23 Sep How Bizarre

Reb Fountain pays homage to one of the ‘greatest New Zealand
songs of all-time’; OMC’s worldwide hit, How Bizarre.

Award winning artist Reb Fountain releases her exceptional
version of one of New Zealand’s most successful songs;
OMC’s classic hit, ‘How Bizarre’. Taking inspiration from
Johnny Cash and his tribute to ‘American Recordings’,
Reb Fountain amplifies one of Aotearoa’s finest pop hits
for NZ Music Month. With the gothic swag of her delivery
and a fragility of voice that breaks the heart open, Reb
transforms ‘How Bizarre’ into a tale of Lynchian proportions.

Written by Pauly Fuemana and Alan Jansson and
performed by OMC – Otara Millionaire’s Club – ‘How
Bizarre’ was released in 1995 as the hit of the summer.
Reb’s version will be the anthem of our winter; a poignant
retelling that shares this iconic track in a whole new light.

Produced by Dave Khan and recorded with engineer
Tom Havard at Sublime Studios, Reb’s recording
encapsulates the prodigious undertone of OMC’s
‘How Bizarre’: art for art’s sake. In ‘How Bizarre’,
we are transported to the dystopian world
of the artist, where the currency is literature
of the spirit and Artists give their lives for
the chance to taste it’s nectar. It is the
dedication to the creative work that we see
reflected in the sheen of the Chevy 69’
every time we look around.

Legendary music photographer Chris Cuffaro
took the extraordinary image of Reb that is
the cover art. Paying homage to Pauly’s
single cover, half her face is obscured;
catching a glimpse of the whole but not the
full story. Reb has uncovered the missing
chapter of one of Aotearoa’s most iconic
songs; the rich and complex landscape of
the artist, emboldened by fame and
underpinned by tragedy and loss.
We see the whole picture enriched and
emblazoned with the artist’s experience and
it is a creative world that we would bereft without.