Credit: Found On Internet

Mangling folksy, alt-countryish stylings with shimmering pop and a sprinkling of disco, Goldenhorse are a red-hot, swoonsome New Zealand band. Their self-produced debut, 2002’s ‘Riverhead’, lingered in the charts there for a full year before hitting the No1 spot, and 2005’s follow-up ‘Out Of The Moon’ shot straight in at No2. And now us lucky Brits have a chance to hear select cuts from both albums, squished together to form ‘Goldenhorse’, the four-piece’s first ever UK release. That should tide us over until their third proper album, out some time next winter.

Daniel Robson got on the blower from Tokyo to singer Kirsten Morell in Auckland, and discovered that she went to school opposite his old flat in London. Honestly, the world is too small.

Kirsten! Tell us everything about your new record.

“Everything? Christ! It’s our first time to release a record in Britain. This is our first album there and it’s very exciting. Shall I tell you how we got together?”

Please do!

“Well, we started about six years ago and we were an eclectic bunch of musicians and artists at university. We met at a film warehouse where a friend of ours stored the props for Xena Warrior Princess; we’d throw parties there and jam and play music together, and that’s how I met Geoffrey [guitar] and the guys.”

Was it easy to find success in New Zealand?

“No, no, no! Contrary to what everyone thinks of New Zealand, it’s not that easy. The industry’s the same the world over. You have to play well and record lots. Luckily Geoffrey and Ed were really good at doing their own recording, so we did a lot of 8-track stuff. We were very much an underground band. We weren’t played by any commercial radio stations for years.”

And now?

“And now we’re successful. And once you’re successful and commercial in New Zealand there’s no turning back, no matter what you do! You can cut your left arm off, you can shit on stage, but there’s no going back.”

Wow. Have you tried that?

“No, no, no, I haven’t tried those things! But it’s good. We’re about to start a third album here.”