Graham Reid | | 1 min read
Late in 2023 a few articles appeared on the internet bemoaning the lack of music journalism in New Zealand. People looked back to the old days of Rip It Up, the Auckland Star and so on.
The distant past in fact, and the world – the music world especially – had changed irrevocably.
Just as musicians live in the online world of streaming and downloads, so does music journalism. Only the most naive would think that daily newspapers or even monthly magazines would have regular, paid music writers as they once did.
And if anyone – this seems a particular affliction of those whose tastes were shaped by the Eighties and Nineties – thinks we can go back to halcyon days of yore they are kidding themselves. And anyway, there is coverage of music.
There are online commentators, Marty Duda's 13th Floor interviews local and international artists and offers weekly, sometimes daily, live and album reviews as well as a newly released “song of the day”.
For my part, Elsewhere reviewed more than 80 albums by local artists in 2023 and essayed a couple of dozen at length – like Marty putting local artists on the same platform as internationals.
I write a weekly column for the Listener, there are numerous programmes on National Radio which showcase artists through interviews and live-in-the-studio sessions . . .
But when Marty approached me earlier this year with the idea of a weekly podcast with a revolving door of guests discussing new albums it seemed like a good idea, especially since Marty – a man of endless enthusiasm and energy – was prepared to do most of the work.
And so Sound Thinking.
We recorded the first one live but unfortunately for reasons we can't explain my contribution sounded terrible so that night I had to sit down and just record my part again. Not ideal but there you go.
So here is the first episode of Sound Thinking with Andra Jenkin, Jemilah Ross-Hayes, Marty and me – not in that order, discover it for yourself – reviewing new releases by Sleater Kinney, Eliza McLamb, Sprints and Shed Seven.
This is just the first episode and it will bed in better obviously. Marty will doubtless be there every week and Elsewhere will keep you posted on the roster of guests.
Discussion about music, in the 21st century way.
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You can hear Sound Thinking Episode 1 here
Check out Marty Duda's excellent website of reviews, interviews, videos and more here.
For other episodes of Sound Thinking go here
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