Linn Lorkin’s Life In Music: 101 Songs In One Book

Much-loved singer-songwriter Linn Lorkin, a theatrical firecracker, piano-bar icon, genre-hopping musician and Aotearoa’s queen of clever rhyme is back in the spotlight with the release of 101 Songs: The Linn Lorkin Songbook, available from 1 June 2025.

At 82 and still performing weekly, Lorkin is the definition of a working artist. With her signature wit, theatrical flair and unmistakable voice, she’s captured four decades of songwriting in a beautifully crafted book, a must-have for music lovers, lyric geeks and anyone with a story to sing.

A companion to her hit 2022 memoir The Redhead Gets the Gig, 101 Songs brings the musical side of her wild, globetrotting life to the page. The memoir became a surprise book club favourite, praised for its bold storytelling and sharp humour. From dive bars in Copenhagen to a Steinway in SoHo, Ronnie Scott’s in London to Epolito’s in Grey Lynn, Lorkin has turned her experiences into a sparkling archive of song.

This is more than just a songbook, it’s a resource, a keepsake, and a slice of New Zealand music history. Inside are stand-alone lyrics, full piano parts, chord charts, vocal harmonies, choral arrangements, behind-the-scenes stories, and performance notes, all drawn from songs road-tested live over decades. From theatrical showstoppers and protest anthems to heartfelt ballads, it also features a Kiwiana section which includes Lorkin’s iconic songs about Karangahape Road, Grey Lynn, and the fan favourite Family at the Beach. There are even some originals in French and a special bonus: her English lyrics for six Edith Piaf classics.

The book is designed for musicians, choirs, vocal groups, theatre-makers, music educators and everyday strummers. Whether you’re prepping for The Big Sing or looking for fresh local material, 101 Songs offers a rich repertoire packed with humour, heart and punch.

A self-described late-blooming songwriter, Lorkin didn’t write her first song until she was 35 and heartbroken in New York, inspired by a Joan Armatrading album and a late-night session at Mike Nock’s piano. Two songs poured out that night. Twelve followed in two weeks. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

“All true artists are always working on a creative project”, she says. “Whenever I lose confidence in my latest one, I look back through my archives at everything I’ve done”.

Lorkin has since co-produced 18 albums, performed with several theatre companies including Inside Out Theatre, and co-founded cult bands The Jews Brothers Band and French Toast, which have toured extensively throughout New Zealand and Europe. Her original cabaret Hey, Piano Bar Lady! was staged at New York’s United Solo Festival, where it won Best Cabaret. In 2023, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to music.

As the late Arthur Baysting wrote: “Few other NZ songwriters can write about New Zealand things and succeed as well as she does… Lorkin leaps squarely into her own experience with such clarity and honesty that Kiwis accept it totally”.

With her voice, her piano, and a bottomless well of stories, Linn Lorkin has carved out a singular place in Aotearoa’s music landscape. 101 Songs is her archive, her stage, her love letter to the craft.

The book will be available in both print and digital formats, with each of the 101 songs also available to purchase individually as downloadable PDFs.

Catch Linn Live and Grab a Copy of the Songbook at:  

Tuesday 10 June, 7pm
Raye Freedom Arts Centre 14 Silver Road, Epsom 
Guest performance at the Voiceclub Choir’s mid-term concert

Wednesday 18 June, 6pm to 8pm 
Epolito’s Pizzeria 166 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn
Regular French Toast gig at this beloved New York-style pizzeria.

Thursday 19 June, 8pm to 10pm 
Freida Margolis 440 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn
Linn Lorkin Trio, an intimate evening of jazz. 

Tuesday 24 June, 7.30pm to 9.30pm 
Auckland Jazz and Blues Club Birkenhead RSA, Constellation Drive
Linn Lorkin Quartet performs standards and originals. 

Wednesday 25th June, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
Botticelli 8 Anzac Street, Takapuna 
Linn Lorkin Trio and Italian food. 

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