The Nukes Drop ‘Max The Musical Mosquito’, And Hit The Road With Free School Shows

This NZ Music Month, there’s something in the air and it’s not just a mozzie.

Say hello to Max the Musical Mosquito, the brand-new song from Aotearoa’s favourite ukulele trio The Nukes. It’s a catchy, country-swinging, brain-tickling tune about an airplane-obsessed kid who is woken in the middle of the night by a ukulele-playing mosquito, and it’s leading the charge on their new kids’ EP Creature Feature which will be released on Friday 30 May proudly supported by NZ On Air’s Children’s Music Fund.

You’ll find it on digital platforms Spotify, Apple Music etc from May 30, with the video premiering on YouTube the same day. It's also on this month's NZ On Air’s New Tracks Kids compilation.

Now in their 15th year, The Nukes are a three-piece powerhouse of musical mischief, storytelling and heart. Founding frontman Dave Parker brings sparkle and swagger on vocals and uke, joined by fellow founding member. Ben Collier, the cool, calm, and quietly brilliant force on slide and lead ukulele. And introducing the freshest face on the block, Dave’s son Josh (JayP) Parker, who officially joined the band in 2023.

Max the Musical Mosquito also comes to life in a gloriously animated music video by Wellington animator Ross Payne, a technicolour, toe-tapping fever dream that’s part hoedown, part surreal bedtime story.

To celebrate Max, The Nukes are buzzing into schools with free, high-energy workshops, part concert, part jam session, all fun. Kids will learn a few chords and before long they’re up strumming along with the band. No music experience needed. The Nukes bring everything they need, songs, sheets, and serious good vibes. It’s hands-on, laugh-out-loud learning that leaves kids inspired, noisy, and totally hooked on the uke.

“The idea came to me in the early hours of a warm, rainy night,” says Dave Parker. “There was a pesky mozzie buzzing around and I was in that half-awake dream state where I thought, is this mosquito just being annoying, or is it actually playing a tune? Suddenly I had this image of a musical mosquito flying in and jamming on the uke, and Max was born.”

Whether it’s songs about worms (Worms, winner of the 2020 APRA Children’s video of the Year), flightless birds, or ukulele-playing insects, The Nukes craft smart, quirky tunes that never talk down to kids and always invite them in.

Beloved by audiences of all ages, The Nukes blend vaudeville, folk, swing, pop and country with signature silliness and soul. They’ve played everywhere from WOMAD and Splore to town halls, classrooms, arts festivals and even the Bluff Oyster Festival and no matter the setting, they leave hearts full and toes tapping.

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