Leejay Trenwith from Albert Street on the Amplify journey
Bringing young musicians and experienced artists together to create music is what Amplify is all about. For Albert Street, the project has meant meeting some of New Zealand's best-known musicians, playing alongside them, recording songs and seeing first-hand what happens behind the scenes in the music industry.
For Leejay Trenwith, getting involved began with an invitation to be part of the journey.
“We got involved in Amplify by the amazing Lachie reaching out to us and asking if we wanted to be a part of this journey of young musicians and old musicians combining together to create awesome songs.”
It was an opportunity to bring different generations of musicians together, share their love of music and create something as a team.
MEETING THE EXPONENTS
Meeting Jordan and Harry from The Exponents was one of the highlights of the experience for Leejay. He describes them as exactly the kind of classic rock-and-roll musicians he expected, completely immersed in their music and great fun to work with.
“Our experience meeting the boys from The Exponents was amazing. They were just such classic rock and roll dudes, fully into their music. Love it. Love the scene. They were just so fun to work with. Had such good banter and just such amazing musicians.”
That rock-and-roll attitude also came through in the way they played. Leejay noticed a contrast between the approaches of the different musicians involved in the project, with Don McGlashan bringing a more structured approach to playing and recording, while Jordan and Harry brought their own full-on rock-and-roll style.
“Don was really structured in the way we recorded and played the songs compared to Jordan and Harry from The Exponents. They were just full rock and roll. Do whatever you want. Such awesome parts to both the two amazing artists.”
CHOOSING THE SONGS
Part of the experience was deciding which Exponents songs to play. Leejay and the group listened through a selection of songs, considering both the ones they loved most and those they found the most interesting musically.
“We chose the songs to play by just kind of listening through a bunch of the different Exponent songs and figuring out which ones we just love the most and which ones were the most interesting musically.”
One song stood out as a personal favourite for Leejay: Why Does Love Do This to Me.
“It's just such a classic New Zealand song and got such awesome musicianship throughout the song.”
For Leejay, the musical details were a big part of what made the song appealing. It wasn't just about choosing a familiar track; it was also about appreciating what was happening musically within it.
RECORDING WITH DON McGLASHAN
Another major highlight was playing and recording with Don McGlashan. Leejay speaks highly of Don's musical knowledge, describing him as someone with an impressive understanding of music theory and the recording process.
“Playing and recording with Don McGlashan was amazing. He is just a phenomenal musician and just so smart with all the theory of music and the whole recording side of things. He's just a genius in the whole music industry. So, it was such an honour to play with him and learn from him.”
When it came to recording with Don, the group chose songs that offered interesting musical parts to play. One of those songs was Anchor Me.
“Anchor Me was just so awesome to play. There's just so many cool chords and different notes in there that make it so interesting.”
For Leejay, exploring those chords and notes made the song particularly enjoyable to play. It was another opportunity to appreciate the musicianship behind a well-known New Zealand song while learning from an experienced artist.
MORE THAN JUST RECORDING SONGS
One of the most rewarding parts of Amplify Aotearoa has been seeing the project from the perspective of the young musicians involved.
He describes the experience of meeting rock stars, recording songs and playing music with them as incredible. But he also highlights what it has meant to see young people looking up to these musicians and experiencing what it's like to perform and record music themselves.
“Just to see all these young kids who just look up to these guys so much. Getting to see them play and experience what it's like to play shows in front of an audience. Experience what it's like to record songs in an awesome studio.”
The project has also brought a strong sense of community.
“And just, yeah, the whole community side of it was just so amazing.”
Bringing young and experienced musicians together has allowed everyone involved to be part of a shared musical experience, from playing songs to recording in the studio and performing in front of an audience.
Reflecting on the project as a whole, Leejay describes it simply:
“Was an incredible project. So cool to be a part of it.”
WHAT'S NEXT FOR ALBERT STREET?
While the Amplify experience has provided plenty of memorable moments, Albert Street has also been busy releasing its own music.
“We've just released three singles in the last couple of months and then we've got one more single coming out.”
Those singles are all part of the group's album, which they are hoping to release towards the end of the year, coming into summer.
“Hopefully, fingers crossed, later in the, coming into summer.”
Leejay finishes with a simple invitation for people to listen to the music.
“So yeah. Go check it out.”
With three singles already released, another on the way and an album planned, there is more Albert Street music to look forward to.
