SoundBites: Broods, Troye Sivan, Josh Groban

Broods

Kiwi pop duo Broods have little to brood about these days. With a platinum album and a couple of platinum singles behind them, not to mention four New Zealand Music Awards including Best Album and an upcoming US tour alongside Ellie Goulding, Georgia and Caleb Nott have stepped things up a notch with their new single.

Free, a dark and catchy synth-led cross between Goulding and Ladyhawke, is the lead single from their forthcoming second album.

The pair has given an insight into their magic formula with a Spotify playlist of artists they say influenced them when writing the song.

Featured acts include M.I.A, John Farnham, Azealia Banks, Kanye West and Marilyn Manson.

Troye Sivan has announced his debut New Zealand shows, with concerts lined up for Christchurch and Auckland in July. Tickets go on sale on April 18, from Ticketek for Christchurch and Ticketmaster for Auckland.

The New Zealand shows are the first two of nine all-ages Australasian dates.

The Perth 19-year-old, recently named Outstanding Music Artist at the GLAAD Media Awards has released the video for the song Youth from his album Blue Neighbourhood.

Josh Groban has taken last year's Stages album a step further with a new live version.

Favourites including Phantom's All I Ask of You, Bring Him Home from Les Mis, Somewhere Over The Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz and Pure Imagination from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were recorded in front of a live audience at the historic Los Angeles theatre.

Revisit a classic

To mark the week Bruce Springsteen

cancelled a North Carolina concert

to protest the state's new anti-transgender law, why not hark back to his Glory Days and massive 1984 hit album Born In The USA?

Yes, maybe many of his 18 other albums have better songwriting, but this record, with its iconic flag stripes cover, counted seven top 10 singles among its 12 tracks and introduced not only The Boss but heartland rock 'n' roll in general to a wider audience.