No Doggy! Deliver New Album ‘Picnic Lunch’
Stephen Hart, Anya Henis, Peter Smith and Nigel Wright are No Doggy!, Tāmaki Makaurau’s brand new jangly kids music group.
Named after Henis’ daughter’s preference for cats over dogs, No Doggy!’s members are some of Auckland’s go to sidemen performing in The Brunettes, Roy Irwin Band and P.H.F., while helming projects like N. T. Honey and The Crabbs.
What makes a good kids song? The band replied “Honestly, who knows!!! I think any song that is fun or interesting is pretty universally enjoyed, whether it’s kids or older-beings. We hope that’s where No Doggy! songs land.”
Now signed with Sunreturn, No Doggy! release their nine track debut album Picnic Lunch. To celebrate the band will throw their own indoor al fresco affair with an album lunch launch at the Freemans Bay Community Centre on August 8. Kicking off at midday and running until 2:30PM, bring along your picnic blanket and check out live performances from No Doggy! & their best friends Thee Golden Geese! Tickets are available now from Undertheradar.co.nz.
STREAM NO DOGGY! – PICNIC LUNCH
It’s safe to say that No Doggy! have the knack to produce songs that are full of beans, have a pep in their step while joyously jangling & jiving. Throughout the nine songs on Picnic Lunch, No Doggy! craft wild and wonderful tales of dancing with doggies at the disco, making friends with animals, running races against raisins, exploring nature or imagining what construction vehicles do once their operators knock off for the day.
“With 2 songwriters and constant inspiration from our little ones, No Doggy! have a lot of songs,” reflects Stephen. “We initially invited James Dansey to record a single or two but ended up with a dozen. Hence the Picnic Lunch. It’s like a sample of ideas and flavours, hopefully something for everyone.”
“I think kids like to be challenged. They love using their imaginations but also need to see themselves and their lives in the material/music. A good No Doggy! song is like a story book. It has some kind of narrative, is funny, absurd and/or heartwarming. It makes a kid want to pick up an instrument and play along, sing, dance or just feel a little seen.”
Picnic Lunch were recorded live, mixed and mastered at Ukaipō Studios by James Dansey (Āku Hapa, Chabs & Milky). “James is a magician! I have no idea what he did but he made everything sound amazing,” laughs Anya. “He really wanted to let the music do its thing with minimal interference which is an amazing skill for a producer/engineer. James helped us a lot with our Te Reo pronunciation on songs like Rā Whānau. This has given me confidence singing in Te Reo – now I do waiata every day in my job as a teacher.”
Reflecting on the album’s release Stephen says “We are very excited for our album release. It will be an epic celebration of all we have achieved in such a short time and hopefully a big thank you to our families for all of their support (and babysitting while we practiced).”
Artwork by Sophie Watson
Photo Credit: Ngaire Mason
