A good excuse to praise Kiwi music

Many people, even me sometimes, diss New Zealand Music Month, but any excuse to write more about Kiwi music can't be a bad thing.

At the end of last year we had a ‘New Year's Resolutions' column and more than half the musicians said their resolution was to finish the album they'd been working on.


Irishman Derek Toner's debut solo album is now available.

First out of the block, and with a very substantial bit of work too, is Irishman Derek Toner, guitarist and second singer with Nine Mile Stone (née The Mellowdrops). His debut solo album, ‘The Importance of Yar' is now available, credited to Tuner, his long-time nickname.

He's has been working on it since February last year and started at home in – as is traditional – his garage, later given its exotic Irish name, Studio Garaiste. There were practical reasons, as Derek relates: 'Studios are expensive and I had learnt from the last Nine Mile album that a lot can be done at home. So I recorded all the acoustic guitars, bass lines, and majority of vocals on days off and late into the night”.

That's how a lot of modern recording works. Some things are easier to record and you can do them yourself with a decent set-up and a good microphone. Other bits require specialisation. For the drum parts Derek worked with drummer James Bos and an electronic kit to get exactly what he wanted: 'Songs were stripped right back and I was able to really nut down what I wanted from the rhythm section...so by the time we went to the studio we knew exactly what we wanted. All the live drums were done in one day at Colourfield”.


The recording took through till September, then Derek returned to Colourfield for Tim Julian and Nine Mile Stone band mate Cian O'Cinnseala to add a few instruments and mix the beast. That took another four months.

All of which sound very workmanlike. But an album, as well as being a bunch of work, is a personal thing. This one starts with Cook Islands' singing. Derek got married there nine years ago. They had a Catholic ceremony but a few days later when wanting to attend mass were taken by accident to a Protestant church. Being too polite to leave they were introduced to the famous Cook Islands church singing.


'The church shook with the bass of the male tenors and I was just mesmerised by the force and volume of the men and women singing in that room. I tracked down a CD they made and vowed one day if I ever made an album they were going to feature on it.”

Mission accomplished.

watusi@thesun.co.nz

Tuner – The Importance of Yar

Kicking off with a chorus of Cook Islands singing Derek Toner's debut solo album, under his alternative moniker Tuner, is a fine piece of work, in a similar musical vein to his regular band Nine Mile Stone but jettisons some of that band's bombast for a more personal sound.

The recording, done variously at home and the Colourfield is fantastic. The album sounds a million bucks and there are musical highlights throughout, be it the extraordinary work of backing singers Liz Tamblin and Leeilani Tuala or a terrific sax solo from Lewis Martin on ‘Out Of The Ashes'.


Though Derek cites Glen Hansard, Elbow and Neil Finn as influences the overarching musical spirit lurking is Pink Floyd's Roger Waters who repeatedly peeks out from behind sound effects, drum rhythms, vocal styles, subtly but ever-present. I don't mean this as criticism; I'm sure many will listen without even noticing.

‘Catch Us If You Can' is a case in point, initially sounding melodically like a Roger Waters' ballad but, just at the moment you expect him to scream or falling bombs to intrude instead you get a mellow chorus of female singers sounding like they've just arrived from a Leonard Cohen song. It's a lovely song, with the album's sweetest melody.

Elsewhere things are bigger and heavier but always melodic. Not easy melodies, mind. These aren't simple catchy pop songs but complex and interesting pieces whose immediate charm disguises layers of musical invention.


‘The Importance of Yar' is available on iTunes, at Tracs or by emailing derektoner@gmail.com Or check his Facebook page ‘Tuner.' (note the full stop after the word).

Review by Winston Watusi

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