KATIE BROWN - 17 MAY 2021

It’s that time again! The next ‘Thursdays I’m In Love’ night at Auckland’s Tuning Fork is right on our doorstep. Taking place this Thursday the 20th, for this month’s showcase of artists from across Aotearoa you’ll be encountering the magnificent WHO SHOT SCOTT, INDYAH and Lévyne as they each bring their own brand of musical magic to the stage. It’s an all-ages event, and at the same time as treating your ears you can tickle your tastebuds with a burrito and a craft beer.

‘Thursdays I’m In Love’ sits alongside the comedy series ‘Fork ‘N Funny’ as The Tuning Fork’s monthly offerings, and each month’s poster features artwork by an Aotearoa artist or designer: this month’s is designed by incredible artist Lucy Morris.

Discover a little more about WHO SHOT SCOTT, INDYAH and Lévyne in our artist Q&As below, and to get you in the mood we’ve pulled together a select mix of their tracks onto a snazzy Spotify playlist for your listening pleasure.

Playlist and ticket links below - we’ll see you there!

Tickets available from Moshtix, more info at tuningfork.co.nz.

WHO SHOT SCOTT

Bio

A boy fled Iraq to arrive in New Zealand when he was 2 years old. He found comfort in a friend at age 8 and they were joined at the hip, their shared love for hip-hop resulted in an internationally performing duo with big plans for their future. In 2019 however, his partner converted religion, abruptly announced he will no longer make music, moved overseas and left his closest friend here with no goodbye. After some gruelling months experimental hip-hop artist WHO SHOT SCOTT was born from the ashes of that big dream.
No wonder the underlying theme of the debut offering MERCY is betrayal and ego, and the contrast between the two. The self produced EP features an eclectic selection of sonic choices and is heavy on synths and tribal drums - a true representation of WHO SHOT SCOTT's innermost artistic expression. Creatively concise, and inspired by real life trauma and events, MERCY is a bold statement, not only telling the artists deepest and darkest secrets, but doing it with style.

Read our earlier feature on WHO SHOT SCOTT here.

Q&A

KATIE: IT’S BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS NOW SINCE THE RELEASE OF YOUR SIZZLING EP ‘MERCY’. HOW ARE YOU DOING NOW THAT THE DUST HAS SETTLED? HAS IT EVEN SETTLED?

WHO SHOT SCOTT: Honestly, the reaction to the project has been incredibly cool! I truly went into this thing without any intention other than to express my inner self as accurately as I could through music. The fact that it was received with open arms by the public is just a testament to the merit of true soul expression and bravery within art. I’m stoked!

I wouldn’t say the dust has settled completely. Obviously a project always has the most hype around it when it’s super new, but that doesn’t mean that my team and I aren’t still pushing the EP. There’s a lot of background work going on right now to put these tracks in front of new audiences around the world that wouldn’t have heard it initially. An EP or album is always “new” to someone who hasn’t heard it before, even if it’s been out for a few months.

WHAT SURPRISES HAS 2021 HAD IN STORE FOR YOU SO FAR?

The whole response to my new project. I’m surprised because I willingly went into it without any expectations. I just wanted to see what would happen if I released these tracks about my life and my past trauma. The response kind of caught me off guard, and to be honest, it has got me even more excited for the release of my second EP! I feel like I’ve refined my sound a lot and delved even deeper into my soul and my tastes. I can’t wait to put it out.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT GETTING OUT AND DOING A SHOW?

Thrilled! I’ve put together an extremely high energy set for this one, I really feel the need to do these tracks justice while performing them live. They came from such a pure place that it would only be right to carry on that same energy at the show. I may also tease a track or two from the upcoming EP, you never know!

THE BEST SHOW YOU’VE BEEN TO AND WHY:

I actually don’t go to shows that often at all, so I’m gonna cheat a little bit and answer this one with my favourite live performance I’ve ever seen online. Red Hot Chili Peppers at Woodstock 99. Their energy, their look, the dynamic between the group, everything is so elevated and awesome! You can just tell they’re in a flow state on the stage and they’re not overthinking anything throughout the whole set. I always go back to that video for inspiration!

TOP TIP FOR CALMING PRE-PERFORMANCE NERVES:

Slow breathing and putting yourself into an alter-ego. I find myself performing much better on stage if I approach it like I’m playing a character. It’s still always the true me on stage of course, but that’s just a little mental trick I play on myself to take the pressure off and to become a super version of me.

YOUR FAVOURITE MUSICAL MEMORY:

A few months ago I was writing a song about an ex-girlfriend who really put me through a lot of shit. As I was listening back to the vocals, I broke down into tears. It was so raw, so vulnerable, so purely executed - I felt like I put my whole self and that whole relationship into one musical expression. It was beautiful.

A RECENT DISCOVERY YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH:

The whole ‘The Chemical Brothers’ discography. I just recently started going back through their catalogue during my morning cardio and I can’t believe how ahead of their time they were! They make really incredible sonic choices.

A LITTLE-KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:

I don’t listen to much rap music. Don’t get me wrong - I respect the culture deeply, that’s what I grew up listening to, and I still occasionally come across a cool track that will challenge me - but for the most part I’ve really grown out of listening to it. I find myself so much more inspired by experimental and boundary breaking music, it has helped me become a better producer and artist.

A KEY PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A YOUNGER YOU:

Everything you’re going through is normal and necessary. Respect the process, trust the universe and take care of yourself.

OTHER NZ ACTS SHOULD WE BE KEEPING AN EYE ON:

Where do I even start! There’s so much good music coming out right now but main ones that come to mind are LA Women, BENEE (of course), Phodiso, 0800, and BLKCITY. I could list a lot more but I feel like those are the acts that are currently exciting me the most out of NZ.

INDYAH

Bio

19 year old Nelson born RnB/pop artist INDYAH has had an astounding start to the year playing Rhythm and Vines and Baydreams. Growing up with her highly successful cousins “Broods” Indyah has always been surrounded by insanely well written music and started writing music herself when she was eight years old. Her latest single is currently charting at number three on the official NZ music charts. Her chart topping song ‘Turning Blue’ along with her last single “WYS” are both getting copious amounts of radio play daily on the Edge, ZM, Ash London and more.

Indyah has worked with big NZ names such as Montell2099, SACHI, LMC, Melodownz, Swidt, Jess B, and Church & AP. She has also worked with international names on Red Bull writing sessions and camps such as Ant Clemons, Bizness Boi, Spill my ink and more.

Indyah is no stranger to live performance with her Dad being a full time musician she has been performing since she was six years old. Indyah played her songs live at her debut headline show in front of a Nelson crowd of 200 last year.

Q&A

KATIE: YOU RELEASED YOUR FIRST SINGLE “TRUTH OR DARE” IN 2019. HOW’S MUSIC-MAKING GONE FOR YOU SINCE THEN?:

INDYAH: Yes! “Truth or Dare” my baby haha. My writing style has changed a lot since then! I absolutely love all my super pop stuff but am so enjoying writing in this more RnB genre currently! I’ve written with some awesome people over the last 2 years since putting that track out, and put out some of my favourite stuff I’ve written ! So all in all great.

WHO (OR WHAT) HAS MADE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOUR MUSIC?:

I absolutely love Julia Michaels. Her writing style is so so beautiful and I always get taken back by how talented she is, I definitely am constantly inspired by her.

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT THE WHOLE JOURNEY?

The long processes ! I was writing music for 4 years before I put anything out, you really learn a lot about patience being an artist haha.

THE BEST SHOW YOU’VE BEEN TO AND WHY:

Charli xcx at laneway ! Her stage presence was absolutely insane, so so much energy.

TOP TIP FOR CALMING PRE-PERFORMANCE NERVES:

Water, star jumps, laugh with the people your about to go on stage with ! ( tip from my Dad who’s been a musician for 35 years)

YOUR FAVOURITE MUSICAL MEMORY:

My first ever session with my cousin Brandon Black. I remember leaving my first session ever and I genuinely couldn’t explain how I felt, the most beautiful thing ever.

A RECENT DISCOVERY YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH:

Me and my boyfriend are watching “Designated Survivor” on Netflix and it is the best show I have ever seen, In love haha.

A LITTLE-KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:

I was a competitive horse rider for 14 years !

A KEY PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A YOUNGER YOU:

Do what makes you happy, the people that are meant to be apart of your journey will support you no matter what.

OTHER NZ ACTS SHOULD WE BE KEEPING AN EYE ON:

“LMC” he is always doing massive things ❤️

Lévyne

Bio

Auckland-based artist Lévyne is an engaging new addition to the pop-scape. The classical pianist-turned- producer has been growing a solid base to stand upon since diving into the world of indie pop in 2018. Her sound is a mixture between spacious harmonies and forceful, driving beats, giving her songs a solid backbone that allows them to stand out from the rest. Well-known convention mixed with a hint of chaos leaves Lévyne’s songs with their own distinct flavor, and her clear, soft vocals are the cherry on top.

2021 is set to be a year to watch out for, with more singles, a second music video with the help of NZ on Air, and another EP on the horizon for Lévyne. Alongside playing more shows, Lévyne is currently in the studio setting things in order, and producing for other local artists.

Q&A

KATIE: YOU’VE JUST RELEASE A BANGER OF A TRACK, “LIGHTHOUSE”, AS PART OF THE TWO DAZE ’21 COMPILATION. WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING PART OF THAT PROJECT?

Lévyne: Two Daze was so much fun! It was my second year participating. I took a completely different approach this year and collaborated with my best friend Harry Charles. We just wanted to have a fun weekend and not over-analyze it so we made something super lively and energetic and a bit of a personal joke to us! And it turned out great!

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON CURRENTLY?

I’m currently finishing off visuals for my next single, and trying to gather together an EP before the year is out. It’s becoming more of an intricate process than I had anticipated! But I’m also loving being a songwriter and producer for a lot of other artists too, staying incredibly active.

HOW DID YOUR ARTIST NAME COME ABOUT?

It’s actually the name of a mineral, I chose it as a little homage to my background studying Environmental Science and Geology. I love the nature and I’ll gas your ear off about it if we ever go on a road trip.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART OF YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY SO FAR?

I’ve recently worked with a bunch of artists that have been my inspiration for years, and that feels really special and momentous to me. Meeting and working with your idols isn’t something everyone is able to do so I feel very lucky!

THE BEST SHOW YOU’VE BEEN TO AND WHY:

I always go back to Sampha at The Powerstation, the entire evening was immaculate, incredible set up, sound and songs, so in love.

TOP TIP FOR CALMING PRE-PERFORMANCE NERVES:

Hang out with your friends! Having people you love around is so important to help you relax and put everything in perspective!

YOUR FAVOURITE MUSICAL MEMORY:

I got to record a string quartet playing something I was part of composing last year in a big studio and it was one of the most moving things I’ve ever been a part of, I cried a lot.

A RECENT DISCOVERY YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH:

I recently discovered a song called ‘From the back of the cab’ by Rostam and I haven’t taken it off repeat yet. Stunning production.

A LITTLE-KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:

I once lived in a remote village in Fiji for 3 months and had no electricity or water.

A KEY PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A YOUNGER YOU:

Don’t wait for opportunities, you truly have to create them.

OTHER NZ ACTS SHOULD WE BE KEEPING AN EYE ON:

How long can I make the list?? Hina, Amila, Navvy, There’s a Tuesday, Muroki, MCK, Brody Leigh (Ben & Brody), I could keep going forever, New Zealand is packed to the rafters with talent.

Tickets available from Moshtix, more info at tuningfork.co.nz.