The first song I fell in love with
I would sing Hit The Road Jack by Ray Charles in my room when I was about 10. I had it on cassette, and wanted to learn every lyric so I could sing it to the end and get all the bits right.
The first album I bought
The soundtrack to Footloose on cassette from HMV on Cuba Street in Wellington. I’m a big fan of the movie and wanted to be a dancer when I was a kid, so this really hit the spot.
The song I do at karaoke
I’ve tried to do the odd hip-hop track like The Real Slim Shady by Eminem. One minute you’re like: I’ve got the flow on! Then it backfires because you realise: I don’t know all the words. Also, hip-hop just sounds terrible in a New Zealand accent. Really, you want a song that people can also sing along, so you’re not on your own, like Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House.
The best song to play at a party
Having A Party by the Osmonds is so good, with an undeniably banging good-time chorus, but you need to make sure that the party is rocking before you play it. You don’t want that going when the first person’s arrived.
The song I can no longer listen to
I used to love Word Up! by Cameo, but now it annoys me too much. It’s good for about 30 seconds.
The song I secretly like but tell everyone I hate
I’m pretty honest so I don’t secretly love any songs. I’d probably never chose to put on Taylor Swift, but I’m happy when daughter puts on Lover. I secretly like it, although it sounds a lot like Heartbeats by The Knife to me.
The best to have sex to
Happy Birthday.
The song that changed my life
Heart of Gold by Neil Young is the first song I ever learned because it’s only a few chords and easy to play, so it began my journey into playing guitar. I could sit on my guitar and strum on it all day, so it’s been a big part of my life.
The song that gets me up in the morning
I like to start my days pretty chill with something like Call The Days by this magical New Zealand singer songwriter called Nadia Reid.
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The song that makes me cry
My father passed away two years ago and at his funeral, we played Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond during this uplifting photo montage. Now, I can’t listen to it without thinking about my dad in a nice but sad way.
The song I’d like played at my funeral
We’ll Meet Again by Vera Lynn, because I like the sense of the farewell not being the end.
Bret McKenzie’s latest album Freak Out City is out now. He plays London’s Bush Hall on 21 and 22 October
