New Zealand singer-songwriter Reb Fountain is bringing her acclaimed album How Love Bends to Australian shores this September.
Fresh off debuting at number one on the New Zealand Music Charts, How Love Bends represents more than just commercial success for the Flying Nun artist. It’s a deeply personal exploration of love as a transformative force, shaped by her experience recovering from a traumatic brain injury in 2021 and her ongoing commitment to “the socialist feminist revolutionary struggle.”
Fountain’s approach to love on the album goes far beyond romance. She sees it as something fundamental to human survival and planetary healing. “Love isn’t something outside of us to acquire – it’s in our hearts, our marrow, it’s literally how we survive and thrive, but we have to nurture it for it to flourish, lest it succumb to the weeds of our humanness,” she explains.
Reb Fountain Australian Tour
- Thursday 18 September: The Trocadero Room, Sydney – Support: Sarah Belkner
- Friday 19 September: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne – Support: Sarah Belkner
- Saturday 20 September: Mitchell Creek Rock & Blues Festival
- Sunday 21 September: Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane – Support: Captain Fighting Machine
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For Fountain, the energy of love – what she boldly calls “cunt energy” – encompasses loving kindness, tolerance, respect, liberty, compassion, openness and gratitude. She believes these qualities are essential weapons against destructive capitalist, colonialist and patriarchal ideologies. “The hunger for power, peace by force, illusory economic growth, eternal attainment; these capitalist, colonialist and inherently patriarchal ideologies might be running the show, but they’re killing us and our planet.”
“We’ve got to work hard to evolve beyond the delusion that might is king, and you, too, can own your little piece of the power pie if you just pull yourself up by the bootstraps and tow the line. This fable relegates love to desire, ownership and ultimately violence. Fuck that.
“That doesn’t just mean taking to the streets or voting – you also have to do the daily mahi (work) in your own life to contribute meaningfully to the revolution. How Love Bends is me reflecting on the nature of the human condition, unpacking my own shit and, hopefully, sharing a perspective(s) or path that resonates with others, as we all try and make sense of and ultimately evolve the trajectory of our world.”
How Love Bends is the first album Fountain has recorded since sustaining a head injury in 2021, and the experience profoundly changed her creative process. The traumatic brain injury forced her to reevaluate not just where she was headed, but how she wanted to journey there. “The lived experience of a head injury is surreal, and that flux state certainly became a tool for revelation and curiosity for myself and my band.”
Perhaps most significantly, the injury led Fountain to explore new levels of trust in her collaborative process. She allowed producer and bandmate Dave Khan to share in and support her songwriting far more than ever before. “It afforded me an opportunity to explore a new level of trust in others and myself with my songwriting… it’s teaching me still.”
Fountain also embraced unconventional methods, doing extensive dreamwork for the album – literally writing songs in her sleep. This openness to the subconscious realm seems fitting for an artist whose work critics now describe as “noir folk-punk.”
She’s relaxed about the classification. “Whatever it is we’re chasing musically, it’s not defined by one genre… I appreciate that folks are finding new ways to describe what we do. I’ve always been open to whatever arises, irrespective of genre and I’m all good with whatever you want to call it.”
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Being part of Flying Nun holds special meaning for Fountain, who grew up admiring the label’s artists without ever imagining she could join their ranks. “I would never have considered I could be part of that cohort,” she reflects. She’s particularly excited about newer additions to the Flying Nun roster like Jazmine Mary, Erny Belle and Ringlets, seeing them as kindred spirits.
“Independent record labels and artists are at the coal face of an industry and livelihood landscape that is really challenging. It’s comforting to travel with compadres who make and share music for the love of it as you wade through the muck and the mire of it all.”
Fountain’s Australian tour will feature different support acts in each city, chosen through personal connections rather than industry calculations. Sarah Belkner, who’ll support in Sydney and Melbourne, worked with Fountain on Neil Finn’s Out of Silence Tour in 2018. “She and I used to stand out the back of the venues and do vocal exercises together… she was a pro, I was wingin’ it. I’ve followed her career ever since.”
Brisbane’s Captain Fighting Machine (aka Captain Conor) comes via her bandmates’ recommendation. “He’s a great lyricist and has been working on new music. I’m looking forward to meeting him in person and hearing him live.”
After the Australian dates, Fountain will join Paul Kelly’s tour in New Zealand – a full-circle moment given her history with the Australian legend. She previously sang backing vocals for Paul Kelly while in band The Eastern, and more recently contributed to his album Fever Longing Still. “Paul’s band are brilliant musicians and great guys to hang out with. We’re looking forward to singing along at the top of our lungs, side of the stage.”
For all the philosophical weight behind How Love Bends, Fountain’s motivation for touring remains beautifully simple. “We just want to come and play live music for folks. It’s our favourite thing to do and we can’t wait to see you there.”
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