'Tag your Folks' is an awesome project created by Isla Norman (Isla Music) a couple of years ago for NZ Music Month (May).
I met Isla in Auckland when she opened for me at the Wine Cellar for my album release tour (Memory Lake Tour).
Anyway, Isla asked me if I wanted to be one of the contributing musicians/ recording artists for this year's project and I said 'yes!'
It's a bit like 'secret santa' for musicians where the names of the musicians are put into a hat and then randomly pulled. I was assigned Steve Tofa, a Samoan-New Zealander with a deep voice like molasses, a penchant for writing songs that reflect real-life, and a unique and exciting style.
So, a woman on a mission, I listened to his new album Koko Stax on repeat till I landed on the song 'Underground'. I was really excited by the guitar style in this song, reminding me of Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young).
So I hit the studio and outpoured into Logic, eventually coming up with a very Colette Rivers version of Steve's 'Underground'. But the journey doesn't end there. I had to do a video.
A lot of people assume that musicians and particularly, 'frontmen' love attention in all ways. That the ceaseless social media 'content' offerings are done to satisfy a narcissistic nature. But it really can't be further from the truth for me. My passion is entirely music-driven and the 'socials' are simply a demand put on all music/ recording artists in order to survive.
The landscape of recorded music has changed so dramatically over my lifetime. Anyway. I do it, but I cringe with a lot of it.
So, with shots from around my house and in my studio, and the split screen magic of Premier Pro, I made a 'performance video' that looks alright and is at least a vehicle for the music!
So now I can sit back and enjoy the awesome daily releases of awesome people that make up this year's 'Tag Your Folks.'
MY RELEASE IS MAY 2nd.
Please go over to facebook to like and follow the page HERE so that you too can enjoy this wonderfully creative collaborative community of musicians!!
Colette Rivers
xxxx