Jackie Bristow and Barry Saunders - A cool Kiwi music collaboration
Two New Zealand musicians have joined forces to release “Good Miles to Go,” an Americana-roots style of song. Barry Saunders, singer and principle songwriter for Kiwi icons The Warratahs, and Wānaka-based Jackie Bristow have collaborated on their debut single and will hold a release party at picturesque Kinross this Saturday.
Bristow spent 17 years in America and has carved out a niche for herself between Wānaka and Nashville, Tennessee, while Saunders has his roots deeply embedded in New Zealand’s music scene. They connected after Jackie was unable to return to America during the Covid-19 lockdowns. She admired Saunders’ work with The Warratahs and a friendship soon developed, and not long after came the music.
Their partnership has seen them tour around New Zealand, but the song will be their first collaborative single together. The song was recorded in Greytown, which is where Saunders hails from. They decided to launch the single at Kinross as it was the same place that they played their first show together and they both really just love playing their and in this beautiful region.
“One of the really big silver linings of Covid and me being back in New Zealand was connecting with Barry musically and building a friendship,” Bristow says. “We’ve been working together and playing shows around the country, playing really nice arts festivals and things like that, and actually, our very first gig together was at Kinross. That’s why it’s really nice that we’re playing there to launch the single.”
The song was written by Saunders and produced by Bristow and aims to encapsulate the essence of their musical journey. Bristow has described the song as not just a song, but as a milestone in a journey together – one that promises to be as captivating as the landscape that inspired it. The release of the single is just the tip of the iceberg as the pair hope to record an EP later this year. The reception to their teaming up has been great from their respective fans and has also resulted in new fans who have discovered the pair as they play various festivals.
“We’ve received very positive feedback, and we get a very good reaction at the shows. Our mutual fans – Warratahs fans and my fans – love us together. I think there’s a real great mix in our voices together, because I have sort of a sweeter voice and Barry’s got a bit of a raspy voice, so it does lock in really nicely together. Then our material works well together and appeals to a similar audience – American roots singer-songwriter music, I guess you’d call it, with a bit of country in there.”
The show will be a celebration and the release party for the single where the pair will play a mix of each of their songs including some duets before the single is performed. It will simply be two acoustic guitars, one harmonica and two voices filling the halls of the venue.
“Good Miles to Go” will be available from Friday 1 March and can be found at jackiebristow.com. Bristow and Saunders will launch the song at their concert at Kinross this Saturday 2 March from 5pm – 7pm.
For tickets and more info on the gig, head to kinross.nz/blogs/events/jackie-bristow-and-barry-saunders-live-at-kinross
