Down Under Currents is a new radio show and podcast that shines a light on good New Zealand music that most of us haven’t heard yet. As host Gary Farrow explains, he’s hoping to give listeners the inspiration to seek out shows that they might have missed, and to see a bit more of NZ while they’re at it.
HUP: Hi Gary, tell me about your new radio show and podcast.
Gary: Down Under Currents is a weekly radio show, celebrating New Zealand’s indie and alternative music scene. Every episode is about discovering artists, sharing their stories, and encouraging listeners to experience music that is below the surface. So, getting out and seeing gigs, listening to new artists, and everything like that.
I got the inspiration for the show recently when I saw Public Service Broadcasting, from the UK, performing in both Auckland and Wellington. And for those shows, they were supported by Tāmaki Makaurau band, Coast Arcade. And they were absolutely awesome! I was just taken, straight away. The highlight of those gigs was when the Coast Arcade vocalist, Bella, joined Public Service Broadcasting on stage to sing a couple of songs including one song with lyrics in German, from an album all about Berlin. A young local artist who just pulled that ability out of a hat, performing in front of a band that comes from the other side of the world. And in the end, I thought the vocals were even better than on the recorded version of the track. Man, that ignited something in me, realising that New Zealand has so, so much talent. We should be revelling in it!
HUP: Episode one is already out. How was it?
I just wanted to get things off the ground with the first episode. It has artists from Mount Maunganui, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. I want to take it out broader as well, to more regions, and obviously I’m particularly interested in Waikato gigs and bands. It’s always good to look further afield at what’s going on.
I mentioned a gig in New Plymouth in the first episode as well. One of the coolest things in the New Zealand music scene is to go on a roadie. You hear a band’s music on the radio or on Bandcamp, you like it, you notice they’ve got a gig happening in New Plymouth. Why not take a roadie, you know?
One of the tracks I played was by The Bleeders, from 2005. Now they’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of their albums [‘As Sweet As Sin’ – Ed]. I remember back in 2005, I took a road trip from Auckland down to Hamilton to see The Bleeders play a really good gig. It was one of the coolest nights! I remember it so, so vividly. I want other people to be experiencing stuff like that.
HUP: Where do you dig for the artists that you feature?
Gary: I check a lot of gig guides nationwide, particularly on Under The Radar. I look for artists who are doing the rounds, whether they’re new artists or veteran artists. And then I take a bit of a dive and look at releases that they’ve had come out recently. I pick tracks that flow in a nice way.
I’m very particular about pre-announcing or back-announcing every single song. I want to give them all attention because they all deserve it. It isn’t just a playlist—it’s actually getting to know new artists and bands. I especially want to identify where they are based in Aotearoa, so we get a nice big highlight all around the country.
HUP: Will the focus always be on bands or artists who are playing gigs around the time of each episode?
Gary: I take that as the inspiration for my show. But there are a lot of artists who I follow on Facebook who are working on records or starting new projects, and I’d like to give them coverage as well. There are obviously a lot of artists that have been around for a long time, but still beneath the mainstream, and people need to be able to learn about them and enjoy them.
I’ve got a lot of contacts from my days with 95bFM in Auckland, which was all about promoting independent music, so I’m going to keep that wheel turning.
HUP: If gigging bands are the central theme, are there any other aspects that you want to bring into the show’s format?
Gary: At the moment, Down Under Currents is in an embryonic stage. In the future I’d like to share stories about where New Zealand’s indie artists and emerging artists come from. Maybe a gig guide section that takes a look at what’s happening around the country and recommends things at live music venues. Maybe the odd interview with artists as well. A great thing about New Zealand being such a tight community is that it’s not too hard to get an interview, particularly with independent artists.
I’m looking forward to having a little wee smorgasbord of that sort of content.
HUP: And it sounds like you’re hoping for listeners throughout the motu, as well as featuring bands from all over?
Gary: Yeah, definitely. I’m based at Free FM in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, of course, but I want it to be a show for people throughout the motu to listen to. Because as I say, it’s easy to go on roadies around New Zealand. We’re such a lovely, small country—it’s basically a skip and a jump to cities and towns that have entirely different music cultures and obviously different artists. I really just want to encourage people to flit around the place and experience things, not just necessarily in their own backyard.
HUP: I love the name ‘Down Under Currents’. Who came up with it?
Gary: The title, Down Under Currents, came from Free FM General Manager Phil Gray. As soon as he suggested it, it really clicked. It’s a perfect name — as in, you know, New Zealand is well connected by the sea. You can be in Southland, the East Coast, out west or here in the Waikato, the water’s never far away; the ocean is a huge part of who we are. And the imagery is a good fit for the show.
Then there’s the main idea that I want to get across with the show: mainstream artists already have the spotlight and the audience. Down Under Currents is about taking a look at the currents beneath the mainstream waves. That’s where New Zealand’s most exciting music is being made. I just want to help people to make discoveries.
HUP: Now that you are helping people revel in it, how can they listen to your new episodes as they come out?
Gary: Well, they are broadcast on Free FM 89.0 FM in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, and indeed the wider Waikato. They’re on at 10pm on Thursday nights. They’re also made available each week, probably on Tuesday or Wednesday, as a podcast. So you can get those podcasts on freefm.org.nz your favourite podcast platforms, like Apple Podcasts. I don’t think Spotify has accepted it just yet, maybe for copyright reasons. But you can just go on to Apple Podcasts and search for Down Under Currents. I’ve got a Facebook page for it as well.
At the risk of repeating everything that Gary just said, you are hereby strongly advised to stream Down Under Currents now, listen to it on Thursday nights on Free FM, and give it a follow on Facebook.
