Emotional Provocateur

Auckland singer-songwriter Sam RB’s song Stand Tall has been chosen from more than 300 entries as the theme of the New Zealand contingent at the London Olympics. The New Zealand Olympic Committee invited songwriters to produce a theme song and the winner was chosen by popular vote. Stand Tall attracted the largest share of more than 25,000 online votes. When composing the piece, she tried to imagine herself in the shoes of an elite athlete. “I also tried to tap into my own personal experiences and feel that sense of achievement – that’s the sort of emotions I wanted to provoke in other people.” The song was produced by Eddie Rayner of Crowded House.