Few artists in Aotearoa carry a backstory as dramatic and resilient as Merv Pinny. Once a dairy farmer from the King Country and Waikato, now a globally recognised rock, blues, and roots artist with over 30 million streams and a following of more than 340,000, Pinny has built a career defined by reinvention and honesty. His latest single, “Shake For Me,” arrives as a celebration of the music that first shaped him and a taste of what is to come on his forthcoming album, due later this year.

Blending rhythm and blues with funk-driven rock, “Shake For Me” pulls inspiration from icons like Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, James Brown, and Van Morrison. It is a track that pays homage to the legends while leaning into Pinny’s own style - a mix of soul, grit, and guitar-fuelled energy.

Pinny’s path into music has been anything but straightforward. As a child he survived being run over by a truck. Years later, a devastating motorbike accident left him with a broken spine and doctors questioning if he would ever walk again. Against the odds, he recovered and carved out a space for himself as one of New Zealand’s most impactful artists. His music has since carried him from viral success with the 2016 single “O.B Can You Hear the Children Cry” to international recognition, including multiple semi-finalist spots in the Nashville-based International Songwriting Competition and performances at major events such as the LA Music Awards, Australia’s Tamworth Festival, and festivals across Aotearoa.

With “Shake For Me,” Merv Pinny is nodding to the past and pushing forward with a renewed sense of energy, proving once again why his story and his sound resonate far beyond New Zealand.