You might have thought being half of New Zealand’s "fourth most popular folk parody duo" would be enough for Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie. But no! It turns out he has another band, called the Wellington International Ukelele Orchestra, whose line-up consists of McKenzie and a bunch of his, yes, ukelele-playing pals. Alas, there’s no news where they stand popularity wise in terms of New Zealand-based international ukele orchestras. But you can watch a video with their version of the old Bonnie Tyler tune "It’s A Heartache" and a live revamp of Outkast’s "Hey Ya" below. According to TWIUO member (and Conchords cellist) Nigel Collins, the band are hoping to play some festivals in America next year. "I think we’re better live than in the studio," adds McKenzie himself. "But to be honest, you’re either going to like a lot of people playing ukeleles or you’re not." Meanwhile, the Conchords themselves are still touring the US. You can check out the dates here.
More on Flight of the Conchords:
Conchords get laughs, smash things at Radio City Music Hall
More from EW’s Music Mix:
What’s the best rainy-day song?
Embarrassing albums: What are your most shameful musical secrets?
Take on Me: What are the best–and worst–cover songs?
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These guys are fantastic!
They don’t take themselves too seriously but they do take the music very seriously.
End result = great music and great fun!