Kiwi musician Nick Gaffaney is off to the US to write and record songs with three of American rock's foremost musicians.
The drummer and jack-of-all-trades in sonic rock duo Cairo Knife Fight has won one of three Apra professional development awards to fund a trip to Los Angeles to hook up with Seattle singer Mark Lanegan, producer and multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures), and David Sitek of arty New York rockers TV on the Radio.
The two other recipients of the $12,000 grants - which are handed out every two years - are composer, producer and Supergroove and Drab Doo Riffs frontman Karl Steven, and classical composer Alex Taylor.
The money can be used to fund overseas travel so recipients can further their musical study, take part in co-writing sessions and attend music-related programmes.
For Gaffaney the trip is about writing new songs and developing existing material, but ultimately establishing a global reach.