Phil Garland

Phil Garland was born in Christchurch another lifetime ago during which time he was an avid award winning rock’n’roller. After spending some 5 years as a fulltime ‘rock singer’ he finally ‘saw the light’ and discovered folk music leading him to begin organising regular folk evenings in the city.

This ongoing interest eventually saw him become the founding father of the folk club in 1968. Since then he has spent a lifetime researching, collecting, writing and performing New Zealand songs and has often been described as a national living treasure and New Zealand's foremost and finest heritage balladeer.

Over the years he has recorded eighteen albums – winning Folk Album of the Year at the New Zealand Music Awards three times as well as being a shortlisted finalist on three further occasions. No stranger to international awards and recognition from the likes of Australia, Japan, USA, United Nations, Germany & Switzerland, Phil Garland has performed extensively around the world promoting the Kiwi musical heritage with a blended presentation of songs, ballads, stories and yarns that introduce audiences to the musical heart of New Zealand and its people.

Phil’s entertaining performance prompted one American reviewer to say:-“his songs transport you to New Zealand so effectively you may be inspired to take up residence there!”