Why Raglan? It’s a question many might ask if they are unfamiliar with New Zealand’s music scene. However, for those privy to Raglan’s (Whāingaroa) domestic infamy as a music town, it’s less surprising that so many touring acts may put the small surf town on their tour list.
Still, with a population of less than 4,000 and a town centre which takes up less than half a kilometre, it would seem from the outside, a peculiar choice, being a two hour drive outside of Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau), the nearest major city, and almost an hour away from the nearest university – students being a popular audience demographic to target. Raglan would seem anything but a clear money-making stop. So why is it that so many bands, including even large foreign acts like Ash Grunwald, who played at The Yard just this past Sunday, still tend to stop in Raglan? The answer is somewhat multifaceted, but an underscoring singular reason seems to prevail: the culture.
Greg Taylor, a local musician who has lived in Raglan for 15 years, and has played in various different local and larger bands, describes the culture in town as wholly unique. Having initially moved to New Zealand from the UK, and subsequently Raglan for surf – Taylor has gone on to play both keys and horn for famous Kiwi acts like Katchafire and Lost Tribe Aotearoa.
He explains, “It’s a good place for music. I mean, you’ve got like one, two, three… four venues within the same town”, laughing slightly “So it’s pretty good, yeah. Feeling pretty spoiled… especially for a small town”. Taylor goes on to add that “… it’s just a nice place. Like, the community… it’s very multicultural”.
Raglan blossomed culturally ever since the 1960’s when its legendary peeling, left-hand point breaks debuted in the iconic surf film “Endless Summer”. This catalysed the influx of a surfer community which exists here in Raglan still to this day, attributing to much of its multiculturalism. Live music and an arts culture followed, beginning to emerge around town by the early 1980’s, with the birth of successful local acts like the Mudsharks who went onto national recognition.
Fellow local musician, Cameron Olsen, from local band Heavy Loungin’, similarly describes Raglan as an “eclectic” and “creative” place. However, most importantly Olsen emphasizes that though small, the town’s audience is incredibly supportive of original music within the community. He says it’s a “… supportive community [of] like minded musicians with a high skill level for a small place”.
This is arguably what has contributed to such famous and successful acts to crop up here, such as Lost Tribe Aotearoa and Cornerstone Roots – the original Raglan born group to pave the way, receiving international acclaim and tours beyond New Zealand.
Olsen also reflects on the ties between the music and art scene in Raglan with the natural environment it comes from, “… [balancing] well with [the] surfing, outdoor lifestyle”. This can be attributed to not only the prominent surf scene in Raglan, but also the strong Tainui ties to many different spots around the Whāingaroa region.
However, musical infamy within New Zealand does not necessarily translate to foreign acts hearing of Raglan. Nor does it guarantee that smaller domestic acts will make the expensive decision to stop in Raglan, when other places may be bigger and easier to get to. The answer to this is within the community and culture: those who are successful, giving back, and the town playing to its strengths.
Founding members of Cornerstone Roots, Naomi Tauopepe and Brian Ruawai, have re-invested their now twenty-plus years of experience in the music industry into their hometown. They both help organise the annual Soundsplash Music Festival, as well as opening a new venue in Raglan, The Yard, in 2020. They now use their extensive network of connections to bring more and more live acts to their small town, giving back to their community which supported them.
Auckland-born, Indie-rock band Voom also played at The Yard venue in Raglan the prior weekend. Initially booked to perform in Hamilton, their New Zealand-native label Flying Nun Records, chose to switch the second stop on their “Something Good is Happening” album tour to Raglan.
Buzz reflected, “When you come visit a place like Raglan, for us in Auckland…there’s this really cool kind of laid back… vibe and it’s really friendly”.
As Voom played through their set that evening, the crowd swayed and bobbed unanimously with the occasional hoot or boisterous clap. The band gave several shoutouts to the Raglan crowd while lead singer Buzz sipped on a local beer from the Workshop Brewery, smiling between sips. Finishing the concert with one final shoutout:
“Thank you for having us Raglan – respect from the dirty old big smoke!”
by Erin Smith
