Cap’n Spoonbill & The Hoiho Sea Shanty Crew Launch Fundraiser Show + New Single

Ōtepoti’s beloved sea shanty ensemble, Cap’n Spoonbill & the Hoiho, are inviting Dunedin audiences to stomp, sing, and support local maritime storytelling at a special koha-entry fundraiser performance at Pearl Diver on Saturday 13 June.

The event comes as the group prepares for an exciting international opportunity, having been invited to perform at several renowned sea shanty festivals across Canada this August. Representing the home of “The Wellerman,” the ensemble will bring stories and songs of the deep south to northern audiences overseas.

The upcoming tour has also inspired an ambitious new creative and educational project for the group. Hoiho are currently researching and composing original sea shanties that tell the stories of maritime Aotearoa – celebrating New Zealand’s unique relationship with the sea through local history, folklore, and contemporary storytelling.

The group aims to eventually develop the material into an educational resource for schools, museums, and libraries.

Audience donations from the Pearl Diver fundraiser will help support both the Canadian tour and the development of this original New Zealand sea shanty project. Supporters can donate directly at the event or support anytime through a fundraising campaign hosted by crowd-funding platform Boosted.

“This is about celebrating our own maritime identity and preserving these stories through music,” the group says. “We want people to come along, learn something new about our relationship with the ocean, and sing their hearts out with us.”

The fundraiser follows another major milestone for the ensemble, with the release of their debut single Mermaid Merle on 5 June across all streaming platforms.

Written by Sue Galvin and filmed on Ōtepoti’s picturesque Quarantine Island / Kamau Taurua, the “she-shanty” tells a tale of seduction, scandal, and control. The official music video premieres on YouTube at 6:50am on release day.

That same evening, Hoiho will join the Wellington Sea Shanty Society for the Dunedin stop of their Never Mind the Rowlocks – Here’s the Wellington Sea Shanty Society EP release tour.

Fans of folk music, maritime history, and community singing are encouraged to attend the Pearl Diver fundraiser and help support the next chapter of this uniquely southern musical project.

Event Details

Hoiho Sea Shanty Crew Fundraiser Show
Saturday 13 June @ Pearl Diver, Dunedin
Koha entry

Mermaid Merle Official Video Premiere

5 June – 6:50am
Watch on YouTube