Awesome live act Summer Thieves up from Dunedin

Summer Thieves perform reggae and rock with touches of blues and hip-hop. Photo/Gabrielle Devereux

The Mount is the place to be over summer, with a steady line-up of bands gigging the New Year in.

One of the most exciting emerging acts performing early in the new year is Dunedin-based band Summer Thieves.

Audiences are in for a treat with Summer Thieves' exhilarating live show, which incorporates a variety of influences from reggae and rock to touches of blues and hip-hop.

The roots-infused rock band has teamed up with award-winning producer Tiki Taane on Don't Matter, the first offering off its EP, Wavy. It's being released tomorrow and features rising rapper Raiza Biza.

Recorded at the University of Otago's Albany Street Studio and engineered by Mike Holland, Don't Matter is the first release from the band since Love is Lost in 2014 and uninhibitedly explores new musical elements and genres.

"We wanted to colab with one of the best MCs in the country and show what Summer Thieves are about now.

"We wanna switch it up. Raiza is one of those real hip hop artists, he isn't faking, his subject matter is mostly truthful, from the heart," says frontman Jake Barton.

Don't Matter is a reflection of a situation a friend was caught up in.

"It's about being in way over your head and not having the power to change the situation, it's about being in a situation where it's your word against theirs."

The release tops off a huge year for the band, which was selected to join Sticky Fingers on their sold-out NZ tour; adding another name to the huge list of acts they've worked with, including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Six60, David Dallas, Katchafire and many more.

the fine print
What: Summer Thieves
Where: The Mount Brewing Company
When: January 3.