Christchurch Summer Shows

Wet Wings will play two Christchurch shows this summer:

1. El Santo Porteno, Friday December 3rd, $5

Poster design thanks to William Duignan who, as well as a talented designer, is Boy Scout

Wet Wings will play a new set as a two-piece using a viola and vocal loops, keyboard and guitar.

Canterbury Rams will play as a three-piece rock band featuring Sam Ellis (Jimmy Zoom & the Beytown Grifters), Jonathan Phillips (Mount Pleasant), and Darryl Something (Mustard).

Boy Scout is like Nate Dogg/Paul Simon/Final Fantasy/Bon Iver/The Christchurch Cathedral Choir.

2. The Dux de Lux, Friday December 10th

Wet Wings will play as a four-piece band with Sebastian Warne (The Unfaithful Ways, Bibi Anderson) on bass and Matthew Scobie (Black Market Art, The Undercurrents, Valdera, The O'Lovelys, Woolston Brass Band, T54, Mmdelai) on drums.

When I emailed to book this show I was told that our band wasn't rockin' enough. So we asked Magic Eye to play as well. Magic Eye are certainly rockin' and, furthermore, will also bring the party.

We're also playing a low-key daytime set at the Arts Centre on Saturday December 4 from 12pm to 1.

Our cassette will be on sale at both these concerts for $12.

These will probably be our last Christchurch shows for a while.

Skin to Soil reception

Since releasing our tape last month some people have said nice and sometimes (via Google Translate) unintentionally humorous things:

Here are two beautifully misty/haunting tracks from the tape, “the diary of two young people who have heard mortality rattling.”

Gorilla vs. Bear/Altered Zones

Weird poem of my childhood, secrets and loneliness. An unbelievable choir is telling me about that immense nature, from New Zealand, morphing suddenly into a dove or a she-wolf. Skin To Soil is covering us with charmful strokes. Unforgettable strokes.

Delicious Scopitone (bizarrely translated from French)

Mirage perfume transported sand and covered with royal blue like the intense summer nights. Wet Wings - duet from New Zealand - made with all the satellites of sweetness.

MagicRPM (again poorly translated from French)

So. This is maybe a conflict of interest. Darian Woods is one half of this Christchurch duo and he is also a friend of mine. I don't think it matters though, as the quality of this release sort of transcends friendships and things like that. This is so good that you could be listening to it, and your least favourite person could also be listening too it, and you'd both admit that you like it and probably bond or something.

In Unison

They have kind of a New Order vibe, but if New Order liked to hang out at the beach a lot and they might have been hippies. I swear, these are compliments.

Kitsune Noir

“Sleep Tight” is a real achievement in gothic folk. The song writhes with utter devastation, plunking along sparsely before being joined with an equally as distraught cello—a truly inspired piece.

Death + Taxes

Their moody, dream pop effect is perfect for late night cuddling.

Modern Mystery

It sounds like sunshine on the back of your neck when you're sitting alone on a beach watching waves.

The Press

When you come across bands from New Zealand, you automatically expect to have some sort of knifing guitar line, but that’s not the case at all with Wet Wings. The group has a much quieter approach to writing their music, as if they’re high upon some cliff, watching as the waves slowly crash upon the shore.

Austin Town Hall

It’s all about the rise and swell. One sound joins another, then falls off before another eases into its voided space. It’s a beautiful record.

Their Bated Breath

More: Boom Boom Chik, Pop Dines With Portman, Sick Off the Radio

So the Skin to Soil tapes are disappearing fast. Literally vanishing. I put one on my bookshelf and now it's gone. That's how hot the demand is right now. We'll have a few left for our shows but at the rate the cassettes are being ordered we should be sold out by the end of the year.

Visit Infinity Tapes to buy.

All orders come with an emailed instant download code.

RNZ Interview

David Klein interviewed us for Radio New Zealand National's Music 101. Listen here.

Selected transcript:

D: Our new direction could go in two ways: either more pastoral with more viola and ... real instruments, or the opposite, with backing tracks and choreography.

L: Um. No, not going to happen.