The Aotearoa Music Producer Series (AMPS) are pleased to announce the featured producers for the 2022 regional workshops taking place this April and May! Numbers are limited, get in quick and sign up below.
Estère is an artist and producer with a passion for sampling the unexpected and for writing unique songs, inspired by acute curiosity. Originally starting out as a beat-maker on the MPC and touring the world several times over as such, Estère has released two self-produced albums, one co-produced album, a remix EP, and has collaborated as a producer with a wide range of artists including Deva Mahal, Razia Biza and Zoe Moon. She has also been a guest producer at the Apra Songhubs series.
Sam Trevethick is best known for his work as Producer, Songwriter and founding member of Shapeshifter, world renowned pioneers of live dance music. Between leading the production on multiple platinum-selling albums and writing some of New Zealand’s most well known summer anthems, Sam has toured the globe performing everywhere from major European music festivals to tiny clubs in the heart of Tokyo.
In a career that has spanned over two decades, Sam has found time outside his duties with Shapeshifter to carve a unique voice in his solo and collaborative output. Also known as ‘Sambora’ he has produced and written songs for artists such as Tiki Taane, Ashy, Missy, The Peacekeepers and many others.
Josh Fountain has become one of the most in-demand producers in music down under. As BENEE’s producer and main writing collaborator, and powered by the worldwide lockdown jam “Supalonely” (a platinum seller in the US and in many other countries around the globe), Josh and Stella Bennett have racked up over 1 billion BENEE Spotify streams.
Their second hit “Glitter”, co-written with Djeisan Suskov, picked up the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll award in 2020. In March 2022, APRA awarded Josh and Stella a prestigious 1,000,000,000 LIST award for surpassing 1 BILLION streams of Supalonely. Josh himself has taken home the Tui Award for NZ Producer of the Year in both 2019 and 2020.
MISSY (aka writer-producer Abigail Knudson) delivers a distinctive, idiosyncratic blend of electro-baroque goth-pop. Hailing from a musical upbringing in Dunedin, New Zealand (her mother is Choir Director for Knox Church, her uncle is long-time Chills drummer, Todd Knudson), Abigail moved to the music capital of Auckland and quickly established herself as both an electric performer and a talented producer/composer/writer.
Abigail has been a producer-participant at Mind Your Music’s Aotearoa Sync-Posium (Auckland, 2021), a producer-facilitator at APRA (writer PRO) Songhubs The Tower (Sydney, 2021), Songhubs Auckland (2020), a writer-producer participant at Songhubs Spheres (Auckland, 2018), a producer participant at the Aotearoa Music Producer Series 2018, and an artist participant at the same event in 2019 working alongside 3-time Grammy winner Andrew Scheps. She also sits on the artist advisory boards of SAE Media Institute and the Music Producers Guild NZ.
Edie, AKA Anna Edgington, is a music producer, composer and vocalist based in Wellington, New Zealand. Her musical journey began as a vocalist, but her ability to craft sound and create emotional sonic worlds through music production soon expanded her musical horizons, and she has been producing under the moniker Edie since 2013. As a vocalist, producer and composer, she has worked with the likes of Pacific Heights, Karnan Saba, Rhian Sheehan, Erith, Luca Georgalli, Neil MacLeod, Riki Gooch (Cave Circles), Nova, Movement of the Human (choreographer Malia Johnston) and a number of film and TV composers based in NZ and LA, including internationally acclaimed film composer Emily Rice.
Anna is currently doing a creative practice PhD at CoCA Massey looking at ways to increase more gender diversity in music production in Aotearoa. She is also working with friend and collaborator Estère Dalton developing Blue Riot Records - reimagining what it means to be a music label, and is also exploring ways that new technologies might help generate more sustainable incomes for musicians and producers now and into the future.
South Auckland born Sam McCarthy aka Boyboy has had an extensive career in music spanning almost two decades. From his time with NZ pop punk royalty Goodnight Nurse in his teens, touring the world and remixing Lady Gaga with bratty chart toppers KidsOf88, to now working as a producer for international artists and writers such as Robin Schulz, Winona Oak, Casey Smith (Jonas Brothers, Olivia Rodrigo) Amy Allen (Halsey, Selena Gomez).
Hailing from the seaside town of Mount Maunganui, and now based between Auckland and London, Alex Wildwood is the man behind a slew of tracks from some of the most promising new acts. As a life-long songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, with solid personal indie-projects such as Shakes and Beeches, Alex found production as a way to further songwriting for himself and the artists he has been collaborating with. “I feel like songwriting and production are so equally intertwined, they often make a creative feedback loop and bring more out of each other as the song is being written.”
The past few years have been busy, co-writing and producing stand out tracks with the likes of The Veronicas, Lapsley, GRAACE, Gracey, HYYTS, Illy, Jessica Mauboy, NÏKA, Woods and Amila. Alex hasn’t had time to take a minute between trips to Sydney, London and Los Angeles, he was picked up by Sony ATV for a worldwide publishing deal.
Marika Hodgson is one of NZ’s most experienced and in demand session bassists, having toured nationally and internationally with the likes of Teeks, Kora, Troy Kingi, and many more. Being involved in the studio as many award winning albums and songs were made has given her a unique full perspective as a producer which she also showcases in her eclectic solo project under the moniker SORRENTO. As a producer she has worked recently on works such as Deva Mahal’s Silver Scroll nominated song ‘Stand In’.
Tom Healy is a record producer based in Auckland. He work primarily on albums of indie-adjacent music for the likes of Tiny Ruins, Marlon Williams, Nadia Reid, Jen Cloher, Finn Andrews /The Veils, Popstrangers, Julia Jacklin, Miss June, Purple Pilgrims, Soaked Oats, Lontalius, Merk, Clap Clap Riot etc. After studying at Otago he ended up assisting on a bunch of albums and playing guitar in bands, and eventually settled in Auckland as a primary workspace. Aside from touring work which (pre covid - and hopefully soon post it) usually eats up a quarter of the year, he spends his time in studio land.. 'I play guitar, lap and pedal steel, keyboards, synth and pianos, - and I should not omit my proficiency on a good old DAW. I have a studio in Mt Eden, Auckland filled with musical toys.'
Simon Gooding is a Producer, Engineer and Writer based in Auckland, New Zealand. With over 10 years experience both locally and internationally, Simon has worked with P!nk (on her No. 1 single ‘Walk Me Home’), TEEKS, Dua Lipa, Six60, Neil Finn, Julia Stone, Tiny Ruins, Stan Walker, Will Hyde and many more. More recently he has worked on new music for Paige, Mitch James and Drax Project, including their chart topping single 'Woke Up Late'. His diverse resume of projects reflects both a commitment to the highest quality sound and the desire to take an artist's work to the next level.
Tom Lee is one half of award winning NZ drum and bass duo - Lee Mvtthews, yet his endeavours don't just stop there. Working out of Woodcut studios in Eden Terrace, Tom is a multi-genre song writer/producer, recording/mixing engineer and one-on-one production mentor. Versatility and flexibility in the Electronic production realm are his strong points. With a strong love for sound design and a keen ear for a catchy top-line, Tom loves anything creative and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge in the forthcoming workshops.
Lee Prebble has established himself as one of New Zealand’s finest engineers and producers, and has worked with bands such as The Black Seeds, The Phoenix Foundation, LAB, Trinity Roots, Dave Dobbyn, Mel Parsons, Fly My Pretties and the Nudge. He began his career studying sound engineering at The NZ Broadcasting School and then spent 3 1⁄2 years as an audio engineer at Marmalade Audio in Wellington before setting up his own studio known as ‘The Surgery’, which has been in operation for over 19 years.
Lee has also won numerous TUI New Zealand music awards for his engineering and producing.
LMC has gained huge production credits over the past year, his song Listen Up placing on Rich The Kids debut Album 'The World is Yours' which is now a RIAA platinum record. LMC has also gained an extensive following producing for international superstars such as Lil Baby, Lil Skies, Kevin Gates, The Kid Laroi, Nardo Wick, Quando Rondo, Rich The Kid, Ugly God, Killy, Yung Bans, Scorey, Hoodrich Pablo, Bbno$, Key Glock & many more. LMC has also gained recognition locally working with New Zealand legends such as P Money, Kings, Melodownz, Montell2099, Sachi, Haz Beats, Jess B, Poetik, Indyah, Kid Rey, Mikey Dam and everyone in between.
Most recently LMC has gained recognition from Spotifys biggest Hip Hop playlist Rap Cavier, featuring on their Producer Spotlight. LMC is no stranger to press, having exposure Via one of Hip Hops biggest blogs Lyrical Lemonade. LMC has also had extensive features and interviews from blogs & radio stations Sniffers, The Edge, Mai Fm, ZM, RedBull, Rap Cavier, XXL, Our Generation, Hit Up Ange and many more.
Anonymouz’s expansive career in audio spans from local NZ Hip Hop music production through to international experimental avant-garde sound art commissions. His diverse portfolio in audio speaks to a restless creative whos sonic explorations can be found across a wide range of award-winning projects within recorded music, theatre, orchestral, dance, urban, film, tv, radio and new media.
He was commissioned in 2021 to produce the historic opening sound design at the Auckland Town Hall for the NZ Government's official apology to Pasifika communities. He was also commissioned by NZ’s flagship Pacific Radio stations Radio 531 PI & NIU FM to create their rebranded music imaging stings which still play every four minutes to this day.
His 2015 appointment by Auckland City Council to oversee the production of permanent soundscapes built into the exterior roof soffit of the award-winning Glen Innes Music and Arts centre facility "Te Oro” is also notably the first time a non-physical Public Art work (sound) has been commissioned by a local authority in New Zealand.