Breaks Co-Op return with sounds of NZ summer

Breaks Co-Op frontman Andy Lovegrove will perform during the Classic Hits Winery Tour alongside Stan Walker and The Exponents.

Kiwi wineries and long sunny days seem a world away for Breaks Co-Op frontman Andy Lovegrove, who is in the midst of an English winter.

Despite the chilly conditions, his latest tunes remain upbeat, with an underlying sense of summer - perfect fodder for performances at this year's Classic Hits Winery Tour, which will stop off at Church Road Winery on Wednesday, February 5, and Black Barn Vineyards on Friday, February 7.

Lovegrove is set to take stages at some of New Zealand's finest venues for a total of 17 shows alongside Stan Walker and The Exponents.

This tour comes off the back of Breaks Co-Op's first release in eight years.

"The last 12 months have been working on new material and preparing to get back on the road, we have been in the final stages of fine-tuning production," Lovegrove says.

"It's probably too long between records, but it doesn't seem like that long - we were on the road for three years and have been three years working on the new record."

Breaks Co-op was originally formed by Aucklanders Hamish Clark and Zane Lowe, who released one hip-hop influenced album in 1997, before parting ways. When the pair ended up in England around 2004 they regrouped and began working on some new songs.

Eight months into the collaboration they heard a track featuring Lovegrove and contacted him to write for them; resulting in The Otherside, which was later named Single of the Year at the 2005 New Zealand Music Awards.

By 2005 full album The Sound Inside was released in New Zealand, later hitting shelves in the UK, Germany and the US.

"Zane and Hamish had the bulk of it written, I came in much later on," Lovegrove says. "This time it was Hamish and I writing.

"It's been a really fruitful exercise, really easy, apart from flying back and forward to Berlin, where he's based."

Listeners can expect something similar to The Otherside, featuring meaningful lyrics and a carefree vibe.

"There are tracks on the album which are quite poetic, it's all very positive".

With Clark busy in Singapore and Lowe in London, Lovegrove will be performing with a new line-up for the Winery Tour.

"I'm really excited about it. We are all rehearsing our individual elements so it will be easier when we come together... they are all really experienced musicians so it's going to be magical."

Tickets are $75 plus booking fee (ticket only) and can be purchased via the Winery Tour website: www.winerytour.co.nz or Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 or www.ticketmaster.co.nz. For bus tickets please contact Nimons and Sons on 06) 877 8133.