Kia ora friends.
We have news to share with you all - about the premiere of new work in concert coming up in September, and a new EP which we went into the studio to record in July. The beauty of a long-form blog is that I can get to that in my own time, taking a few detours to share musings on various topics of interest along the way. I am the kind of person who tries but fails to work in a linear fashion. I’ll be tinkering at the piano one minute, replying to an email the next, pulling weeds from the garden the next (and taking Heidi the whippet for a walk). Luckily, I have a semblance of a system with to do lists and deadlines which keep me on track…most of the time!
In the Studio
In July, we headed back into the recording studio. The Surgery (Lee Pebble’s Wellington studio) is warm, and comfortable - wooden surfaces, records lining the wall, and mementos from previous sessions sit on shelves or hang framed. I think it is important to feel at ease when recording - some studios have an air of opulence or are dressed to impress. But for me, I think I perform best if I feel at home.
At the Surgery with Lee on a previous visit (recording new music with the talented Letitia Mackenzie).
We invited a local cinematographer Mason to pop in on one of the recording days - and we’ve captured some behind the scenes footage, which I kind of love - as it is just us, wearing comfortable clothes, in the flow of making music. There is no performance or pretence, it is authentic to the moment. We’ll share some of this with you - sometime soon.
A while back, I watched Peter Jackson’s Beatle’s documentary, and I was surprised how inspiring I found it - and how relatable. To see creation, in process…it is sort of the most magic and mundane thing all at once.
Every time, after we create and release a new body of work…I find myself unconsciously rebelling or reacting to whatever it was I was previously creating. So, for whatever reason with this new work - I became compelled to dig deeper into complexity and into music that is raw and live. With international concerts finally returning to New Zealand after Covid restrictions were lifted, I was so inspired by seeing Kate Le Bon in concert (who utilise uncommon time signatures with such ease you don’t even notice it), Big Thief (who’s clear passion for making music, and chemistry as a band shines through) and Weyes Blood (who’s songwriting reminds me so much of the classics in terms of chord choice and melody).
I’ve also been deep diving into music like…
Y's by Joanna Newsom (a throw back - but listen to those strings by Van Dyke Parks!)
Yebba’s Tiny Desk (vocal virtuosity for days)
Maddison Cunningham’s back catalogue (I particularly love her songs live, like Broken Harvest)
Kimbra’s Glasshaus session (so stunning)
All of these threads tangentially inspired the direction of this collection of three songs (and a b-side). We worked with an arranger to write string parts that weren’t just accompaniments to the songs (as is often the case in contemporary music), but played vital characters in each of them.
Maybe I’ll dig into the songwriting itself a bit later - but for now, we’re just pleased to be sharing a small but mighty collection of new music with you soon!
In the studio we were joined by the wonderful Phoebe Johnson, filling in for Ben Lemi on bass, alongside the usual gang - Penelope, John, myself and Hikurangi. Photo by Samuel Austin.
Touring with The Black Quartet
Speaking of sharing new music - we are so excited to share we will be touring these new songs live with string quartet in September. This will be unofficially the album release as we are unlikely to be doing another tour for this EP - and certainly not with the luxury of a professional string quartet!! It is also our only tour for 2023 - so we’d LOVE to see you there.
On this tour we will be performing a set that includes 12 songs arranged for string quartet - from this new EP and from our past releases. We are planning to have compact discs available of the EP for sale at the show, so those who attend will be the very first to hear it!
French for Rabbits with The Black Quartet
Friday 8 September, 7.30pm, The Piano, Christchurch | Tickets
Saturday 9 September, 7.30pm, Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall | Tickets
Friday 15 September, 7.30pm, Public Trust Hall, Wellington | Tickets
Saturday 16 September, 7.30pm, Glenroy Auditorium, Dunedin | Tickets
From Chamber Music New Zealand
As part of Chamber Music New Zealand Puoro Taiwhanga Aotearoa’s flagship CMNZ series, dreampop luminaries French for Rabbits are about to hit the road for a four-centre tour that will see the band perform brand new pieces from their soon to be released EP In the End I Won’t Be Coming Home. The multi-instrumentalists have garnered a reputation as a superb live act and this time as a four-piece they will be be joined by string ensemble The Black Quartet.
French for Rabbits worked with arrangers Elliot Vaughan, Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper (The Black Quartet) and Mikal Cronin (Ty Segall Band), to set 12 songs from previous releases and the new EP for band and strings.
The Economics of Art
Our last album was recorded and released amid the pandemic. It was so much fun to make, and to nerd out about production and songwriting. For the release, I was super organised, we made music videos for each of the singles, and we were pretty quietly pleased with what we made. The release of the album itself was hampered by the Covid-19 restrictions - and truly by the end of it, I was a little bit exhausted by putting my all in, only to navigate rescheduled tour dates and an unfamiliar and changing media environment over and over again. The thing that made it all possible and more bearable, was the truly essential support of arts funding in New Zealand and the feedback from audiences when we played live, by email, the occasional letter and all the lovely comments and messages on social media.
I know most musicians will probably resonate with how much work and heart goes into creating new work - not only do we create and record the music, we then feel the pressure to be active on social media, to create videos and press photos, plan and go on tour, and so much more. Often the financial reward for this is extremely hard-won and for indie artists especially, which is why many of us have day jobs too. I’m okay with this reality most of the time - cause after all, we’re lucky to be able to indulge such frivolities as making art! But I think the realities are not highlighted often enough - and why should we be providing this essential and valuable service of creating music that helps people to relate, to accept, to heal, and to feel alive - only to be living on the smell of an oily rag? The medium income from creative work in NZ is $19,500 NZD per year.
The way music is consumed these days too - means that new music comes and goes so swiftly, and perhaps there are less of us music of fans who sit with an obsess over individual albums and take time to get to know them inside out. Thankfully we are not an extinct creature yet though!
I never expect to receive funding - there is an incredible amount of demand for a very small pot of money. It is also true that art can be made without any money at all - and that is one of the wonderful things about it - you can use voice and body to make something beautiful out of nothing. However, my dream was to make a record with string quartet, which DOES cost money. After four rejected funding applications (and the doubt creeping in) we decided to bite the bullet and self-fund a slightly smaller project.
The stark reality regarding the economics of art becomes clear when you look at our budget. For example, the cost of producing this record and modestly paying the musicians and creatives involved for this four song affair, is approximately $15,000 NZD. This certainly does not include paying myself for my time, for rehearsals, administration and for writing the music. On top of this we can expect to spend about $6,000-8,000 on pressing a small run of vinyl, CD’s and paying for a small marketing campaign for the record. For a small run of records (say 150-200), we would need to sell approximately 100 of these to cover the cost of pressing the vinyl alone. The more you press and sell - the cheaper the cost per unit, but this is not always realistic for a niche or emerging artist.
It only starts to make economic sense if you can balance the scales (which any indie artist will tell you is much easier said than done in the era of streaming, AI and brand partnerships). It is not as simple as supply and demand (the assumption that if you are good, that you should be successful) when the supply chains and systems for revenue are not set up to benefit the artist but to exploit them. There are many nuances beyond this too, genre and culture play an interesting part too.
Imagine all the important voices you never get to hear because of this conundrum… so, there you have it - being an artist is glamorous, isn’t it!
Film Photos
I have been a long time film photography hobbyist. I started taking photos on my Mum’s old camera in High School and it has become a life long occasional habit. I like the way that film makes you look at the world with intention - I find joy in examining light and shadow, the richness and detail of a forest canopy.
I like the permanence of film, and I love looking back through old photographs and the memories that are associated with them. So - I thought I’d share a few from recent travels.
Until next time!
Brooke
