Tiny Ruins and Estère join global Give A Home gigs in Auckland and Wellington

1,000 musicians perform around the world at refugee solidarity concerts on 20 September

Amnesty International and Sofar Sounds are delighted to announce that Tiny Ruins and Estère are set to play New Zealand shows as part of the refugee concert series Give a Home. They will join a global line-up that includes Ed Sheeran, Hot Chip, Ani Difranco, Moby, Tom Odell, Hozier, refugee musicians from Syria, Palestine, Sudan and many more. The intimate concerts will take place in people’s homes and other interesting spaces around the world on 20 September.

Joining Tiny Ruins at the Auckland show will be local singer-songwriter Ciaran McMeekan who has just released his self-titled debut album, and Auckland-based electropoptress, Theia.

In Wellington, ‘electric blue witch-hop’ queen Estère will be supported by alt-country dude Miles Calder and Wellington indie popsters Opal House, with more to be confirmed.

“For me the cause is really important, because I believe all people are connected and this is something that affects the whole world. I’ve worked closely with refugee families as far as integrating them into their new homes and it’s a subject close to my heart. If people only knew of the trauma they have gone through fleeing their homes to seek safety, they would realise that they deserve nothing but our support,” said Wellington’s Estère.

The full list of acts is available on sofarsounds.com/giveahome where fans have until 10 September to apply to win tickets for shows in their city.

Launched on 20 June on World Refugee Day, Give a Home aims to unite people in showing solidarity with those forced to flee their home and raise awareness of solutions to the refugee crisis. At 300 plus shows in more than 200 cities across multiple continents, music fans will host intimate gigs in their homes with some of the world’s biggest music stars, refugee artists and activists.

The shows are in support of Amnesty International’s I Welcome refugee campaign, which mobilises public pressure on governments to welcome refugees. Amnesty International’s research shows that 80% of people around the world are open to welcoming refugees, yet governments are failing to do their part.

**ENDS**

For more information or to arrange an interview please call Mo Farrell on 021 253 3280

NOTES TO EDITORS

New artists added to the line-up include (A-Z): Alain Clark, Amber Coffman, Archive, Blaenavon, Bokanté, BØRNS, Esperanza Spalding, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, HAERTS, Hozier, Imelda May, Jakubi, Jesse & Joy, Joan As Police Woman, Jon Hopkins, Julia Holter, Kamau, Kate Miller-Heidke, Laura Mvula, Ledisi, Lisa Hannigan, Ludovico Einaudi, Majozi, Marika Hackman, Mashrou’ Leila, Moby, Molly Kate, Kestner, Nick Mulvey, Nick Waterhouse, Peggy Seeger, Ryan Cabrera, Seratones, Shamir, Sivu, Stonefield, The Hoosiers, The Mowgli's, Time For Three, To Kill A King, Tom Odell and We Were Promised Jetpacks.

Give a Home
The concert series is a collaboration between Amnesty International, the world’s largest human rights organization, and Sofar Sounds, a London-based company that specialises in throwing secret concerts in people’s homes all over the world.

Give a Home is supported by VICE and Facebook Live, which will be live-streaming and promoting the concerts globally.

Fans have until 10 September to apply for tickets through sofarsounds.com/giveahome. People can select the city and event of their choice to be in with a chance of winning two tickets. They have the option of making a donation when applying for tickets. The funds raised by the project will support Amnesty International’s work campaigning for the rights of refugees.

Tackling the global refugee crisis
The refugee crisis affects the lives of more than 22 million people worldwide. Almost all are hosted outside the wealthiest nations, which simply aren’t doing their fair share to help. Currently just 10 of the world’s 193 countries host more than half its refugees.

Amnesty International’s I Welcome campaign calls on all governments to do more to ensure refugees are protected and able to enjoy their human rights. The campaign also aims to build grassroots solidarity with refugees, including through community-led programs to sponsor refugees.

© Scoop Media