Q&A with Modern M¯aori Quartet
Tara Shaskey talks to Modern Ma¯ ori Quartet’s Maaka Pohatu ahead of the group’s New Plymouth show.
Congratulations on the release of Modern Ma¯ ori Quartet’s first album, That’s Us. How does it feel to have debuted an album? Feels fantastic. That ecstatic feeling of knowing you created something you’re super proud of. Like a team of proud fathers and their newly born child.
Tell us about the mahi that went into it and the motivation behind it? A lot of heart and truth went into making this album. Truth was the main motivation we gave ourselves, to share personal truths that came from each of us and then craft each track using that persons own experience. Hence the album being titled,
because it literally is us all of us. Our own stories woven together. We decided to leave Auckland and retreat to the bro Matariki’s wha¯ nau farm for six days and just went into wa¯ nanga mode.
Can you describe the album’s sound? is a very nostalgic sounding album. We wanted to recreate the atmosphere of the Ma¯ ori garage parties that we grew up with as children and all the different music genres you might expect to hear at one of these occasions so the album is quite eclectic. Somewhere in the vicinity of the Ma¯ ori Hi-Marks meets Sam Cooke but also The Eagles and Michale Buble meets Prince Tui Teka. It’s the sound of joy and aroha but also some mamae in there, a whole lot of cheekiness, laughter and some classic mockery/ribbing. It’s the sound of the classiest, flashest Ma¯ ori garage party you’ve ever been to and your whole wha¯ nau is there with all the kids running around.
The group has recently gained two new members, what sparked the new recruitment? MMQ have been together as a wha¯ nau for five and a bit years. To address the steady flow of gigs and occasionally conflicting commitments we change configuration every now and then. The main line up that features on the album is the main line up for the most part but then sometimes we have to adapt. Our most recent recruits Rutene Spooner and Tainui Kuru were selected to be a part of the the team that performed in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival while another team were doing the mahi in Australia. Pretty flash aye?
You’ve got Annie Crummer on board for your current tour, how did that come about? A few years back we collaborated with Annie on a TV variety show called
and did a version of by the Netherworld Dancing Toys and since then we’ve always had a close relationship. She’s a legendary performer and just an amazing open soul who loves us like nephews so when we asked her if she’d be a part of our tour she graciously accepted. So lucky and so honoured.
What can the New Plymouth audience expect to see from the Modern Ma¯ ori Quartet when you perform here next week? You can expect to have yourselves a classy evening out with Annie Crummer and The Modern Ma¯ ori Quartet featuring The Hangi Stones Band. Expect a lot of nostalgia, some dad jokes, killer musicianship, joy, laughter and a whole lot of aroha. That’s us New Plymouth. See you there!
That’s Us tour will play the Theatre Royal, New Plymouth on Friday, October 6.