Greatsouth blends Māori history and alt rock on new album Hellhole of the Pacific
Musician Payton Taplin, performing as Greatsouth, has released a new album that challenges New Zealand's national narratives through Māori alt rock and taonga pūoro.
Greatsouth's album Hellhole of the Pacific, three years in the making, combines Māori history, traditional instruments and alternative rock to question what it means to be a good New Zealander. The project critiques romanticised portrayals of the country while highlighting struggling whānau and infrastructure challenges. Taplin, a 27-year-old artist balancing music with full-time work and family, has been nominated for a Silver Scroll and is set to tour Australia next month.
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Greatsouth on making music and what it really means to be a good Kiwi
With his new album, Hellhole of the Pacific, Greatsouth turns Māori history, taonga pūoro and alt rock into a challenge to New Zealand to reconsider the stories we tell ourselves. The Mitsubishi Galant with faded red paint about to peel…