Грант NZ On Air на $500 000 поможет новозеландским музыкантам гастролировать по регионам

Auckland bands such as Borderline are being supported to play shows in other parts of the country through the regional touring grant. Photo / Tom Grut Local music is getting a leg up as a funding grant helps Kiwi artists take their national tours to more cities around the country. Regional music fans are set to see more Kiwi acts on stage as a $500,000 NZ On Air fund helps artists overcome the soaring cost oftouring. Teresa Patterson, head of music at NZ On Air, told the Herald the fund was crucial to ensuring New Zealand artists could perform beyond the main centres. “We know touring is one of the most important ways artists connect with fans and build momentum around a new release, but it’s also one of the biggest costs they’ll face. “For some recipients, the funding was the difference between a tour going ahead and not happening at all.” Artists can receive between $10,000 and $50,000 to support a national tour, helping to cover the costs of transport, accommodation, crew and production. With this year’s recipients to be announced on July 30, the Herald spoke to two artists who received funding last year about the difference it made. Auckland indie rock band Borderline are using the grant to support a five-date tour this year after winning the People’s Choice Award at last month’s Aotearoa Music Awards. Lead singer Ben Glanfield said transporting equipment, finding accommodation and covering day-to-day costs made touring one of the biggest challenges for emerging artists. “One of the hardest parts is as a band you have so much gear and a lot of tours financially are sort of like, how can we make it possible for us to be there, with our instruments, and have a place to sleep?” The quartet, rounded out by Jackson Boswell, Max Harries and Matthew McFadden, described their first South Island tour as a shoestring affair. “Looking back on it now, it was the most, like, on-a-budget tour”, Glanfield said. This year, the funding has allowed the band to put more into their live show, rather than simply focusing on making the tour financially viable. With dates in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, Tauranga and Rotorua almost completed, McFadden said the band had been excited to bring their music to fans outside the main centres. “They’ve got to pay for petrol and take time out of their days, and it’s really nice to be able to bring something that way.” But established artists face many of the same challenges. Andrew Spraggon, the musician behind Sola Rosa, was another grant recipient last year. He said rising touring costs meant he had long struggled to break even performing in New Zealand. “There always seems to be a lot of internationals touring so, you know, people have to weigh up what they want to spend their money on.” The funding also allowed him to incorporate high-end visuals into the show while easing some of the financial pressure of touring. Despite the challenges, he said taking live music to regional centres had been one of the most rewarding aspects of touring. “There was definitely a real community vibe and people really appreciated that we’d come out and made the effort to come and play there.” As costs continue to climb, Spraggon believes initiatives such as the NZ On Air touring fund will become increasingly important to ensure Kiwi artists can keep taking their music to communities across the country.