Native Tongue is excited to announce the singing of multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Dan Luscombe.

For the past twelve years Dan has been a member of the critically-acclaimed Australian outfit The Drones. He began his professional career at age eighteen joining The Blackeyed Susans (who’s alumni included members of The Triffids, Dirty Three and The Cruel Sea) and went on to work and perform alongside a host of other respected performers including tenures with Paul Kelly, Courtney Barnett and Marlon Williams.

His notable works as a screen composer include the score for Jindabyne (dir. Ray Lawrence) which he co-wrote with Paul Kelly and Hounds Of Love (dir. Ben Young). His scores for television include Mr. & Mrs Murder (Ch. 10) and Laid (ABC).

Though he’s been largely involved with guitar-based independent bands and artists throughout his career, Dan’s influences and scoring work take in a breadth of styles, from stark electronic (Hounds Of Love), traditional choral (Jindabyne), jazz-noir (Mr. & Mrs Murder), brutal guitar ambience (for the television adaptation of Wolf Creek) through to the whimsical and bent (Laid). Dan’s most recent scoring work was for the sci-fi feature I Am Mother which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019.

Jindabyne was awarded Best Feature Film Score in the 2006 ARIA Awards, and the jury prize for Best Score at the 2006 Valladolid Film Festival (Spain). I Am Mother was awarded Feature Film Score of the Year at the 2019 Screen Music Awards.

Native Tongue’s Managing Director Jaime Gough explains, “Dan is a stalwart of the Melbourne music scene. A true talent both on stage and in the studio. It’s a privilege to welcome such a fine musician, composer, artist and collaborator into the Native Tongue family.”

Troy Kingi has taken out Best Māori Artist (Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa) and Best Roots Artist (Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa) at the New Zealand Music Awards overnight.

On a wonderful night at Spark Arena, Auckland, Troy Kingi was the major winner for Native Tongue, being nominated for two awards and walking away with both.

Dave Dobbyn’s band ‘Th’ Dudes’ were also recognised by receiving the NZ Legacy Award (Tohu Whakareretanga).

We would also like to congratulate Native Tongue writers Aldous Harding and Marlon Williams on a number of nominations the two received.

For the first time, the Royal New Zealand Ballet has commissioned a female composer to write a full length ballet.

That composer is none other than Native Tongue writer Claire Cowan. Claire has been hard at work putting together the original score for ‘Hansel and Gretel’ which opened on November 6th.

Usually writing for on-screen productions, this is the largest piece of work Claire has put together.

Already receiving strong reviews, Hansel and Gretel is looking like a smash hit.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s ‘Hansel and Gretel’ is performing in Wellington, Palmerston North, Napier, Christchurch, Invercargill, Dunedin and Auckland between November 6th and December 14th.

It’s been a long time coming, but Secret Knives has finally released the follow-up to 2010’s Affection with his new album Snuff.

Secret Knives is the solo recording project of New Zealand multi-instrumentalist Ash Smith. Having spent much of the last decade assisting other acts like Shocking Pinks, Over The Atlantic, Junica, and Grayson Gilmour, Smith has now delivered Snuff. 

Secret Knives made serious waves with his ambitious bedroom-pop debut long-player ‘Affection’ back in 2010, but we’ve barely heard a peep from the artist since, aside from a brief re-emergence with 2017’s My Capriccio EP. He made a triumphant return in August this year, with a sparkling and sonically freewheeling slice of guitar-driven pop with the title track ‘Snuff’.

Secret Knives songs are tightly wound constructions – effects-heavy guitar pop packed with strange sounds and curious sonic details. The richly felt and emotive songs on Snuff are scaffold for autobiographical lyrics depicting the generational anomie that held up its release for so long.

Stream Snuff on Spotify here. 

Emma Russack has once again team up with Lachlan Denton for another album under their celebrated collaborative project. 

Written over a tumultuous 6-month period for the two artists, Take The Reigns is a stunning showcase of Russack and Denton’s singular songwriting abilities, masterfully melding the prolific artists’ signature sounds for a compelling listen that spans earnest pop, melodic indie rock and melancholic balladry.

Take The Reigns was recorded in just a few sessions with friends. Dylan Young (Way Dynamic) recorded and produced the record and mixed half of it. The other half was mixed by Liam ‘Snowy’ Halliwell (Denton’s bandmate in The Ocean Party), who also mastered it. Dainis Lacey from Cool Sounds played guitar and bass on some tracks. 

On this new album, the pair have captured an incredible friendship that has had profound ups and downs over the past year, yet has only grown stronger.

Take The Reigns is out now via Spunk! Records / Osborne Again. Stream on Spotify here.