Editorial: There is no excuse for only streaming Lorde and Six60

EDITORIAL | PUORO O AOTEAROA / LOCAL MUSIC

Written by Liam Hansen (they/them) | @liamhanse.n | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Illustrated by Stella Roper (they/she) | @dodofrenzy | ARTS EDITOR

Okay, before I do my usual yap - We’re throwing a wee gig down in Vesbar later this month! The famed venue/student bar has hosted the likes of Shihad and The Mint Chicks on the same bloody night back in 2006, so we figure it’s about time for us to start getting the amps pumping and dance floor grooving again - this time, on Debate’s terms. 

If you, like me, were too busy being a gross and stupid baby to attend the Shihad/Mint Chicks Vesbar gig, don’t fret - this year, Debates own staff are sharing their waiata, with our social media coordinator Cameron McCurdy sharing tunes from her upcoming album and her first released under the name LEIGH. Te Ao Māori Editor Hirimaia Eketone will be testing out new material from their project HIRI, and Issue 4 interviewees Thinking Foxes will display their dynamic and technically advanced alt-rock. This is Local Listens, Live! Come along from 7PM on the 23rd of May to support our team and their mahi - it’s free entry, and if enough people show up, it might not be the last shindig we throw this year. 

While Cam and Hiris projects will be at full force, my band will absolutely not be playing at the gig (despite my boss asking me to because he thinks it’d be funny). I try to draw a line at Debate when it comes to how much I promote and discuss my active personal projects - all of which are Aotearoa music related. I think I’ve only put one of my bands shows on the gig guide once (first time privileges), and I avoid promoting any events that I organise independently to circumvent any accusations of narcissism or using this platform for personal gain. Nobody wants me, their student magazine editor, to plug their fifth-wave emo/electronica-infused indie punk project constantly. I’m insufferable enough as is. 

I still frequently get anxious about crossing that barrier, though, given how much the rest of my life beyond Debate circles around Aotearoa music. My wardrobe turns me into a walking billboard for local bands, I try to show my face at venues like Whammy Bar weekly, and if I can’t be there, I’ll try to amplify and support the work of local musicians via any means necessary - usually to the dismay of my bank account. 

However, since last year's music issue, I’ve been attending venues as a performer/promoter almost as often as I’ve been a punter - hence the difficulty of avoiding self-promotion, when the majority of my editorials are based on anecdotes that inform each issue/theme. Being on the other end of the microphone and anxiously watching ticket sales very slowly rise on Under The Radar has been amazing and terrifying, but also grown my perspective of Aotearoa music as I’ve now examined the scene as a music journalist, radio producer, programme administrator, band member, event coordinator, and Aotearoa Emo archivist. While the scene on the surface might seem small, I’ve been lucky enough to see first-hand the real scope of what Aotearoa music has to offer. This community contains magnitudes of talent, tales, trials, and tribulations that often go underappreciated to people outside the community. It’s been a mission of mine this year to use Debate as a way to platform and praise these new artists and bands, whilst also reporting on the state of the scene, past, present, and future. So, let’s draw a line once again.

This issue is entirely dedicated to Aotearoa Music / Puoro o Aotearoa, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of NZ Music Month / Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa. Hidden inside, you’ll find profiles of the people behind your favourite gigs, the bands you have on repeat, and the artists you haven’t heard of yet. Ricky Lai shines a spotlight on the films that document the best of NZ Music, and we have the usual wonderful art and photography you’ve come to expect from Debate. 

Please, get out and support local music this month (and every month after that!). May will never cease to hold its position as the most stacked month of the year gigwise, and with multitudes of free gigs, basement shows, concerts, and club nights to head along to, you have no excuse for only listening to Lorde and Six60.