Flying Nun Records is a New Zealand independent record label formed in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd. Described by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' as "one of the world's great independent labels", Flying Nun is notable for bringing global attention to the Dunedin sound, a cultural and musical movement in early 1980s

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, which gave rise to modern indie rock.

History

The label formed in the wake of a flurry of new

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...

-inspired labels appearing in New Zealand in the early 1980s, in particular

Propeller Records Propeller Records was an independent record label formed in Auckland, New Zealand, by Simon Grigg in 1980. 1980-81 In the years prior to 1980 the New Zealand contemporary recording industry was largely moribund. The major record labels were eith ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. Shepherd had intended to record the original local music of

, but soon the label rose to national prominence by championing the emerging music of Dunedin. "Ambivalence" by The Pin Group (the first band of

Roy Montgomery Roy Montgomery (born 1959) is a composer, guitarist and lecturer from Christchurch, New Zealand. Montgomery's mostly instrumental solo works have elements of post-rock, lo-fi, folk and avant-garde experimentation. His signature sound might be d ...

) was the first release from Flying Nun, although "Tally Ho" by

The Clean The Clean was a New Zealand indie rock band that formed in Dunedin in 1978. They have been described as the most influential band to come from the Flying Nun label, which recorded many artists associated with the "Dunedin sound".Schmidt, Andr ...

was the first release to draw public attention to the label, as it unexpectedly reached number nineteen in the New Zealand charts, bringing the label unanticipated profile and income. There followed the seminal ''Dunedin Double'', a release which cemented the place of the southern city in the forefront of New Zealand independent music. Flying Nun moved into the full-length album market in 1982 with the ''Ego Gratification Album'' by

Chris Knox Chris Knox (born 2 September 1952) is a New Zealand rock and roll musician, cartoonist and movie reviewer who emerged during the punk rock era with his bands The Enemy and Toy Love. After Toy Love disbanded in the early 1980s, he formed the g ...

and '' Beatin Hearts'' by

Builders Builder may refer to: * Construction worker, who specializes in building work * Carpenter, a skilled craftsman who works with wood * General contractor, that specializes in building work ** Subcontractor * Builder (detergent), a component of mode ...

(recorded 1982, Auckland). Many of New Zealand's most prominent kiwi rock and

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

bands have signed to Flying Nun at some stage in their careers. In 2000 Australian youth radio network

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

produced a list of the thirty "Greatest New Zealand acts of all time", twenty of them by Flying Nun artists. The label has been home to various styles of music, including the much-debated

Dunedin sound The Dunedin sound was a style of indie pop music created in the southern New Zealand university city of Dunedin in the early 1980s. Characteristics According to Matthew Bannister, Dunedin sound "was typically marked by the use of droning or ...

, "high-end pop with a twist",

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

experimentation, strongly

Velvet Underground Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...

-influenced pop, minimalism,

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

, and rock-electronic

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

. In 1999 Matthew Bannister of The Sneaky Feelings wrote ''Positively George Street: A Personal History of the Sneaky Feelings and the Dunedin Sound'', covering the New Zealand music industry of the 1980s, including Flying Nun. In 1990

Festival Records Festival Records (later known as Festival Mushroom Records) was an Australian recording and publishing company founded in Sydney, Australia, in 1952 and operated until 2005. Festival was a wholly owned subsidiary of News Limited from 1961 to ...

bought a fifty-percent stake in Flying Nun, and then in 2000 merged it with Mushroom Records, bringing Flying Nun into the Festival-Mushroom Records family of companies.

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

acquired Flying Nun as part of its purchase of FMR (Festival Mushroom Records) in 200

A consortium that included Shepherd bought back the label from Warner on 21 December 2009, for "more than what I sold it for". New Zealand musician

Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...

, his wife Sharon, and another business partner together own a quarter-share in the repatriated record label. In 2013, American label Captured Tracks announced plans for selected reissues of Flying Nun's back catalogue. In the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours Shepherd was appointed an Officer of the

New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...

(ONZM) for services to the music industry.

Roster, early 1980s to mid-1990s

Able Tasmans Able Tasmans were an indie pop band from Auckland, New Zealand, initially formed as a duo in 1983. They released four albums and two EPs on Flying Nun Records before splitting up in 1996. History The band formed in 1983, named after the Dutch e ...

The Axemen The Axemen is a New Zealand indie rock band formed in 1983. They played at the protests for Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986, homosexual law reform in 1983, where member Little Stevie McCabe was severely beaten up in the Christchurch Cathedral S ...

Bailter Space Bailter Space (a.k.a. Bailterspace) is a New Zealand shoegaze and noise rock band that formed in Christchurch, in 1987 as Nelsh Bailter Space; they had previously recorded as The Gordons. Its members are Alister Parker (guitar, bass), John Halvo ...

* The Bats *

The Bilders Bilders (or Builders) is a New Zealand music group of varying lineups that produced a string of self-recorded 7-inch vinyl releases between 1980 and 1982 leading to Beatin Hearts, the first studio-album from fledgling New Zealand indie label, ind ...

Bird Nest Roys The Bird Nest Roys were a New Zealand rock group, formed in the mid-1980s in the hills west of Auckland, New Zealand. They released one self-titled album on Flying Nun Records. Despite being from Auckland, they are frequently cited as one of the ...

The Chills The Chills are a New Zealand rock band that formed in Dunedin in 1980. The band is essentially the continuing project of singer/songwriter Martin Phillipps, who is the group's sole constant member. For a time in the 1990s, the act was billed a ...

* Crude *

The Dead C The Dead C are a New Zealand based music and art trio made up of members Bruce Russell, Michael Morley and Robbie Yeats. Russell plays electric guitar, Morley sings and plays electric guitar or laptop, and Yeats plays drums. They have been c ...

Dead Famous People Dead Famous People are a New Zealand indie pop band formed in Auckland, active from the latter half of the 1980s onward. Dead Famous People are still active today, Savage using various collaborators, with a new album being recorded in Auckland Ne ...

* The Expendables * Exploding Budgies *

From Scratch From scratch may refer to: Radio and television * ''From Scratch'' (radio), an American National Public Radio series about "the entrepreneurial life" * ''From Scratch'' (TV series), a 2022 Netflix original series * "From Scratch", a 2006 epis ...

* Alastair Galbraith * Goblin Mix * The Gordons * The Great Unwashed *

Headless Chickens The Headless Chickens was a New Zealand band. Going against the grain of the Dunedin sound that dominated the Flying Nun Records roster at the time, the Headless Chickens made extensive use of electronic instruments in their music. History ...

Jean-Paul Sartre Experience The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, later renamed JPS Experience after the estate of Jean-Paul Sartre threatened a lawsuit, were an indie rock band on New Zealand's Flying Nun Records. History The band was formed in 1984 by Dave Yetton (vocals, ...

David Kilgour David William Kilgour (February 18, 1941 – April 5, 2022) was a Canadian human rights activist, author, lawyer, and politician. He was also a Senior Fellow to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. Kilgour graduated from the Universi ...

Look Blue Go Purple Look Blue Go Purple were a New Zealand alternative rock band from Dunedin, active from 1983 to 1987, recognised as part of the "second wave" of the Dunedin sound. Their first official show was at The Broome Valley Festival on 5 March 1983. M ...

Loves Ugly Children Loves Ugly Children were a New Zealand indie rock band on Flying Nun Records, amongst other labels, during the 1990s. They released two albums, many EPs, singles and videos and toured extensively through their home country of New Zealand, as w ...

* Mainly Spaniards * Marching Orders * The Max Block * The Pin Group * The Puddle * The Renderers * Scorched Earth Policy * The Skeptics * Snapper (band) *

Sneaky Feelings Sneaky Feelings are a New Zealand pop rock band which releases on the Flying Nun Records music label. The band formed in 1980 with the line-up of Matthew Bannister (guitar & vocals), David Pine (guitar & vocals), Kat Tyrie (bass guitar & vocal ...

* The Stones *

Straitjacket Fits Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin sound. Biography Like many of their Flying Nun stable-mates, the band hailed from the southern city of Dun ...

Tall Dwarfs Tall Dwarfs are a New Zealand rock band formed in 1981 by Chris Knox and Alec Bathgate, who helped pioneer the lo-fi style of rock music. The duo were former members of Toy Love. The band lacked a drummer, but would use household objects and han ...

The Terminals The Terminals were a New Zealand alternative rock band. They released material on the Xpressway and Flying Nun Records, Flying Nun labels. History The band was formed in 1988, with several members being veterans of other bands. Vocalist Stephe ...

* This Sporting Life *

3Ds The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...

The Verlaines The Verlaines are a New Zealand rock band from Dunedin. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr, the band went through multiple line-ups. History The band was named after French poet Paul Ve ...

* The Vibraslaps

Roster from the mid-1990s

Since the mid-1990s many of the original stable of artists have split up or moved to other labels, including Xpressway Records (

Port Chalmers Port Chalmers is a town serving as the main port of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Port Chalmers lies ten kilometres inside Otago Harbour, some 15 kilometres northeast of Dunedin's city centre. History Early Māori settlement The origi ...

, New Zealand),

Arch Hill Recordings Arch Hill Recordings, formerly Arch Hill Studios, is a New Zealand recording studio and record label in Auckland. It was founded in 1998. Artists include David Kilgour, The Clean, The Bats, Don McGlashan, Bachelorette, The Boxcar Guitars, Lu ...

(

), Powertool Records (

South Indies South Indies is a rights and publishing label established in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1984 as a vinyl records label and small book publisher. It released vinyl, books, cassettes and video-cassettes before moving into the leasing of material to ...

, Paris or

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apar ...

(

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

). A similarly eclectic new generation of bands is signed to Flying Nun, including: *

Aldous Harding Hannah Sian Topp (born 1990), known professionally as Aldous Harding, is a New Zealand folk singer-songwriter, based in Lyttelton, New Zealand. Biography Harding comes from a musical family in Lyttelton, New Zealand. Her mother is folk singer ...

* Badd Energy * Betchadupa *

Bressa Creeting Cake Bressa Creeting Cake is a New Zealand rock band, active during the 1990s. History The band, originally named Breast Secreting Cake, formed in Auckland around 1991 around the nucleus of Edmund Cake, Geoffrey Maddock and Joel Wilton. Edmund, Ge ...

* Cloudboy * The Courtneys *

The D4 The D4 was a rock band from Auckland, New Zealand. Their music was released by Hollywood Records in the U.S., Flying Nun Records in New Zealand and by Infectious Records in the UK. The group was assembled by vocalist/ guitarists Dion Palmer ...

(formerly) *

Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! (sometimes styled Die!Die!Die!) is a three-piece New Zealand noise pop/punk/post-punk band. Formed in late 2003, they have released seven albums, all backed with extensive international touring. A number of different bassists ha ...

Fazerdaze Amelia Rahayu Murray, better known under her stage name Fazerdaze, is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. She released her debut self-titled EP in October 2014, recording it entirely in her bedroom studio in ...

Garageland Garageland are a New Zealand indie rock band on the Flying Nun record label formed in Auckland in 1992. Influenced by Pixies, Pavement, The Clean and The Velvet Underground, they were critically acclaimed in the UK and United States for their ...

Gerling Gerling were an Australian electronica, alternative rock trio formed in 1993. From early 1997 the members were Darren Cross on guitar and lead vocals, Presser (real name Paul Towner) on drums and Burke Reid on guitar and vocals. Their second a ...

* Ghost Club * Grayson Gilmour * HDU * Mermaidens *

The Mint Chicks The Mint Chicks were a New Zealand noise rock/art punk group (the band began to refer to their style of music as "troublegum" and have been referred to as anything from neo-punk to schizo-pop to the only half-serious genre definition of shit-gaz ...

(formerly) *

Pan Am Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...

(formerly) * Pavement *

The Phoenix Foundation The Phoenix Foundation is a New Zealand indie rock band formed in Wellington in 1997. History Early years and ''China Cove'' The band was founded by Conrad Wedde, Samuel Flynn Scott, and Luke Buda in 1994 while students at Wellington High ...

* Reb Fountain * The Subliminals

Compilations

Flying Nun also released compilations of a cross-section of its artists. These are now the only easy-to-find documents of certain featured artists. * ''

Tuatara Tuatara (''Sphenodon punctatus'') are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. Despite their close resemblance to lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. The name ''tuatara'' is derived from the Māori language and m ...

'' (1985) * '' In Love With These Times'' (1990) * ''Roger Sings the Hits'' (1991) * ''Getting Older 1981-1991'' (1991) * ''Pink Flying Saucers over the Southern Alps'' (1991) * ''Shrewd: A Compilation of NZ Women's Music'' (1993) * ''The Sound Is Out There'' (1995) * '' Pop Eyed'' (1996) * ''15 – Flying Nun Records'' (1996) * ''

Topless Women Talk About Their Lives ''Topless Women Talk About Their Lives'' is a 1997 New Zealand film about a group of twenty something friends. It was based on a TV series.Scarfies ''Scarfies'' (released as ''Crime 101'' in the United States) is a 1999 New Zealand black comedy film set in the southern university city of Dunedin. The film's original title comes from the local nickname for university students, scarfie, so ...

'' (film soundtrack) (1999) * ''

Under the Influence - 21 Years of Flying Nun Records Under may refer to: * "Under" (Alex Hepburn song), 2013 * "Under" (Pleasure P song), 2009 *Bülent Ünder (born 1949), Turkish footballer *Cengiz Ünder (born 1997), Turkish footballer *Marie Under Marie Under ( – 25 September 1980) was one o ...

'' (2002) * ''Speed of Sound'' (2003) * ''Very Short Films'' (music video compilation DVD) (2003) * ''Second Season'' (music video compilation DVD) (2004) * '' Where In The World Is Wendy Broccoli?'' (2006) * ''Flying Nun 25th Anniversary Box Set'' (2006) * ''Tally Ho!: Flying Nun's Greatest Bits'' (2011) * '' Time To Go: The Southern Psychedelic Moment 1981-1986'' (2012)

References

External links

Official Flying Nun siteradionz.co.nz/flyingnun
– A five-part Radio New Zealand documentary about the label and its musicians.
tallyho.co.nz
– website that has a large number of Flying Nun concert posters, magazine advert and misc.

— detailed feature-article fro
Stylus Magazine
on Flying Nun artists
"Dunedin and Christchurch Bands"
— Part Two of a 3-part TV New Zealand series from 1984, featuring interviews and live footage of several Flying Nun Records bands.
Heavenly Pop Hits – The Flying Nun Story
full length 2002 documentary on

NZ On Screen NZ On Screen is a state-funded online promotional showcase of New Zealand television and film. Funded by NZ On Air, it provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide ...

Flying Nun Records master tape archive
at the

Alexander Turnbull Library The National Library of New Zealand ( mi, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations" (''Nat ...

{{Authority control New Zealand independent record labels Record labels established in 1981 Alternative rock record labels Dunedin Sound