We wanted to close out the month of June with something truly awesome, so we jumped at the opportunity to host a series of Write Nights with the crew from 5am. Over two nights on the 29th and 30th, we brought thirty-two artists and producers into the studio for a collective writing session - and the collaboration blew our minds.
Skillfully curated by Diaz Grimm from 5am, each producer teamed up with a handful of artists to kick off the writing process in five different spaces across the Bigpop complex. Fueled by Toto Pizza and some bevvies donated by our mates at Good Sh*t Soda, they hit the ground running at 6pm to meet the rapidly approaching deadline of 10:30pm.
In conceiving the event with 5am, we aimed to demystify the writing and production process, and to allow these artists to express their creativity alongside new peers. The ultimate goal was for each team to create an entirely collaborative track.
“[The purpose was to] change the culture,” says Diaz, “adding to the diversity within Aotearoa’s music is also a big part of the idea.”
“There's nothing as strong as a team, so bringing the culture together - to grow and nurture the community - is an amazing thing.”
By finding that social culture, all of these emerging artists were able to relax into a cooperative process. We watched new relationships bloom and future collaborations form in real time, and we’re super excited to hear what they’ll lead to in the future.
“Beautiful things happen when creative people come together,” Diaz notes, “some of the greatest moments in music history have come from unexpected pairings: Run DMC/Aerosmith, Kanye/McCartney, Kendrick/U2, the list goes on.”
As the night continued and each track started to take form, it became clear just how valuable this opportunity for collaboration was. Like in any creative endeavour, there’s a risk of slipping into an isolated mindset when writing music; however, given the opportunity to work with artists that they may not have otherwise, everybody was able to build confidence in their work whilst learning from others.
Seeing people relax into the vibe and express themselves more honestly was a thrilling experience. Organizing these Write Nights with 5am was right up our alley - and something we can’t wait to keep participating in moving forward.
“Seeing so much talent in one room always blows me away,” says Diaz, “it’s a great feeling knowing a lot of the people who came through are already teeing up future sessions.”
By the end of the night, each and every group had produced something spectacular - rich with contributions from every member of the team. We hope to see some of these concepts return in future tracks, or entirely new discoveries that could arise from these relationships. Whatever form it takes, we can’t wait to hear more from these insanely talented artists.