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Article by Jake Carter
Photography by Greta Gotlieb and Sophie Pollak
It was a humid day, but I was sweating more than normal. Combine that with a severe case of the dries and there I was, walking up the stairs of a Ponsonby villa-come-music management office, on the cusp of my first interview. Classically nervous, ashamedly novas and gasping for water, I sat down with lead singer Matthew Hope and bassist Rueben Stephens from Artisan Guns. I stumbled my way through an introduction and obviously they had never heard of me, but that's ok because I had heard little of them. My Google search revealed next to nothing, and the few words on their Myspace were typically poetic but meaningless. None-the-less, "a rock band from Howick?" Nuff said...
Featured artist article by Nastassja Downey.
If you pop into Store Room on Customs Street, Auckland, you will be able to see the work of Japanese artist Jun Arita. At the same time, on the other side of the world, his work is also in exhibition at the Mooi voor Thuis gallery in Amsterdam. Jun's work has a distinctive and specific Japanese Pop-Art look, and its popularity is spreading internationally.
Jun is motivated to please people through his artwork. Making people happy makes him smile and he loves their positive reactions when they view his compositions. For Jun it's not about the money, but pursuing his passion and persevering. "Never Give Up" is the phrase repeated throughout his work...
Shop review and photos by Sophie Pollak
Positioned in the newly, redeveloped Ironbank building on Cross St, is a tiny gem for all who adore vintage. Its name is Tiny Space. It was named after owner Cara Cheung's original handmade crafts label, which were crafted in her tiny apartment that she shares with her partner. Tiny Space is a treasure trove of vintage clothing, furniture and knick-knacks, as well as some pretty amazing jewellery; one such piece is made entirely out of light bulbs!
Opened only a few mere months ago, Tiny Space was born out of Cara's love for secondhand and a passion for design that she believes was fuelled by her time studying classical music in Dunedin...
Article by Lyndon Walker
Photography by Greta Gotlieb
Recently, I was lucky enough to catch up with three members of The Naked and Famous. They are an up-and-coming Auckland five-piece who have been turning heads with their infectious brand of synth driven pop. I was initially joined by the band founders, Alisa and Thom, with Aaron breezing in a bit later in the interview. Their current single, All of This, is doing the rounds on commercial and independent radio, and the video is seeing airplay on the music channels, signalling cross-over success for a band who has been supplying bNet listeners around the country with great songs for a couple of years now.
Named after the lyric from the Tricky song, 'Tricky Kid', I avoided the common interviewing faux-pas of asking which one was naked and which one was famous. "We get that one all the time", sighed Thomas...
Article by Sophie Pollak
Photography by Greta Gotlieb
Recently, Presence magazine has had the pleasure of attending First Thursdays, an art collective festival
that enables emerging artists to show off their
talent. This shindig has been held for the last three Thursdays of the month and also includes market stalls and entertainment.
Emerging artist Erica Lack's pieces were a highlight; these very intricate cutouts are quite a feat. Scizzorface is another talented artist to look out for. A particular stall that tickled my fancy was Little Lamp Jewellery, which makes very cute and quirky jewellery pieces out of fimo; the pig necklace with a piece of bacon was a particular favourite...
Reviews by Alaister Moughan
Glittering keys, uplifting choruses and adolescent lyrical topics. Immediately it's clear that this is a Brunettes album. Yet on 'Paper Dolls', The Brunettes seem to also be looking into the future, rather than rehashing old ideas.
Electronic drum beats and 'Fisher Price' keys accompany The Brunettes usual guy-girl dynamical pop tunes. Highlights include 'Red Roller Skates', which demonstrates the effectiveness of duo's contrasting coarse male vocals and high pitched girlie vocals, and 'Crime Machine' is a strong candidate for the less offensive mob song of all time, its 80's keyboard and guitar melody create a cute tale of criminal aspirations...
