It's May, which means only one thing: Its Nz Music Month.

Put simply, the purpose of NZ Music Month is to celebrate music from New Zealand, and the people who make it. Firmly entrenched as part of our cultural landscape, the month of May has gone from a period of encouraging radio to play more local tunes, to a 31 day celebration of homegrown talent across the length and breadth of the country.

Here on the Matakana Coast, we are lucky enough to have one of the country’s best small venues right on our doorstep, The Leigh Sawmill Cafe.

 Inextricably intertwined with several generations of New Zealand music, the Sawmill has played host to many major musical acts including Fat Freddy's Drop, Trinity Roots and Fly My Pretties. It has been winner of the award for Best Small Venue three years in a row and is legendary for hospitality to artists and fans alike, making the leisurely trip out to Leigh to witness some of our nation's finest musical talent incredibly well worth it.

Here's the awesome national talent they have lined up for NZ Music Month:

8th May

Hail to the Theives

A stellar line up of musicians sharing the stage and performing songs from one of the most influential bands of all time, Radiohead. HAIL TO THE THIEVES {Jeff Boyle, Jason Johnston, Ben Throp, Willie Devine and Bysshe Blackburn} share a commonality of being forever influenced by the music of Radiohead.

From Pablo Honey through to A Moon Shaped Pool and everything in between, HTTT ensures that their interpretations of these iconic tunes are performed to the highest quality and artistic representation. Audiences have been blown away by the performances to date, making Hail to the Thieves a band in high demand.

Each band member has a significant portfolio of original work and credibility in their own.

14th May

Miles Calder

Wellington singer-songwriter Miles Calder will play in celebration of his debut solo album Autopilot Life. Miles and his band have performed across Aotearoa, captivating audiences with a dynamic set ranging from floating atmospheric ballads to chomping rock n roll.

Four years on since his folk/Americana self-titled release with former backing band The Rumours and time living overseas, Miles has emerged with a renewed sound, fresh songs, and new band. His new album Autopilot Life takes his classic folk-rock style into a striking psychedelic realm, evoking early 70s Lennon and late-era Beatles as much as contemporaries like Kevin Morby and Father John Misty.

21st May

Molly and the Chromatics

Molly & The Chromatics are set to smash NZ Music Month with a string of shows off the back of their stacked 2020/21 festival season. The band have a new album waiting in the wings, meaning a whole lot of new songs to ignite their live set.

Always polished and stirring on stage, Molly & The Chromatics bring a big energy to all their shows.

See them with indie darlings There’s A Tuesday at Leigh Sawmill Cafe as part of the Meow label showcase shows.

22nd May

Bowie Bowie

Coming off a great run of gigs in Auckland, the band are heading north to the famous Sawmill Cafe in Leigh. Come ready to groove and shout lyrics to the best of all Bowie songs!