Musician Jon Sanders flits between Ireland and New Zealand, chasing the good weather and appreciative audiences. And this Friday he's in Ōamaru.  

"For 20 years I've spent time between the two countries," says Sanders. "I tend to spend five months here in New Zealand and then go back for the summer season. When it's winter in New Zealand it's summer in Europe. So I play in Europe for the other months.

"It seems to work very well. It gives me a prolonged performance season, and allows me to share in the cultures, which is always part of what we do."

That culture sharing is reflected in his latest project, entitled Tenalach, which is in the 'nufolk' tradition, drawing on different genres, styles and disciplines. In Sanders' case this means combining Celtic folk, Arabic music, contemporary blues, Pacifika-style songs and even Brazilian samba, creating music that takes listeners on something of a journey, with hypnotic qualities similar to trance-inducing Indian ragas.

"You move the listeners' sentiments around," says Sanders. "It might not seem that obvious at the time, but our first piece draws the audience into the vibration of what we're doing. And then, once you're on the other side, like a portal, you can just relax and sit there and enjoy it."

If this sounds a million miles from the fast-paced digital world we all live in, well, that's partly the point.

"This is an invocation to spend time in the natural environment, away from the digital machine and to reconnect on a deeper non-intrusive level,” says Sanders. "Sit with it, and you'll actually find that you're largely invigorated by the experience."

But that's not the only message, he says.

"We're trying to promote peace as well. Because it seems to be not a very popular word, and you never see it written in the press. You might see the word 'ceasefire', and then there's talks of 'possible ceasefire', but I think 'peace' is the default option we should start from.

"So in a world gone slightly out of kilter, we just want to put it back into kilter, and share the joy of what we do."

For the South Island leg of the tour, Sanders will be accompanied by renowned session musician Sophia Bidwell on piano and accordion, while daughter Jenny OS will join the party on vocals and guitar. 

It's not Sanders' first visit to Ōamaru. In 2018 another of his projects, Alpaca Social Club, played at the Grainstore, while 2022 saw them booked at the Opera House. Going back even further, his Beyondsemble played at the Victorian Fete in 2012, two years after a show at the Penguin Club. It's clearly a town close to his heart.

"I like these New Zealand towns that are somehow a little bit rundown but there's some reinvention going on," he says. 

"It's a bit funky and quirky. The Grainstore is a legendary place, and Donna Demente is a legend in her time. I love her vision, and all those faces looking at you, so when you're performing it feels like eyes on you from all angles."

Jon Sanders plays at the Grainstore Gallery on Friday December 1. Tickets from the venue.