THIRTY years ago, Christchurch record-store worker Roger Shepherd founded Flying Nun, which became one of New Zealand’s most influential record labels. Shepherd left the label in 1999 but couldn’t stay away – buying it back again ten years later. Melody Thomas talks to the man who’s celebrated Kiwi music every month, for the last 30 years.
What does NZ Music Month mean to you?
I think of the New Zealand Music month symbol representing a lens focusing and illuminating the many different types of music being made here. I do get sick of the negativity about the month but I guess it is what happens around anything that succeeds or generates interest here in New Zealand. The focus should be on the music itself not the nature of the event. Every month should be New Zealand Music Month.
NZ music is much more popular nowadays - is NZ Music Month even necessary anymore?
Anzac Day was not very popular at all 30 years ago and we don’t talk about doing away with that, now it is more universally considered an important event.
 How do you think being from this country affects the music we put out?
Any music that does not reflect where it comes from (physically and socially) is just going to be a poor sad out of date attempt to reproduce something from overseas. Reflecting our environment (place, weather, people, temperament etc) it is an essential component of any worthwhile music coming from New Zealand.
What Kiwi music can you not get enough of at the moment?
Current favorites are F in Math, Kerretta, Surf Friends, Mountaineater, Dear Times Waste, T54s and always and at all times The Clean. They were consciously instrumental in changing the way we think about “our” music.
What gigs will you be going to, if any, in May?
So far this month I have seen David Kilgour and the excellent Sayne P. Carter show and off to see Billy T.K. and Doug Jerebine, Chris Matthews Monkey Wrench and Surf friends this week.
Music is... an essential part of our lives every month
If I were a Kiwi musician, I’d want to be like... David Kilgour
It’s important to support homegrown musicians because... if we don’t, no one else will, and they will all starve