Nomad

ROCKHAPPENZ Public Collection

Nomad  —  a Christchurch trio, consisting of 19-year-olds Will McGillivray (Guitar), Cullen Kiesanowski (Bass) and Aasha Mallard (Guitar/Banjo .....

Nomad is an indie-pop/alt-pop band formed in Christchurch by schoolmates Aasha Mallard, Will McGillivray, and Cullen Kiesanowski.  Band members met at Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch whilst the guys were around age 14 or 15, initially forming after failing to find a fourth member for a barbershop quartet.  They are best known for their 2016 single Oh My My which reached the number 2 slot on the New Zealand singles chart and achieved gold sales.  The group's sound is an alt-pop and indie-folk mix featuring lush vocal harmonies.

Will McGillivray

Cullen Kiesanoski

Aasha Mallard

Prison might sound like an unlikely place for a young Christchurch band to play, but Nomad say it was one of their most-rewarding gigs.  The trio visited the Christchurch Men's Prison Youth Unit recently as part of the facility's health and well-being programme.  Nomad played two songs, answered questions from the young offenders about their music journey and played a self-confessed, vigorous game of basketball with youth and staff in the unit.

Nomad have been performing together for four years, and they jumped at the chance offered by the unit's health and wellbeing programme's tutor Kim Churton, thinking it would be an interesting experience and admitted they deliberately chose songs that meant something to them and thought would connect with their audience.  It was such an eye-opening and positive experience for the group and Will McGillivray said they were really impressed by the unit and especially the relationships between the staff and prisoners.  The unit's principal Corrections Officer, Gary Smallridge, described Nomad's visit as a positive experience for all involved.