Tony Daunt & The Dauntless

When you say "Country Music" to many Kiwis it often evokes just two words: 'achy' and 'breaky'.

But, like the current wave of stellar country music artists in Aotearoa, Tony Daunt & The Dauntless' are more 'Man in Black' than 'Rednecks in Uncomfortably Tight Blue Jeans'.

Band leader Daunt heads the five-piece ensemble: a haunting pedal-steel, the warmth of upright bass, the juxtaposition of timeless acoustic guitar against smooth Telecaster guitar tones all underpinned by drums and punctuated with Daunt’s gritty, emotional singing.

The hard-hitting, ball-breaking, punk-infused-rock outfit he fronts, Swampland, have been around for nine years releasing their debut album 'Sinners' in May 2021 but there were always songs that didn't quite find a home with Swampland so Tony Daunt & The Dauntless was born. These songs are Swampland's wayward, moody orphans with dirty fingers and heavy hearts.