Yet to don the tin foil hat and awaken with the rest of the Byron Shire, Tainui Richmond blends the exotic with the everyday, much like his name suggests. Dreamy, melodic soundscapes provide a disarming backdrop for a painfully self-aware yet wholeheartedly humorous poeticism that shines through the cracks with a crooners charm. Think... Daniel Johns serenading over Pet Sounds, with brushstrokes of Elliott Smith's existential quandaries.

Richmond’s debut EP Forever a Boi (2021), caught the attention of Nick Littlemore (Empire of the Sun, PNAU), with praise that it “exudes a mastery of irony emblematic with today’s new cool self-aware psychonauts.” His single from the EP “Complacent” earned a flood of reviews on triple j Unearthed, Declan Byrne commenting that “it's a moving one that has some special ingredients making it stand out from the rest.”

The music video for “Avocado Toast” - an anthem for a generation priced out of the housing market - was featured on ABC’s Rage in 2023 as their weekly “Wild One”, earning a slot on national television and airing for several weekends. On stage, Tainui has supported icons The Whitlams and local punk princes Mini Skirt, with a solo show that leaves audiences with a dreamy twinkle and a sore smile.

After a short hiatus, Richmond returns with “Turning it Over”, a new single and forthcoming EP of the same name, leaning into a poppier edge of his sound and reflecting a slightly darker, more hypnotic glow. So begins a new chapter for an artist who thrives on contradiction: gentle yet biting, funny yet sincere, and always unflinchingly self-aware.