News
Waikiki hit the road16/6/20032002 was the year audiences around the country discovered the young, fresh sounds from hip Sydney-siders Waikiki. Releasing their debut album "I'm Already Home" with the hit singles "New Technology" & "Here Comes September" Waikiki's distinctive and favourable style warmed the hearts of many fans both here in Australia & New Zealand. This year Waikiki get set to release their brand new single "Complicated" on June 30, 2003. Written by Juanita Stein & Ben Lee, the commercial release also includes a non-album track titled 'You're Still Good' plus two tracks recorded by Triple J's 'Live At The Wireless'. To celebrate the release of "Complicated" Waikiki are preparing to hit the road mid year adding sunshine tunes to beat the winter blues. Catch Waikiki performing at the following venues next month:
2nd The Zoo - Brisbane, QLD 4th The Annandale - Sydney, NSW 5th Caringbah Inn, NSW 9th Enigma Bar - Adelaide, SA 10th National Hotel - Geelong, VIC 11th Duke Of Windsor - Melbourne, VIC 12th Duke Of Windsor - Melbourne, VIC 18th Cambridge Hotel - Newcastle, NSW 19th Green Room - Canberra, ACT |
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Juanita solo performance this Friday19/5/2003
Friday 23rd May
In a rare solo performance Juanita Stein from Waikiki headlines, supported by Laura Imbruglia. Should be a special night featuring two very talented young female performers. Resident Shake DJ, The Sundance Kid will also be on hand to spin lots of happening tunes after Juanita's set. Plus special guest DJs throughout the night! |
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Extras Required19/3/2003Interested in hanging out with Waikiki for a day and being in the video clip for the next single, Complicated? They will be shooting the clip on Sunday March 30th at a location in Newtown, Sydney and they need as many extras as possible. If you are interested, please email seven_seventy@hotmail.com stating your full name, contact phone number and your age. |
*Hottest 100 results27/1/2003A big congratulations go to Waikiki for scoring two songs in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2002 with New Technology coming in at #69 and Here Comes September coming in at #36. To check out the rest of this HOT list click here. |
It's gonna be a Big Day Out for Waikiki6/11/2002The Big Day Out organisers have announced the second round of performers for the 2003 festival circuit and included in this years line-up are our very own Waikiki. The dates and venues for the shows are
Jan 19th Sun Gold Coast Parklands Jan 25th Sat Sydney Sydney Showground Jan 27th Mon Melbourne Melbourne RAS Showground Jan 31st Fri Adelaide Royal Adelaide Showground Feb 2nd Sun Perth Claremont Showground Tickets are on sale now. For further information on the exciting line-up and other show information check out www.bigdayout.com |
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Waikiki are verrrrry Lucky!18/10/2002The next single from Waikiki is the rocking LUCKY, where Joel steps out from behind the backing vocal/guitar duties, and takes up lead vocals!! Taken from the debut LP, I'm Already Home, the video clip for the new single (out late November) was shot recently and the guys can't wait to take it to the road and radio... And just your luck, you'll get to see the guys performing live again very soon - as they're hitting the road with Augie March on their national tour! Catch the guys supporting Augie March nationally from November 7 - December 4:
31 - Wollongong Uni, Wollongong, NSW
November 2 - Stonefest Festival, Canberra Uni, ACT
December 1 - Kelts Bar, Blaxland, NSW
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*Wobbly Radio interview and stuff9/10/2002This is the second interview that Waikiki have done with Wobbly Radio. This time it's with the enigmatic other two, Glenn and Jimmeh. "Wakiki were our guests a few months back on Wobbly when they launched their New Technology single. They're now back with their debut album I'm Already Home - a tapestry of rockin' tunes, quiet pop and even a little country thrown in for good measure. Catch up with the band's drummer Glenn and guitarist Jimmeh to hear how to make a killer record, and where the inspiration comes from." You can check out what they had to say here. Also it's has just been announced that Waikiki will be supporting Augie March on their Strange Bird tour. "...they (Augie March) are taking one hell of a tour around this wide brown land too. The Strange Bird Tour with special guests the on-fire Waikiki and the redoubtable Rob Snarski & Dan Luscombe (erstwhile Blackeyed Susans) is on sale from next week and takes in some of the country’s finest theatres as well as some of the finest country pubs." As always, stay cool! :) |
Trip Trip Triple J18/9/2002It's Waikiki week over on the Triple J playlist, with next week seeing Waikiki's debut album, I'm Already Home rocking our socks off as the Feature Album of the Week!! Remember to vote for them in the Net 50 on www.abc.net.au/triplej/net50/vote.htm and make sure you tune into Richard Kingsmill's show tonight, to hear a live to air interview with the Waikiki crew. |
*I'm Already Home released today16/9/2002The long-awaited debut album has finally been let out of its cage today, so it's time to show your allegiance to the 'ki by going out and getting a copy this week! Let's see if we can't make it a great debut for them. Along with that have come a swathe of articles and interviews that I'm busily trying to sift through and transcribe right now, and please if you do find an article, why not share it with the rest of the Waikiki world by doing the same and sending it here! I'm sure there are gonna be plenty of articles that I'm gonna miss so all help is much appreciated! All in all it's exciting times ahead for the band no doubt! All I can say now is "Good luck, and bring on the gigs!" |
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Waikiki Rock The Casbah9/9/2002Well not quite... but they are gonna be rocking the suburbs when they head out for a number of instore appearances about the place! It's a week before the release of WAIKIKI's debut album, I'm Already Home, and things are getting exciting. The album tour is kicking into gear on 25th September out Adelaide way (there are already plans for shows in November, including WA and Canberra!), and the instores around all these dates are going to be free live performances - all ages and good for you too. So check out the dates below and we'll see you there! The guys album is due out next Monday, and includes some spunky stickers, interchangeable covers, and is a general, all-round treat for your senses, so make sure you get one quick! Word has it that there will also be a limited amount of new free WAIKIKI t-shirts for the first people to buy the albums, so scoot on over!
14 Mall Music, Manly, NSW *1pm 21 HMV Mid City, Sydney, NSW *1pm 25 Big Star, Adelaide, SA *4pm 27 HMV Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC *4pm 28 JB HiFi, Chadstone, VIC *1pm
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September comes to Pepsi Live!29/8/2002Waikiki's new single, Here Comes September, is getting a flogging on radio, and the clip (in which Ben Lee even makes a cameo) is all over TV! You can catch Waikiki strut their stuff live on stage at the next Pepsi Live record, which is this coming Wednesday 4th September @ City Live, Fox Studios, Moore Park. Entry is free by RSVP to pepsi_live@hotmail.com The night kicks off at 7pm, and they are appearing alongside 28 Days and 1200 Techniques. This is going to be a great night so hop to it!
Also check out these photos of the guys on their recent visit to New Zealand.
top : at The Edge FM in New Zealand and below : at Channel Z, the top station in New Zealand (*Also news has it that in Melbourne last week, Juanita sang on a couple of tracks for the new collaborative album for Tom Morgan and Evan Dando, produced and played on by Something For Kate's Paul Dempsey. The album is to be released in the coming months on the High Fidelity Recordings label. If you're interested check out www.somethingforkate.com for more details. Something to look out for I say!) |
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Waikiki do Pepsi Live!20/8/2002Time to get stuck into some heavy album touring for Waikiki - and if you're out and about in Sydney on September 4th, head on over to City Live @ Fox Studios (Moore Park), because Waikiki will be performing live and free at Pepsi Live! Register your details online at pepsi_live@hotmail.com or call 02 9959 2228, and then rock up on the night for a free drink and some fine tunes. Alongside our Waikiki kids, 1200 Techniques and 28 Days will be ripping up the walls so make sure you come along! |
It's Coming... It's Coming Home!12/8/2002Waikiki are gearing up for their debut album release mid-September, and they've also just locked in a run of dates for their album tour, which will be throughout September and October! The 'I'm Already Home' tour will be announced soon so keep an eye out for the upcoming sonic assault on the country! (*The single has also hit today, so go out and get a copy now! And also keep an eye on their official site, www.waikiki.au.com or is that www.waikikisun.com.au?!, which is sure to be offering some new tracks from the album! Man that's a lot of exclamation marks!) |
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Waikiki Live on JJJ!6/8/2002If you're near a radio tomorrow, or online for the teched-up people, make sure you tune into Triple J Radio nationally, to hear WAIKIKI live! At 4pm they'll be going into the studios to talk to Charlie and Nicole on Drive, and play a live acoustic track for us! Don't forget to vote for their new single, Here Comes September, on the Net 50 and Super Request too! |
*Home in September25/7/2002Well we're down the home stretch, the album is now finally within sight, YAY! But before that, we have the next single coming up, the second from the forthcoming album, and so I thought I might just post a few extra things about it. The new single, along with the title track, will also include their perennial set closer, Mud (woohoo!), and also an acoustic version of New Technology for all you cruisers out there. The title track written by Juanita and Ben Lee was apparently intially done on an eight track in a Bondi flat with Lee appearing on both that demo and in the single's final form. Here Comes September has also gone to radio this week and got its first spin on Triple J's Oz Music Show this week (hopefully Richard's realised they're no longer a trio :P), and for those of you who missed it, you can hear the whole show again for this week only through the links below.
Ben Lee has also given his thoughts on the single on his website www.ben-lee.com saying that "this song is something im really proud of. pure pop that betrays a melancholy heart. it's also the first time any new music of mine will be released in a while. juanita and i have been writing songs together for sometime but this is the first one we ever wrote. it was in august last year, and to me, eerily holds an ominous tone for the coming month. when i hear it now i have mixed feelings. i cant help but remember the chaos and loss of last september, but also feel a swell of affection for juanita who has grown into a great friend and collaborator. i went down to melbourne recently to do a cameo in the video for this song. had a great time hanging out with the band. i know i've been raving about them for a while, but waikiki's moment has finally arrived...." Well that's about all I have for now. (I might have a go at transcribing it, though, with one line in the prechorus I'm a bit iffy about, we'll see) I guess all that's left now is to sit back and wait (impatiently) for August 12 and September 16, I'm sure it's gonna be worth the (very long) wait! (P.S. I forgot to mention the video for September is also out now! You can see when it's on Rage through their playlists) |
Here Comes September!9/7/2002Waikiki have a new single coming out very soon! August 12 sees Here Comes September being released instores, and the track (that Juanita co-wrote with buddy Ben Lee) goes to radio in the next week! Keep an ear out for the track (which features both Ben and Juanita on vocals), and the cool clip that accompanies it. Ben Lee even makes a cameo on it! Other Waikiki news sees the band on the road right now! They're currently doing the rounds with Dan Brodie on The Young & The Reckless Tour! They will be tarago-ing around the country for quite a while... and then they stop on over for their first trip to New Zealand! Then when they're back from their overseas jaunt, they step into the support role for No Doubt. Phew!! |
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Hey Baby Hey Baby HEY!2/7/2002
News is out that WAIKIKI have been named as the support for the upcoming No Doubt Australian tour!
21 @ Festival Hall, Melbourne, VIC
Well done! Check out the guys on the left, who were on Rove Live this week! (*They've also announced their tour with Dan Brodie & The Broken Arrows happening this month all around the country, so make sure you get ya dance pants on and rock on over when they hit a town near you! Also look out for the new song Here Comes September going to radio shortly!) |
Doin' It For The Kids!13/6/2002Waikiki recently popped into SN:TV (on Nickelodian) to sing, chat and act!! Yep, not content with just singing the tunes, the Waikiki crew took their turn at acting in a short skit on the show, and loved it! The band have now had a taste for TV (did you catch them on Channel V's The Gig recently?) and will next be playing on THE PANEL (19th June!) so make sure you tune in! Right: Waikiki at SN:TV L-R: Joel, Jimmeh, Glenn and Juanita High 5 it up! |
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Totally Splendid!23/5/2002Oh oh oh oh... time to take a breath and relax as we've just heard some MIGHTY fine news! Yes, the lineup for this year's Splendour in the Grass festival (Byron Bay) has been announced, and the weekend of the 20th and 21st July is going to be a ripper.
It's so worth your while! |
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*Official Waikiki website back online
22/5/2002Well if any of you guys have been trying to get into their site since around last week, you would have noticed that it was down (or thought that it didn't exist).
But all is well now, so you can go back and have a gizz as well as joining in on all that message board posting frivolity via their ever increasingly popular forum! With any luck you may even get an answer from one of the gang!
I've also put up an articles section where I'll be putting up articles and interviews (it's a bit sparse at the moment but hopefully time will change that). You can access it from the menu below, under the imaginative title of "Articles"!
And last but not least, hope you have all been catching their gigs and TV appearances of late. Don't forget that Channel V will be screening the half hour gig they did soon and if they're still to come to a place near you, well, you know the drill!
*The secret sounds of living7/5/2002Just a mention that Waikiki will feature on the second "The Secret Life Of Us" soundtrack (they were also on the first one as well). It's instores through Liberation Music on Monday 10 June. The track listing is as follows:
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*Time off interview
1/5/2002Well here's another interview for your perousal.
It's with Juanita and was sourced from the Time Off web site.
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*Wobbly radio interview28/4/2002During my regular weekend trawl of the net, I found this really cool interview with Juanita and Joel. I won't bother going into what's in the interview here, I'll just let you check it out for yourself here You also may need winamp to hear it, otherwise it might chuck a wobbly on you! :) And also check out the Wobbly Radio website while you're at it, at www.wobblyradio.com |
Waikiki Shake Up Pepsi Live
26/4/2002WAIKIKI are performing live on Pepsi Live next week, and if you're in Sydney you can come along and check out all the action!
At Fox Studios (City Live) they will spend the afternoon recording their new single, New Technology, with a number of other acts (One Dollar Short, Rhubarb and Disco Montego, featuring Katie Underwood) on Wednesday 1st May.
It's free to come along, plus you get your first drink free (subject to bar availability) so there's no excuse not to come! Just call the Pepsi Live crew on 9959 2228 to register your details, or email: pepsi_live@hotmail.com
We'll see you there!
Waikiki Wow them at the VIRGIN Megastore Opening!17/4/2002Sydney's Waikiki were the star attraction (of course!) when they played at the opening of the VIRGIN Megastore in Melbourne last night (16th April)! Playing a number of songs from the new album (still to be released), including their single New Technology, we can bet that these Bondi babes most definitely impressed Richard Branson & Co! Check out Waikiki doing a number of shows over the coming months, including their Sydney single launch this Friday and Saturday night at Sydney's Hopetoun Hotel! |
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New technology
15/4/2002Waikiki's new track, New Technology, has debuted at #11 in the alternative charts this week, and #69 in the national ARIA charts! What a great entry for the guys!
*New Technology released today
8/4/2002Well as the heading suggests, the New Technology EP is out now. So what are you waiting for? Go get it......that means now!......unless you've already bought it......I guess......um......Yeah! (Am I out of it today or what?)
And for those who are planning on having a lazy afternoon tomorrow, can I join you? Whoops! Sorry, couldn't resist ;)...What I meant to say was that the band will be making an appearance on triple j's drive program tomorrow, with Charlie Pickering and Nicole Fossati sometime between 3pm-6pm. So there you go! Who says I don't care?
*An update from this wee scamp
27/3/2002Waikiki have just finished their sojourn around Australia with Machine Gun Fellatio, but never fear, with the upcoming release of the New Technology EP, I'm sure lots more gigs are just around the corner, so now there's no excuse not to see them!
I managed to catch their gig at Manning Bar, Sydney Uni and they were in rocking form! I think it's fair to say it was the best support gig I had ever seen from them, with lots of love in the house from a very appreciative MGF crowd. Their new material is coming up a treat (this album has got to be something special), and with the sighs from the crowd when Juanita announced their last song, it was quite apparent that they had picked up a lot of new fans! I also saw a few familiar faces from previous Waikiki gigs, one of whom showed me the set list for the night (thanks Sarah!)
So for those of you who are wondering what the song titles for the upcoming album may be, here's the set list from that night
- Joels Song (*a working title I think?)
- Under Bed (Under The Bed)
- U're Still Good (You're Still Good)
- Did I
- Falling
- Enough
- September (Here Comes September)
- Frail
- Alrite
- Picadilly
- New Technology
- Mud
They've also put up a new track on the site, but it's an EP track, not that promised album track yet. It's called Is He Fair, so go check it out at www.waikiki.au.com
And last but not least, New Technology debuted on Triple J's net 50 at #30 last Saturday, so let's keep it in there and hopefully push it higher guys! I'm sure it's not gonna kill you to put in a vote or two (did I just say two?) every week for the next month or six :) So vote for it here now!
The Drum Media's New Technology review
26/3/2002New Technology? But there's a harmonica solo in there. No matter. More propulsive and pop hooked than I seem to remember them being live, the, umm, 'Ki (hmm, maybe, maybe not) send the guitars at you in waves. Then completely disable you with Juanita's vocal commanding your attention with just enough sex and sneer to make it inescapable. Production by Ric Ocasek (The Cars! Legend!) sticks necessary 80's new wave gloss on it, and we hereby anoint another contender. They can still do the softer, as in Is He Fair, which is The Sundays for the new millennium. We can still call this the 'new', can't we?
Waikiki Hook Up With Gota Cola
25/3/2002Very exciting news is that the album to be released later this year, is going to feature a track Juanita co-wrote with Gota Cola's Tylea at last year's Writers' Bloc.
Called You're Still Good, the track has come up great and is undergoing mastering as we speak!
(*Must be one helluva shindig they got up there with the Chit-Chat/Juanita collaboration "Mad And Beautiful" also spawning from those sessions. And for all you guys out there that fit the description "cute", this song (You're Still Good) is for you, apparently! Lucky bastards! lol)
*Official Waikiki site updated
19/3/2002Well after a (very) long time between drinks, the official site has been updated and given a very snazzy new layout to boot.
Among other things, there's some news on the band, a new bio/profile section (with jimmeh getting a mention), the track listing of the new ep, new pics, and some tantalising prospects in the wings, with the band appearing in a doco about women in rock (I take it Juanita will be most prominent there being the resident female), and the promise of a preview of one of the new tracks off the album to come.
But why just take my word for it? Give it a whirl at www.waikiki.au.com
It also seems that the monikers from the presents... EP have been dropped, well on the site at least, so I guess I'll be doing the same.
Speaking of the new single (lovely segue-way), here's a quote from this weeks Drum Media - "It (the New Technology single) also includes four non-album tracks and having already heard the single, my god the album must be a cracker if these mighty fine songs are only deemed good enough to be B-sides" - certainly has whet my already insatiable appetite!
Liberation Music sign new Distribution deal with Warner Music!
13/3/2002Monday night saw the crews from Liberation Music and Warner Music Australia have an official launch party, to celebrate the new long term Sales & Distribution deal between the two companies.
The terms of the new agreement will see Warner Music staff taking on a more active role with promotion and publicity of the Liberation roster (including the associated labels 2Q and Luxor) in both Australia and New Zealand, along with the current Liberation staff.
The first scheduled Liberation releases thru Warner Music will include the "New Technology" EP from highly fancied Sydney band Waikiki (produced by Ric Ocasek), and the debut single from Melbourne dance band Origene on Liberation's dance imprint 2Q Records. International releases will follow from Dawn Robinson (ex En Vogue and Lucy Pearl), Grant-Lee Phanti & Spearhead album.
Triple J's Oz Music Show!
11/3/2002Great news this week on Triple J's Oz Music Show, when we see the new release from Waikiki (New Technology) get an airing!
(*It was also first aired last week, with Richard commenting on the Ric Ocasek/Waikiki combination producing "good results!" It also got played 3 times on Rage last weekend so keep your peepers on the lookout!)
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April 8 sees the release of Waikiki's forthcoming single New Technology8/3/2002Produced by Ric Ocasek [The Cars], and featuring the vocal talents of bassist Juanita Stein, her brother Joel on guitar, plus Glenn Moule on Drums and new kid Jimmy on guitar, the five track single is chock-full with elegant pop hooks and unadulterated rock 'class'. It's certain to be one of those timeless pop songs (Triple J are so certain in fact - its already on high rotation ....) that it's sure to leave ya wanting just a little bit more. The single also includes four essential non-album gems. The video for "New Technology" (added to Channel V first week up!!) was directed by Aria award winning video whiz kid Ben Saunders - who took home the gong at the 2001 Aria Awards for his work on Eskimo Joe's "Wake Up" video. Waikiki have hit the road as they warm up for their upcoming album. |
Waikiki's new EP
6/3/2002Waikiki are about to release their new EP, New Technology, and the vibe is already growing!!
Due to be released in the first week of April, the song is already on High Rotation at JJJ, and Across the Board at Nova Radio in Sydney! All this, plus rotation on Channel V, and MTV are singing its praises too!
The video was shot in Melbourne Victoria. ARIA award winning producer, Ben Saunders (Eskimo Joe, Rocket Science) is responsible for it... and it's a stunner! Keep an eye out!
(*It's been like nine months waiting for me but today was the first time I heard the studio version when Caroline Tran played it on the JJJ Lunch show, on my bday no less! hehehe!)
*Waikiki's O-week gig supporting Spiderbait
1/3/2002Yay! First Waikiki gig I've seen for months and months and months and months and months and months...
Well suffice to say it was amazing to see them up there again, lots of new material of course, about four oldies\regulars that I could recognise (Frail, New Technology and two I've heard regularly at gigs before), and the Nina Simone cover they kick around every now and then. I also got my presents... EP signed by Kikisun which was tres cool. (special thanks to Inga! :) )
Be sure to catch them somewhere near you as they mosey round the country supporting the riotous Machine Gun Fellatio with the odd extra gig here and there.
Waikiki Grab The New Technology!27/2/2002Waikiki sure have been busy beetles of late. They've been recording a stunning debut LP, and the first release from it is the rocking New Technology, produced by The Cars Ric Ocasek! Out at radio next week, this song is to be released on a 5 track EP, which includes 4 bonus non-album tracks... one of which (Mad And Beautiful) was written with the crazy Chit-Chat from Machine Gun Fellatio! And even more exciting, the video clip for New Technology was directed by that amazing wonder, Ben Saunders, who walked away with the ARIA for Eskimo Joe's WAKE UP clip at last year's event. Make sure you check it out! |
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Waikiki Are Back!
20/1/2002It's been a while since the Waikiki troops first splashed onto the airwaves with the track "Frail", that JJJ couldn't get enough of last year!! But now it's well enough time to see some new sounds from the guys, and you won't have to wait long!! They've just emerged from the studio where they teamed up with the wonderful Paul McKercher, and have an album full of tracks that are more than well worth the wait. There's even a track on there that will feature the vocals of lead singer, Juanita, teaming up with fellow Aussie-in-the-US, Ben Lee!
With the new single (called "The New Technology") out in March, to be closely followed by Waikiki's debut album, the wait is nearly over!!