bleeps and bloops on their albums or live. I usually don't even really listen to this kind of music, but I heard a live recording of this band in Real Groovy (the best records store in this country) once and I fell in love with them. I had the opportunity to go see them at the Mangawhai Tavern about an hour outside of Auckland at Christmas time. The Tavern is in the middle of nowhere on a beach, which makes for fantastic times. The front of the tavern looks like an old-timey hotel, but to get to the venue you walk through to the other side to an open area and is basically an old shed with one wall missing for the stage, and a field sort of enclosed by old wooden fences. It was an incredible place to see the live band, with the stars out on a cloudless night. Will never forget that show and it is definitly one of the many great memories I will keep with this country with me for a long time.

This is one of my favourite songs by Shapeshifter, as it features both one of my favourite local Auckland artists Ladi 6 (who I am sure will be featured on a future post) and an appearance by the most magical of magical instruments, the FLUTE!!! Mayu, you know this one goes out to you and your flute playing skills of 2006! "It was working last night" hahahah an absolute classic line by the big german hahaha I am laughing myself to sleep thinking about you trying to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on Sarah's flute, and then Johnno trying to play the recorder after like it was a jazz flute! "

Check out Shapeshifter - In The Rain (Featuring Ladi 6)