Darren Watson is set to release '(Looking Like) The Everyday Man' in September under the pseudonym Elvis CostOliving. Photo: RNZ/ Ceinwen Curtis
Wellington songwriter Darren Watson is taking aim at Parliament again with a new song released just in time for the upcoming election.
The socially conscious bluesman's song 'Planet Key' was banned by the Electoral Commission in 2014.
It took him two years to win back the right to broadcast and sell the song and accompanying video after the Electoral Commission deemed the parody an electoral advertisement.
Watson said he had purposefully avoided writing another politically inspired tune but when he came across a recent speech from controversial National Party MP Sam Uffindel inspiration forced his hand.
In much derided comments, the MP spoke of doing the shopping once a month to help his wife and to be out in public looking like the everyday man.
"The way that the guy said it. Wow, this person is admitting to putting on an act of everyday life. That particular phrase, 'looking like the everyday man' not being the everyday man, really struck me. The way he said it, it was a musical phrase, and it just popped down and I started writing the song," Watson said.
Watson was set to release '(Looking Like) The Everyday Man' in September under the pseudonym Elvis CostOliving.
The song, a biting, post-punk number, was performed in the acerbic tone of one of Watson's musical heroes, Elvis Costello.
The lyrics portrayed a political figure who seemed to revel in how little he had in common with the majority.
Watson said he was not looking for another fight and was all too aware that his views might irk some people.
A screenshot from the video for Darren Watson's song 'Planet Key' by Jeremy Jones. Photo: Jeremy Jones
He said he was subjected to a torrent of online abuse and hate mail in response to the publicity surrounding 'Planet Key'.
But Watson said the legal wrangling over the song set a necessary precedent for art which tackled current events and real people.
And he was adamant of his right to create art built from the strength of his political and social justice convictions.
"I feel like everyone, myself included, can actually write and release our thoughts however we like. It's got nothing to do with these arcane laws around the election. It's a current event then we should be able to write about it and say it. It really is that fundamental," Watson said.
Watson said he wanted to use his music as a different way to motivate people to have their say this election.
"I wrote it to encourage people to think about how power and privilege work in politics and do they really think that that's healthy because I don't think that should be in politics. I think we should be really, really careful about who we let get into those positions of power," Watson said.
'(Looking like) The Everyday Man' will be available online on 1 September.
