Maaka Fisco Annoucnes Release Dates of Upcoming English and Te Reo EP's

June 9th 2017

It's been a busy winter for Auckland-based singer and songwriter Maaka Fiso. He's been working on producing two EPs, one in English and one in Maori, and his efforts will come to fruition when the albums are released June and July.

One of the songs, Written In the Stars, from the English EP of the same name will be released on Friday, June 16.
"It is a song about destiny, pre-determination and fate," Maaka says.  "It's also a song about being positive and having a positive outlook on life, it's a reminder that you can do great things in life."

A video for the song was filmed around five locations in Auckland recently. Maaka has recorded a number of videos for his songs but still likes the buzz of preparation and production.

"It's still a lot of hard work. Driving in to shoot the video I was still a bit nervous, so I had to give myself a pep-talk, so I won't be so nervous and to encourage myself."

The video release will follow the track's release in June.

The English EP, Written In The Stars, will feature five original songs penned by Maaka and will be released on Friday, June 23.

The Te Reo Maori EP, called Moeke, will also feature original tracks by the artist, and will be released on Friday, July 14. "I think there is a real difference between the two albums. The English one has more of a poppy, EDM feel, where as the Maori album has a roots-reggae feel. I guess moving between the two has been a challenge but one I have accepted. Growing up and working in cover bands, you get used to different styles of music and used to switching between styles quickly."

Maaka says being versatile, in terms of languages and music styles, has been a big plus working with the Waatea Music label over the past year. It's also bound to be a bonus as he looks to further his music career. "Writing in Maori can be more of a challenge, especially when it comes to composition because there's fewer words compared to English. But it's something I've managed to achieve. Also, all of these songs are originals, they're mine, so it's up to me to decide how they should be done."

Maaka says he's enjoyed working on the EPs and enjoyed encouragement and support from his label and peers.
"We didn't set any specific timeframe but it was more about the label, production, studio and publication teams encouraging me to write songs for the EPs. And then it was a matter of getting into the studios to see what we could come up with. So yes, it's been a lot of hard work, I haven't had much time to think about anything else but now it's great to be at the point where we can release the EPs."

Maaka hopes to tour the new EPs later this year. For the moment, two release shows were planned for Auckland and Wellington over the coming month.

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