Aroha defines Vanilau Maxwell Baker

From left, Mark Vanilau, Louis Baker and Warren Maxwell at the Royal Hotel in Featherston, will play a debut performance as Vanilau Maxwell Baker at King Street Live in Masterton tomorrow.

A trio seeking to heal with harmonies and uplift with lyrics - Vanilau Maxwell Baker - debut at King Street Live in Masterton tomorrow night.

Mark Vanilau, Warren Maxwell and Louis Baker are multi-instrumentalists who early last year came together from their own successful performance and recording careers to create music "that touches and heals the soul", according to the band's Facebook page.

"We wanted to collaborate with a focus on vocal harmony, reminiscent of Crosby, Stills & Nash but with contemporary elements and original songs from three Antipodean minstrels."

Maxwell, group founder and Featherston-based co-owner of the Masterton venue, is best known for his involvement in Trinity Roots, Little Bushmen and Fat Freddys Drop. He also has worked with both the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia, and was co-composer with John Psathas of the Pounamu concerto.

He also tutored songwriting in Rimutaka Prison for the top-rating Maori television documentary series, Songs from the Inside.

Multi-instrumentalist Vanilau has worked with some renowned Kiwi musicians, being a regular member of the Dave Dobbyn band and appearing on Hollie Smith's album and on stage with Ladi 6, Scribe, and with Rikki Gooch in Eru Dangerspiel.

Wellington musician Baker has been carving out a solo career and also earlier this year played his debut gig at King Street Live alongside capital city band Brockaflowersaurus-Rex and the Blueberry Biscuits.

Earlier this year, Baker won a stint at the Red Bull Music Academy in New York as one of only 60 successful applicants worldwide and also spent a month in London recording his eponymous EP, which is yet to be released.

Baker told the Wairarapa Times-Age yesterday the trio had played only "a handful of gigs" last year including the New Plymouth Festival of Lights, the Christchurch Jazz Festival, and the Nelson Winter Music Festival, for which they had held a public rehearsal at the Royal Hotel in Featherston.

A review of the vocal-rich Nelson concert also highlighted the wealth of instruments played during the performance, including a banjo, electric and bass guitar, a Nord keyboard, a Steinway grand piano, cymbals and Maxwell's Cajon - a twin-snare and pedal variant of the apple box.

Baker said the trio have a repertoire that ranges through each player's individual compositions enhanced with sometimes "sparse instrumentation" and ever-present aroha.

"Our performances are really centred around the song - the classic song - and three-part harmonies. Our main strength is our energy, and our intention as well. All three of us hold something in common - heartfelt music for the people."

Tickets to the King Street performance cost $20 each and are available through dashtickets.co.nz. Door sales also are available.