Artisan Guns- Songs From Their Forthcoming EP

Artisan Guns are a young and rising four piece band straight out of East Auckland which just happens to have a #1 single on 95 BFM and new EP reaching #7 on the Rock charts on iTunes.

The band comprises of Matthew Hope – vocals and guitar, Reuben Stephens – bass and harmonies, Alex Freer – drums and Jonathan Pearce – guitar and keys. The band formed in their last days of college, in the middle of 2006. Matthew, who had a newly discovered interest in singing and songwriting, enlisted the help of Reuben, a like-minded classmate, for a musical project. Alex, a long time friend of Matthew’s, soon joined the band, and suggested Jonathan, a musical collaborator and family friend, as their lead guitar player. The band first gathered one Saturday morning at Matthew’s house, and soon found themselves bonding musically.

Some scratchy, lo-fi demos scored them their first gig, as well as some solid coverage on bFM. After many successful gigs around Auckland with the likes of The Ruby Suns, The Electric Confectionaires, An Emerald City, The Nudie Suits, White Birds and Lemons and Teacups, the band locked themselves away into the studio with producer/engineer/mixmaster extraordinaire Dave Parker (Parker has worked with Kingston, Bearcat, Clap Clap Riot, Teacups and many more) and began work on their debut recording.

After a much needed period of growing, expanding and evolving as a band, they emerged from the studio with the five track “Bird and Bone EP”, which is being released through EMI Music NZ. The band has stayed true to their folk roots, but add drum machines, swelling layers of keyboard, and plenty of loud, loose grooves on this EP. The result is a fresh, original, clear and honest sound. Over the years they have become closer as friends, and as musicians, always pushing each other to the next level of creativity, always sharing new music and ideas with one another. It has become very much an evenly collaborative project, to the point of influencing Reuben’s art, which has shaped the face and image of the group (along with the photography of Chelsea Jade).

Currently in their final years of university, the boys are investing themselves more and more into Artisan Guns. The band recently released a video for their single “Autumn”, and have just completed their first national tour of New Zealand taking in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland in support of their Bird and Bone EP.

Pistol Youth will be opening the show in support of Artisan Guns.

For more information please contact:
Artist Management:
Matt Coleman matt@letthepeoplespeak.tv
Phone 021433201

Event listed by Matt Coleman

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