Effortless New Zealand Electro Making Waves

Electro-pop duo Broods, comprised of brother and sister Georgia and Caleb Nott, have helped draw the eyes of the music industry to a country that had only rarely troubled the international charts, Laura Barnett reports in the Observer’s “One to Watch” column.

Broods are the latest protégés of New Zealand’s producer of the moment, Joel Little: the guy who masterminded Lorde’s platinum-selling debut album, Pure Heroine.

Now, New Zealand electro is a definite thing: downbeat, minimalist, performed by young musicians with whom Little seems to collaborate carefully, spinning their raw, unformed talent into something cool, listenable, effortless.

The Notts began making music together at an early age, growing up in Marlborough and Nelson as the oldest of four musical siblings – the third sister, Olivia, has sung on one of the album tracks, and the youngest is a soloist in her school choir.

Broods’ first EP, released last January, is an auspicious debut, with Georgia’s breathy, emotive vocals floating over spacious synth chords and fractured beats.

They have a full album due out in September, featuring nine new songs written in five weeks, between touring with Haim and playing their own shows around the US and the UK.

They’re excited about the fact that the wider world is finally paying attention to New Zealand’s alternative music scene.

The comparisons with Lorde, given that the acts share a producer and, to some degree, a sound, are inevitable, but Broods insist they take them only as a compliment. “She’s fucking talented,” Caleb says, as Georgia nods. “She’s been like a leader,” she says. “She’s paved the way.”

Original article by Laura Barnett, The Guardian, June 29, 2014.