May 21, 2025 • 12 mins
One of New Zealand’s most influential music groups is back after five years out of the game.
Fly My Pretties was first formed in 2004, and brought together musicians from a lot of well-known Kiwi bands to record live albums.
The cast includes musicians from the Black Seeds, Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Phoenix Foundation, and The Phoenix Foundation, among others, and was founded by Barnaby Weir and Mikee Tucker.
Tomorrow marks their first release in five years, with their seventh album ‘Elemental’.
Weir told Mike Hosking the project has turned out different to how he would have imagined it, but the core concept is still there.
“I hope that there’s still a lot of, y’know, more leads in it,” he said.
“This new album is really strong, and y’know, in the future, I might not be on the stage, I might be just more of a mental kind of character involved with it, but the concept can just, y’know, continue.”
And, as a special treat, Weir gave an exclusive, acoustic performance.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
One of New Zealand's most influential groups back after five years.
Fly My Pretties, formed in two thousand and four. Can
you Believe It? Brought musicians together from a lot of
well known Kiwi bands to record live albums tomorrow their
seventh album, Elemental Drops. While the group is a host
of people involved, the co founder, leader musical director Barnaby Weir,
front man for the Black SuDS, of course, has been
involved since the very start and he's well as Barnaby morning.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yeah, good morning, Mike, Good morning New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Now, last time we talked was twenty thirteen, so that
was twelve years ago. Yeah, you're a man, You're a
man on the rise. What happened.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well twenty thirteen, I think the Black Seeds were getting
pretty busy. We're about to do a lot more overseas
during at that time, and Fly My Pretties would have
done had done a story, a third album and twenty
ten and we're probably working on the next one the
in here. But it seems like an age ago.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Wow, Fly My Pretty is what you thought they would.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Be, Fly My prittyce as it was just been growing
and bubbling away and simmering away in its own way.
At the start of the projects in two thousand and four,
you know, the idea is still there, that the main
concept is still still operating in that way, a collaboration
of unlikely people together with different stories to tell through music.
So yeah, I mean, it's it's growing. It's different to
(01:18):
how I would have imagined it. It's it's you know,
had long jevity, which has been great.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Exactly will it go forever? Potentially?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I hope that there's still a lot of you know,
more leads in it. This new album is really strong
and and you know, in the future, I might might
not be on the stage. It might be just more
of a mental kind of character involved with it. But
the concept can just you know, continue.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
I'll come to the detail because it was done, but
sort of you can explain massive university and the facilities
there and some of the students that were helping you
out and all of that sort of stuff. But but
but what I'm fascinated most about is as a group,
you get a sound, you get a vibe, there's a
there's a sense of whatever it is you know that
you're about. But what you've done with flym My Pretty
it changes every time. Is that creatively complex or difficult?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, So you know, the core band create that kind
of consistency in the music, and so some of those
people are like Johnie Murphy on drums or Ei fucking
More on drums, or Nigel Pedison from the Black Seeds
on keys, or write people on guitar. Those people keep
that core consistency of the sounds, and then you know,
the guest singer or songwriter comes in and it matches
(02:27):
with that. We you know, we put them on top
of that and it can be it's kind of simple
and complicated, like you've got to get it right, but
you let the lead singer songwriter be themselves, you know,
and tell their story using that plummer pretty's core sound.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
How do you deal with egos? Have there been egos
over the years or not?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Not? Not really not really too many egos? You know,
people can you know, because this everyone's a special guest
and so everyone's on the same wicket as it were,
not not.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Do you invite them? Do you invite them as a
fan of what they're doing, or do you invite them
as a truly creative expression that you might go, yeah,
it's not really my cup of tea. But let's bring
them along and see what they do.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, sometimes a bit of both. Often often it's because
you've just discovered them and we're looking for new people
that are outside of what I already know, and so
we're selecting based on the you know, their songwriting skills.
And sometimes you're like, hey, well that that tone that
they recorded wasn't how I'd do it, So let's do
it the way I'd like to do it, but using
that beautiful talent in storytelling.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
And so from those twenty one years, we're talking about
this is your seventh album, so it's won every three years?
How does it? Who calls who? And when you go,
oh it's been three years ish, or I feel the vibe?
How does that unfold?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yeah? Yeah, this particular one took a little bit longer.
You know, you had you had the COVID thing debacle
and all those kind of things happening, all the said
of my own children were born, and it was a
bit slower on this one. Loop and Mike yet Luke
coprad ucer and founder of Look Recordings. I work with
them closely in their team, so they're always planning in
(04:06):
the background. You know, when's a good time to do it,
and then you have to have the people and you
have to be available, have them available, and you have
to get some ideas. So all those things do have
to come together for it to work there.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, tell me about Massy. So I wasn't cognizant of
Massy having such a facility and why you use it,
how you used what it provided and all the students
have helped out because this is brilliant.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
It is brilliant and in a great kind of extension
of the collaboration process for flym My Pretty So Massy
Music School there is a state of the art, world
class facility with you know, a big orchestral studio, kind
of bigger than Abbey Roads, you style. You can do
a lot of things in there. They've got the TV
production crew as well, is really onto it music production
(04:53):
school and producing school, as well as some just beautiful
equipment vintage and digital. So it's a real joy to
go there. A big, comfortable space and we really utilized
all the all the facilities, including the Great Hall which
was the old museum in Wellington and there's now the
Great Hall, you know, and we use their massive, massive
(05:16):
led screen which is probably the biggest and most high
death in the Southern hemisphere, I believe so. And we
used you know, we went with and used the students
help as part of their courses and outside of their courses.
So we we literally recorded and filmed the shows. Its
sent directly back to the music studios through the desk
(05:36):
onto hard drives. A lot of people evolved with that
and the video into a control room. You know. It
was like it was like a like a big kind
of TV production for for three nights the students.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
I mean, are you so cool that the students knew
who you all you guys were or no?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I think I think the students were aware. And then
then obviously we're seeing wants to get involved in a
professional level or volunteer. At the time, I'm not sure
how well known we are, but you know, we became
kind of well known when people, you know, we're hearing
that that was happening.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, but what an amazing thing if you're studying and
the real deal and and you're a bit of a
legend and all that stuff, and suddenly you're there and
you are part of a real project. It's not like
universe theory. It's real, that's right.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, I reckon. It's really it's a really cool, yeah,
really cool extension of the collaboration process. And we've never
done anything like that before. It was well well brought
through and we're you know, we're bloody lucky actually to
be able to you know, get you know, bro deals
and use all their facilities and equipment and people and.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The whole thing you're telling me, is this true? I
can understand recorded in a week, but the whole thing
was written, done dusted in our week.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yes, well, you know, the singers would have been songwriters,
would have had these songs that they might have had
them for a couple of years, or they might have
just made them. You know, the write increase process was longer,
but the actual putting together of the show was basically
a week in terms of the you know, in terms
of the recordings and the visual side of it in
the stage performance. Yes, it was very it's a very
(07:10):
quick and intense turnaround, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
What do you do the rest of the time.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
A lot of parenting and and scheming and writing, writing
songs and you know, working with the Black Seeds a lot,
and and you know, thinking about the future of what
plans have been put together in the musical world.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Give me the prices as a seasoned player in this industry,
give me a current scenario of the New Zealand music
scene as you see it.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Oh well, it's quite hard to express that. As an
older person who's been doing my thing, which is, you know,
necessarily the most modern sounding music. I see it as
quite a healthy industry. Lots of young talent coming through,
lots of new music all the time, which is quite
hard to listen to it all. I mean, I don't
know who who can actually listen to it all. But
(08:00):
there's some exciting talent that I think that's coming through,
and it all rise to the top, and hopefully people
have longevity in their interest in music, not just a
single here and then that's you later. And so I
hope that people stick with it and I think the
good stuff will always rise to the top.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Fantastic, all right, So the album tomorrow elementally, you've got
a couple of shows. I'll give the details on that.
Is everyone going to the shows, by the way, is
it like a cost one thousand?
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yes, yes, everyone's going to the shows that's on the album.
So we're literally directly doing that same show it'll be
slightly different here and there, but this time we're not
needing to record it or anything like that, so that
pressures off. It's just about expressing it. Now.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Brilliant, and you've recorded something exclusive for us. What is it?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah? Sure, So it's a song called Face the Sun,
which my good friend in compadre and co producer, Lawton
Corter wrote with me and mind. Actually it was actually
a gift, a song as a gift, which is a
great gift to get. He made me co rider and
he said, this is you know, this is suit to you.
It's it's it's kind of it's about morality really in
(09:06):
facing facing that. Not that you know we all face that,
but I don't see myself as an old old gentlemen.
But imagine imagine Bond John Jovi on on horseback, you know,
telling you about his thoughts on morality.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, okay, fantastic. And you recorded that for us? Did
you get in one take or not?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
And I did it yesterday. It's just me and a guitar.
It's it's an exclusive track for you. Might because it's not.
People haven't heard it ever.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
From two at three shows, there are only five hundred
people in October last year, so it's an exclusive year.
It's just me and a guitar. Yet it took a
few takes.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Good on you, mate, well done, lovely to catch up.
We'll see you in thirteen years or eleven or twelve. Actually,
let's make it sooner than that. Barnaby weir fly, my
pretty is. They're coming the end of May May thirty
Q Theater, Auckland, thirty one Q Theater, Auckland, June fourteenth
at the Isaac Royal, The Beautiful Isaac in christ Church.
The song face the Sun.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Don't call me a good man.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Too many wrongs that I've done. When the clock starts falling,
I'll be calling his name right in his son, I
can tell the words of wisdom and the things that
I've underne But I'm feeling my shoulder.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I just wanted my.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Last days in the sun. The nights are getting colder.
I just won my last days the son. Feeling my choulder,
I just wonted them, my last days in the The
(11:18):
knights are getting corner. Lost days in the sun, feeling
much older. Love my lost days into the sun. The
knights are getting corner. I just fall into my last
days into the sun.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
So don't call me here good man to men and
wrongs that I've done. When the clock starts falling, I'll
be cold, and you make you ride.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
Into the sun. I can tell you word to wisdom
and the things that I've thundered. Feeling much older, I
just walled my last days in in the sun.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
The nights I get in colder. I just won't my
last days in the sun, nights getting colder. I just
want to live my last days in the sun.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Hey, there you go, just for us and that nice.
We'll get them on again once again. May thirty, Q Theater,
May thirty one, Q Theater, fourteen June Isaac Royal Fly
my prettiest album, out tomorrow. For more from the Mic
Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. It'd be from
six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
One of New Zealand's most influential groups back after five years.
Fly My Pretties, formed in two thousand and four. Can
you Believe It? Brought musicians together from a lot of
well known Kiwi bands to record live albums tomorrow their
seventh album, Elemental Drops. While the group is a host
of people involved, the co founder, leader musical director Barnaby Weir,
front man for the Black SuDS, of course, has been
involved since the very start and he's well as Barnaby morning.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yeah, good morning, Mike, Good morning New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Now, last time we talked was twenty thirteen, so that
was twelve years ago. Yeah, you're a man, You're a
man on the rise. What happened.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well twenty thirteen, I think the Black Seeds were getting
pretty busy. We're about to do a lot more overseas
during at that time, and Fly My Pretties would have
done had done a story, a third album and twenty
ten and we're probably working on the next one the
in here. But it seems like an age ago.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Wow, Fly My Pretty is what you thought they would.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Be, Fly My prittyce as it was just been growing
and bubbling away and simmering away in its own way.
At the start of the projects in two thousand and four,
you know, the idea is still there, that the main
concept is still still operating in that way, a collaboration
of unlikely people together with different stories to tell through music.
So yeah, I mean, it's it's growing. It's different to
(01:18):
how I would have imagined it. It's it's you know,
had long jevity, which has been great.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Exactly will it go forever? Potentially?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I hope that there's still a lot of you know,
more leads in it. This new album is really strong
and and you know, in the future, I might might
not be on the stage. It might be just more
of a mental kind of character involved with it. But
the concept can just you know, continue.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
I'll come to the detail because it was done, but
sort of you can explain massive university and the facilities
there and some of the students that were helping you
out and all of that sort of stuff. But but
but what I'm fascinated most about is as a group,
you get a sound, you get a vibe, there's a
there's a sense of whatever it is you know that
you're about. But what you've done with flym My Pretty
it changes every time. Is that creatively complex or difficult?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, So you know, the core band create that kind
of consistency in the music, and so some of those
people are like Johnie Murphy on drums or Ei fucking
More on drums, or Nigel Pedison from the Black Seeds
on keys, or write people on guitar. Those people keep
that core consistency of the sounds, and then you know,
the guest singer or songwriter comes in and it matches
(02:27):
with that. We you know, we put them on top
of that and it can be it's kind of simple
and complicated, like you've got to get it right, but
you let the lead singer songwriter be themselves, you know,
and tell their story using that plummer pretty's core sound.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
How do you deal with egos? Have there been egos
over the years or not?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Not? Not really not really too many egos? You know,
people can you know, because this everyone's a special guest
and so everyone's on the same wicket as it were,
not not.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Do you invite them? Do you invite them as a
fan of what they're doing, or do you invite them
as a truly creative expression that you might go, yeah,
it's not really my cup of tea. But let's bring
them along and see what they do.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, sometimes a bit of both. Often often it's because
you've just discovered them and we're looking for new people
that are outside of what I already know, and so
we're selecting based on the you know, their songwriting skills.
And sometimes you're like, hey, well that that tone that
they recorded wasn't how I'd do it, So let's do
it the way I'd like to do it, but using
that beautiful talent in storytelling.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
And so from those twenty one years, we're talking about
this is your seventh album, so it's won every three years?
How does it? Who calls who? And when you go,
oh it's been three years ish, or I feel the vibe?
How does that unfold?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yeah? Yeah, this particular one took a little bit longer.
You know, you had you had the COVID thing debacle
and all those kind of things happening, all the said
of my own children were born, and it was a
bit slower on this one. Loop and Mike yet Luke
coprad ucer and founder of Look Recordings. I work with
them closely in their team, so they're always planning in
(04:06):
the background. You know, when's a good time to do it,
and then you have to have the people and you
have to be available, have them available, and you have
to get some ideas. So all those things do have
to come together for it to work there.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, tell me about Massy. So I wasn't cognizant of
Massy having such a facility and why you use it,
how you used what it provided and all the students
have helped out because this is brilliant.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
It is brilliant and in a great kind of extension
of the collaboration process for flym My Pretty So Massy
Music School there is a state of the art, world
class facility with you know, a big orchestral studio, kind
of bigger than Abbey Roads, you style. You can do
a lot of things in there. They've got the TV
production crew as well, is really onto it music production
(04:53):
school and producing school, as well as some just beautiful
equipment vintage and digital. So it's a real joy to
go there. A big, comfortable space and we really utilized
all the all the facilities, including the Great Hall which
was the old museum in Wellington and there's now the
Great Hall, you know, and we use their massive, massive
(05:16):
led screen which is probably the biggest and most high
death in the Southern hemisphere, I believe so. And we
used you know, we went with and used the students
help as part of their courses and outside of their courses.
So we we literally recorded and filmed the shows. Its
sent directly back to the music studios through the desk
(05:36):
onto hard drives. A lot of people evolved with that
and the video into a control room. You know. It
was like it was like a like a big kind
of TV production for for three nights the students.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
I mean, are you so cool that the students knew
who you all you guys were or no?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I think I think the students were aware. And then
then obviously we're seeing wants to get involved in a
professional level or volunteer. At the time, I'm not sure
how well known we are, but you know, we became
kind of well known when people, you know, we're hearing
that that was happening.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, but what an amazing thing if you're studying and
the real deal and and you're a bit of a
legend and all that stuff, and suddenly you're there and
you are part of a real project. It's not like
universe theory. It's real, that's right.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, I reckon. It's really it's a really cool, yeah,
really cool extension of the collaboration process. And we've never
done anything like that before. It was well well brought
through and we're you know, we're bloody lucky actually to
be able to you know, get you know, bro deals
and use all their facilities and equipment and people and.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The whole thing you're telling me, is this true? I
can understand recorded in a week, but the whole thing
was written, done dusted in our week.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yes, well, you know, the singers would have been songwriters,
would have had these songs that they might have had
them for a couple of years, or they might have
just made them. You know, the write increase process was longer,
but the actual putting together of the show was basically
a week in terms of the you know, in terms
of the recordings and the visual side of it in
the stage performance. Yes, it was very it's a very
(07:10):
quick and intense turnaround, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
What do you do the rest of the time.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
A lot of parenting and and scheming and writing, writing
songs and you know, working with the Black Seeds a lot,
and and you know, thinking about the future of what
plans have been put together in the musical world.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Give me the prices as a seasoned player in this industry,
give me a current scenario of the New Zealand music
scene as you see it.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Oh well, it's quite hard to express that. As an
older person who's been doing my thing, which is, you know,
necessarily the most modern sounding music. I see it as
quite a healthy industry. Lots of young talent coming through,
lots of new music all the time, which is quite
hard to listen to it all. I mean, I don't
know who who can actually listen to it all. But
(08:00):
there's some exciting talent that I think that's coming through,
and it all rise to the top, and hopefully people
have longevity in their interest in music, not just a
single here and then that's you later. And so I
hope that people stick with it and I think the
good stuff will always rise to the top.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Fantastic, all right, So the album tomorrow elementally, you've got
a couple of shows. I'll give the details on that.
Is everyone going to the shows, by the way, is
it like a cost one thousand?
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yes, yes, everyone's going to the shows that's on the album.
So we're literally directly doing that same show it'll be
slightly different here and there, but this time we're not
needing to record it or anything like that, so that
pressures off. It's just about expressing it. Now.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Brilliant, and you've recorded something exclusive for us. What is it?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah? Sure, So it's a song called Face the Sun,
which my good friend in compadre and co producer, Lawton
Corter wrote with me and mind. Actually it was actually
a gift, a song as a gift, which is a
great gift to get. He made me co rider and
he said, this is you know, this is suit to you.
It's it's it's kind of it's about morality really in
(09:06):
facing facing that. Not that you know we all face that,
but I don't see myself as an old old gentlemen.
But imagine imagine Bond John Jovi on on horseback, you know,
telling you about his thoughts on morality.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, okay, fantastic. And you recorded that for us? Did
you get in one take or not?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
And I did it yesterday. It's just me and a guitar.
It's it's an exclusive track for you. Might because it's not.
People haven't heard it ever.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
From two at three shows, there are only five hundred
people in October last year, so it's an exclusive year.
It's just me and a guitar. Yet it took a
few takes.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Good on you, mate, well done, lovely to catch up.
We'll see you in thirteen years or eleven or twelve. Actually,
let's make it sooner than that. Barnaby weir fly, my
pretty is. They're coming the end of May May thirty
Q Theater, Auckland, thirty one Q Theater, Auckland, June fourteenth
at the Isaac Royal, The Beautiful Isaac in christ Church.
The song face the Sun.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Don't call me a good man.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Too many wrongs that I've done. When the clock starts falling,
I'll be calling his name right in his son, I
can tell the words of wisdom and the things that
I've underne But I'm feeling my shoulder.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I just wanted my.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Last days in the sun. The nights are getting colder.
I just won my last days the son. Feeling my choulder,
I just wonted them, my last days in the The
(11:18):
knights are getting corner. Lost days in the sun, feeling
much older. Love my lost days into the sun. The
knights are getting corner. I just fall into my last
days into the sun.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
So don't call me here good man to men and
wrongs that I've done. When the clock starts falling, I'll
be cold, and you make you ride.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
Into the sun. I can tell you word to wisdom
and the things that I've thundered. Feeling much older, I
just walled my last days in in the sun.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
The nights I get in colder. I just won't my
last days in the sun, nights getting colder. I just
want to live my last days in the sun.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Hey, there you go, just for us and that nice.
We'll get them on again once again. May thirty, Q Theater,
May thirty one, Q Theater, fourteen June Isaac Royal Fly
my prettiest album, out tomorrow. For more from the Mic
Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. It'd be from
six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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Come hang with Amy Poehler. Each week on her podcast, she'll welcome celebrities and fun people to her studio. They'll share stories about their careers, mutual friends, shared enthusiasms, and most importantly, what's been making them laugh. This podcast is not about trying to make you better or giving advice. Amy just wants to have a good time.