Dave Baxter, Avalanche City, HBHS Old Boy

After winning over New Zealand with his fresh brand of folk music, HBHS Old Boy and Wintec graduate  Dave Baxter is going global. His band Avalanche City recently signed an international record deal with Warner Music Group which will see their debut album, Our New Life Above Ground, released across the United States, Europe and Japan.  In less than a year Avalanche City has risen from obscurity to become one of the most talked-about New Zealand bands in the world. 

Baxter began as an independent artist, recording the band's debut album himself and releasing it online for free.   But he said the record deal would help the band achieve their goals and allow them to focus more on the music.  'If you're independent it's harder to break overseas.  Whereas if you've got a team of people working for you, then you can accomplish so much more,' he said.

The record deal came during a promostional tour of the United States and United Kingdom in May where the band showcased their music to lable representatives in Los Angeles, New York and London.  Boxter also performed the band's No 1 single Love, Love, Love and was interviewed on leading US television networks Fox and ABC before an audience of more than 200 million.

It has always been Baxter's dream to sing and have his own band, but he never expected to have this kind of success and said the past year has been a 'rollercoaster ride'.

'I'm just seeing where it's taking me.  I have had plan to do this, but you never really expect it to happen and you're never really sure how its going to happen.   I've kind of just been putting one foot in front of the other ... I always feel like I'm running to try and keep up,' he said.

(Article by Jonathan Carson, Wintec journalism student.)