Back to Self with SPDRTWNBBY

A Friday bonus edition of Selected Works

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes, it takes completely different forms.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been doing a lot of copywriting for independent artists and labels, helping them prepare artist biographies, press releases, and liner notes for their albums. The simple reality is that there just isn’t anywhere nearly as much freelance music journalism going around as there was five, ten or fifteen years ago, so to keep myself in the race, I’ve had to diversify.

Don’t get it messed up though, it’s an absolute pleasure to be invited into people’s creative processes and help them get ready to present their work to the world. So, with all of that being said, here’s some material I helped Spdrtwnbby put together recently for her latest single. Thanks again for thinking of me, Nia.

After a period of reflection, Avondale’s Spdrtwnbby (pronounced spider town baby) returns with ‘Back to Self’ featuring Jarna.

Produced by big al. and mixed and mastered by Jarna, ‘Back to Self’ is a hypnagogic mirage of neo soul, R&B and art-pop, elegantly dressed in oneiric symbolism and poetic metaphors straight out of the South Pacific. For anyone who’s ever spent too long in a dream that didn’t quite sit right, before finding a way forward, there’s a sentiment to hold close here.

“This song highlights turning 25 and experiencing the lightbulb moment of realisation that choosing myself and taking care of myself are the keys to functioning at my best. ‘Back to Self’ is about giving yourself the grace to return to who you are and the things you love.” - Spdrtwnbby

Set against smooth Rhodes, sunrise guitar figures, and a head-nod drum machine groove, Spdrtwnbby and fellow singer-songwriter and producer Jarna accept the things they cannot change before basking in the reflected light as they choose themselves. “So much I could do or say / But that won’t change the way it plays out.”

‘Back to Self’ is accompanied by a gorgeously shot and framed music video directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, the powerhouse force behind the acclaimed STILL HERE documentary series. Tuiburelevu was supported on the shoot by producer duo ‘Afa (Selu-Kian Lealiifano-Faletoese and Claire Patolo), Taute Vaai (still photography) and Ralph Brown (director of photography), who helped realise the video’s fitting sensibilities.

Recommended If You Like: Solange, Aaradhna, Tiana Khasi

About Spdrtwnbby

Spdrtwnbby is a Samoan singer-songwriter and producer from Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Raised in the multicultural suburb of Avondale, her music draws from the rich traditions of jazz, soul and R&B, weaving them into a braided narrative equally informed by diasporic Pasifika culture and history, pop sensibilities, and her love of contemporary visual arts. In her work, she explores what belonging can look, sound and feel like, while considering what it means to be part of Moana Oceania as a whole.

After completing a Bachelor of Music at the University of Auckland and taking part in Tongan producer SFT’s Sample Sessions at Four Shells Kava, Spdrtwnbby spent 2023 and 2024 releasing a series of solo and collaborative singles alongside Jarna, big.al, SoulChef, StephPockets, Romiin, and Lepani. In 2025, she was named an artist-in-residence at Wheke Fortress’s Coconut Clouds Studio, an indigenous-run music studio in Onehunga, for Pasifika and Māori artists.

SPDRTWNBBY BONUS Q&A:

Who are some of your current influences, inspirations, and obsessions?

Influences: Wheke fortress, Solange, Filth.

Inspirations: All the creatives around me.

Obsessions: Supporting as many artists as I can, I really love going to exhibition openings, gigs, hangouts, the whole thing. Community is really vital to my joy.

Do you have a sense of what you’d like to project about yourself as an artist to the world?

I would like to be seen as an artist unafraid to experiment with their artistry, exploring sonic and visual ideas that best communicate a vision. I see myself as an artist who is open to learning more about myself through my experiences with others and to absorbing different ways to approach my practice.

What do you think Avondale means to your music?

Avondale informs the way I approach relationships in the music industry. Being involved with different creative collectives in Avondale meant that I learnt how to approach collaboration effectively, set my expectations, and always remain ready to pivot creative ideas to best serve everyone I am working with. Growing up in Avondale taught me to be genuine.

What’s your personal philosophy on creativity?

Let the ideas breathe, and give yourself grace throughout the whole process. Take care of yourself as a creative; be intentional with your time and connections for your betterment and protection.

Do you have a vision for what you’d like to see more Pasifika musicians and artists in Aotearoa doing, or being able to do, in the next five to ten years?

I would love for Pasifika musicians to continue experimenting with music, in whatever capacity they feel comfortable. I think there is something in having big dreams, audacity and delusions about what we can do as Pasifika musicians. I think there is so much potential and opportunity in exploring areas we may not see ourselves in. In the next five years, I would love for Pasifika musicians to expand their choices of genre, songwriting, and production.

THE DENNIS YOUNG PODCAST SERIES 11:

Like I mentioned earlier in the week, Dennis Young from the legendary eighties American dance-punk group Liquid Liquid recently invited me on his Youtube podcast. You can view it above.

WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

Got To Be Me by Rick Asikpo and Afro Fusion has been touted as the missing link between the dancefloor experiments of Houston and Lagos. Sounds good in theory right? Actually it sounds even better when you’re really listening to it.

I’ve been enjoying revisiting these ambient/experimental noise rock songs from one of Dunedin’s finest groups. More on this soon.

A week or two ago, I received an intriguing DM about this record. I’ve reproduced some of it for your reading pleasure as follows: “What do personal hygiene, industrial safety, Japan, and the dance floor have in common?”

THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY.

FIN.