Anna Coddington, Lips and the Cabana gig

Anna Coddington and US-based band Lips are set to hit the road together this month.

Tomorrow night Kiwi songstress and Fly My Pretties regular Anna Coddington will be joined on stage by Silver Scroll winner Stephanie Brown and Lips partner Fen Ikner for a night of collaborative playing, instrument swapping, new singles and previously unheard material from each of their upcoming album releases. Plus, of course, back catalogue favourites

Good friends, talent and the road all call to Anna Coddington. The soloist will be joined by US-based duo Lips when taking the stage at Napier's Cabana tomorrow night.

Showcased will be the multi-instrumental talent and songwriting of both acts - they will play music from their back catalogues alongside new offerings from respective upcoming projects.

This collaboration between old friends sees them share the workload - swapping between guitars, analogue synths, drums and vocal duties - to create a rich tapestry of sound bursting with energy.

"Lips is a two-piece. Steph with various synths and I'm playing guitar and do the drums - we are joining forces to make a whole band. I might do a solo song or two, it's really collaborative," Coddington says.

"We are mutual admirers of each other's work and also good friends - I had them come to my house to play keyboard and synths on my new songs. After having a baby 21 months ago, I wanted to get back into touring. Secretly, I wanted to tour with them ... Secretly, they wanted to tour with me."

Lips is the musical project of Auckland-born Stephanie Brown and West Virginia native Fen Ikner. The pair, who originally formed in New York, divide their time between New Zealand and Tucson, Arizona, and have experienced success here, being awarded the Silver Scroll for their track Everything To Me.

Coddington's latest, Slate, is a self-produced toe-tapper about fresh starts featuring Brown on synths, while Lips recently released Traces of Teddy from their upcoming album.

A regular with collaborative act Fly My Pretties, Coddington's live performances and songwriting have seen the Raglan-born Aucklander make the Top 20 list for the Silver Scroll Award four times.

Last time Hawke's Bay audiences laid eyes on the singer was in 2013 during the Make your Mind tour.

"It was a nice show - really great. I had wanted to do it for years and I always wanted to go to The Cabana."

Since becoming a mother life has changed, though musically it has made her more efficient - fitting writing and recording into the limited time she has.

"It's really focused my mind. Now I think about music in a different way. I have several new songs about my little man, or at least my world view since having him.

"I found the ability to write a true love song, which I had never been able to do before."

Every ticket purchased for next week's show will get a free download of both artists' new singles.

-Tickets are available from Eventfinda.

Info

WHAT: Anna Coddington and Lips

WHERE: The Cabana, Napier

WHEN: Tomorrow, 8pm

COST: GA, $21