Play It Strange is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of On The Record with Rei, a podcast for the next generation of musicians in Aotearoa. Hosted by award-winning artist and Play It Strange alumni Rei - he goes on the record with artists, producers and industry insiders - providing a digital backstage pass to breaking into the music industry in Aotearoa.

The 10-episode podcast launches on all podcast platforms from Monday 21 July with all episodes out on the same day. On The Record with Rei features an array of incredible voices within the music industry and aims to educate and entertain, acting as a ‘toolkit’ for emerging musicians, helping them navigate the industry and their careers - from songwriting tips to publicity, to how to apply for funding and secure radio play. Guest and topics include:

1. The Art of Songwriting with Don McGlashan
2. Music Production for Beginners with Emily Wheatcroft-Snape
3. Nailing Your Studio Session with Chris van de Geer
4. Music Publicity 101 with Heidi Ettema
5. Claiming Space as an Artist with PAIGE
6. Getting Your Music on Student Radio (+ Why It Still Matters) with Aneeka Moheed
7. Song Rights & Royalties with Mike Hall
8. The Inside on Industry Funding with Teresa Patterson
9. Looking After Yourself as an Artist with Hollie Smith
10. The Business of Being an Artist with Dave Johnston

Founded in 2003 by Mike Chunn of Split Enz, Play It Strange has been supporting young songwriters for more than two decades. They run national youth songwriting competitions, with over 170 finalists awarded a day in a recording studio to professionally record their winning tracks. They then release these songs on digital albums, provide performance opportunities, and take them backstage to major concerts and festivals to experience the industry firsthand. Their next frontier is being able to provide more pastoral care around entering the music industry – hence, this podcast.

Recently taking the reins of CEO of Play It Strange from founder Mike Chunn, Stephanie Brown says that the need for this podcast is vital to continue pushing the mahi that they deliver.

“Every week, we’re asked the same questions by emerging artists, their parents, and their music teachers - about publicity, radio play, rights and royalties, music funding, and so much more. That’s what sparked this podcast: how can we share this information far and wide, in a way that’s accessible to emerging musicians across the motu? It’s important to meet rangatahi where they are, which is why we’ve made the podcast available on podcast platforms Spotify, Rova and Youtube - as well as rolling out over 40 clips on Instagram and Tiktok to incorporate a visual, shorter-form element. The style of the podcast is a way to disseminate sometimes overwhelming information in a bite sized, easy to digest way - learning from some of the best in the business. My hope is that On the Record with Rei helps break down the barriers for those who don’t know where to start - and acts as a toolkit that empowers, motivates, and gives confidence to the next generation of songwriters and musicians.”

The perfect fit for a podcast host was someone who was well across the topics being covered whole-heartedly, as well as the ethos of Play It Strange. Rei (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Pākeha) is exactly this, being an alumni of Play It Strange, as well as an incredible bilingual Urban and Electronic musician in his own right. His cheeky tongue-in-cheek māori-isms and deep understanding of the music industry was key in bringing the podcast and its insightful conversations throughout episodes to life. When asked about his involvement, he says:

“I was super stoked to host On the Record with Rei. Play It Strange’s kaupapa totally aligns with my own, so getting the opportunity to have some deep kōrero with some of Aotearoa's top artists AND helping empower the next generation of Aotearoa songwriters at the same time!?? That's dream mahi right there. I wish there was a poddy like this out there when I was getting started in the industry.”

Iconic Auckland recording studio Bigpop Studios co-founder Chris van de Geer, a wealth of knowledge in the industry, says:

"At Bigpop Studios we were absolutely thrilled to be the podcast partner for the brilliant Play It Strange On the Record with Rei series. It was awesome working with the Play It Strange team and hosting such a wide array of highly esteemed and experienced guests into our studio space, who all shared great insight and resources for artists at all stages of their musical journey. Bigpop has been providing studios, engineers and producers for Play It Strange artist projects for many years, and it's amazing to see the support and nurturing of young Aotearoa talent, which Play It Strange provides, result in an ever increasing quality in both songwriting and finished recordings from these young artists."

On The Record with Rei launches on Monday, July 21st on podcast platforms Spotify, Rova, Youtube and online on Instagram and Tiktok. You can follow the journey and see exclusive sneak peek clips on their Instagram at @playitstrange.pod!