Two talented singer-songwriters, from Sydney and the South Island, will bring their original and soulful acoustic sounds to Whanganui music lovers this month.
New Plymouth-based folk-pop musician Renée Millner, originally from Sydney, is joining forces with South Island singer/songwriter Nick Feint.
Following successful shows together in the South Island inMay, including at The Mussel Inn in Golden Bay and Fairfield House in Nelson, Renée and Nick are teaming up again.
The duo will each sing their own material, promising an evening of tender melodies and searching lyrics guaranteed to touch and transport the audience.
Renée is a well-known and much-loved musician to Taranaki audiences who have been following her career with interest over the past few years. Her latest single, So Much, released last September, made a big splash with its upbeat vibe and catchy refrain, not to mention a stunning music video produced by Hugo Eaton.
She's planning to release a new EP towards the end of the year.
"It's been so refreshing to be able to travel and perform once again," she says.
Collaborating with Christchurch videographer Amber Beaton, Renée was recently in the South island filming for the new single Not OK, due for release in September.
"We had a beautiful, crisp but sunny day for filming the outdoor scenes, on top of this mountain range known as 'The Witches' Hat'. It was absolutely stunning scenery, a place I feel grateful to have visited."
Nick Feint
Nick Feint, based in Golden Bay, is performing songs from an 11-track album he released in January, titled Next Exit From Babylon, along with a couple of new ones. His songs weave threads from the last few years of his life chronicling his journey grieving the end of his marriage to finding healing and redemption.
Song topics on the album range from the premature birth of his first son to the death from cancer of a close friend, to finding a new sense of joy and an open heart in life. He has created a booklet containing the lyrics, stories and photos about the songs as well as a download code for sale.
The pair met at a songwriting retreat in late January in the Wairarapa, run by Charlotte Yates, well-known in Aotearoa's music scene as a top songwriter, performer, and mentor.
The retreat was "an amazing experience for a rural-living musician like me to connect with a song-writing community", Nick says.
"Renée was very quiet and sitting on a big armchair. A mutual friend had already said 'you guys should get together and do some gigs', so I looked her up on YouTube. I was blown away by how good she was and felt super honoured when she approached me later with the idea of doing some shows."
The Details What: Renée Millner and Nick Feint When: Friday, June 17, 5.30pm Where: The Whanganui Women's Network, 75 St Hill St Tickets: available from Under The Radar.
