South Street Studio

06/06/2025

West Coast Compilation Number Three from Weka Records and South Street Studio is now released. Hurrah. 🙂

12 track album

04/06/2025

A few months ago now We got a call from a Holly Cash asking if the studio did voice overs. We had to say that South Street was not a commercial studio but one dedicated to recording original West Coast South Island New Zealand music on a strictly charitable basis but if she could tell us a bit about what she wanted and if it fitted our mission then we'd help out if we could even though we'd never done them before. Holly explained that is was for a Maori+ documentary series being made about a local West Coast family and their travelling lifestyle.

So we said sure, we'd give it a go. Nothing happened for a couple of months. Then a call, could we do it later in the week? Sure.

Up the 64 steps to the studio bounded the 'talent' as she called him. And that's how we met Kahuraki Mahuika. So we set up one of our best mikes in the vocal cubby and a few hours later it was done and on it's way North.

Then it transpired that Kahuraki was a musician as well so out came a guitar and a bass and away we jammed. As he left we said "you and your wife can come back any time and we'll record some of those original Waitatas and Karakias of yours."

Months passed and we heard nothing until Geoff bumped into Kahuraki in Greymouth one day and a Waiata recording session with him and Ashley was organised. Regular sessions followed and down went some of their original Waiatas and Karakias with more to follow. Kahuraki said that the film company was very happy with the voice overs we did, it was just what they wanted, and the series would be out in 2 weeks.

And here it is and you can watch it if you like, all six episodes, showing our beloved West Coast and it's Maori people in all their glory. We can sure hear the work we did on it;

https://www.maoriplus.co.nz/show/nomad

Now the work to record Kahuraki & Ashley's Waiatas and Karakias continues. We couldn't be happier..

Kia kaha.

01/06/2025

We've been busy. But they're all done now. 🙂

The CD stock box is now full up with studio made, hand built, original runs of Layla Moth's "MUSIC-L-CHEMY' album and Weka Records 2025's 'West Coast Compilation Number Three'. Plus re-pressings of the sold out 'West Coast Compilation Numbers One & Two', Trevor Hayes unique avant garde 'poetry set within music' album 'Fiasco Junction', Geoff Columbus's 'Songs of Family and the Coast' and just a couple of sets of Soulfire's 6 CD 'Life's Times' epic. All bound for sales across the bar at our West Coast Compilation Number Three release party at the Buck's Head Tavern Taylorville from 2pm on Saturday 7th May.

$20 each (except for Soulfire's 6 CD epic) with discounts if you buy two or more. Get 'em across the bar on the day. 🙂

01/06/2025

Self explanitory really. See you there on the 7th. 🙂

This is the first time we've managed a double cd release. And at a gig to boot. 😀

WK007 - The West Coast Compilation Number Three. 2025's compilation album featuring 12 original songs by Lunar Reef, Freedom Alley, Shimmer & Stone, Rick Watson, The Barry Benfell Band and Dave Pugh. The official Bandcamp release date is Saturday the 7th June with our hand made South Street Studio cd's available for the special introductory price of $20 at the release party at the Buck's Head Tavern Taylorvile from 2pm on Saturday the 7th June and...

WK008 - Layla Moth's MUSIC-L-CHEMY official Bandcamp release date is Friday the 13th June at the Two Thumb Brewery Nelson but 20 pre-release cd's will be made available for the special one of price of $20 also at the Buck's Head Tavern gig in Taylorville on the 7th June. Plus a performance by Layla and her band.

So come on down to the Buck's Head Tavern Taylorville on Saturday 7th June from 2pm, pick up a great souvenir cd and spend part (or all) of your Saturday arvo / evening among friends listening to some of our great West Coast artists put on a show just for you.

See you there or bee square. 😊

23/05/2025

Monday night Waiata's. Surely the best of times. 🥰

29/04/2025

Yay Layla. 🙂

Every now and then in our world of original performing artists we come across someone who seems to have it all; Great songwriting, great lyrics, great singing and great playing. Layla Moth is one such person and we can’t tell you how thrilled we are to welcome Layla to our Weka Records family for the next stage of her journey as a ‘real deal’ original, performing and recording artist.

We’ve worked with Layla for a couple of years now, both with the label when she contributed two of her songs to our first Weka Records ‘West Coast Compilation Number One’ album and then in our South Street recording studio as she worked up her first full length solo album. And it is this album that will soon be released on our Weka Records Bandcamp site in download and CD format and across many other streaming platforms by NZ’s distributor and music publisher DRM where she's recently been accepted into their stable of artists.

Are we excited? You bet. Welcome to our family Layla, we can’t wait to help you get your first album out and hopefully many more of your originals in future - in fact we’ve already started recording the next!

Here is Layla's page:

https://www.facebook.com/mystiq.catalystic

Her Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/layla.moth/

And you can access Layla's Bandcamp site directly here:

https://laylamoth.bandcamp.com/

🙂

26/04/2025

We always try to get to our annual 'Art in the Park' show in town and see if we can pick up some new pieces for the studio. Especially from the Art-4-Me stand run by WestREAP.

This year it's Debbie's cool Teddy Bear and Michael's groovy Tui both now hanging in the mix room. See you next year for some more.

26/04/2025

When one of your townsfolk decides it's time to hang up the kit and sell his gear one might just be able help him offload things he no longer wants. Things that you've been quietly keeping an eye out for for a while.

And what better way than to buy 2nd hand local. It helps everyone.

So we now add to our arsenal a nice, Korean made, Squire Precision bass that'll get loaded with flatwounds and replace our Cort PJ bass doing the same job, an Indonesian made, big head, Squire Strat that'll also get new strings and probably a lot of live use in the Runanga Blues Band and finally a good old 12" Fender, FM65R, tr**ny guitar amp with genuine spring reverb. We can see that wee chap heading out with the blues band as well.

We bid you welcome to the inventory at South Street Studio and thanks Joe. 🙂

16/03/2025

Since we fired up the studio we've had the pleasure of studio band drummer Barry's wonderful 70's, maple, Premier drum kit in the North East drum room. It's appeared on many a South Street Studio recording.

But it's now back on the road with the Runanga Blues Band so we've swung this little 20" Pearl Forum, satin finish, maple, 5 piece in it's place. Re-skinned with Evans hydraulics and a Remo coated Ambassador on the snare it's on with the shows.

And many thanks for the loan of your Premier's Barry.. 😁

14/03/2025

We don't get to the famous Fox River Wednesday night jam often enough but with Emily, David & Kay at the studio it was well worth the trip up to have a play and a sing and pay our respects to Wee Bill lost to us just a couple of weeks ago. Sorely missed.