INTERNATIONAL AND INDUSTRY NEWS

The NZ Music Foundation Marks Anniversary of World-First Tailored Helpline & Counselling Service for Music People
The NZ Music Foundation Wellbeing Service, an online, on the phone and in person counselling service tailored to people making their way in live and recorded music in New Zealand, has marked a successful first year of operation.

The service was established in response to the results from the charity’s landmark NZ Music Community Wellbeing Survey in 2016, which found that kiwi music people were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide than the general population, more than three times as likely to indicate positively for problem alcohol use, and that 84% had experienced stress in the preceding 12 months that impacted on their ability to function day to day.

The service offers a tollfree 24/7 helpline in both NZ & Australia to kiwi music people and professional counselling from registered practitioners who all have a minimum of five years practice experience and a demonstrated record of counselling provision to music people or people from the creative industries.

This is made available on a fully funded basis by The NZ Music Foundation to those that make live or recorded music possible in New Zealand and who do not have the means to access support themselves.

In the period since the launch of the NZ Music Foundation Wellbeing Service in late September 2016, the service has received more than 85 calls from over 40 kiwi music people on its dedicated tollfree 24/7 0508 MUSICHELP line. There has been an almost even split of male and female music people contacting the service

The service classifies the cases it addresses as Minor, Medium or Major.
Many of the Minor cases involved caring conversations with a qualified triage counsellor lasting in excess of 60 minutes, addressing issues of deep concern to the caller. In the Medium category, 21 people were referred on for over 60 in-depth personal counselling sessions from the NZ Music Foundation Wellbeing Service roster of counsellors. 12% of enquiries came from people experiencing Major distress, where there was a need to immediately refer the case on to more acute clinical care such as Community Mental Health, General Practitioner or similar primary care provider.  The most prevalent contributing factors have included extreme low mood, anxiety, industry stress and career issues followed by health, financial, family and addiction issues. 28% of those contacting the service have already received a clinical diagnosis of a mental health/ mood disorder

The NZ Music Foundation General Manager Peter Dickens says: “We’re very proud to have been able to provide vital support and counselling in this way over the last year. The service is still the only one of its kind accessible right now in the world and it’s exciting that music communities in other territories are now pushing for it to be available in their countries. Our research told us that setting up an accessible, affordable, tailored service was an essential step if we were to tackle the issue of mental health and wellbeing in kiwi music people. We intend to continue to reach out to all people making live and recorded music possible in NZ who need this service.”

Flying Nun Records Managing Director Ben Howe says: “The information the NZ Music Foundation has uncovered is important because it means we can start talking to and educating younger generations so they can be safeguarded for the future, something the charity is very proactive in doing.  In addition to the conversation the survey has initiated and education around that, the NZ Music Foundation Wellbeing Service has done a fantastic job in supporting, assisting and advising where people in music have been in crisis or in difficult situations. It is an essential job and they have been very helpful to us.”

Fundraising For Beastwars Matt Hyde
“Our singer Matthew has recently been diagnosed with a cancer called Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He has been undergoing chemotherapy for the last 6 weeks and although the doctors are confident he will make a recovery, he still needs another 6 months of treatment.
As Matt is unable to work over this time the band have decided to sell some rare pressings of all 3 albums on vinyl and a special run of T-shirts to help him with groceries and other life necessities. We’re very grateful for any and all support, thank you. Get well soon Matt!” –Beastwars 

NME Gets Into Distribution Game With NME Emerging Artists Platform
NME is launching a new platform to showcase the best of the world’s unsigned artists.

NME Emerging not only helps new bands to get heard and get noticed, but they can also earn money while maintaining 100% of their royalties and rights.

Opening up NME‘s huge readership and millions of monthly users, this new initiative is a new way for unsigned acts to get featured on NME while also helping to combat some of the struggles emerging artists face. Oh and for you, the reader, it’s a great way to discover new bands

• See the emerging acts involved so far

“NME has supported grassroots talent for 65-years and NME Emerging is a new route for unsigned artists to get heard by the team,” said Time Inc’s head of New Product Development Richard Giddings. ” If they like what they hear they’ll be writing about them, putting them in the magazine or even inviting them to play a gig.

“Spending time with artists brought to light what their pressure points are, where the opportunities lay for them and where NME can help. We’ve built this platform out of those conversations to give artists what they need and the response so far has been really positive. It also provides another opportunity for our partners to tap into an audience of passionate music fans and work with artists.”

Help Musicians UK publishes latest mental-health report
Musically reports: British charity Help Musicians UK has published the final version of its ‘Can Music Make You Sick?’ report, exploring mental-health issues for the music industry. The charity also said that its previously-announced 24-hour ‘Music Minds Matter’ helpline for people dealing with mental-health issues in the industry will launch in December, promising a mixture of clinical and therapeutic help and legal, welfare, debt and benefits advice. The latest section of the report, meanwhile, is based on deeper interviews with 26 of the 2,200 musicians who were surveyed for the original report in 2016. Money worries, poor working conditions – from “constant critical feedback” to isolation – relationship challenges and sexual abuse, bullying and discrimination emerged as major concerns. Help Musicians is pledging to build a music industry ‘mental health taskforce’ whose duties will include establishing a code of best practice for the industry, as well as striking up more partnerships with industry companies and bodies both in the UK and beyond. You can read the new qualitative study in full via the link below.

Musically reports: Spotify has moved to formalise the process by which major and independent labels pitch for slots in the Browse section of its service, with a quote-based system applying to global and local playlists. The move comes after longtime discussion within the industry about the extent to which Spotify promotes its own in-house curated playlists over those from label brands (like Digster, Filtr and Topsify) and independent curators.

The new system at least creates a more transparent structure for the former group, with Universal, Sony, Warner and independent labels (through Merlin) getting a set amount of slots to pitch playlists for, which hopefully will give those playlists a better chance of building an audience on Spotify.

There have been grumbles about the length of time that labels have had to prepare their playlists for the changes, although Music Ally understands that both sides have been working hard to smooth the process of submissions, which is still ongoing at the time of writing.

Music Ally has also heard complaints from some labels about their playlists tumbling down Spotify’s search rankings – showing up much lower when listeners search for a specific genre or mood keyword – while the playlist-pitching process was changing. An example of Spotify whipping away visibility with one hand while seemingly offering it with the other?

The nature of the search issues – several labels report playlists bouncing back up the rankings a few days after falling – points more to (likely unplanned) issues with search that aren’t just affecting third-party playlists. Labels will, of course, be watching carefully to see how the Browse changes affect the followings of their playlists, as well as the streams that those playlists are generating. Metrics that will be just as keenly-followed by Spotify itself.

AROUND THE WORLDAustralian Greens Party Launches Inquiry Into the Value of Australia Creative Content 
The Industry Observer reports: “Australians deserve to hear and see quality home grown content.”
This is the crux of a new inquiry launched today by the Greens party, which aims to “shine a light the contribution Australian-made television, film and music makes to our social and cultural fabric”, in light of proposed new changes to local content quotas, and the relaxed manner in which many radio stations currently regard such laws.The ‘Economic and Cultural Value of Australian Content on Broadcast, Radio and Streaming Services’ study will highlight the value of local content requirements in the arts, with a multi-faceted report to be delivered by May, 2018.

“We’ve got so many great stories to tell across the country, and talented people working in our television, film and music industries. It’s time to acknowledge the positive impact investing in these industries has on our nation, and find out how we can improve it,” Greens communication and arts spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“We know that too many commercial radio stations across the country are already not meeting their requirement to play 25 per cent Australian music. We have a flourishing industry with outstanding artists producing world-class music, and it needs to be heard.

“This inquiry will focus on the value that Australian television and music contributes to our society, through economic benefits, export potential and community building.

NEW RELEASES

Evoking blues the likes of Hendrix, Rival Sons, Jack White and The Black Keys, the four piece formed in 2016, coming together in New Zealand from different corners of the world to create heavy rock’n roll grooves.

Radio Coma combines a host of influences to their riff-driven songwriting, replete with hard-hitting drums and soaring soulful vocals from Jo Kelsey; a classically trained vocalist with a rock attitude rooted in the bluesy sounds of Etta James, Robert Plant and Aretha Franklin.

‘Too Young To Die’ was written and recorded in the band’s home, The Blue House, and is entirely self produced, keeping Radio Coma’s sound honest, raw and energetic. It’s a feel-good song about living in the moment, enjoying yourself, and fighting for what you believe in.

‘Too Young To Die’ will be available for purchase from October 21st from iTunes, Tidal, Bandcamp and Spotify.

To celebrate the single release Radio Coma will be performing at Galatos Basement with fellow rockers The Solomon Cole Band and Duck Duck Goose on October 21st. Tickets available from www.undertheradar.co.nz

ON THE LIVE FRONT

Get Amongst The Auckland Folk Festival! 
The Auckland Folk Festival celebrates its 45th anniversary in January with an entertaining and inspiringly diverse line-up of local and international artists. New Zealand’s biggest annual folk music gathering will take place again at the Kumeu Showgrounds, over Auckland Anniversary Weekend, January 26-29, 2018.

Two weeks ago, we shared many of the headlining performers with you, a list that includes The East Pointers (CAN), Nadia Reid, Esther Swift (UK), Huw Williams (UK), Klezmer Rebs, T-Bone Trio, Reverie, and The Bollands. Now we are happy to present more of the three day event’s stellar cast.

Featured in the second line up announcement:
The Lonely Heartstring Band (US)
The Old Time Rags (UK)
Ravens 
Alan Reid (UK)
Ys
Neil Billington 
Krissy Jackson 
Originz
The Deadbeats

The family-friendly festival showcases folk musicians from around New Zealand and the world to entertain guests of all ages. Beginning on the Friday night, festival goers can enjoy a long holiday weekend of concerts, dances and educational workshops, all within the boundaries of the Kumeu Showgrounds, situated just a short drive northwest of Auckland city.

With a new breed of NZ folk artists enjoying international attention the festival has also been evolving in recent years, drawing in a younger generation of fans who appreciate those authentic modern songwriters, as well as more traditional folk and dance.
The Auckland Folk Festival provides opportunities for the artists and attendees alike to share their own music and celebrations with like-minded people from all cultures.
Sustainability is at the forefront of festival organisers’ decisions with recycling stations and a no-rubbish policy. Set in a spacious rural environ, the festival supports local businesses by using their services where possible. All tickets include camping.

Greg Johnson and Mel Parsons Together In Concert – Two Shows Added 
Due to popular demand, two more Auckland shows have been added to Greg Johnson and Mel Parsons’ upcoming New Zealand tour.

With the first show sold out (The Vic – Nov 9) and the second selling fast (The Tuning Fork – Nov 10) this is a tour not to be missed! Secure your tickets to a heart-warming string of songs and swagger taking place across November in the depths of both North and South islands.

Tickets are on sale from Ticketmaster (all Auckland shows) and Eventfinda (rest of NZ). A Ticketmaster pre-sale for the two extra shows starts 3pm today, with general sale from 9am Thursday.

ADDED DATES:
SAT 11TH NOV – THE VIC, DEVONPORT
THURS 23RD NOV – THE HOWICK CLUB, HOWICK