A pair of young Wellington music entrepreneurs are taking local music out of traditional venues and into some of the capital’s most iconic everyday spaces as part of an ambitious new project for NZ Music Month.

Ryan Kenton and Connor Matthew, founders of Wellington-based music promotion company Strawberry Jam, are recording 31 live performances by local musicians and bands at unique locations across Wellington throughout May.

The duo are producing and releasing one live music video every day during NZ Music Month, showcasing both emerging local talent and the creative spirit of the city.

Since early April, recording sessions have taken place everywhere from barbershops and supermarkets to cafés and brewpubs, transforming everyday Wellington spaces into live music stages.

“Our goal is to showcase our local talent, and our awesome city, and why it’s such a creatively diverse place to live,” says Kenton.

The project is also shining a light on Wellington businesses that have opened their doors to support local music. Because many sessions are filmed in active businesses, each recording is completed in less than two hours, including setup and filming.

The performances are airing daily on Radio Active.FM at the same time each day, while videos are being shared across Strawberry Jam and Radio Active.FM social media platforms throughout the month.

The pair, both aged 21, launched Strawberry Jam after completing their Bachelor of Commercial Music at Massey University in 2025. In just over a year, they have organised more than eight gigs across Wellington, focusing on making original local music accessible and affordable for audiences.

Matthew says what started as a passion project has quickly become a fulltime career.

“This is my first year making a living from music. It’s challenging, but incredibly rewarding,” he says.

Both say their studies at Massey prepared them well for the realities of working in the music industry.

“The music industry is definitely a sector where you can’t just be good at one thing. You have to be very multifaceted. So do as much as you can, learn as much as you can, and keep as many doors open as possible because that’s how you’re going to get employed,” says Matthew.

With the final recording scheduled for May 17, the project is set to culminate in a vibrant archive of Wellington’s music scene during NZ Music Month - celebrating local creativity, collaboration and community.

Check out the performances on the Strawberry Jam social platforms below:

Website

YouTube

Instagram