The Company

Music duos make good Company.

“Being with others, especially in a way that provides friendship and enjoyment” is one definition of the word company. When local group The Company plays the Arts Junction in Katikati in July, good company and enjoyment is what you’ll get.

“The Company” is a loose collaboration of two local duos, Two’s Company and Smith & Co.
As Two’s Company, Peter and his wife Jacquie Rodewald perform folk, blues, jazz standards, pop, originals and even the odd aria, and are well known for their strong vocal harmonies and clever arrangements.

Peter was lead singer in a cruise ship band, but when he went sailing in the islands for a few years he really focused on guitar. He formed Two’s Company after meeting Jacquie in 2010, and guitar and piano are the backbone of their music and songwriting.

Jacquie’s background is classical. She’s a trained pianist, has done a little opera and is a qualified music teacher, though she struggles to maintain discipline during “The Company” practices! Her singing voice is clear, pure and gorgeous.

Smith & Co’s Ashley Smith and Anne Bailey have been playing together for more than five years, enjoying songs with meaningful lyrics, strong harmonies and two chords.

After a failed attempt to learn classical piano as a child, Anne turned to punk rock in her 20s, teaching herself a few guitar chords and banging out acoustic versions of The Clash. She didn’t return to playing music until 30 years later, joining up with Ash and discovering a world of music she had previously ignored, from the Beatles to Indie Folk.

Ash is one of those enviable people, a natural talent. Although his father imbued in him a lifelong love of music, he also considered anything composed after 1930 suspect. Ash soon went his own way, however, dabbling in a variety of musical genres and instruments. He enjoys songwriting and has recently written a musical.