You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sed B. Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio, Real Conversation, Real Connection, It's Real Life with John Cowen on News Talk s ed B.

You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sed B. Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio, Real Conversation, Real Connection, It's Real Life with John Cowen on News Talk s ed B.

Gooday, welcome to Real Life. I'm John Cown and tonight a musician who's had an international following and he deserves a much bigger one, especially on his home turf. And he's just launched his tenth album, It's a Beauty, and he'll be touring the country promoting it. I'm going to be talking to Delaney Davidson, but first let's hear a bit of his music.

Gooday, welcome to Real Life. I'm John Cown and tonight a musician who's had an international following and he deserves a much bigger one, especially on his home turf. And he's just launched his tenth album, It's a Beauty, and he'll be touring the country promoting it. I'm going to be talking to Delaney Davidson, but first let's hear a bit of his music.

Well, lever coming Tennessee's.

Well, lever coming Tennessee's.

I'm John Cown talking to de Laney Davidson and welcome to Laney.

I'm John Cown talking to de Laney Davidson and welcome to Laney.

Hey, thanks John. How's things going?

Hey, thanks John. How's things going?

Oh, it's going very very well. And I consider myself a bit of a tourist traveling to new Lands and when your name came up, I wasn't very familiar with your music, and I'm glad that I've visited your world. You've got some beautiful music and I've been immersing myself in it and it's opened my eyes to the fact that we've got some pretty good music going on in this country.

Oh, it's going very very well. And I consider myself a bit of a tourist traveling to new Lands and when your name came up, I wasn't very familiar with your music, and I'm glad that I've visited your world. You've got some beautiful music and I've been immersing myself in it and it's opened my eyes to the fact that we've got some pretty good music going on in this country.

Well, there's good music everywhere. That's what music does. It just palls around the world like a liquid that's come of how I've come to see it get some strange places, and it mixes everywhere, and a huge part of it is what we're made up of.

Well, there's good music everywhere. That's what music does. It just palls around the world like a liquid that's come of how I've come to see it get some strange places, and it mixes everywhere, and a huge part of it is what we're made up of.

So right now, how do you describe your style? Because I don't have a great vocabulary. Is it country? Is it rock? Is it? How do you describe your style?

So right now, how do you describe your style? Because I don't have a great vocabulary. Is it country? Is it rock? Is it? How do you describe your style?

I don't know. I don't really like talking about things of styles. I mean, we've come to this time when now w everything to sit in the right place in the in the catalog or in the record store box or whatever we use to go to, or sit in the right Spotify playlist. But again it comes back to that liquid thing. I don't think music's it's stealth long enough to I mean, you can write in the genre r the best things are always happening when the thing when music cross pollinates, when mixes up or I.

I don't know. I don't really like talking about things of styles. I mean, we've come to this time when now w everything to sit in the right place in the in the catalog or in the record store box or whatever we use to go to, or sit in the right Spotify playlist. But again it comes back to that liquid thing. I don't think music's it's stealth long enough to I mean, you can write in the genre r the best things are always happening when the thing when music cross pollinates, when mixes up or I.

Guess you though, like play at festivals, and you'd sometimes play at country festivals and sometimes you'd play at a rock one, and yeah, do you just adjust your place it? What do you do? Do you what do you just find.

Guess you though, like play at festivals, and you'd sometimes play at country festivals and sometimes you'd play at a rock one, and yeah, do you just adjust your place it? What do you do? Do you what do you just find.

Out just my mentality because it's I don't know. I mean, people like music, that's the bottom line. They like good music. So I mean I've won a lot of country awards for songs I've written, and some of them have been seen as stretching the genre, you know, like trying to push, especially here in New Zealand, the idea of what country music is, because it's ultimately it's it's just something that we took a lot of from America in their country music tradition, which in itself was made up of English old old ancient English songs, German folk music, banjos from Africa. I mean, it's such a mixed up genre of its own, so I don't know, We've got our own version of it here now. I think we're music's culture and music's identity, so we're always looking to express ourselves in well, you know, a musical way that other people hear and feel belonging and feel like they relate to it.

Out just my mentality because it's I don't know. I mean, people like music, that's the bottom line. They like good music. So I mean I've won a lot of country awards for songs I've written, and some of them have been seen as stretching the genre, you know, like trying to push, especially here in New Zealand, the idea of what country music is, because it's ultimately it's it's just something that we took a lot of from America in their country music tradition, which in itself was made up of English old old ancient English songs, German folk music, banjos from Africa. I mean, it's such a mixed up genre of its own, so I don't know, We've got our own version of it here now. I think we're music's culture and music's identity, so we're always looking to express ourselves in well, you know, a musical way that other people hear and feel belonging and feel like they relate to it.

I think, as well as any national identity we might have, there's also the human identity of emotion, and a lot of your music speaks very much of those pains that we feel when relationships break or our mental health wobbles and or we feel some deep sadness. And I got to say that a lot of your music actually, even though it deals with that, it sort of lifts you up a bit over it.

I think, as well as any national identity we might have, there's also the human identity of emotion, and a lot of your music speaks very much of those pains that we feel when relationships break or our mental health wobbles and or we feel some deep sadness. And I got to say that a lot of your music actually, even though it deals with that, it sort of lifts you up a bit over it.

Well, it's nice to hear. I mean, I think my song's always about saying goodbye or wanting to be somewhere else. And I think that comes through from my mother coming to New Zealand as a four year old, you know, or the idea of being a migrating having that somewhere in the background, not knowing the family apart from her parents, you know, like seeing her wedding photo, her parents' wedding photo, and it's this whole family of people in England somewhere in some church and I never met any of them. So there's always that I think. I think we're looking for that in this country. We're looking for connection, we're looking for belonging. I think, yeah, it's real. We're still wrestling with those ideas how do we belong here?

Well, it's nice to hear. I mean, I think my song's always about saying goodbye or wanting to be somewhere else. And I think that comes through from my mother coming to New Zealand as a four year old, you know, or the idea of being a migrating having that somewhere in the background, not knowing the family apart from her parents, you know, like seeing her wedding photo, her parents' wedding photo, and it's this whole family of people in England somewhere in some church and I never met any of them. So there's always that I think. I think we're looking for that in this country. We're looking for connection, we're looking for belonging. I think, yeah, it's real. We're still wrestling with those ideas how do we belong here?

As well as being a musician, you're obviously a visual artist. You worked as a visual artist for a while and a lot of your videos and your elbow work and things like this it seems to be HARKing back to a bygone era. I mean even the way you appear in your photographs. Sometimes I've heard someone say you look like a Buster Keaton, dressed as a with a dead pan look on your face, dressed like a traveling salesman from the nineteen fifties who's been sleeping in his car for three days. There's always the sort of look of something in the past. Do you are you even a nostalgic person? Do you feel that pain of time's gone past, that you're sort of reaching back to.

As well as being a musician, you're obviously a visual artist. You worked as a visual artist for a while and a lot of your videos and your elbow work and things like this it seems to be HARKing back to a bygone era. I mean even the way you appear in your photographs. Sometimes I've heard someone say you look like a Buster Keaton, dressed as a with a dead pan look on your face, dressed like a traveling salesman from the nineteen fifties who's been sleeping in his car for three days. There's always the sort of look of something in the past. Do you are you even a nostalgic person? Do you feel that pain of time's gone past, that you're sort of reaching back to.

Yeah, I definitely feel that. I think about that a lot when I being in christ Church and driving around the city you grew up in that it's not the city you grew up in anymore. It's a whole new place after the earthquakes we had dad. But yeah, I think I went to live in Melbourne for a while when I was younger and really missed a lot of friends I had here. And then I came back here, and then I missed the friends I made in Melbourne, and I suddenly realized, no, it's gone and open these doors up for myself of you know something, I think, Yeah, I'm a sentimentalist right, and easily fall into that kind of pattern.

Yeah, I definitely feel that. I think about that a lot when I being in christ Church and driving around the city you grew up in that it's not the city you grew up in anymore. It's a whole new place after the earthquakes we had dad. But yeah, I think I went to live in Melbourne for a while when I was younger and really missed a lot of friends I had here. And then I came back here, and then I missed the friends I made in Melbourne, and I suddenly realized, no, it's gone and open these doors up for myself of you know something, I think, Yeah, I'm a sentimentalist right, and easily fall into that kind of pattern.

Isn't it that awful sense of I can't go back because it's not there, I just got to go forward, and who knows what that's good? Leaving more stuff behind? But no, that comes true beautifully in some of your songs.

Isn't it that awful sense of I can't go back because it's not there, I just got to go forward, and who knows what that's good? Leaving more stuff behind? But no, that comes true beautifully in some of your songs.

Yeah, yeah, I don't know why that's feeling so strongly there. I think. I think that kind of music is often the making music to make myself feel a certain way, and it's definitely your ceiling. I get caught in often.

Yeah, yeah, I don't know why that's feeling so strongly there. I think. I think that kind of music is often the making music to make myself feel a certain way, and it's definitely your ceiling. I get caught in often.

I think we should relieve people people who are listening of the misconception that if they listen to your music they're going to need a dose of prozac or something. You listen the out lift them out of it, because your music is also fun, and your gigs are fantastic fun. I've never been to one, but I've looked at videos of them, and you've got you run dance competitions, you do magic stuff, you do all sorts of fantastic. So that's quite a different aspect of your career, isn't it that creating that live ambience.

I think we should relieve people people who are listening of the misconception that if they listen to your music they're going to need a dose of prozac or something. You listen the out lift them out of it, because your music is also fun, and your gigs are fantastic fun. I've never been to one, but I've looked at videos of them, and you've got you run dance competitions, you do magic stuff, you do all sorts of fantastic. So that's quite a different aspect of your career, isn't it that creating that live ambience.

Yeah, Well, like I've did a lot of touring solo through Europe, and realized pretty quickly you have to if you're not a band and you're just drowning people out, you've got to find a way to pull them in. So I started developing this weird kind of yeah, like you say, the dance competition, where I would set up for loop and set up a song on stage, and I'll just go into the audience and start dancing with people and stick them all together in peers, and then I'd go back and finish the songs on the stage. I mean, people have written to me that said I ended up marrying the woman you put in my hand that much, so amazing stuff like that.

Yeah, Well, like I've did a lot of touring solo through Europe, and realized pretty quickly you have to if you're not a band and you're just drowning people out, you've got to find a way to pull them in. So I started developing this weird kind of yeah, like you say, the dance competition, where I would set up for loop and set up a song on stage, and I'll just go into the audience and start dancing with people and stick them all together in peers, and then I'd go back and finish the songs on the stage. I mean, people have written to me that said I ended up marrying the woman you put in my hand that much, so amazing stuff like that.

So you probably can't s as a guarantee that if you come to my show you will meet your life partner. But it's a great, great story.

So you probably can't s as a guarantee that if you come to my show you will meet your life partner. But it's a great, great story.

That's one hundred percent guaranteed. Come to my show and meet your future partner. Was money back.

That's one hundred percent guaranteed. Come to my show and meet your future partner. Was money back.

I don't know too much about your life, really, but I but if the normal recipe for life is getting a job, paying rent or mortgage and finding a partner and settling down and having children, what would be your gut reaction to that that normal lifestyle? Is that something that well, at least in the past is something that sort of you reacted against.

I don't know too much about your life, really, but I but if the normal recipe for life is getting a job, paying rent or mortgage and finding a partner and settling down and having children, what would be your gut reaction to that that normal lifestyle? Is that something that well, at least in the past is something that sort of you reacted against.

I don't know. I never really thought about it as something to either go for or react against it. Things took me in a different direction. I did a lot of traveling, I got married, I separated with my wife, I went turned for years, you know, about a decade NonStop around Europe. I did a lot of following music, I guess you'd call it, and I'd thought I made some packs with myself. If there ever was a choice and music was one of the choices, I would just always choose the music. So I definitely went down that road. Yeah, But I mean, I don't know. I think it's just is that really the norm to a lot job and do all that stuff, and it seems like there's a lot more variety.

I don't know. I never really thought about it as something to either go for or react against it. Things took me in a different direction. I did a lot of traveling, I got married, I separated with my wife, I went turned for years, you know, about a decade NonStop around Europe. I did a lot of following music, I guess you'd call it, and I'd thought I made some packs with myself. If there ever was a choice and music was one of the choices, I would just always choose the music. So I definitely went down that road. Yeah, But I mean, I don't know. I think it's just is that really the norm to a lot job and do all that stuff, and it seems like there's a lot more variety.

I was just looking at one of your videos, and the Homeward Bound one, you're walking down the tracks as a hobo, and I just wondered whether or not there's a bit of a hankering for that hobo lifestyle.

I was just looking at one of your videos, and the Homeward Bound one, you're walking down the tracks as a hobo, and I just wondered whether or not there's a bit of a hankering for that hobo lifestyle.

Well, I mean I've had a lot of that, and I've done that traveling thing since I mean professionally. I started as a working professionally in around two thousand and three, ten or twelve years in kitchens before that, and then music had always been a side line, a hobby. But that was when I joined a band professionally over in Switzerland, the Funeral Orchestra bands based in Geneva, and I went on the road with them that I think I did for two three years ago, and in that band kind of flew to pieces. But I saw that as my tertiary education, like this, this is how you go on tour. So I took it solo after that, and from two thousand and five or six till around two thousand and fifteen, I think sixteen, I was very itinerant, So I don't think I paid rent for about ten years because I was either half for more traveling.

Well, I mean I've had a lot of that, and I've done that traveling thing since I mean professionally. I started as a working professionally in around two thousand and three, ten or twelve years in kitchens before that, and then music had always been a side line, a hobby. But that was when I joined a band professionally over in Switzerland, the Funeral Orchestra bands based in Geneva, and I went on the road with them that I think I did for two three years ago, and in that band kind of flew to pieces. But I saw that as my tertiary education, like this, this is how you go on tour. So I took it solo after that, and from two thousand and five or six till around two thousand and fifteen, I think sixteen, I was very itinerant, So I don't think I paid rent for about ten years because I was either half for more traveling.

So it sounds like your life's can be divided up into chapters, and so after the break I look forward to sort perhaps just running quickly through those chapters again and just unpacking that a little bit more. If you've just joined us, my guest tonight is Delaney Davidson, a master musician, just released a new album. We'll be hearing more tracks from that in the next in the next section as well, and also give you details a week and hear Delaney Live. This is real life on Newstalks dB. I'm John Cown.

So it sounds like your life's can be divided up into chapters, and so after the break I look forward to sort perhaps just running quickly through those chapters again and just unpacking that a little bit more. If you've just joined us, my guest tonight is Delaney Davidson, a master musician, just released a new album. We'll be hearing more tracks from that in the next in the next section as well, and also give you details a week and hear Delaney Live. This is real life on Newstalks dB. I'm John Cown.

Intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life on news talks it be.

Intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life on news talks it be.

And covered the flowers out of life and what he did you think? None of it's true? It's got nothing.

And covered the flowers out of life and what he did you think? None of it's true? It's got nothing.

Isn't that cool? Delaney Davidson's my guest tonight. He put that music together and it's part of his new album. And uh, Delaney, that's congratulations. It's just a beautiful album.

Isn't that cool? Delaney Davidson's my guest tonight. He put that music together and it's part of his new album. And uh, Delaney, that's congratulations. It's just a beautiful album.

Oh thanks a lot.

Oh thanks a lot.

And so that track we listen to is out of my Head, right, and that's the sort of the title of the whole album. And uh it for for a song, which means out of my head. It sounds lovely and upbeat. But what what's the what's the Is there an over right theme throughout the cell?

And so that track we listen to is out of my Head, right, and that's the sort of the title of the whole album. And uh it for for a song, which means out of my head. It sounds lovely and upbeat. But what what's the what's the Is there an over right theme throughout the cell?

I think there's a theme for that song in particular, is one that being in your being stuck in your head and trying to get out and watching watching friends, watching people having a good time, wondering if you're a part of it, wondering if you can belong have a disconnection any of us feel today with anxiety being in the we talk about the age of anxiety. We talk about a lot of people just trying to find ways to connect that we used to have quite obvious ways go to the pub or hang out or those that's all moved into the cyber world, it seems.

I think there's a theme for that song in particular, is one that being in your being stuck in your head and trying to get out and watching watching friends, watching people having a good time, wondering if you're a part of it, wondering if you can belong have a disconnection any of us feel today with anxiety being in the we talk about the age of anxiety. We talk about a lot of people just trying to find ways to connect that we used to have quite obvious ways go to the pub or hang out or those that's all moved into the cyber world, it seems.

So that's just hard at work as well, doesn't.

So that's just hard at work as well, doesn't.

Connection It is, Yeah, And I'm specifically watching a friend of mine have real trouble, a lot of stuff. Hamous Kilgower, who used to be in the band of Clean and just yeah. That song was kind of written. You know, friends started pushing me all around, never going backwards when you're up to the wall. So it's talking about when your backs up against the wall, you can't really retreat anymore, you're stuck. Yeah, and then the chorus giving some relief from that, saying you think none of it's true, it's got nothing to do with you. Yes, knowing everything's true, It's got everything to do with you, and you can be a part of it too. It's talking about just not worrying about those thoughts, just being able to if you can just let go it stuff and feel part of things, feel connected.

Connection It is, Yeah, And I'm specifically watching a friend of mine have real trouble, a lot of stuff. Hamous Kilgower, who used to be in the band of Clean and just yeah. That song was kind of written. You know, friends started pushing me all around, never going backwards when you're up to the wall. So it's talking about when your backs up against the wall, you can't really retreat anymore, you're stuck. Yeah, and then the chorus giving some relief from that, saying you think none of it's true, it's got nothing to do with you. Yes, knowing everything's true, It's got everything to do with you, and you can be a part of it too. It's talking about just not worrying about those thoughts, just being able to if you can just let go it stuff and feel part of things, feel connected.

Your life is a musician. I know that you're you know, you're thrust in front of crowds you're meeting people all the time, you're working in collaborations with people, but I imagine a lot of it is also being alone. Do you when you're writing your stuff, you're probably doing that on your own. Do you handle being alone? Do you actually? Or is it something that grinds you down?

Your life is a musician. I know that you're you know, you're thrust in front of crowds you're meeting people all the time, you're working in collaborations with people, but I imagine a lot of it is also being alone. Do you when you're writing your stuff, you're probably doing that on your own. Do you handle being alone? Do you actually? Or is it something that grinds you down?

I sort of it comes back to the balance thing. Everything needs to be in balance. I do really enjoy having time alone, but I also know that I need social input as well. In connection. I need to talk to people. I need to come out of myself. I mean, I like both really, but I have spent a lot of time, you know, fifteen hour drives just sitting in the car talking to yourself, driving from Bulgaria through the Italy or something. So with these times you have when you just you feel so far away, you're never start of the world and you're by yourself.

I sort of it comes back to the balance thing. Everything needs to be in balance. I do really enjoy having time alone, but I also know that I need social input as well. In connection. I need to talk to people. I need to come out of myself. I mean, I like both really, but I have spent a lot of time, you know, fifteen hour drives just sitting in the car talking to yourself, driving from Bulgaria through the Italy or something. So with these times you have when you just you feel so far away, you're never start of the world and you're by yourself.

I imagine language language could make that lonely too, if you're in the country where.

I imagine language language could make that lonely too, if you're in the country where.

You can't go years. Yeah, yeah, well I've spent I noticed a lot of time being in Switzerland and observing this thing starting to developing me, which was a reaction as soon as like I could kind of keep up. When I first moved. They're trying to keep up with people speaking Swiss, German or French. There's so many different languages in Switzerland, and you'd get to the point where you just couldn't keep up anymore. Instead of retreat, you'd pull back. And I've noticed this a lot, and people I know who are going deaf, I see exactly the same reaction. They just they're trying to hear, they're trying to be involved, and then they just go, ah, it's too hard, it's too fast. You can keep up, but you can't contribute anything, so you just have to lose the connection. And eventually you see them just sit back in their chair and they start looking around the room. Yeah, I've really lonely.

You can't go years. Yeah, yeah, well I've spent I noticed a lot of time being in Switzerland and observing this thing starting to developing me, which was a reaction as soon as like I could kind of keep up. When I first moved. They're trying to keep up with people speaking Swiss, German or French. There's so many different languages in Switzerland, and you'd get to the point where you just couldn't keep up anymore. Instead of retreat, you'd pull back. And I've noticed this a lot, and people I know who are going deaf, I see exactly the same reaction. They just they're trying to hear, they're trying to be involved, and then they just go, ah, it's too hard, it's too fast. You can keep up, but you can't contribute anything, so you just have to lose the connection. And eventually you see them just sit back in their chair and they start looking around the room. Yeah, I've really lonely.

Yeah, yeah, it is. There's nothing in your lyrics or that I can see anyway that seems to point to any sort of conventional spirituality. But I have had you talk about there's almost like a spiritual component to music in the way that it connects people.

Yeah, yeah, it is. There's nothing in your lyrics or that I can see anyway that seems to point to any sort of conventional spirituality. But I have had you talk about there's almost like a spiritual component to music in the way that it connects people.

Yeah. I mean that's a really latim of a sign all about being overtly religious, as the spiritual concept of music is vicinity, that we can fail connection, we can feel unity, and that's why we go into rooms and share it together. That's why we sing together. That's why we we align, you know, we come together. And people do it in church, people do it the bars, people do it around tables together, people do it a few morns. People do it, weddings, people do it everywhere.

Yeah. I mean that's a really latim of a sign all about being overtly religious, as the spiritual concept of music is vicinity, that we can fail connection, we can feel unity, and that's why we go into rooms and share it together. That's why we sing together. That's why we we align, you know, we come together. And people do it in church, people do it the bars, people do it around tables together, people do it a few morns. People do it, weddings, people do it everywhere.

So some of this music about loneliness and detachment in itself is a therapy, isn't it. It helps people to feel that, hey, I'm not alone in this. I'm actually connecting with other people that are like that. Yeah, yeah, hey, I've seen you divide your life up into sort of chapters. I mean, you had your childhood that was growing up in New Zealand and in christ Church, and are you introduced to the recorder? Thank goodness you moved on from that.

So some of this music about loneliness and detachment in itself is a therapy, isn't it. It helps people to feel that, hey, I'm not alone in this. I'm actually connecting with other people that are like that. Yeah, yeah, hey, I've seen you divide your life up into sort of chapters. I mean, you had your childhood that was growing up in New Zealand and in christ Church, and are you introduced to the recorder? Thank goodness you moved on from that.

I still on that. Great amazing instruments, I mean very good, very good. When when you look at breast control, you look at tonality, you look at expression, they've they're quite sophisticated instruments. Well come out of them.

I still on that. Great amazing instruments, I mean very good, very good. When when you look at breast control, you look at tonality, you look at expression, they've they're quite sophisticated instruments. Well come out of them.

IM sure, but you're not going to convince me that they're great to listen to compared.

IM sure, but you're not going to convince me that they're great to listen to compared.

To something you just probably heard too many children screeching away on them.

To something you just probably heard too many children screeching away on them.

But I have a Malastroom playing Ode to Joy in the recorder as traumatized me. But you've moved on learned other instruments and things. But your first love, I guess after leaving school was visual visual act.

But I have a Malastroom playing Ode to Joy in the recorder as traumatized me. But you've moved on learned other instruments and things. But your first love, I guess after leaving school was visual visual act.

Yeah. Well, I I mean I've always said music there. I got given a big red guitar when I was thirteen, and that really caught fire. And I remember my uncle looked at me. He gave me the guitar. It was a big red guitar with holes in it, and I was standing next of a car and he just looked at me and he said, oh, have guitar, will travel. And I was like, somehow that stuck.

Yeah. Well, I I mean I've always said music there. I got given a big red guitar when I was thirteen, and that really caught fire. And I remember my uncle looked at me. He gave me the guitar. It was a big red guitar with holes in it, and I was standing next of a car and he just looked at me and he said, oh, have guitar, will travel. And I was like, somehow that stuck.

Really, it was prophetic.

Really, it was prophetic.

That was prophetic. Often when I'm walking around with a guitar, I feel with such a pride that that's how I get my way through the world as this guitar. Yeah, but it's like you say, there's a lot of visual stuff in there. I think in Melbourne. I moved over to Melbourne and I did a lot of visual work, exhibitions of oil painting and etching, printmaking stuff. And then there was there was another chapter of me, and then there was the Delaney the Cook chapter, which kind of started in christ Church a place called Espresso one two four, and went through different cafes and restaurants in Auckland and ended up in a cafe in Switzerland cooking over there.

That was prophetic. Often when I'm walking around with a guitar, I feel with such a pride that that's how I get my way through the world as this guitar. Yeah, but it's like you say, there's a lot of visual stuff in there. I think in Melbourne. I moved over to Melbourne and I did a lot of visual work, exhibitions of oil painting and etching, printmaking stuff. And then there was there was another chapter of me, and then there was the Delaney the Cook chapter, which kind of started in christ Church a place called Espresso one two four, and went through different cafes and restaurants in Auckland and ended up in a cafe in Switzerland cooking over there.

And though, I just coming back to that video I mentioned before where you're a hobo and you're cooking a steak over a can, and I'm thinking, this man is a chef? Did that steak?

And though, I just coming back to that video I mentioned before where you're a hobo and you're cooking a steak over a can, and I'm thinking, this man is a chef? Did that steak?

Ever?

Ever?

Cook that steak? You can watch the video yourself, and you see the look on my face and I put it in my mouth. You can see that is a very good steak.

Cook that steak? You can watch the video yourself, and you see the look on my face and I put it in my mouth. You can see that is a very good steak.

Okay, all right?

Okay, all right?

Yeah, I remember, I remember the smile on my face, and I thought, I can't mask this and I can't act anything over this intense satisfaction of eating this beautiful medium rare Rabbi.

Yeah, I remember, I remember the smile on my face, and I thought, I can't mask this and I can't act anything over this intense satisfaction of eating this beautiful medium rare Rabbi.

Well, congratulations. If you can cook it over a can, you really are a good chef. But so, twelve years in the how did you get out of the kitchen and onto a stage? What was this catalyst?

Well, congratulations. If you can cook it over a can, you really are a good chef. But so, twelve years in the how did you get out of the kitchen and onto a stage? What was this catalyst?

I got doing a band. I was working at a cafe part time, a cafe restaurant in Switzerland, and they said we were actually looking for a head chef. So if you want, you can sign up and I was like, okay, I'll do it, and they were like, this is it though, you know, like you really have to do this if you if you say you will, you become a guy and this is a commitment now. And it's like oh yeah, yeah totally. And so made the agreement, went home, and then the next morning this guy came to visit me and he said, you want to come and join my band? And I went yep. And then I went straight back to the cafe and said I'm not going to do it, and they were like, ah damn. But we stayed really good friends. So I look lucky.

I got doing a band. I was working at a cafe part time, a cafe restaurant in Switzerland, and they said we were actually looking for a head chef. So if you want, you can sign up and I was like, okay, I'll do it, and they were like, this is it though, you know, like you really have to do this if you if you say you will, you become a guy and this is a commitment now. And it's like oh yeah, yeah totally. And so made the agreement, went home, and then the next morning this guy came to visit me and he said, you want to come and join my band? And I went yep. And then I went straight back to the cafe and said I'm not going to do it, and they were like, ah damn. But we stayed really good friends. So I look lucky.

And your life then became one of the full time as a full time musician and mainly in Europe and America and places like that. I know you started alternating back to New Zealand, but when did you just sort of make the decision that New Zealand really is the place you're going to put down your roots and this is going to be where your bones are.

And your life then became one of the full time as a full time musician and mainly in Europe and America and places like that. I know you started alternating back to New Zealand, but when did you just sort of make the decision that New Zealand really is the place you're going to put down your roots and this is going to be where your bones are.

There was a couple of moments and that happened to me. One of them was just after the earthquake, I changed my ticket and said I'm okay, I'm not going back. I'm going to stay here for a while, begin with the friends of mine and my family and just be around.

There was a couple of moments and that happened to me. One of them was just after the earthquake, I changed my ticket and said I'm okay, I'm not going back. I'm going to stay here for a while, begin with the friends of mine and my family and just be around.

And even though all the venues were gone.

And even though all the venues were gone.

Yeah, I just decided there was that morning had already changed my ticket. And then the earthquake had and I was like, whoa, this is something going on here. And the second time was when I was given an Arts Lawriate award, and that came with a bit of money, and I managed to scrape a whole lot of things together and get a mortgage on a little cottage in Littleton and a little one hundred and fifty year old cottage up on the hill. And that really over the time, over the first couple of years, I noticed, Wow, this has really changed how I am in this country. And then I felt like I started to see things quite differently and think about things differently, and yeah, it changed care for me.

Yeah, I just decided there was that morning had already changed my ticket. And then the earthquake had and I was like, whoa, this is something going on here. And the second time was when I was given an Arts Lawriate award, and that came with a bit of money, and I managed to scrape a whole lot of things together and get a mortgage on a little cottage in Littleton and a little one hundred and fifty year old cottage up on the hill. And that really over the time, over the first couple of years, I noticed, Wow, this has really changed how I am in this country. And then I felt like I started to see things quite differently and think about things differently, and yeah, it changed care for me.

Well, since that time, you've had a lot of collaborations and helped other artists make their albums sound really good. Tammy Nielson, Troy king Ey, Barry Saunders, Marlon Williams, Holly Arismith and your own albums and your lady and we as well do a plug for that.

Well, since that time, you've had a lot of collaborations and helped other artists make their albums sound really good. Tammy Nielson, Troy king Ey, Barry Saunders, Marlon Williams, Holly Arismith and your own albums and your lady and we as well do a plug for that.

It's called.

It's called.

Out of My Head out of my head. And your tour dates, well, actually, if people want to find out where you're playing, I guess is at chamber music dot co, dot m Z. They can track down.

Out of My Head out of my head. And your tour dates, well, actually, if people want to find out where you're playing, I guess is at chamber music dot co, dot m Z. They can track down.

The date your No, there was a tour we did for the last I told them release and the tour that will be coming up will be in July, so that'll announced. It'll be announced on Friday, and it'll be starting around the tenth and we'll do Aukland, We'll do Raglan, we'll do Least Saw Military Carey, We're going to go to Hawk's Bay, We're going to do Wellington, Pika Krik, We're going to go down south to do Excellent.

The date your No, there was a tour we did for the last I told them release and the tour that will be coming up will be in July, so that'll announced. It'll be announced on Friday, and it'll be starting around the tenth and we'll do Aukland, We'll do Raglan, we'll do Least Saw Military Carey, We're going to go to Hawk's Bay, We're going to do Wellington, Pika Krik, We're going to go down south to do Excellent.

And they can track down that on your on your on dot com.

And they can track down that on your on your on dot com.

Yeah, and that'll be there, will be promoting that so it'll be easy to find.

Yeah, and that'll be there, will be promoting that so it'll be easy to find.

Hey, it's been great talking if you're Delaney, and I wish you all the best, and we hope talking again sometime. This is real lifely news talk said, be let's go out with more of some music. But Delaney's pecked and what are we listening to here?

Hey, it's been great talking if you're Delaney, and I wish you all the best, and we hope talking again sometime. This is real lifely news talk said, be let's go out with more of some music. But Delaney's pecked and what are we listening to here?

There? We are listening to That is a classic song by Bobby Parker.

There? We are listening to That is a classic song by Bobby Parker.

Bobby Parker, thanks very much, Delaney, we'll talk again.

Bobby Parker, thanks very much, Delaney, we'll talk again.

Thanks for more from News Talk said B.

Thanks for more from News Talk said B.

Listen live on air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio

Listen live on air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio