Alayna - Cherry Tree (Songwriting, Production, Arrangement)
Alayna is one of the most sensitive, beautiful songwriters I know. We wrote and produced Cherry Tree together with her long time collaborator Noema Te Hau III, and the day we wrote this song was one of the most special in my life. We then recorded the instrumentation at my studio, complete with a stunning string trio.
We also worked together on a series of live studio performances from her debut album, adapting songs including Cherry Tree. You can find those performances below.
Migrations - EP with Jeremy Redmore
Many years after watching Jeremy Redmore's voice soar in Midnight Youth countless times growing up, I had the chance to collaborate with him to create our Migrations EP.
When describing our process during recent interviews, some of the most common phrases from both of us were “I didn't think that would work but…” and “This was not where I was expecting that idea to go,” but every turn, at least eventually, led us to unexpectedly beautiful places.
Alayna - Live at Parachute Studios (String Composition and Musical Co-Direction)
After creating Cherry Tree together, I worked with Alayna to adapt songs from her debut album into softer, acoustic arrangements for this beautiful live studio performance, complete with string players.
When composing the strings, I felt the songs were so delicate that any note could throw them off balance. But as with so much of Alayna's music, instead of being overpowered, she drew us all into her solitary moments, only now they were shared.
This Pale Fire - Alchemy (Album Production)
Corban Koschak, aka This Pale Fire, aka one of my favourite songwriters, approached me looking to imbue some of my style into the production of his song Northern Lights. What began as one song turned into an opportunity to produce his incredible album Alchemy.
During the project Corban traveled up most weekends to my recording studio north of Auckland, each time with the core of a new song. We would develop and arrange the songs together over each weekend, transforming them from solo acoustic songs into what you now hear on the album.
Toward the Sun - Collaboration with Rhian Sheehan
Rhian Sheehan has been a huge influence on me since I discovered his music as a teenager, and recently we finally got to work together in a dream collaboration for me. We traded the spark of an idea back and forth until eventually it grew into Toward the Sun, released on Rhian’s album A Quiet Divide.
Every time I received a new version from him it was filled with beautifully subtle tweaks along with wonderfully surprising changes, and the music moved me more and more as the piece evolved. It was incredible.
Beneath the Sky - EP with Moshimoss
The music of Japanese composer moshimoss has captivated me from the moment I first heard it back in 2013. In our debut collaboration, Beneath the Sky, we exchanged and developed each other's simple piano phrases, expanding them to form soft melodies and delicate, beautiful soundscapes.
Moshimoss - “It felt like creating the fictional history of a beautiful place.”
5/8 - EP with Suren Unka
I worked with electronic producer Suren Unka to create our 5/8 EP, and here we are performing it live in studio.
We collaborated on all aspects, but Suren focused on the beats and synth sound design, while I worked more closely on the melodies, harmonies, and acoustic instrumention to produce this ambient house record together.
Featured Reworks
When I approach a rework/remix project I typically ask myself what I would create if I had come up with the original parts, which always inspires me. It's a special privilege to tear apart and rebuild someone's creation, so I always try to maintain the essence of the original version while adding my style.
Here are recent examples of my reworks for three incredibly talented musicians.
