Restless creativity

Wellington’s beloved Fat Freddy’s Drop perform in Hawaii at the Maui Arts & Cultural Centre this month ahead of major gigs in Europe in September. According to DJ Fitchie, bandleader and producer, Fat Freddy’s Drop is the product of both the band’s restless creativity and New Zealand’s geographic isolation. “One of the upsides of being far away from the action and not having to deal with the weight of a strong musical history is that we don’t feel we have to stick to one particular style or approach,” Fitchie said. Fat Freddy’s 25 debut album, Based On A True Story remains the highest selling independently released album in New Zealand’s music history. BBC Worldwide voted it as “Album of the Year.” Fat Freddy’s play the Coliseum in Lisbon, Portugal on 2 September ahead of the Bristol Academy on 11 September and the Isle of Wight’s Bestival on 12 September.