Electronic Press Kit

Paper Dragon —that's us— is a Mt Eden Unpop™ band from Auckland, New Zealand formed in 2018 by Alex Raichev and Kate Riegle van West and currently composed of Alex Raichev, Kenji Yamasaki, and associates. We write all sorts of songs, often set poems to music, and banter a good bit. William Blake once praised us from the grave.

You can email us at hello@paperdragon.nz.

Promotional Photos

Hit Songs

We've recorded and produced all of our songs thus far in 80%-awesome, homemade fashion. Here's a taster from our full catalogue, available exclusively on our website.

• When I Was One-and-twenty 𝄌 lyrics
• Christopher's Song 𝄌 lyrics
• Miniver Cheevy 𝄌 lyrics
• The Tyger 𝄌 lyrics
• Down by the Salley Gardens 𝄌 lyrics
• Soft Enchantress 𝄌 lyrics
• Good Advice That Just Hasn't Worked Out Yet 𝄌 lyrics

Live from The Smokes

Highlights and Achievements

• Almost touring four Auckland libraries for New Zealand Music Month, May 2024.
• Raising over 10,000 brownie points to support New Zealand biodiversity at our Rewild fundraiser concert, April 2023.
• Producing "Paper Dragon the Musical" in the Dragon's Den and selling out both performances, June 2021.
• Playing Sofar Sounds, October 2019.

Reviews

• "Sweet sprites, the burden bear. Hark, hark! Bow-wow." ~William Shakespeare
• "For they dance and drink and sing, till some blind hand shall brush their wing." ~William Blake
• "Through all the lying days of my youth I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun. Now I may wither into the truth." ~William Butler Yeats, on the coming of wisdom upon listening to Paper Dragon