New Zealand Musician Magazine (Oct/Nov 04)

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Asked to list the influences of his band, Tourist bass player Rob Ranger soon includes Manic Street Preachers. It comes as no surprise to then learn that Tourist's sound appealed to the Manic's Welsh producer/engineer Greg Haver who established a connection with our fine country through his participation as guest producer at Resonate in 2003.

Haver apparently asked NZ On Air to send him music as he was interested in producing some singles for NZ bands. Tourist's song Do You Feel The Cold took his fancy and the band recorded it with him at Auckland's York Street Studios during Easter.

Working with Haver was an opportunity the Auckland band, consisting of Ranger, Peter Rudd (vox, guitar), Scott Gamble (guitar) and Malcolm Rodrigues (drums), jumped at. Tourist put a lot of work into pre-production and Ranger says Haver didn't change much of their song.

"When we went into the studio Greg said 'Play the song and we'll have a listen', because we mentioned to him we'd changed it a bit. So we played it and he said 'Oh that's what I was going to do anyway'," says Ranger.

The rest of the independently released 'Do You Feel the Cold' EP, was mastered by Concord Dawn's Evan Short. Their relationship with Short is one that goes back to their days at Rangitoto College.

Tourist formed three years ago and while the only founding members remaining are Ranger and Rudd, Gamble was a mate from high school and it was while they were playing in school bands they met Short.

The current line up has been together for about a year with the only non-Rangitoto College attendee Rodrigues joining the band after responding to an advert.

Tourist have received extensive airplay with their Coldplayesque single Do You Feel the Cold on the bNet and on Channel Z. They received a NZ On Air recording grant, as well as a video grant for the song, and were one of the first bands to take advantage of the Positively Wellington Business scheme, receiving an additional $1500 for filming their video in the capital city.

They plan to take their music to the masses over summer and with two EPs behind them (the first 'Beginning of the World' was released in 2002), and an album planned for early next year, they have a lengthy set list.

"We're looking at playing at just about anything and everything we can get," says Ranger. For now the goal is to get their EP out there and "... sell as many as we possibly can."

Visit www.touristsound.com to purchase the EP - it comes highly recommended.-