Dave Dobbyn

Dave Dobbyn is a restless creative soul who is fond of keeping fans guessing about his musical moves. The Auckland-born artist first found fame in the late ’70s while a member of New Zealand rockers Th’ Dudes, adding a mighty yowl to the jangly “Be Mine Tonight” and the boisterous, grittier “Bliss”. Dobbyn spent the first half of the ’80s fronting the pop-leaning DD Smash—a group known for the violin-augmented anthemic hit “Whaling”—before going solo and finding immediate success in 1986 with “Slice of Heaven”, a quirky New Wave hit featuring the reggae band Herbs. He topped the New Zealand album charts with the politically and socially conscious 1998 effort The Islander, and his rich solo career has been heavily driven by collaboration; among other things, he teamed with fellow sonic shapeshifter Neil Finn for 1994’s Twist, and he was part of Flight of the Conchords’ 2012 charity single “Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)”.