An old soul – who would love to control the Duniverse – Arthur Ahbez tailors tunes using the fine threads of psychedelia, folk and sitar. With roots in New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, a region that has helped many locals and travellers alike to realise what life’s really all about, Arthur has just released his second album, Volume II, and is itching to tour it beyond Aotearoa. Sarah quizzed him about music, recording, and seeking out the Spice Melange.
Category Archives: ARTS
Q&A | Hayden Donnell on his band Great North, & losing Sam Prebble
About to complete a 20-date European tour, Great North – at its core wife-husband duo Rachel and Hayden Donnell – play folk with a self-confessed smack of Americana and dad rock. Having recently traded the streets of uptown Auckland for those of Stoke Newington, the two-time winners of NZ’s Folk Album of the Year award decided it was time to do something “ill-advised”, and traded the dream of high-end furniture for more memories in the bank.
The band’s latest album The Golden Age is in many ways an homage to their musical padre Sam Prebble, a loved figure in New Zealand’s music community, and a talented artist in his own right. Sam committed suicide in 2014 and his absence is deeply felt. Here Hayden reflects to Sarah on losing his friend and collaborator, and the wry power of falling forward.
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