Fazerdaze - On The Road
New Music, two Aotearoa music Awards, and now three shows across Aotearoa. It’s been a big year for Fazerdaze.
Photography by Frances Carter
August will see Amelia Murray team up with bandmate Dave Rowlands to play a series of intimate shows in Lyttelton, Wellington, and Auckland. They’ve built a duo show to take on the road, and the three shows serve as a precursor to a US tour supporting Pixies and Spoon.
“There’s just two of us. Dave and I can read each other really well. There’s quite a lot of taking bits from the record, chopping them up, and stretching things out or looping from there as well as playing our live instruments.” says Murray.
The shows follow the release of her single “Motorway” last month, a track in which Murray navigates changing circumstances and a feeling of loneliness.
“I’ve only just recently had the space to process some of the things I went through during the ‘Soft Power’ period.”
“I’ve only just recently had the space to process some of the things I went through during the ‘Soft Power’ period.”
Motorway definitely hints at elements of Soft Power. It’s dark and reflective, but there’s a sense of growth in there too. It speaks to moving on and growing past things that seem all-consuming.
“Motorway is an extension of the Soft Power World. There’s so much stuff I went through during that time that I’m only just getting to write about now. I barely got to scratch the surface of it on the record.”
It’s a track that’s typically introspective for Fazerdaze. It also provides an excellent launchpad for the huge upcoming run of shows.
“The last tour was really good for getting a bit of a foothold for Fazerdaze in North America. POND took us on their tour, and we met a lot of people, made some new fans, and saw a whole lot of new cities. Off the back of that we got a KEXP session, and towards the end of the tour I got a call from my booking agent asking if we’d be open to touring with Pixies and Spoon.”
“Motorway is an extension of the Soft Power World. There’s so much stuff I went through during that time that I’m only just getting to write about now. I barely got to scratch the surface of it on the record.”
Opening for two indie heavyweights is fitting acknowledgement of the quality and consistency of Fazerdaze’s catalogue and live show, and such recognition won’t come as a surprise to those who know Murray’s work.
Fazerdaze is one of those acts everyone seems to root for. From the upbeat indie-pop of 2017’s “Lucky Girl” to the introspection of “Soft Power” and “Motorway”, there’s something for everyone. The music follows the winding pathway of Amelia Murray’s life, and around all of those corners there has been something for each of us to cling on to.
Tickets to Fazerdaze’s Aotearoa shows can be found HERE
Christchurch - Thursday 14 Aug
Wellington - Friday 15 Aug
Auckland - Saturday 16 Aug
