Soundtrack to your studies - 2013

The main orientation concert took place in the John Hood Plaza, behind the Business School. The line-up was Kids of 88, Ladi6, and Mt Eden Dubstep. Here is some footage of the event - can you spot yourself in the crowd?

Ladi6 recorded her breakthrough hit ‘Like Water’ while living in Berlin, but it struck a chord at home where it reached the Top 10. 

This was the year that UMO released one of their standout tunes ‘So Good At Being In Trouble.’ Ruban Neilson had been living in Portland ever since the Mint Chicks moved there to try to break the music scene. Instead it was a song that he sent out to blogs anonymously under the name Unknown Mortal Orchestra that broke his music in the US.

However the biggest international success story by a kiwi act that year was undoubtedly when Lorde’s song ‘Royals’ hit No.1 in the US - an amazing achievement given that she wrote it when she was only 15 years old. In actual fact, back in New Zealand she didn’t sell as many albums as Sol3 Mio, but she nonetheless became our country’s biggest superstar.

The big event of that summer was Rhythm and Vines. Attendees got more than they were expecting when Kim Dotcom booked a slot at midnight and blew a huge amount of money on spectacular lighting and a massive fireworks show. However, his album was a failure despite a massive ad campaign, so probably better to check out the festival’s headline act, Rudimental.

What was on your turntable while you were on campus? Suggest songs to add to our 2010s playlist, and you could win $100 Flying Out voucher.