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Photo Copyright 2006 - Darryl Ward

LAST UPDATE: 23 January, 2009. For a history of the changes that have been made to this site click here.

23 January, 2009

Bic's world: An interview with Singapore's "New Strait Times"


Bic’s world
By : Dennis Chua

2009/01/13

Bic Runga — Picture by Kevin Westenberg

One of New Zealand’s most successful female musicians, Bic Runga, speaks to Dennis Chua about her Malaysian connection, family and music.

NEW Zealand singer-songwriter Bic Runga is marking her fourth trip to Malaysia this week. She will also be spending two weeks of quality time with her mother’s relatives in the Klang Valley.

“The last time I was in Kuala Lumpur was two years ago, for a holiday. My mum’s cousins are all there and they follow my musical journey closely,” she said in a phone interview last Thursday.

“It’s always great to be in KL, be it catching up with my relatives or singing for my fans. It’s as good as my second home.”

Runga has just completed an album with rock groups Radiohead and Wilco, as well as Johnny Marr of The Smiths and Crowded House’s Neil Finn.
“It’s an album for Oxfam and we completed it last week,” she said.

“I’m in the process of recording my fourth studio album, and it’ll be out in a few months’ time.”

One of the highest-selling New Zealand artistes of all time, singer-songwriter Runga was born Briolette Kah Bic Runga on Jan 13, 1976 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The daughter of Sophia Tang, a Malaysian lounge singer and the late Joseph Runga, a Maori soldier on duty in Vietnam who met his wife while on leave in Malaysia, Runga was named “Bic” for the colour of jade in Chinese.

She said: “It’s a strange vowel sound which doesn’t seem to translate in English. Perhaps it’s a shade of green.”

Runga grew up in Hornby, Christchurch surrounded by a musically-inclined family, and started recording songs with her sisters, Boh and Pearl, when she was only four.

Runga’s elder sister Boh is now a vocalist in the New Zealand rock group Stellar while Pearl is a sessions singer.

“My mother listened to The Carpenters, Dame Shirley Bassey, Barbra Streisand, Dusty Springfield, The Mamas And The Papas, and The Beatles,” she said.

Runga learnt to play the drums at 11, and the guitar and keyboards at 14. She attended Cashmere High School in Christchurch, later joining high school bands and later performed with local jazz groups in her mid-teens.

“Boh taught me to write songs in my teens. It was around this time that I became interested in rock and folk music. During high school, I loved Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin,” she said.

Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Sir Elton John are among her celebrity fans. Runga met them both during her concerts in London some years ago.

“I’ve always loved Jimmy and Sir Elton, and we had a drink together,” she said.

Choosing between art school and music, Runga decided to move to Auckland, where she found music label Sony Music’s address and sent in some demo tracks.

A song called Drive caught the attention of the label and a deal was struck, propelling Runga on the road to becoming New Zealand’s most successful female musician.

Runga and her frequent collaborator Kelly Horgan entered the 1993 Smoke Free Rock Quest in Wellington under the name Love Soup. They came in third. Then, with a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council grant, Runga recorded the first Drive EP in Wellington.

In 1995, the song entered the Top 10 in New Zealand and won her the Silver Scroll Songwriting Award 1996.

Runga next released Bursting Through, her first single from her upcoming album, also titled Drive.

Drive the album also had a monster hit in the single Sway. The album remained in the Top 10 for 20 consecutive weeks, going seven times platinum, and became the highest-selling album in NZ.

“There was also Good Morning Baby, a duet with Dan Wilson of Semisonic.

“This song and Sway made their way into the soundtracks of American Pie and Cruel Intentions,” she said.

The high regard for Runga and Drive were apparent at the 1998 New Zealand Music Awards. She won six awards including Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Best Female Vocalist and Best Songwriter.

Runga has recorded not one, but two songs called . The second, a 1999 collaboration with fellow New Zealanders Strawpeople, was a cover version of The Cars’ classic 1984 hit, written by Ric Ocasek.

Her second album, Beautiful Collision, was released in 2002 and surpassed 11 times platinum sales in New Zealand.

The album received rave reviews, and the hit single Get Some Sleep reached the Top 10 in Japan and Ireland, and earned her Best Producer at the New Zealand Music Awards that year.

Of her success in songwriting, Runga said: “The trick is to give a little bit of what’s unexpected.”

Having spent most of 2003 and 2004 living in Paris and London, Runga returned home to New Zealand in 2005.

Sadly, her father died that year, but she went on to complete a world tour, playing as a soloist in support of Crowded House brothers Neil and Tim Finn.

“Neil has long been a fan of my music and contributed vocals to Beautiful Collision,” she said.

Runga’s third studio album, Birds, was released in 2005 and went triple platinum. It had major hits in Winning Arrow and Say After Me.

She describes Birds as a “pretty dark” album. “The reference to birds is Maori mythology where birds are messengers from the underworld.”

Runga released Try To Remember Everything last November. The album contains 14 unreleased recordings made between 1996 and 2008.

“It’s a collection of B-sides and live tracks spanning 12 years. There’s a new song called Everyone Must Love,” she said.

Besides singing and writing music, Runga hosted a music-related television programme when she was 18 and has also dabbled in acting.

“I was a Vietnamese lounge singer in the 2005 Cate Blanchett film Little Fish, and covered Gene Pitney’s Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart,” she said.

Runga became a mother last year to Joseph. The father is the singer’s longtime partner, photographer Darryl Ward.

In 2006, the then New Zealand governor-general Dame Silvia Cartwright awarded Runga the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to the nation.

Runga will be performing at the invitation-only launch of the new BMW 7 Series at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, from tomorrow till Friday at 8pm.

The original article can be found here.

23 January 2009

Interview with Malaysia's "Sun" newspaper

Songs from her heart
by S. Indra Sathiabala

It was interesting going
through 30 boxes of
songs – looking back at
my career and see what
I did well and what I did
badly." – Bic Runga


THE first time I met Bic Runga was right after the release of her debut album Drive and she was in Malaysia for a promotional show.

Runga looked more like a rocker chick then and was deeply annoyed at the way Malaysians were going ga-ga over third-rate boy bands that were coming here on a regular basis.

These days, this New Zealander is a far calmer person who seems contented with the world.

The 33-year-old singer is part Malaysian. She is the third daughter of a Maori soldier, the late Joseph Runga, who married Ipoh-born cabaret singer Sophia Tang whom he met in Malaysia during the Vietnam War.

Growing up in Christchurch, Runga learnt how to play drums at the age of 11 and went on to pick up the basics for guitar and keyboard.

In 1995, she sent a demo of her single, Drive, to Sony Music. The record company signed her on and her song became a big hit.

Her first album Drive (1997) became a bestseller not only in New Zealand but also in Europe and the UK. The single Sway from the album, along with a duet with Dan Wilson of Semisonic called Good Morning Baby, were featured in the films American Pie and Cruel Intentions.

Subsequent albums, Beautiful Collision (2002) and Birds (2005), were also well received.

Last year, Runga released Try to Remember, which features previously unreleased songs that she wrote over the years. Some of the songs were written when she was just 19.

"They are mostly songs that wouldn’t fit the other albums," she explained during a recent interview. "They were mostly live recordings which we never released.

"It was interesting going through 30 boxes of songs – looking back at my career and see what I did well and what I did badly."

"The reason we did this record is to touch base with fans and let them know that I have not completely gone AWOL."

Being a mother (her son Joseph is one-and-a-half years old) has given Runga a different perspective of life. "I looked back at my songs and wondered what I was so sad about," she said with a laugh.

So, her new album, which is scheduled to be released later this year, will showcase her new outlook. She also expressed a wish to write more songs about the feelings awakened in her by her son.

Runga has lived in Paris, London and New York but Christchurch is still home.

Between albums, she has recorded some live albums and performed at concerts including the recent one under BMW Group Malaysia at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

She recently played the role of a Vietnamese nightclub singer in a movie called Little Fish (2005) which starred Academy award-winner Cate Blanchett.

She hasn’t given much thought to making more movies or even musicals. However, she was more than happy to be a part of Little Fish as it gave her a chance to meet her favourite actress, Blanchett.

She has recently joined Crowded House frontman Neil Finn on a new album where the profits from its sale will all be donated to global aid agency Oxfam.

Other artistes featured on the album, due for release this year, include Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Wilco’s Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone, and Don McGlashan.

The original article can be found here

23 January 2009

Interview with Malysia's "staronline"

New Zealander singer Bic Runga hails from a musically inclined family.
Her mother was a cabaret singer while her elder sisters were band members.

January 20, 2009

Bic Runga is true to her art

By MUMTAJ BEGUM

Acclaimed Kiwi singer-songwriter Bic Runga talks about her fruitful career and meeting her music heroes.

It is easy to see why Bic Runga is loved by New Zealanders and has a faithful following in other parts of the world especially in Britain.

Firstly, because her music is easy on the ears with its earthy, unique sound and her voice is a pure delight to listen to. Secondly, those who’ve met her, even briefly, will find out that she’s a friendly person with a warm personality and no airs about herself despite her acclaim and successes.

This became immediately obvious in a recent conversation with the singer, who wore (gosh!) very little make-up, a simple black dress and a pair of sandals. Last week, Runga flew in to Kuala Lumpur to perform at the launch of the new BMW 7-Series for three nights before continuing her journey to her mother’s hometown in Ipoh and a stop to Singapore before returning home to New Zealand where she’s currently based.

Her wanting to keep things simple is apparent not only in her appearance but also in her songs, and when she goes on stage it is usually just her and a guitar. Fuss free some may call it, but that minimalism is ingrained in her personality. No wonder then when asked about how the Queen (in January 2006) made Runga a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, she needed a moment to recall the exact title that was bestowed upon her.

In the end, Runga confessed that she was unable to accept it personally as she was overseas at that time, but she assured that the badge she was sent is “somewhere” before breaking into a laughter which revealed a deep dimple on her right cheek.

Nonetheless, the 32-year-old acknowledged that it’s nice to be honoured in that manner. “But also it’s quite humbling as well because you are honoured with the people who’ve given to society. It’s nice to know that you are doing a service, although you don’t think of it that way.”

It’s logical that Runga does not see making music as a form of ­service; after all, music is something that Runga has been born into and is blessed with.

It doesn’t need reiterating that Briolette Kah Bic Runga comes from a musical family – her mother, Sophia Tan, was a Chinese-Malaysian cabaret singer when she met Joseph Runga, a Maori soldier on leave from Vietnam, and Bic has also watched her two elder sisters (Boh and Pearl Runga) perform with their respective bands in New Zealand since she was young.

Runga has three full albums to her name from the time she made her debut when she was just about to turn 20, and each album has yet to disappoint, especially her last titled Birds. Her first single, Sway, from her debut album Drive, is a tune that is popular till today.

Although she said that her priority has shifted since having a baby last July with her partner, photographer Darryl Ward, she might change her mind. Her career pace has gone slower, she’s not taking so many projects, but 2009 is still looking like a busy year for her. Most recently, she released a compilation album called Try to Remember Everything, which comprises some of her unreleased tracks and B-sides. Unfortunately, this album is released in New Zealand only. Over the Christmas and New Year period, she was busy recording an album in aid of Oxfam International (an organisation working to end poverty and injustice around the world), initiated by Crowded House’s Neil Finn, which also features Phil Selway and Ed O’Brien from Radiohead, Johnny Marr (the Smiths), Wilco and KT Tunstall, which is scheduled for release later this year. Early this year, she performed with them at the Seven Worlds Collide concert in Auckland. To top it off, she’s in the midst of writing new material for her next album (also due this year), which is going to be recorded in Los Angeles.

Despite having a busy music life, she admitted that keeping it up is not that easy.

“It’s not a walk in the park,” she began. “I’ve tried to be true to myself, I suppose. I think that’s really what’s important, because of all the things that people want you to be it’s always good to be what you want to be yourself.”

Another advantage of having been true to herself is that she has gotten a vast fan-base among fellow musicians including Elton John and Jimmy Page. As it happens, Runga is a big fan of Led Zeppelin so meeting Page three years ago before one of her shows in Britain, was indeed an exciting time for her. “We talked about blues and live records. He’s really funny. It was one of the top three days of my life.”

She added, “It’s been really great making music for the past 12 years because I’ve met a lot of my heroes. This record (for Oxfam) has been especially exciting because, one time or another, each of member those band (involved) have had a big influence on me. I went to see Radiohead when I was 17, and I saw Wilco about six years ago and was totally blown away.

“The Smiths was the first band that I discovered outside of my parents music when I was about 13 and I just remember learning all their songs and now Johnny Marr is in this project as well so just two weeks ago I was writing a song with him. It’s pretty amazing playing with your heroes. It’s too good to be true.”

The original article can be viewed here

 

21 November, 2008

New album, "Try To Remember Everything" due out December, 2008

Bic has a new record due out at the beginning of December, 2008. It is called "Try to Remember Everything".

Rumoured to be a collection of, to date, un-released and rare material from the 1996 to 2000 era, it promises to be a mix of material between the release of "Drive", and the three year lull until the release of "Beautiful Collision".

Hopefully it will include some of the tracks from the "lost album", the planned album that was dropped once the writing & recording of "Beautiful Collision" commenced. As Bic said in an interview at the time:

"When I knew what it was that I wanted, it made everything flow a lot quicker. When I knew not to try to make an innovative hip hop record and I knew not to go down a dishonest path, then it made everything a lot easier."

More details will be published as available over the next few days.

UPDATE: 22/11/2008:

"Now, three years on from the recording of 'Birds', Bic releases this eagerly awaited collection. 'Try to Remember Everything' brings together some brilliant previously unreleased songs and alternate versions of hits from her incredible career -- rare Bic Runga recordings from 1996 to 2008.

"So much was recorded between these years and it was a great discovery to go through some 30 boxes of sessions that Sony had in storage. I'm glad to have had a look back and a second chance to release these tracks. Many are out takes from the studio records, some are live performances on the radio which I remembered felt good at the time. Some are old demos. All are songs that I'm happy for you to now have in your hands."
- Bic Runga

'Try to Remember Everything' also features a brand new song called "Everybody Must Love" (recorded in the US) and a new recording of "Strangers Again" (written and originally recorded by 80s Dunedin band, Sneaky Feelings).

Since emerging at 19 years old with her debut single "Drive", Bic has become a true international artist taking her to the top of charts at home and around the world. 'Try to Remember Everything' is an essential addition to the Bic Runga catalogue. Meanwhile Bic writes and prepares for her next album, due for release in 2009."

Update: 27/11/2008 - Track Listing

1. All fall down (Runga) – out take from Drive

2. The Daily Grind (Runga) – demo from Beautiful Collision, previously unreleased

3. Blue Blue Heart (Runga) – demo version from Birds

4. Gracie (Runga) – out take from Beautiful Collision

5. A Day Like Today (Runga)– out take from Beautiful Collision

6. Strangers Again (Durante) - recorded for Radio New Zealand, previously unreleased

7. Autumn Leaves (Kosma/Prevert/Mercer) – out take from "Live with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra," previously unreleased

8. Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart (Greenaway/Cook)– out take from "Birds"

9. Dust (Runga)– recorded for Radio New Zealand

10. Drive (Runga) – recorded live at the Civic Theatre

11. Everyone Must Love (Runga/Messer) – new and unreleased

12. Sway Live on KCRW previously unreleased

13. Close the Door Put Out the Light recorded for Radio New Zealand

21 July, 2007

It's a boy!!

Bic had a baby boy, delivered on Friday, 20 July, 2007 at 11:45pm. Eight pounds six ounces, the new-born purportedly has the Runga hair.

Mum is well!

Congratulations to Bic & Darryl, you will be great parents.

 

31 January, 2007

Bic is pregnant!

Bic announced on her MySpace site ( http://www.myspace.com/bicrunga ) that she is pregnant, due in July:

"Hey, this is Bic..

Sorry you haven't heard from me for a bit. I've got a really good excuse. I'm quite pregnant, i thought you might want to hear it from me... in case you see me eating pies on High St.

Due in July... pretty excited! The tour starts this week too. It's torture finding clothes to wear. It's a good thing tent dresses are back. Otherwise there might be trouble.

So, looking forward to the first show this Sunday. Just come out of the feeling sick phase. Been really bored lying in bed eating malt biscuits, so very happy to be on the road. See you soon..

Bic"

Congratulations to Bic & Darryl.

11 December. 2006

Acoustic Winery Tour 2007

Breaking with the traditional New Zealand Summer beach tour, Bic Runga is heading out to play in the stunning surroundings of some of Aotearoa's most picturesque wineries and estates.

Bic is taking out a new band and a bagful of the finest tunes from each of her albums, including 'Drive', 'Sway', 'Something Good' and 'Winning Arrow', to create a fantastic experience for fans of great music and indulgent times. Wonderful songs, food and wine make good company on summer evenings in these spectacular outdoor locations.

2006 has been another amazing year in Bic's career. She was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to music in the New Year's Honours list and then spent the year touring the world in support of her third album, Birds. And Bic met some famous fans of hers along the way too - she was photographed in London for Mojo magazine with Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page and was then pictured in the papers with a smiling Elton John at a UK music awards night.

Bic rounded out the year by taking her tally of NZ Music Awards to eighteen when she was awarded four Tuis for Birds including Best Female Solo Artist and Album of the Year.

Boh Runga joins Bic on the bill for the 2007 Acoustic Winery tour. Boh will be performing songs from her Stellar songbook including the group's just-released third album, Something Like Strangers.

Don't miss the opportunity to hear the beautiful vocals of Bic Runga and Boh Runga echoing throughout New Zealand vineyards this summer. Tickets for the tour go on sale next week.

Tour Dates:
Sunday 4 February - Ascension Vineyard - Matakana

Friday 9 February - Pegasus Bay Winery - Waipara

Saturday 10 February - Millbrook - Queenstown

Friday 16 February - Okurukuru Winery - New Plymouth

Saturday 17 February - Morton Estate Winery - Katikati

Friday 2 March - The Black Barn - Napier

Saturday 3 March - Alana Estate - Martinborough

Tickets are available from Ticketek, Ticket Direct and Venues

(Content from www.bicrunga.com)

20 March, 2006

A review of BIRDS by MAX TV in Australia

MAX TV in Australia has a review and interview with Bic on their website. Check out their website . The link to the video interview / review can be found on the front page in the TOURS section.

20 March, 2006

UK Tour May/June 2006

JUNE 2006

Thu 8 LEICESTER - THE MUSICIAN ph 0044(0)116 2554854 http://www.magic-teapot.co.uk

Wed 21 NORWICH ARTS CENTRE , St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4PG http://www.gigsandtours.com

MAY 2006

Sat 27 BRIGHTON SPIEGELTENT ph 0044(0)1273 647100 http://www.komedia.co.uk

Tue 23 CORK AN CRUISCIN

Mon 22 DUBLIN VILLAGE

Sat 20 LIMERICK DOLANS WAREHOUSE  - Dolans Pub - Dock Road - Limerick

Fri 19 GALWAY ROISIN DUBH

Wed 17 LONDON BUSH HALL - Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 7LJ -   http://www.gigsandtours.com

Thu 16 BRISTOL LOUISIANA, Wapping Road, Bathurst Terrace, Bristol BS1 6UA. http://www.gigsandtours.com

Thu 4 MANCHESTER LIFE CAFÉ 23 Peter Street, (opposite Great Northern) ,Manchester M2 5QR
Tel: 0161-833-3000 http://www.gigsandtours.com

Wed 3 LONDON SCALA 275 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9NL http://www.gigsandtours.com

Tue 2 BIRMINGHAM GLEE CLUB, The Glee Club Birmingham, Hurst Street, Birmingham, B5 http://www.gigsandtours.com

6 March, 2006

An interview with Bic by SonyBMG

There is an audio interview with Bic at the SonyBMG Australia website, prior to the release of BIRDS in Australia.

6 March, 2006

www.bicrunga.co.uk open

Bic's new site in the UK is now open, www.bicrunga.co.uk

5 March, 2006

I Like Music.com interview

Bic Runga - Birds / Say After Me

3 March, 2006

"Bic Runga’s first two albums “Drive” and “Beautiful Collision” are collectively 18 times Platinum and both entered the New Zealand Chart at #1. Her third album “Birds” released in the UK on the 8th May is her third consecutive #1 album and is already certified platinum.

Female singer songwriters dominated the charts in 2005 with the overnight success of KT Tunstall, Katie Melua’s outstanding record sales and the long overdue return of Kate Bush. Bic Runga might well be the success story of 2006, her first two albums received huge critical acclaim in the UK and her last album “Beautiful Collision” was hailed as one of the best album of the year in Mojo and Uncut in their end of year round ups as did Sunday Times Culture in 2004."

For a copy of this article, go here.

5 March, 2006

The Sunday Mail interview - Kiwi's a bird of paradise

5 March, 2006
Sally Browne

"SHE'S the best selling New Zealand artist – and, yes, that includes Crowded House – and her songs have even appeared on karaoke games. But ask 30-year-old Bic Runga about her success and she'll shrug it off modestly.

Best-selling singer/songwriter Bic Runga's new album tells of fallen beauty and love and is inspired by the strange feathered species of her country. She spoke to "Wacky, hey?" she says of the "best-selling" title. "I don't really think much about it." "

For a copy of this article, go here.

5 March, 2006

Sydney Morning Herald Interview
Big voice in a small world

Big voice in a small world

By Sacha Molitorisz
March 4, 2006

A question: who ranks as the highest-selling New Zealand artist ever? Is it a) Neil Finn; b) Tim Finn; c) Russell Crowe; or d) Bic Runga?

The answer is Runga, a songbird as big in her homeland as she is small outside it. She's not the winner of some overhyped talent quest such as Kiwi Idol; instead, she's a talented singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice and a knack for writing lilting, catchy melodies. Tellingly, she has a big fan in Neil Finn and many more fans at her record label, Sony.

For a copy of this article, go here.

1 March, 2006

Bic Runga National Tour - Extra Shows & Date Changes

There have been changes to Bic's NZ National Tour dates as follows:

-Thursday, 23 March, 2006: Extra Show at Neudorf Vineyard, Nelson

-Wednesday, 29 March, 2006: Date change for Hamilton concert (was Thusday, 30 March, 2006).

-Thursday, 30 March, 2006: Extra show at Tauranga (Holy Trinity).

Updated schedule, check here.

27 February, 2006

Boh performs at Auckland Zoo

On 21 January, 2006, Boh performed, along with Kurt (bass player from Stellar*) and Steve (live performance Stellar* keyboard player) at the Auckland Zoo, as part of the Coca-Cola ZooMusic series.

Thanks to the generosity of Patrick Meadows (Auckland Zoo photographer), Claire Vial, and Auckland Zoo, we are able to show you the great photo's from the evening concert.

Check them out here.

17 February, 2006

Bic features in Time Magazine (South Pacific Edition)

Bic features in the February 20, 2006 issue of Time Magazine (South Pacific), with an excellent & well written review of BIRDS by Michael Fitzgerald, in the article 'On The Darker Wings Of Song'.

A copy of the article can be found here.

17 February, 2006

BIRDS Australian CD Releases

Two editions of BIRDS are to be released in Australia in March, 2006.

The 'BIRDS - Tour Edition' (details here) will be released on 6 March, 2006, to coincide with Bic's concerts in Sydney and Melbourne. This CD will feature a bonus disc, with additional live tracks as follows:

-Birds - Live Version

-Blue Blue Heart - Live Version

-Ruby Nights - Live Version

-Listen - Live Version

-The Be All & End All - Live Version

Also, on 13 March, 2006, the official release of the BIRDS Australian Edition album will be released. Details here.

3 February, 2006

BIRDS Australian Release Concerts

March 17th, 2006: State Theatre Sydney.

March 16th, 2006: Hammer Hall- Melbourne  (This is part of the Vic Arts Centre by the river, same Venue the Finn Brothers played).

3 February, 2006

Bic to perform New Zealand tour in March, 2006

Following her Australian tour in March, 2006, Bic will be performing in a series of venues around New Zealand, accompanied by her full BIRDS album studio band.

Venues will include indoor and outdoor venues, from churches, concert halls to vineyards.

Press Release details:

Bic Runga – the ‘Birds’ tour 

The studio band takes flight

 The outstanding line-up of musicians who worked on Bic Runga’s latest album will re-unite for her forthcoming tour beginning on March 19.    

 The concerts offer the rare opportunity to see and hear on one stage  Bic Runga, Neil Finn, Anika Moa, Shayne Carter, Anna Coddington (Duchess), Riky Gooch (Trinity Roots), Ben Maitland (Boxcar Guitars), Tim Arnold (Pluto) and Conrad Standish (The Devastations)

 Venues include the glorious outdoor settings of Invercargill’s Anderson Park, the Lawns of Caccia Birch mansion in Palmerston North, Neudorf Vineyards in Nelson, Whangarei’s Museum Lawns and Tahaki Reserve in Auckland, together with some of the country’s premier theatres.

 Although released only shortly before year-end, Bic’s album ‘Birds’ entered the charts at No 1, has soared to the top of  ‘CD of the year’ listings and has already sold in excess of triple-platinum.    This is the first time for fans outside of Auckland to see the album translated onto the live stage.

 Concert-goers will also be treated to the well-known songs that helped her debut album, ‘Drive’, achieve sales of 7x platinum and the follow-up ‘Beautiful Collision’, an incredible 11x platinum.  

 Runga continues to make inroads overseas, and will complete a promotional visit to Europe before the tour to build on her firm base of single success in Ireland and the UK.

 Flight of the Conchords *, another act achieving attention in Europe, will open the shows, and Anika Moa will add a solo slot to the outdoor dates.

Tickets are on-sale from February 7 and further in-depth ticketing and general information is available at www.bicrunga.com

But quietly...........Tickets are available early to fans by visiting www.bicrunga.com and clicking on the link on the news page.

* Except Invercargill/con

MARCH      
SUN  19 Invercargill  Anderson Park
MON 20 (Invercargill Rain Date)  
TUES 21 Dunedin Town Hall 
WED 22  Christchurch Christchurch Theatre Royal
THURS 23 Nelson Neudorf Vineyard EXTRA SHOW
FRI 24 Nelson

Neudorf Vineyard

SAT 25 Wellington Michael Fowler Centre
SUN 26 Palmerston North The Lawns of Caccia Birch
MON 27 (Palmerston North Rain Date)  
TUES 28 Napier Municipal Theatre
WED 29 Hamilton Founders Theatre DATE CHANGE
THURS 30 Tauranga Holy Trinity EXTRA SHOW
FRI 31 Tauranga Holy Trinity
       
APRIL      
       
SAT  1 Auckland Tahaki Reserve Mt Eden
SUN 2 Whangarei Museum Lawns
MON 3

(Whangarei Rain Date)

 
TUES 4

Auckland Rain Date)

 

31 January, 2006

Bic to perform in London 28 February 2006

Bic is playing one show at Dingwalls on 28th February. She will be joined by Boxcar Benny Maitland on guitar and Neil Finn on piano,
playing songs from all her records including selections from the new album "Birds". This show will sell out. Tickets are £12.50 and they
go on sale today from http://www.gigsandtours.com or at www.ticketweb.co.uk

20 January, 2006

BIRDS to be released in Australia March, 2006

The new Bic Runga album, BIRDS, will be released in Australia on 13 March, 2006. There will be a a series of live concerts around that time, in Sydney and Melbourne.

Bic will possibly be accompanied by her studio band.

Joey Waronker (drummer on BIRDS) is currently in studio at Roundhead Recording Studio in Auckland recording with Neil Finn for his new solo album. And POSSIBLY Neil Finn will accompany Bic on her Aussi tour, as he enjoyed the Auckland gigs so much.

Dates for concerts to follow.

16 January, 2006

Boh to perform new Stellar* album material at Auckland Zoo

Award-winning singer-songwriter Boh Runga, with special guest Nathan King, get the series off to a stellar start on Saturday 21 January. Both these artists, who have songs featured in APRA's "Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time", will be performing material from their respective upcoming new albums. Fresh from working on the much-anticipated third album from stellar*, Boh Runga lends the only female voice to the series, which runs until March.

 

Nathan King, lead singer of the former smash hit Kiwi band Zed, takes the stage after acoustic brother duo Chris and Graham Sanders, to perform an acoustic set of new songs from his upcoming solo album. Some old Zed favourites could also be featured in his line-up!

 

 

This performance will be part of the Auckland Zoo 'Zoo Music' series of concerts over summer. The lush and intimate surrounds of Auckland Zoo again play host to New Zealand's hottest bands this summer, during seven fantastic concerts in the Coca-Cola ZooMusic series (Saturday 21 January to Sunday 5 March 2006).

 

Check out the details at the Zoo Music page.

11 January, 2006

BIRDS to be released in the UK - April 2006

The new Bic Runga album, BIRDS, will be released in the UK on 3 April, 2006. There is likely to be a UK tour around that time.

More details to come.

31 December, 2005

BIRDS wins NZ Herald Album of the Year Award

Bic Runga won the New Zealand Herald 'Timeout' magazine album of the year for her third long-player, Birds. Reporter Rebecca Barry talked to the singer/songwriter about her topsy-turvy year.  The interview, 'New mood takes wing for Runga' can be found here.

31 December, 2005

Bic awarded an MNZM in Kiwi New Years Honours List

Bic has been awarded an MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) in the New Years Honours List for 2006, for services to music.

Bic was unable to be contacted for comment, as she is currently on holiday in China with her mother, and sister, Boh.

20 December, 2005

Campbell Smith & Boh at home

An interview with Campbell Smith (Bic's manager) and wife Boh at their home in Auckland. This article appeared in Sunday Star-Times 'Sunday' magazine in December, 2005. Photograph appears with permission from Patrick Reynolds Photography Limited.

25 November, 2005

Bic's new album set to soar

An interview with Bic about her new album, BIRDS, by Stuff.co.nz talks about the making of the album, the artists that appear on the album, and the inspirations for songs on the album.

"It feels like a very New Zealand album, it feels like a soulful album," Runga says.

"It's not a commercial album - I'm not trying to break America or anything - it's just my down home album."

The interview can be found here.

19 November, 2005

'Birds' album details

The track listing for 'Birds' is out.

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That's Alright
 

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Birds
 

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Listen
 

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Blue Blue Heart
 

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Say After Me
 

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If I Had You
 

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No Crying No More
 

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Winning Arrow
 

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Captured
 

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Ruby Nights
 

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Its Over
 

19 November, 2005

Wings of Desire

A Review of 'Birds'

"If you leave aside the pre-digested schmaltz of Hayley Westenra, and you really should, then Bic Runga is New Zealand's biggest-selling female artist. Her albums, Drive (1996) and Beautiful Collision (2002), have sold 105,000 and 165,000 copies here respectively, as well as a good few thousand overseas, and "Get Some Sleep" made the top 10 in Ireland and Japan as well as grazing the UK top 40. Which means there's an awful lot riding on studio album number three, for Runga and her record company.

To keep Runga's more discerning fans happy, the new album needs to feel like a progression from the youthful bedroom ruminations of Drive and the articulate orchestral pop of Beautiful Collision. And to sell well and consolidate her burgeoning overseas success, it needs to contain a couple of plausible radio hits.

Fortunately, it succeeds on both counts."

To read the full review, click here.

3 November, 2005

Winning Arrow Track Listing

The track listing for Winning Arrow has been released. Tracks are as follows:

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Winning Arrow
 

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Somewhere in the night
 

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Winning Arrow (Video)

A Limited Edition 10" vinyl single will also be available, with two different tracks to the CD single.

17 October, 2005

Birds Concert Poster

The launch concert for the 'BIRDS' album is now being advertised, with the concert coinciding with the album release on 28 November, 2005.

Click on image for a larger view

Tickets are available at Ticketek.

Poster image copyright to, and used with permission from Eccles Entertainment Limited, the concert promoter.

12 October, 2005

Details of 'BIRD's album emerging

Some details of the upcoming album, 'Birds' are starting to emerge.

-The album was recorded in Auckland’s Monte Cecilia House in Hillsborough in August 2005.

-'Birds' was mixed with Bic by Simon Gogerly, renowned for his work alongside Nellie Hooper and with artists as diverse as the Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens and mixing U2’s latest single.

-The album features an eight piece string section and further instrumentation including French horn, flute, harp and clarinet.

-Supporting artists on the record include Neil Finn - pianist/guitarist; Anika Moa - Vocals; Shayne Carter - Vocals; Anna Coddington - Vocals; Trinity Roots’ Riki Gooch on drums; Conrad Standish of acclaimed Melbourne band The Devastations on bass; “Boxcar Benny” Maitland ; and Pluto’s Tim Arnold on guitars.

For a more detailed brief on Bird's, check out the 'About Bird's' page.

1 October, 2005

'Up with the birds'
NZ Herald, Saturday 1 October, 2005

Bic Runga is launching her long awaited third album by playing it live in a one off concert backed by the supergroup of big local names who played on the recording.

The album, titled Birds, will be released on November 28 with a concert at Auckland's Civic Theatre.

In the singer - songwriters backing band will be Neil Finn, Shayne Carter, Anika Moa, Ricky Gooch (Trinity Roots), Ben Maitland (Boxcar Guitars), Tim Arnold (Pluto), Conrad Standish (The Devestations) and Ann Coddington (Duchess).

The musicians were all involved in the recording sessions. Runga produced the album in a temporary shed set up in a large house in the Auckland suburb of Hillsborough.

The first single from the album Winning Arrow is out this week.

Tickets for the Civic show go on sale October 10.

29 September, 2005

New single 'Winning Arrow' released

The new single from Bic's upcoming album, due to be released in New Zealand, is to appear in the shops in NZ 3 October, 2005.

The single was released to radio today.

More news as it becomes available.

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