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Serving Can’t
WEB EXCLUSIVE | REVIEW & INTERVIEW Written by Skye Lunson-Storey (she/they/ia) | @uku_rangi | Arts, Culture, and Te Ao Māori Editor Dates: May 7, 8, 9 Location: Basement Theatre Tickets: $15-$28 Use code GOODCANT to have 20% off tickets Serving Can’t Created by Marshall Lorenzo is an energetic and chaotic dive into the absurdities of modern work, capitalism, and burnout. Packed with hyper-pop transitions, bright lighting, and a constant rotation of eccentric characters. Mars
Skye Lunson-Storey
May 83 min read


How headphones are killing local music
FEATURE | ISSUE FIVE | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC Written by Polly Wenlock (she/her) | @p0lly2001 on Substack | Contributing Writer Local music surrounds us constantly, though it may not be in forms we tend to celebrate or even acknowledge. I’m not just talking about your classic Kiwi chilled-out-summer-vibes garage-band, though they too deserve their accolades… I’m talking seasonal mall carollers, your optimistic main-street busker, the man who plays the bugle at your l
Polly Wenlock
May 42 min read


Accidental Harmony: Breathing in Sync
AUT VENTURES | ISSUE FOUR/20 | RONGOĀ / DRUGS When you think about the local music scene, your mind probably jumps straight to packed gigs on Karangahape Road, Spotify wrapped stats, or the latest releases shaping Aotearoa’s soundscape. You probably don’t picture a nasal congestion device. But sometimes, the way we connect to sound happens completely by accident, especially when it collides with everyday innovation. Enter Goodair® Nosebuds. Born from AUT research led by Dr. D
AUT Ventures
May 42 min read


Te hau
TE AO MĀORI | ISSUE FIVE | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC Written by Skye Lunson-Storey (she/they/ia) | Whakatōhea, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tūwharetoa | @uku_rangi | Arts, Culture, and Te Ao Māori Editor I like to think of te hau, the wind, as one of life's first voices. As I close my eyes, I imagine the sounds of Tāwhirimātea singing through the mountainous landscapes of Aotearoa. Breathing mauri through all that te hau touches. From a young age, I have been captivated by th
Skye Lunson-Storey
May 43 min read


Rick’s Reel Recommendations | 3 Films for 3 NZ Lyrics
COLUMN | ISSUE FIVE | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC Written by Ricky Lai (he/him) | @rickthelai on IG & Letterboxd | Columnist Music and movies pair together like Marlborough wine and Eltham cheese. For this issue’s film column, I’ve plucked out three song lyrics from present-day Aotearoa and partnered them with films that, to me, evoke those words. Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa, 1961) Song: Avantdale Bowling Club, Friday Night @ The Liquor Store (2022) The lyric: “The best of We
Ricky Lai
May 44 min read


Queer Artist's Tree #1: Avian Exile (A.V Des Forges)
INTERVIEW | QUEER ARTIST'S TREE | ISSUE FIVE | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC Interview by Maebh McCurdy (she/her) | @leighapparently | Trans Music Aotearoa Interview with A.V Des Forges (she/her) | @vraikalzre | Musician, producer, & animator Welcome to the first edition of Queer Artists’ Tree. A column where I sit in a tree (not really) with a queer artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau and talk to them about their craft, and how their queerness interacts with their artistry. Thi
Maebh McCurdy
May 45 min read


Fight Riffs and Grass Roots
FEATURE | ISSUE FIVE | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC Written by Darian Serrano (he/him) | @gumvoid | Contributor Photos by y Sandy Hughes | @spacecadetsandy Hardcore music is a heavier subgenre of punk that also has influences from metal and hip-hop. It emphasises heavy breakdowns, screaming vocals, and faster tempos, while discussing a variety of topics, from the personal to current geopolitical issues. The genre is also known for its violently high-energy shows and unique,
Darian Serrano
May 44 min read


The unbearable weight of stadium silence
COLUMN | ISSUE FIVE | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC Written by Luke Fisher (he/him) | @lukefish7__ | Sports Columnist This piece is set to be a bit of a boomer-esque grumble, so I thought I’d bring in the big guns. The other day, I messaged my dad (he’s very tech-savvy) asking him what he thought about music at live sports events. Having heard him consistently moan about it throughout most of my childhood, his response was somewhat predictable: “Shit, except for Bumble belti
Luke Fisher
May 44 min read
Why Tāmaki Makaurau’s live music scene isn’t dead!
FEATURE | ISSUE FIVE | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC Written by Ethan Worthington (he/him) | Contributing Writer Awning - Seeing a band live eight times in one year could be seen as insane or financially stupid. But you see, Awning isn’t just a band; they’re a portal to a sonic wonderland where I escape from everything. Every time I see Awning play live, I shut my eyes and mentally swim through their magical compositions. Poetic lyrics, layers upon layers of mystically tuned
Ethan Worthington
May 42 min read


Burnout, Ballsacks, and Better Futures
INTERVIEW | ISSUE FIVE | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC An Interview with Maebh McCurdy (she/her) | @leighapparently | Contributor Interviewed by Finn Johansson (he/him) | @finnjohansson2006 | Contributor Transcribed and edited by Tashi Donnelly (she/her) | @tashi_rd | Editor-in-Chief In this interview, Finn Johansson sits down with Maebh McCurdy to talk chaotic songwriting, buried punchlines, and the strange alchemy of turning dreams into music. Find yourself a nice tree to
Tashi Donnelly
May 411 min read
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