A Guide to the label: FLYING NUN

Flying Nun Records is a New Zealand independent record label formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd. Described by The Guardian as "one of the world's great independent labels", Flying Nun is notable for bringing global attention to the Dunedin sound, a cultural and musical movement in early 1980s Dunedin, which gave rise to modern indie rock.

related acts: The Chills, The Bats, The Verlaines, Straitjacket Fits, The Clean, Tall Dwarfs, Chris Knox, Garageland, Dead C, Able Tasmans, Look Blue Go Purple, 3Ds, JPS Experience, Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, David Kilgour, Fazerdaze, Headless Chickens, The Great Unwashed, The Gordons, Sneaky Feelings, Loves Ugly Children,

[hapahapahappy]

The Clean is the most underrated band ever. The Bats are also amazing

[guslima]

WE MISS YOU SO MUCH! How can we discover great bands without your lists?

[AbstractCatsMedia]

The Chills, Jonathan Bree, Princess Chelsea, are prabably my favs

[wlouisharris]

Thank you so much for turning me on to this scene. I had heard The Chills on MTV's 120 minutes and also the Verlaines but I never took much notice. On my long drive home today I listened to the Chills mix on Youtube. It's so very New Zealand. Such great lo fi production. I love all the hooks and jangly guitar. I'm really surprised this wasn't more well known back in my Athens, GA days. We just had so much going on there locally with the Athens and Atlanta scene. Grunge and shoegaze was kind of front of center.

[immersionaccount]

Bird nest roys was arguably the best band of that era

[wlouisharris]

I see Bailter Space is on Flying Nun. They got quite a bit of play on WRAS the local college station in Atlanta at the time. I have one of their cd's.

[georgespencer]

I first heard a Chris Knox (of Tall Dwarfs)song on a public radio station in LA (KPFK) in 1993. I had no idea there was a cool music scene in New Zealand. Of course, I had been living under a rock because it had been going on for many years prior. There is some great footage of early 80’s New Zealand rock shows on YouTube. Good topic, Stella!

[fruitfield]

Tall dwarfs' three songs ep is sooo freaking good

[context_eidolon_music]

I uploaded a couple Bailterspace tunes many years ago. Great stuff. How cool are you!

[wlouisharris]

I would say this scene had an enormous influence on Parquet Courts.

[_widas_]

Fazerdaze is/was under this label so that automatically makes them cool 😎

[jamesleonard]

I wonder if The 3 Ds were on flying nun records. I’ll have to look that up. I saw them once at Ameba records in San Francisco once. 🌊🌊🏄‍♀️🏄‍♂️🪷