Noisy Neighbours

One of the things that was attractive to come over here as well, was recording facilities and making good sounding records — where today people are making great sounding records in their bedrooms, and people are making great sounding records in their bedrooms in New Zealand.

– Mi-Sex keyboardist Murray Burns on one of the reasons Kiwi musicians used to come to Australia

The influence of Flying Nun bands on Australia, particularly in Melbourne, is very strong. There are several bands here, whether it's the Sea Stories or Underground Lovers or whatever, that look to Martin Phillipps as being a really great songwriter, and there are younger bands here that sound exactly like the Straitjackets.

– Flying Nun Australia/Mushroom Records executive Simon Baeyertz

In all honesty I think New Zealanders have injected a hell of a lot into the Australian music scene.

– Singer Jenny Morris

I never 'became' a singer, I always sang, that's what we did...it was almost a form of entertainment.

– Singer and songwriter Margaret Urlich on her natural relationship with music

From about 1966 through 'til about 75 there was a really healthy scene in New Zealand in terms of recording, in terms of up and coming talent, support by record companies [and] the Happen Inns and the C'Mons and the various TV shows ... it was a wonderful time for a New Zealand artist to get a much better grounding than they could in Australia...

– Music producer Peter Dawkins on the Kiwi music scene

I was like 17, 18, and really for me my career was all over in New Zealand, because of the phenomenal success that I had. It was just...overkill and there was nowhere to go, so it was like I either went back to playing football and you know, working in the factory, or I gave it a shot — so I decided to come to Australia.

– Singer Jon Stevens on his decision to relocate to Australia in the 1970s

I heard about a little band around the corner called Mi-Sex and...it was the same reaction exactly as I'd had with Dragon some five years before. I just looked at them onstage and [said] "I've got to sign these guys".

– Ex-HMV producer Peter Dawkins on signing Kiwi band Mi-Sex gigging in Australia

It gave us a fresh perspective on New Zealand living in Australia ... we started to exploit, in a way, our 'New Zealand-ishness' in various song references, bits of lyrics; just generally referring to it and using it as a kind of...a mythical place, almost.

– Tim Finn

The thing that I think has influenced New Zealand singers both rock 'n' roll and straight, more than any other influence at all, is the Māori culture; there's no doubt in my mind about that at all. The Māori taught us how to sing, how to love singing, how to harmonise, how to have fun.

– Legendary music promoter Harry M Miller on the influence of Māori culture on New Zealand singers

Johnny Devlin — he was the one that really started it going. He was hotter than the Beatles. I mean people just went bananas.

– Music promoter Harry M Miller on Kiwi rocker Johnny Devlin's impact in Australia in the 1960s