My Mother Made Me Do it" for the Comedy Festival. She is also a voice actress with one of her notable roles being the voice of the Mystic Mother in the finale of Power Rangers. Susan spent several years living in New York City where she did two short films and met her husband, before returning to NZ to live in Tarras. Sooz also recently completed filming in a TV Movie to be released in the USA. ImaginaryFreNZ is Sooz’s first time singing professionally other than in theatre.

Simon’s talent has been shaped by many influences including his professional career in NZ and overseas, including working with international artists including the Monkees, Ringo Star, The Three Degrees and Eddie Calvert. Add to that he played at the pre-wedding party for the second nuptials of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Johannesburg South Africa prior to their wedding in neighboring Botswana. Simon has kept his love of music alive by playing gigs with friends in venues from The Far North to Stewart Island over the past few years.

Will Northcoat

Will has been involved in the music industry both as a performer and a producer over the last few years. He produced a CD “That’s Way’tis” for former ‘Peddlars’ singer/leader Roy Phillips and has produced CD’s for musicians, bands and singers. Will’s involvement in the music industry includes Creative work, product production and sales in media, particularly Radio throughout the South Island. Recently Will has been working as a Solo singer and guitarist, playing Keyboards, guitar and vocals in the local band ‘Werewolves of Lumsden" as well as playing Munkstrap in a production of “Cats”.

He is owner producer of Beyond Sound Ltd Recording Studios, and is a winner of the MLT songwriters prize at the Gold Guitars awards in Gore. Will has also been active in music education and theatre in the Central Otago/Lakes area. With his experience, Will has taken on the role of sound engineer for the 2021 Summer Vineyard Series project as well as being one of the performers.

Emmanuelle

Emmanuelle is from Dunedin and grew up to the soundtrack of her mother’s classical piano and her father’s folk guitar. She graduated from the Nelson School of Music in 1994 and Christchurch’s National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art in 1996, after which she released her first solo cd - a 5 track EP called “In a Piece”.

In the late 90s and early 2000s Emmanuelle could be found dragging her enormous keyboard around on the London Underground from gig to gig, often lamenting that she never learnt to play the guitar! When she returned from the UK, Emmanuelle joined Dunedin reggae/rock band Evolver and they released an EP called Edin and a video for its single “Stars” before disbanding in 2005. In 2007 Emmanuelle travelled to the secluded Titi Islands south of Stewart Island and wrote her 3rd EP “Vegetarian Savage” on a home recording studio run off a diesel generator. It is available on Spotify.

Music took a backseat for a few years as Emmanuelle raised her children in the suburbs and became a teacher of hot yoga, but she rediscovered her piano during lockdown and is back from hiatus with a small set of mostly covers and a few originals. Emmanuelle describes her sound as “folk-dub” and has often been likened to Tori Amos and Kate Bush, although she prefers the style of Joni Mitchell and Lana Del Ray.

Matty & Fem

Matty was born in Roxburgh and grew up in Central Otago. He comes from a farming background and after working and traveling he came back to live in his hometown. Having been a shearer for a long time, his life took a different direction when he decided to study music ten years ago. Since then he has played in varies bands, venues and open mic’s.

Fem moved to New Zealand in October 2019 from The Netherlands. She has been an actress, singer-songwriter, presenter and has toured through Canada, America and Europe for her work. She writes and plays her own music on piano and guitar and played her own theater show in Amsterdam.

In 2019 she decided to go traveling the world and ended up in New Zealand where she met Matty at an open mic.

Together they have played at music in markets, restaurants, open mic’s, at private events.

Matty and Fem are currently expanding their skillset with Fem taking up electric bass and Matty experimenting with a looping pedal and percussion.

The duo are working towards to writing and recording their own music.