 A band that Contact can feel it played a small hand in, on their way to gaining international success, was The Datsuns. Under their earlier moniker, Trinket, the band got airplay on the station and placed third in the last of the Contact 89FM Battle of the Bands competitions in 1997. Phil Buscke Somervell, guitarist for Trinket and The Datsuns, is now in Thames based outfit Commodore65, who are playing at the Contact 50ish! We talked to Phil about the computer - the Commodore 65 - how it is to be in a band based in Thames, how important Contact was in his early musical endeavours, and more!
Read the Q&A -> HERE <-
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 If you were loitering around the Contact studios and office in the 1990s, or going out to bands through that time, you will likely recognise the members of Broadcast State. We spoke with Broadcast State front-person Scott Newth – formerly an announcer, a Production Manager and Programme Director at Contact 89FM, and also familiar through that time as a member of Love & Violence, FALLen and Rumpus Room – about the evolving sound of Broadcast State, recording, the chances of hearing a Love & Violence song entering the mix at the Contact 50ish, and more!
Read the full Q&A -> HERE <-  Failsafe Records, originally from Christchurch, usually focusses on bands from the Garden City. In a departure from this trend, however, their latest release comes from Auckland-based indie rock band Haiku Redo. The album came to me with a note saying it “would suit someone who appreciates a good turn of phrase and melodic hook”. And oh, I do!
Read our full review -> HERE <-  Lo-fi instrumentalists DEAN have been active since the mid-1990s, featuring (at least, initially) 24 strings, (and still) 4 tracks… and an attitude. Ahead of the Contact 50th anniversary gig and party, we spoke with Garry Dean and Andrew Dean about their rules for songwriting, career highlights, the importance of Contact, and more!
Read the interview -> HERE <-  Our second Contact 50th profile: Many of us remember Vicki from her time as guitarist in 5 Girls, the dirty, noisy punk/rock band initially active in the '90s. But now Vicki has lost her old bandmates. Vicki, now, is ‘Vicki No Mates’.
We talked with Vicki about the Vicki No Mates sound, the challenges and joys of being a solo performer, dogs, ram raids, and more! Read the full Q&A -> HERE <-  Formed in 1987, Watershed was widely considered to be Hamilton’s premiere band from the late ‘80s until their demise in late 1991, being the leaders of one of the Hamilton underground’s peak periods.
We spoke with guitarist and lead singer Marcus MacRury ahead of their gig at the Contact 50th party about the band’s greatest successes, interpersonal tensions, playing in Motueka, what Contact meant to them… and more! Read our Q&A -> HERE <- Matthew Bannister's new album, The Dark Backward, reviewed ahead of Saturday's release party12/3/2025  Matthew Bannister (The Changing Same, One Man Bannister, and many other things) has a new solo album out. There's a central concept, but it's not a concept album. So...what is it? Read our review to find out, and get yourself to the release party at Nivara Lounge on Saturday.
 Formed in Christchurch 30-odd years ago, Springloader are releasing their debut album on Friday... and sitting here in 2024, "this all smells pretty damn nice, thank you very much".
We've reviewed the album -> HERE <-  He's led rock gods Shihad for most of his life. He's detoured into African-infused hip hop and assembled a kiwi supergroup for fun. Now, for the first time, he's got a solo album to tour. Jon Toogood took some time between stops to discuss the hard road to Last of the Lonely Gods.
 Kathryn doesn't usually notice the Mercury Music Prize. She heard a brief clip of the 2024 winner, English Teacher, on a UK news podcast, though, and something made her look for more. She found the album, This Could Be Texas, on Spotify and dug in at random, expecting to be disappointed, the next big thing in the emperor's new clothes. Still, start with track three, she thought, because that's usually a strong one, right?
Kathryn Thompson reviews This Could Be Texas by English Teacher. Read the review -> HERE <- |
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