JoHanna Mystery: treading an unconventional path in music
Returning to New Zealand after touring in London and Europe, JoHanna Mystery will hit the road with her band in the South Island this February, before recording her debut E.P and heading back to Europe for a second helping. San Francisco solo-artist Uni & Her Ukelele joins the band for the second leg of the tour.
Wellington musician JoHanna Mystery is still relatively fresh in the New Zealand music scene but, unlike most musicians who create a national following before spreading their wings to international music shores, JoHanna has chosen to do things differently. Basing herself between London and Wellington, JoHanna spent 2011 raising her music profile in both cities, as well as gigging in Europe.
This unconventional path in the music industry seems to suit JoHanna Mystery, a trained classical musician who didn’t make the jump over to more popular and contemporary music until her mid-twenties. “When I was studying clarinet, I would always sing and muck around on other instruments in secret. I didn’t even sing for about 6 years until a couple of years ago when I started singing and playing guitar again. I soon realised that that I didn’t have the time to slowly build a music following in New Zealand before heading overseas.”
Although enjoying successes such as headlining a show at London’s iconic Dublin Castle – a favourite venue of many performers including Amy Winehouse and Blur – JoHanna is relieved to be back in the comfort of gigging in New Zealand. “The London music scene is very rough compared to in N.Z. It’s so saturated that, if you’re new in town and you’re not an established touring musician, then you’re expected to play for free, otherwise they’ll just find some other desperate musician to take your spot.”
Joining JoHanna Mystery and Friends for the second leg of their South Island tour, is San Francisco based songstress Uni & Her Ukelele.
A recipient of the SF Weekly Music Award, and a global touring musician, Uni’s vivacious music has seen her open for the likes of Johnny Otis, Ray Charles, The Four Tops and James Brown.
JoHanna Mystery and Friends includes multi-instrumentalists JoHanna Mystery, Ben Lemi and Sage Kamaru, with jazz bassist Will Sklenars. Their music combines future soul, blues, and indie/folk styles. For tour dates and further details visit: http://johannamystery.bandcamp.com/
or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/JoHanna-Mystery/240152985996351?sk=app_2405167945