Latest news with #Loons
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Christchurch soul singer: 'I wear my heart right on my forehead'
Whether she's writing deeply personal songs or counselling someone else through a tough time, Christchurch-born and raised soul singer Ladi6 - aka Karoline Tamati - believes that we're all in this together. On her upcoming record Le Vā, hip-hop soul singer Karoline Tamati (aka Ladi6) serves up a fresh set of dance tracks that celebrate the spirit of her late mum Fuarosa. While the lyrics express grief, Tamati says the tracks themselves are energetic and enlivening thanks to her unique creative dynamic with musical partner and husband Brent 'Parks' Park. "We want people to be dancing constantly and just feeling the vibe - not thinking about what I'm saying, just feeling the beats," she tells Music 101. Tamati and Park - who married in 2015 - work on their parts of the music separately, she says, and then 'see what happens' when they bring them together. 'He's always pushing me to try and be less literal and more metaphorical, and I'm always pushing him to take what I have and just figure it out." While she has 'absolutely no interest' in how Parks interprets her lyrics musically, Tamati knows he won't lean into emotionality, let alone 'chuck some violins on". Growing up in Christchurch, Tamati says she and Park thought they were too 'dumb' for academic study, but in recent years, they've both become keen university students - she is studying to be a counselling psychologist, while he has completed a Master of Arts. Tamati will play at the Loons in Lyttelton on Friday, June 30. 'You get influenced by the environment, going, 'Well, maybe we're just not those kinds of people. Those are the people who live in other suburbs, and that's cool for them, but we probably will get a job, help around the house economically, and then try and fork out a career for ourselves.' Many people don't have the opportunity to learn the organisational and time management skills required to keep up at university, Tamati says. She feels lucky that life as an independent recording artist had already equipped her in this way. 'You just have to put in the time to do the thing, get the grade, over and over and over again.' Tamati says being able to offer empathy and support as a counsellor is her 'favourite thing' because people need other people to get through life. 'I will walk with you through your stuff, and we'll connect, and we will figure out strategies to help us through or we'll just, you can dump on me, vent on me, tell me. I will help ... I'm basically with you, and we're just gonna walk through this." It's an honour to help another person develop awareness of themselves and improve their own lives, she says. 'It's such a beautiful and special moment to see things click together and know that they're like fully tooled up to go out into the world and face this exact same problem, but in a totally different way.' For Tamati, songwriting is a way to transform her own difficult experiences into something hopeful while conveying a message of human solidarity. "This happens to me, and it happens to you, and it happens to us all. This is how I found my way through, and this is what I think about this thing. "I can't do anything but wear my heart right on my forehead to show everybody." Fuarosa, who lived with Tamati and her family through years of treatment for diabetes, was covered in a beautiful tapa cloth on her deathbed and looked like an 'absolute royal queen', she says. 'There were a whole lot of really precious moments that came out of [her passing] that I can really hold on to and not be so overwhelmingly full of grief.'
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
The Grogans Announce Stagger Album Release Tour This September
Ready to take these new tracks on the road, The Grogans new album Stagger is out, plus the band are excited to announce a headline tour across New Zealand. Exploring another side of The Grogans' music, Stagger is a patchwork of different sounds and sonic inspirations that all come together in the one album, 'it came from this idea that it was a jagged and stylistically different album track to track', explain The Grogans. Kicking off their tour at Loons in Christchurch on Wednesday 3 September, the band then head to Yonder in Queenstown on Thursday 4 September, San Fran in Wellington on Friday 5 September before wrapping up at Double Whammy Auckland on Saturday 6 September. Prior to their Aotearoa dates, the trio will also be playing a seven date tour throughout Australia along with stops in LA and New York for North American shows this June. Capturing the magnetic energy of their live shows, Stagger touches on themes of mental health, taking care of yourself and your loved ones, the occasional love song, and more. As the catchy chorus first single and album opener 'Oh Boy' leads into sonic powerhouse of a tune 'Come Up (Goes Down)', 'In My Heart' slows it down to a new easy listening direction, followed by 'Have a Little Dream' – as dreamy as the title suggests – and the big open echoed instrumentation of 'Once In A While'. Adding new textural effects in 'Roll Back' and last single 'Roundabout', 'Happier Man' dips into a heavier psych realm with a reminder that 'striving to be a better and happier person should be a goal for everyone.' 'Worry About Everything' is an upbeat tune sure to have you worrying about nothing, and feel good album closer 'All My Days' ends on a more serious note that outlines the beauty and the beast of live music and the personal struggles that come with the lifestyle and touring. 'Mixing on the road definitely added something different to this album. Usually, I'm in the same spot whilst mixing and can come and go from each track mentally, but this time the album was attached to us at the hip. We would bring a set up through most of America and record/mix in green rooms and on the bandwagon. It was definitely worth it, as we had to work with what we had to finish the album. Only being able to reference mixes on headphones and JBL speakers towards the end of the album process was definitely harder than in a studio. However, as a band, we have never really been able to sit still, so it worked nicely. Each mix has its own personality, and I guess that's what we wanted for this staggered album.' – The Grogan's Quin Grunden on mixing and engineering the album on the road across the US & Canada through June-July 2024. Included in Rolling Stone's Future of Music 2025 and described by triple j as 'one of the most consistently hardworking live acts in the country', The Grogans commitment to making incredibly varied, distinct music, sharing good experiences at their live show and genuine elation on playing together is clear to see and explains why they are one of Australia's brightest bands. In recent years, they have delighted their international fans with a headline 2024 tour across Europe, Ireland, and the UK, a stop at the Netherlands' Misty Fields Festival, joining Ocean Alley on their North American Summer Tour, and more. Never ones for slowing down, 2024 was filled with local shows, sharing the stage with Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers for their 'Fix It With Salt' tour, and a 5th anniversary tour of their LP 'Just What You Want. Tickets for all dates go on sale Wednesday 28 May at midday. THE GROGANS Stagger Album Release Tour with special guests to be announced. On sale Wednesday 28 May at midday WED 3 SEPT LOONS | ŌTAUTAHI (CHRISTCHURCH) THU 4 SEPT YONDER | TĀHUNA (QUEENSTOWN) FRI 5 SEPT SAN FRAN | PŌNEKE (WELLINGTON) SAT 6 SEPT DOUBLE WHAMMY | TĀMAKI MAKURAU (AUCKLAND) Content Sourced from Original url
Scoop
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
The Grogans Announce Stagger Album Release Tour This September
Ready to take these new tracks on the road, The Grogans new album Stagger is out, plus the band are excited to announce a headline tour across New Zealand. Exploring another side of The Grogans' music, Stagger is a patchwork of different sounds and sonic inspirations that all come together in the one album, "it came from this idea that it was a jagged and stylistically different album track to track", explain The Grogans. Kicking off their tour at Loons in Christchurch on Wednesday 3 September, the band then head to Yonder in Queenstown on Thursday 4 September, San Fran in Wellington on Friday 5 September before wrapping up at Double Whammy Auckland on Saturday 6 September. Prior to their Aotearoa dates, the trio will also be playing a seven date tour throughout Australia along with stops in LA and New York for North American shows this June. Capturing the magnetic energy of their live shows, Stagger touches on themes of mental health, taking care of yourself and your loved ones, the occasional love song, and more. As the catchy chorus first single and album opener 'Oh Boy' leads into sonic powerhouse of a tune 'Come Up (Goes Down)', 'In My Heart' slows it down to a new easy listening direction, followed by 'Have a Little Dream' - as dreamy as the title suggests - and the big open echoed instrumentation of 'Once In A While'. Adding new textural effects in 'Roll Back' and last single 'Roundabout', 'Happier Man' dips into a heavier psych realm with a reminder that "striving to be a better and happier person should be a goal for everyone." 'Worry About Everything' is an upbeat tune sure to have you worrying about nothing, and feel good album closer 'All My Days' ends on a more serious note that outlines the beauty and the beast of live music and the personal struggles that come with the lifestyle and touring. "Mixing on the road definitely added something different to this album. Usually, I'm in the same spot whilst mixing and can come and go from each track mentally, but this time the album was attached to us at the hip. We would bring a set up through most of America and record/mix in green rooms and on the bandwagon. It was definitely worth it, as we had to work with what we had to finish the album. Only being able to reference mixes on headphones and JBL speakers towards the end of the album process was definitely harder than in a studio. However, as a band, we have never really been able to sit still, so it worked nicely. Each mix has its own personality, and I guess that's what we wanted for this staggered album." - The Grogan's Quin Grunden on mixing and engineering the album on the road across the US & Canada through June-July 2024. Included in Rolling Stone's Future of Music 2025 and described by triple j as 'one of the most consistently hardworking live acts in the country', The Grogans commitment to making incredibly varied, distinct music, sharing good experiences at their live show and genuine elation on playing together is clear to see and explains why they are one of Australia's brightest bands. In recent years, they have delighted their international fans with a headline 2024 tour across Europe, Ireland, and the UK, a stop at the Netherlands' Misty Fields Festival, joining Ocean Alley on their North American Summer Tour, and more. Never ones for slowing down, 2024 was filled with local shows, sharing the stage with Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers for their 'Fix It With Salt' tour, and a 5th anniversary tour of their LP 'Just What You Want. Tickets for all dates go on sale Wednesday 28 May at midday. THE GROGANS Stagger Album Release Tour with special guests to be announced. On sale Wednesday 28 May at midday WED 3 SEPT LOONS | ŌTAUTAHI (CHRISTCHURCH) THU 4 SEPT YONDER | TĀHUNA (QUEENSTOWN) FRI 5 SEPT SAN FRAN | PŌNEKE (WELLINGTON) SAT 6 SEPT DOUBLE WHAMMY | TĀMAKI MAKURAU (AUCKLAND)
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five players from Minnesota United on preliminary 2025 Gold Cup rosters
Five Loons players have been named to preliminary rosters for this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup taking place from June 14 to July 6 in the United States. The 26-man rosters are not due until June 4 but CONCACAF has released the preliminary squads for the 16 teams participating this summer. The tournament will be held in 14 venues, including U.S. Bank Stadium, which is set to host two quarterfinal matches. The tournament begins June 14 with Group Play, with eight teams moving on from four groups into the knockout rounds. Starting goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and starting forward Tani Oluwaseyi have been named to Canada's squad. St. Clair leads MLS in clean sheets so far this season with seven, while Oluwaseyi leads Minnesota United with six goals. The 28-year-old goalkeeper has 11 caps for Canada and has registered four clean sheets in those matches. Likewise, Oluwaseyi has 11 caps for Canada and has scored one goal. Left back Joseph Rosales has been named to Honduras' preliminary roster. Rosales is currently serving a three-match suspension for violating MLS' non-discrimination policy. He denies using discriminatory language in the incident during a late-April Loons match. The 24-year-old is a regular feature for both the United and Honduras. He has six starts in nine appearances for the Loons this season and has registered 21 caps for Honduras. Midfielder Carlos Harvey has been listed on Panama's preliminary roster. Harvey, 25, has scored one goal and registered 13 caps for Panama. He is a regular starter for MNUFC, where he has registered one assist across 657 minutes of play this season while lining up as both a midfielder and center back. Finally, new Loon Owen Gene has been named to the Guadeloupe preliminary roster. The 22-year-old joined Minnesota this past winter after several seasons with French club Amiens. He has played for the French U-20 team, making his debut in an international friendly against the Netherlands in March 2023. Minnesota is currently scheduled for four games during the Gold Cup tournament. There will likely be more Loons players departing for international duty around that same time. Robin Lod, a regular for Finland, is likely to earn a call up when Finland takes on the Netherlands (June 7) and Poland (June 10) in UEFA World Cup qualifying matches. And captain Michael Boxall could miss time with New Zealand, who have fixtures schedule against the Ivory Coast (June 7) and Ukraine (June 10). Last season, the Loons were hit hard in the months of June and July due to international call-ups and injuries. The result was Minnesota going on a nine-match winless run, including six straight losses, last summer. Coming off a resounding 3-0 win over St. Louis City SC on Saturday, Minnesota is in second place in the Western Conference with 25 points from 14 games played this season. MNUFC and St. Louis City are back at it Wednesday at Allainz Field for a Round of 16 matchup in the U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Show a little respect': David Beckham not amused by Minnesota's social media taunts
Minnesota United got under the skin of David Beckham this past weekend. Beckham's Inter Miami club, of which he is a co-owner, was run out of Allianz Field in a 4-1 thumping at the weekend. The Loons' social media feeds followed up the resounding win with a couple jabs at the Miami club, which Beckham did not appreciate. First, in an Instagram post that showed the updated Supporters Shield standings with the Loons leading Miami by a point after the win, Minnesota United called its beaten opponents a "Pink Phony Club" — a play on Miami's pink jerseys and the Chappell Roan song "Pink Pony Club." View the to see embedded media. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star responded to the post saying, "Show a little respect [MNUFC] be elegant in triumph." Second, Minnesota posted a picture of a large banner fans in the Wonderwall supporters section raised prior to the game that read displayed, "History over Hype. Culture over Cash," with the words 'hype' and 'cash' in Miami's pink. "Respect over everything," Beckham replied, incorporating a pink heart emoji in his response. The loss by Miami was just their second of the season in league play but their fourth in their last five matches across all competitions. Minnesota got goals from Bongi Hlongwane, Anthony Markanich and Robin Lod, as well as an own goal by Marcelo Weigandt in the 4-1 win. Messi was Miami's lone scorer in the match. The win keeps the Loons in second place in the Western Conference with 22 points, just five points back of the first-place Vancouver Whitecaps. The Loons are back in action Wednesday when they travel to Texas to take on the Houston Dynamo. Kickoff for that match is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
