Singer/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Fiona McEwen combines folk, pop, rock and Latin influences to create unique songs with catchy melodies.
Fiona McEwen has been playing music since she was a child, studying recorder, percussion, piano and viola while at school, and in her teens performed in musical theatre productions. She began writing songs and playing guitar after touring the South Island singing backup with a band, "Pacific Roadshow" in 1986, and working and living for some time with reggae musicians in the Far North, where she was one of the original DJs on iwi radio station, Tautoko FM.
Fiona spent the next few years bringing up 3 children and only occasionally performing, but continuing to write songs, often drawing on her life experiences, relationships and feelings. She launched on the Auckland open mic scene in 2004 and has since played at bars, cafes, markets, folk clubs and festivals throughout Auckland and West Auckland, as a duo with Steve Terry on guitar since mid-2006.
Fiona and Steve have played at open mic nights such as Suede Bar, Diablo, Grand Central, PR Bar, Clare Inn and Snatch Bar, been featured artists at venues including the Occidental, Dogs Bollix, Patriot Tavern, Wine Cellar, Kings Arms, Sky City, "Poetry Live" and East Coast Bays Folk Club, performed 3 songs live to air on Alt TV in August 2007, and have performed at festivals including the Prana New Year Festival (2005, 6 & 7), Titirangi Festival of Music (2006, 8 & 9), and the Auckland Folk Festival (2009).
In August 2004 Fiona co-founded a Singer/Songwriters Group with Wendy Morris, and the group has inspired her to write new songs and continuously hone her craft. Fiona has over 50 songs registered with APRA (Australasian Performing Rights Association).
A keen events organiser and promoter, Fiona has organised events including a "Performance Cafe" series at Corban Estate Arts Centre in July-Oct 05, a poetry and music showcase, "Beatspeak" at Lopdell House Theatre, Titirangi, an event during the 2006 Titirangi Festival of Music, a Montana Poetry Day event (July 06) and "All-Originals Nights" at Forde's Bar (Aug-Nov 08). She actively networks local events, gigs, workshops, etc, to a large email database.
"The FM Band", a 4-piece band playing exclusively Fiona's original songs, originally formed in 2006. The most recent line-up has included original "Herbs" bassist, Phil Toms, another member of the "Titirangi Musicians Co-op", an informal group of local musicians who met during the 2006 Titirangi Festival of Music, later ran open mic nights at Toby's Restaurant and Barossa Cafe in Titirangi, jammed monthly at the Laingholm Fishing Club throughout 2007 and had a residency at Roasted Addiqtion Cafe in Kingsland from Nov 07 to Nov 08. They now get together every Friday at the Titirangi RSA for an open mic/jam session which is fast gaining a reputation for being the hub of the West Auckland live music scene.
Recent gig list:
Sept 08 - Forde's Bar All Originals Night with Andrew Healey, Edwina Thorne, Stephe Sea and Phil Toms & the Electric Car / Sept 08 - Dogs Bollix with Rivers Edge, Phil Toms & the Electric Car and S L Macombee / Sept 08 - Packing Shed Gallery & Cafe, Henderson / Sept 08 - Roasted Addiqtion Cafe, Kingsland / Sept 08 - City Farmers Market, Britomart / Oct 08 - Forde's Bar All Originals Night with Warren Hydes, Laurie Driscoll and Dan Sperber / Oct 08 - Roasted Addiqtion Cafe, Kingsland / Nov 08 - Forde's Bar All Originals Night with Katherine Ann-Marie, The Midnite Man, Peary Chicane, Shane
Hollands & Murray Haddow / Nov 08 - City Farmers Market, Britomart / Nov 08 - Roasted Addiqtion Cafe, Kingsland / Nov 08 - Packing Shed Gallery & Cafe, Henderson / Nov 08 - Titirangi Village Market / Dec 08 - Packing Shed Gallery & Café, Henderson / Dec 08 - City Farmers Market, Britomart / Jan 09 - Packing Shed Gallery & Café, Henderson / Jan 09 - Auckland Folk Festival (songwriters concert - backing vox for Wendy Morris & songwriters open mic) / Jan 09 - Packing Shed Gallery & Café, Henderson / Mar 09 - Toby's Restaurant, Titirangi / Mar 09 - Titirangi Festival of Music / Mar 09 - Titirangi Village Market / Apr 09 - Packing Shed Gallery & Café, Henderson / Apr 09 - Roasted Addiqtion Café (guest artist at open mic night) / Apr 09 - Exhibition opening at Upstairs Gallery, Lopdell House, Titirangi / May 09 - Packing Shed Gallery & Café, Henderson / May 09 - Titirangi Village Market /
Jun 09 - Peace concert, War Memorial Hall, Titirangi / Jun 09 - Rhythm & Verse event, Lopdell House, Titirangi
Thanks for your comment, haven't played at the Patriot yet (next Thurs). On first perusal it looks a lot like Pog Mahones (Ponsonby) lots of wood, old-fashioned, not a huge venue...
Cheers for the friendship Fiona! Looks like you've done plenty of playing! Queery, hows the patriot for a venue? I'm looking for places suitable for gigs on the north shore. Blessings, Avril
