Recording session will help put band in spotlight
A New Plymouth cafe´ has a tradition of asking well-known visitors to sign plates, which are then hung on one of its walls.
Now, Elixir Cafe´ staff member Betsy Knox is hoping her signature will one day be displayed alongside musicians Scribe and P-money, and former All Black Conrad Smith, after her band won a recording session to kick-start their career.
‘‘I said ‘I’m getting an interview with the local paper so give me a plate,’’’ she laughed.
When Knox is not working she is practising and writing music with her band Betsy & the Reckless.
Knox, along with drummer Jarrod Hooper, bassist Matthew Mahood and guitarist Wakaia Tamehana, formed the band straight after lockdown last year.
They’d only performed live a couple of times when they decided to play in front of hundreds of people at local music gig The Koru Project last weekend. They were named the project’s Spotlight Winner, which gained them a $500 RockShop voucher and one whole day at Rhythm Ace Recording Studio in Oakura, which is booked out until August.
‘‘It’s actually huge. It’s a really big deal,’’ Knox said.
‘‘When you make original music it’s hard to make money, and when you go to a studio it costs a lot of money.
‘‘It’s nice to get our name out there. We’ve been working in the practice room, practising, and we haven’t had too many gigs lined up, so it’s nice to get it out there and get recognised.’’
But it did come as a shock to the band.
‘‘We didn’t even know it was a thing,’’ guitarist Tamehana, who described the band as having a ‘‘schmoozy blues sound’’, said.
The recording opportunity will allow them to record their firstever EP.
‘‘We’ve got enough songs, we just need to chose them.
‘‘Getting an album out there, chucking it on Spotify would be a dream,’’ Tamehana added.
The band is now gearing up for a performance at 8 Ball on March 20 and looking at catching a festival down south at the end of the year.
Koru Project organiser Luke Millard said the criteria for the spotlight prize was popularity with the public, technical skill, talent, charisma and who would get the most value from a recording session.
‘‘Betsy & the Reckless nailed the performance, had the right vibe, a full repertoire of tunes and a game-ready operation that just needs a little nudge into the spotlight.’’