Join us for an intimate evening of music as two of Aotearoa’s most captivating emerging artists, Rita Mae and Sofia Machray, share stripped-back sets in a special double headline show. With raw, emotive storytelling and magnetic stage presence, these performances offer a rare chance to experience their music in its most vulnerable and powerful form.
Rita Mae’s strength as a songwriter is at the core of all of her music. Her unique writing style, paired with evocative melodies and emotional lyricism are what sets her alternative pop music apart from the rest.
Her first EP ‘Superfeeling’ was born out of a long period of isolated songwriting and production experimentation. She wrote most of it over her years at University in Dunedin, then moved to Auckland and finished it with friends and collaborators Buzz Moller, Tom Mills (rede.) , Louis McIver Smith (skinnyandsoft) Noah Beresin and more. After years of these songs incubating, she finally released an emotive, contemporary indie pop project in 2023.
Rita Mae’s second body of work, Kiss The Sky, was much more collaborative: she wrote and recorded the 6 song EP with Leroy Clampitt, Harry Charles, Alisa Xayalith, Josh Bruce Williams, Kyle Berzle and more. After being named one of 8 Kiwi artists tipped to take over by Rolling Stone, Rita had 3 of her 5 tracks from her Kiss The Sky EP chart in the top 20 NZ Radio charts.
The now Wellington-based artist is working on completing her third body of work and plans to perform some of the unreleased music at her upcoming shows.
–
Described by international pop-culture magazine Atwood as ‘New Zealand’s brightest new singer-songwriter', Sofia Machray is an indie dream-rock fantasizer from the heart of the mountains in Arrowtown, NZ. Stretching out over moody rockers and soft-burning hooks, Sofia delved into the realm of indie music from a young age as a self-taught guitarist. Drawing on timeless concepts and the vast landscapes that raised her, she began to cultivate and express herself through the medium of songwriting and made a move to Wellington in 2018 to pursue her music career.
Sofia was quick to become a hot topic in Pо̄neke’s thriving independent music scene after releasing her debut EP, ‘Language Of Flowers, ’ in 2023. The record received tremendous support from both international and local media, earning its spot on New Zealand’s Student Radio Network chats with multiple tracks climbing the SRN Top Ten. Machray went on to receive three nominations at the 2023 SRN Awards for Favourite EP/Mixtape, Favourite Solo Artist, and a People's Choice Award.
Becoming a strong forerunner in New Zealand’s independent scene, Machray’s music has led her to tour nationally on multiple occasions and to share stages with world-renowned indie icons such as Chet Faker, Palace, Lime Cordiale, COTERIE, and Soaked Oats. Solidifying herself as a tactful, femme-led outfit at the forefront of NZ's alternative indie scene Sofia is certainly one to watch.
Tickets at UTR