Ammp are a four piece Rock/ Indie / Alternative band from Wellington, New Zealand with Ten singles in their debut album, 'From the Back of the Sun' now free to download from Facebook.

In 2005 Andy Masseurs and Mathew Powell entered a Play it Strange/ TV 2 song writing competition Called Songstar. Their song All I Wanted made it into the top 5 out of 500 entrants. Andy and Mat watched as gifted musicians re-worked their song.

After the one hour TV Doco had finished Mat and Andy vowed to do it again themselves.

All I Wanted was given a NZ on Air new recording artists grant and Ammp was formed for the first time. Andrew Richardson was brought in on Drums. Both Andy’s and Mat had been in a band in St Pats College Wellington that had won the battle of the bands way back when. All I Wanted happened to be a song that they had originally created in 94. Jason Murphy was brought in on Bass. A Work Colleague of Mathews and well renowned bass player in the Wellington scene. Ammp were working well together and getting on well together with bad jokes coming from everywhere. The Video was shot by local video animation wizard Ed Davis and released to C4 and Juice and recorded by Mike Gibson. All I wanted found its way onto The Rock, Bayrock and Kiwi Hit Disc No85 and the boys were off.

Second single Ironman also received a NZ on Air Grant and was again recorded by Mike Gibson at Inca Studios in Wellington and the video was shot by Ivan Slavov at the Westpac trust stadium. A song about Andy M’s Dad being a tough cookie rather than a comment on ourselves but more what we strive for. Ironman found its way to become the anthem for the NZ Ironman Event in Taupo and was Ammp’s first visit in the NZ Airplay Top40 at No33 and was on Kiwi Hit Disc No91. Ironman is also part of a promotional campaign for the New Zealand 2012 Olympics Team and has been remixed by Chris Van De Geer (Stellar) and mastered by Simon Holloway (Dane Rumble) and has made the Anthem in Black Top 5 Songs out of the first CD (Play it Strange competition) for the Olympics 2012.

Third Single Go was self funded by Ammp This time recorded by Mike Gibson and mixed by Stellar Guitarist and engineer Chris Van De Geer. First time Director Alan Morrison fresh out of film School took on the video shot at Wellingtons Bar Bodega. Go received a NZ on Air rebate for radio play, hit the NZ Airplay top40 at No26,was in Radioscopes top 100 Rock songs in 2008, Kiwi Hit Disc No103 and someone at Vodafone picked it for a TV Ad to sell mobile phones.

Fourth single Always about the frustrations of music and life was self funded by Ammp. Alan Morrison shot the video in Lambton Quay and the song was recorded by Andrew Downes at Inca and mixed by Chris Van De Geer. The Song enjoyed a long life on Juice and was Ammps third time in the NZ Airplay top40 at No31. 

Fifth Single Dirty Rock and Roll was self funded by Ammp recorded at Inca Studios and mixed by Chris Van De Geer. Alan Morrison again directed and the video was shot in and around Wellington at Botanical Gardens and Wakefield Park in Island bay. Taking a more light hearted approach the song tells of having fun in the night life but being careful. The video was fun and tongue in cheek telling the story of the three boys (as Jason was away) needing to learn Kung Fu in order to defeat ultimate evil in the form of three robot femme fatale. Ammp’s fourth Kiwi Hit Disc No113 and entry into the NZ Airplay top40 at No37. Ammp remixed Dirty Rock n Roll for their debut album adding a new intro and extra Synths and changed the name to Midnight in Newtown, partly due to a lot of listeners expecting the song to be of a different genre due to the title Dirty Rock n Roll and also adding a little Kiwi in with the place name Newtown, where Andy M grew up and Jase now lives.

Sixth Single Let The Sunlight in was self funded by Ammp. Recorded by Mats work colleague and friend David St George at his studio, Beacon Studios in Brooklyn, Wellington. Was Mixed by Chris Van De Geer and Alan Morrison again Directed the video. Let the Sunlight in played on Classic Hits, Zm and the Rock as well as many other NZ stations and C4 and Juice. Made it onto Kiwi Hit Disc No125. Let the Sunlight in has also made the Semi Finals for the ISC International Songwriting 2010 Competition in the Rock Category. 15000 songs were submitted in 2010. Let the Sunlight in was also one of the songs that received a Collective works award for song writing excellence from the Song of the Year competition.

Seventh Single Don’t leave me here was self funded by Ammp  Recorded at Inca studios and mixed by Chris Van De Geer. The Video was directed and made by Alan Morrison. The song tells the story of losing someone close and trying to keep them. Chris Bailey picked the song for inclusion on Go Girls.  

Eighth Single Day One had a top 10 placing in the Modern Rock genre from American site Our Stage and found its way onto Classic Hits, Bayrock, LifeFm, KiwiFm and other stations.

Ninth Single Sgt Mayhem has a video by David St George part 3 of the Chronicles of the last Man on Earth with drama, creativity, destruction and mayhem. Sgt Mayhem also made the semi finals in the Unsigned Category  ISC international 2010 songwriting competition Ammp's second success in the competition. Sgt Mayhem was also one of the songs that received a
Collective works award for song writing excellence from the Song of the Year competition.

Tenth Single The Hunted has now been released. It has a video directed by Lead singer Andrew Masseurs and features absurd humour, Torture scenes, amateur stuntwork and low budget film making. Everything needed to make an Indie video. The Hunted was also one of the songs that received a Collective works award for song writing excellence from the Song of the Year competition.

Ammp had a number of songs left over from the first album and at one stage the debut album was going to be a double album. Ammp are now working hard to finish their second album before venturing out and touring.

Ammp's debut album From the Back of the Sun is now free to Download from Facebook.

Reviews of From the Back of the Sun
Elsewhere
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Nelson Mail
NZ Musician Magazine

Andrew Masseurs Vocals/Keys
Mathew Powell Guitars
Jason Murphy Bass
Andrew Richardson Drums