If you love acoustic music that speaks directly to the heart, then make sure you catch Into The East when they play in Tauranga next week.

Every inch of The Tauranga Art Gallery with be filled with Invercargill duo Liv McBride and Graeme Woller's beautiful alternative country and folk sound on January 29, from 7pm.

Into The East's Liv McBride and Graham Woller will be playing at the Tauranga Art Gallery on January 29. Photo: Supplied.

It will be the first time the pair have played Tauranga and next week's show is part of their 24-stop national tour which is funded by Arts on Tour NZ – an agency of Creative NZ.

Speaking from New Plymouth following their latest in a series of sold-out shows, Liv says it is an extremely exciting time for her and Graham.

'We've just played two sold-out shows in a row, which does great things to your confidence,” says Liv.

'It'll be, I think, our second ever time playing in an art gallery and we're really looking forward to playing in another one.

'We love those gigs that aren't held in traditional music venues; like libraries, people's living rooms and wee venues - they're just fabulous.”

Their musical union is one that has lasted more than a decade, but the duo truly busted onto the scene with their debut album Fight From The Inside, released in 2013.

The following year Into The East were crowned the 2014 National Country Music Duo of the Year, alongside a Taite Music Prize nomination for Best NZ Folk Album.

It's hard to nail down the duo's sound as they can easily lead listeners down a country and folk road, then suddenly detour down pathways of alternative, funk and soul.

Liv says while predominantly a mix of country and folk, Into The East have always been very much vocally and lyrically orientated.

'We have a really eclectic mix of instruments,” she explains. 'There's some old and some new, but ultimately they provide a backdrop to the lyrics.

'Our focus is on writing lyrics relatively free of cliché and they're really about anything, there's not one specific pool of inspiration.

'It can be a line that pops into your head and you just have to see where it runs.”

Into The East's shows this year have been selling out very quickly so make sure you grab your ticket today.

Into the East plays the Tauranga Art Gallery, corner of Warf and Willow streets, on Thursday, January 29. Doors open 7pm with music starting at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost $25 for adults and $20 for students and Friends of the Gallery.

For more information or to book tickets call the Tauranga Art gallery on 578-7933 or visit their website at: www.artgallery.org.nz