Americana in Aotearoa _{by Madelaine Empson}

It’s been a great couple of years for the band You, Me, Everybody. In 2021, they released their debut, critically acclaimed album Southern Sky, and were named as finalists in the Aotearoa Music Awards for Best NZ Folk Artist. In April this year, Netflix released episode four of the second season of Sweet Tooth. Titled Bad Man, the episode features the bluegrass supergroup performing their song Stranger as the inhabitants of Factory Town celebrate the discovery of the cure for ‘the sick’.

After the appearance took them worldwide and attracted a larger audience, You, Me, Everybody are looking forward to getting out on the road, playing tracks from their previous releases, and trying out some new material this July, with Wellington’s San Fran on the cards for the 9^th.

The band was founded by brothers Laurence Frangos-Rhodes (guitar, vocals) and Sam Frangos-Rhodes (vocals, mandolin, fiddle). It features Kim Bonnington (vocals) and Nat Torkington (banjo), with Rob Henderson from The Wellington City Shake-‘Em-On-Downers recently welcomed into the fold following James Geluk’s departure overseas. Together, these talented acoustic instrumentalists showcase the best of Americana in Aotearoa, pushing the boundaries to create their own form of New Zealand progressive bluegrass.

Upbeat bangers might be part of their repertoire, but this is no pub band. You, Me, Everybody makes music that tackles complex emotional nuances, exploring themes such as alienation, isolation, and of course, the staples: love, loss, and whiskey.