Darren Watson is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and guitarist.
Darren Watson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Darren Watson |
| Origin | Wanganui, North Island, New Zealand. |
| Genres | Blues, soul, pop |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Pagan Records NZ (1988–1998) Red Rocks Records (2005–2011) Beluga Records (2012–2017) Lamington Records (2018-present) |
| Website | www.darrenwatson.com |
History
editDarren Watson was born in Wanganui. His first musical experience was playing drums and trumpet but he soon moved on to guitar and was playing in bars and clubs throughout his years at Hutt Valley High School (1980–83).
In 1985, he formed Chicago Smoke Shop with harmonica player Terry Casey and, although Casey left the band in 1987, the band went on to record two charting LPs and several radio hits. The group was also in big demand as a support act by international touring bands. Between 1987 and 1990, Smoke Shop (the 'Chicago' tag was eventually dropped) opened for NZ tours by Robert Cray (twice), Koko Taylor, George Thorogood, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Watson's first solo album in the blues idiom King Size was released in 2002, it was nominated for Best Roots Album at the 2003 New Zealand Music Awards,[1]
In late April 2009 Darren won first place in the blues section of the prestigious International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, with his song "All Going Wrong", a cut from South Pacific Soul. Judges for the competition included Tom Waits, James Cotton, John Mayall, and Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer.[2] Watson has gone on to finish on the 'podium' in 2010, judged in third in the blues category of the International Songwriting Competition for "Can't Get Enough of You".[3]
Watson released Saint Hilda's Faithless Boy in November 2010 on Red Rocks Records. The album was widely praised both in local and overseas media.[4]
In February 2012 Darren performed at the Australian Blues Music Festival in Goulburn, New South Wales, and in May of the same year he headlined the Blues on Broadbeach Festival in Queensland.
Watson's fifth solo album Introducing Darren Watson was released on 7 November 2014.[5] The album peaked at number 26 on the Official NZ Top 40 Album Chart[6] and number 6 on the Official Top 20 NZ Albums Chart.[7]
In November 2017 Darren recorded several tracks for a new album with award-winning engineer Lee Prebble at Surgery Studios. The band for the recording included original Chicago Smoke Shop harmonica player Terry Casey, Steve Moodie on double bass, Dayle Jellyman on piano, and Delia Shanly on percussion.
On 10 March 2018, Darren released music video for "National Guy", a song from Too Many Millionaires.[8]
On 1 May 2018, Watson's sixth solo album Too Many Millionaires was released on Beluga Records.[9] The album entered the Official Top 20 NZ Albums Chart at number 3[10] and the Independent Music New Zealand Top 20 Chart at number one.[11]
Watson toured New Zealand with the album band in support of the new album from 3–26 May 2018.[12]
On 25 September 2020 Watson released his seventh solo album Getting Sober for the End of the World. The album was widely praised in New Zealand with critic Simon Sweetman opining "This is Darren's finest set of recordings."[13] The album debuted at #23 on the NZ Official Top 40 Album Chart.[14] It also charted at #6 on the Official Top 20 NZ Albums Chart.[15] The album was recorded, mixed, and produced by Watson, and included several guest artists including longtime Mavis Staples musical director Rick Holmstrom on guitar on the track Alison Jane.
On 17 December 2020 Recorded Music New Zealand announced that Getting Sober for the End of the World was a finalist for the Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa | Best Folk Artist award at the 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards.[16]
"Planet Key"
editIn August 2014, Watson released the single "Planet Key", which satirised the New Zealand prime minister John Key. As the song had been released in the run-up to the 2014 general election, the Electoral Commission advised that the song would be viewed as an electoral programme and therefore could not be played on New Zealand television or radio, nor could it be sold unless it was labelled as an election advertisement.[17]
Watson chose to remove the song from the iTunes Store, claiming the commission's advice was censorship.[18] John Key commented that the song and its music video was, "quite professionally done. It was anti-us but as a parody it was okay."[19]
In September, before the general election, Watson took the Electoral Commission to the New Zealand High Court to challenge their advice. Justice Denis Clifford reserved his decision, saying the issues were complex.[20]
On 2 April, in a landmark 76-page judgment, Justice Denis Clifford ruled comprehensively in favour of Watson and Jones.[21] Significantly, he held that the Electoral Commission's interpretation of the legislation "would impose limits on the right of freedom of expression of the plaintiffs and New Zealand citizens more generally in a manner which... cannot be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society."[22]
The Electoral Commission immediately appealed Justice Clifford's ruling,[23] and on 20 October 2016 the Court of Appeal ruled for Watson, saying Watson and animator Jeremy Jones were "not representing any political party or vested interest when they made the video", the court said, and were "simply expressing their own political views".[24]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||||
| 1989 | Chicago Smoke Shop: Chicago Smoke Shop |
|
47 | |
| 1990 | Smoke Shop: So Glad |
|
29 | |
| 1996 | Smoke Shop: Fusion at Room Temperature |
|
— | |
| 1998 | Overnight Sensations |
|
— | |
| 2002 | King Size |
|
— | |
| 2005 | South Pacific Soul |
|
— | |
| 2010 | Saint Hilda's Faithless Boy |
|
— | |
| 2014 | Introducing Darren Watson |
|
26 | |
| 2018 | Too Many Millionaires |
|
20 [25] | |
| 2020 | Getting Sober for the End of the World |
|
23 | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
Guest appearances
edit- Bill Lake – Home Truths (1996)
- Marg Layton – Trouble Then Satisfaction (1998)
- Bend – The Underwatermelon Man (1999)
- Midge Marsden – Travel N' Time (2006)
- Matt Hay – Inside Stories (2007)
- Bill Hickman – Crossbones (2019)
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Artists |
NZ Singles | |||
| 1989 | "Mind on My Sleeve" | — | 37[27] | Chicago Smoke Shop |
| "(You Want) Another Man" | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "I Can't Live (Without Your Love)" | — | — | So Glad |
| "So Glad" | — | — | ||
| 2014 | "Planet Key" | 5[28] | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | NZ Music Awards | Most Promising Group (Chicago Smoke Shop) | Nominated |
| 1990 | NZ Music Awards | Most Promising Male Vocal | Nominated |
| 1993 | Wellington Music Awards | Outstanding Overall Performer | Won |
| 1996 | Wellington Music Awards | Best Blues Performer | Won |
| 2003 | NZ Music Awards | Best Roots Album | Nominated |
| 2008 | International Songwriting Competition | Blues | Won |
| 2009 | International Songwriting Competition | Blues | 3rd Place |
| 2010 | International Songwriting Competition | Blues | Hon. Mention |
| 2012 | International Songwriting Competition | Blues | Hon. Mention |
| 2016 | International Songwriting Competition | Blues | Hon. Mention |
| 2018 | International Songwriting Competition | Blues | Hon. Mention |
| 2021 | Aotearoa Music Awards | Best Folk Artist | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Vodafone NZ Music Awards 2003 Winners". 5 July 2009. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ Burgess, Dave (5 July 2009). "It's all going right for songwriter". Fairfax New Zealand. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ^ "International Songwriting Competition Winners Page". International Songwriting Competition. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "In his prime: Darren Watson". Stuff. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart 17 November 2014". Archived from the original on 6 December 2017.
- ^ "Top 20 New Zealand Artists Album Chart". Archived from the original on 6 December 2017.
- ^ "Darren Watson – National Guy". Darren Watson. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Darren Watson – World Class Blues From New Zealand". Darren Watson – World Class Blues From New Zealand. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "Top 20 NZ Albums". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ "IMNZ Top 20 Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018.
- ^ "Scoop: Darren Watson NZ Tour". Darren Watson – World Class Blues From New Zealand. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "Darren Watson: Getting Sober for the End of the World". offthetracks.co.nz. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Aotearoa Music Awards | Outstanding finalists announced for 2021 Best Folk Artist". Aotearoamusicawards.nz. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ "'Planet Key' songwriter prepared to contest ban in court". One News. TVNZ. 16 August 2014. Archived from the original on 18 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ Satherley, Dan (21 August 2014). "Last chance to hear 'Planet Key'". 3 News. MediaWorks. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ Bennett, Adam (13 August 2014). "Electoral Commission orders musical dig at Key off the air". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ^ "No exceptions for Planet Key". The New Zealand Herald. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ^ "Judge rules Planet Key satire not an election broadcast". Stuff.co.bz. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "High Court Finds Electoral Commission Wrong On "Planet Key" – Scoop News". New Zealand: Scoop. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ Trevett, Claire (1 May 2015). "Electoral Commission lodge appeal over 'Planet Key' song ruling". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ Davison, Isaac (20 October 2016). "Planet Key should not have been banned, Court of Appeal says". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "NZ Official Top 50 Singles". Nztop40.co.nz. 17 March 2018.
- ^ "Top 20 NZ Singles Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 17 March 2018.