Songbroker Song of the Day: Great North 'Up in Smoke'

Great North are a folk duo with a little Bruce Springsteen-inspired Americana thrown in.

Over the last decade they’ve cemented themselves as one of New Zealand’s hardest-working and most accomplished independent acts; playing gigs in bars, halls and tin sheds from Auckland to Okarito.

Between shows they’ve released three albums, two of which – Halves and Up In Smoke – both won Folk Album of the Year at the New Zealand Music Awards.

The band, which is centred around husband-and-wife duo Hayden and Rachel Donnell, recently relocated to the Northern Hemisphere in search of larger sheds in which to perform.

Their live shows are filled with the usual; regret, nostalgia, faith, and love - all set to harmony and harmonica.

‘Up in Smoke’ is the title track of their 2014 album and is filled with immediacy, emotion and energy. Listen here. To hear more from Great North, head over to the Songbroker Search Engine.