Four Decades of Flying Nun Records :: One of the World’s Most Influential Labels
Most New Zealanders (“Kiwis”) felt isolated, or even stuck on the two large islands, the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu), that make up the beautiful country, which, from the rest of the world, seemed detached from ‘society’. I suppose looking out across the oscillating ocean and hearing the subconscious sounds from Los Angeles, New York, and Boston’s, to name a few, iconic music scenes caused a great deal of cultural curiosity, or fundamental fomo for the islanders as they marveled at the melodic memories of the past, present, and future of what would eventually become the "Dunedin Sound," that ultimately reflected the rareness of the world’s ancient waters in such a short time. Those themes of isolation, or the classic conditions of country life mentioned earlier, only breed greatness when you think about the radical revolution of highly motivated individuals who whisper into their work, the sonic secrets of something sophisticated, and soothingly spiritual. Carefully pulling from elements of nearby narratives and the local lore of language, the label and its soon-to-be roster of rarities, and tonal trailblazers would soon take over the essential ears of its liberated listeners, who would themselves be inspired to write, record, and make music in some melodic mania of the century.
“I’d dropped out of university… I don’t know if it was just me, but the music was just so exciting at that time that university became a sideshow, really. “My musical experience is that of a music retailer. I never learned a musical instrument, I was never in a band, I can’t sing, I can’t keep time, I’m not a dancer.”
But everything existential and eagerly explored within the confines of creative consciousness needs a place to call home, and that’s where Flying Nun Records comes into the poetic picture. Based in Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island, the legendary label was established in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd and has since become one of the most influential institutions for indie rock, post-punk, and new wave iconism to have ever been exercised. What a lot of folks from the atmospheric area thought they had been missing out on, or even lacking being in such great distance from the likes of the already dissolved Velvet Underground, Ramones, Talking Heads, Swans, and Mission of Burma, among several others, was not the case. The artists who would quickly emerge from the scene were both melodically monumental and fundamentally forever as a new generation, and a merciless movement in sound began to appear from the almighty ashes of straightforward rock and roll that had dominated the globe for so long. Not that there was anything wrong with acclaimed acts such as Kiss, Foghat, Ted Nugent, or Boston, but the tonal transition from ‘arena rock’ to the ritualistic roots of punk and DIY culture would soon shape the legendary landscape of Gen X, and their sonic stronghold on the world.
At the beginning of the decade, the label would eventually take off, bringing along some of the most lavish local acts such as The Clean, The Pin Group, the first group to be signed to the label for their monumental debut single "Ambivalence," as well as the first band to feature Roy Montgomery, The Chills, The Stones, and countless others all who made the symbiotic scene, and cosmic culture radically rich, and truly groundbreaking. Moving from releasing singles after the label’s first year, FNR began to unleash full-length LPs in 1982, from Chris Knox’s “Ego Gratification Album” and Builder’s “Beatin Hearts” to name a few, but one group would not only lead the label to global greatness, but eagerly establish themselves as being one of the most influential bands to create music. Of course, we’re talking about the Dunedin, New Zealand-based group The Clean. A feverish force led by the Kilgour brothers, this was the type of atmospheric acts that shaped the sovereign country by leaving its melodic mark on the memories, and captivated craniums of listeners, poetic participants, and people of the Pacific for decades and generations to come.
