Ben Lemi

aka Dawn Diver, Courtesy Caller, Lorax


A skilled multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, band leader, producer and recording engineer, Ben Lemi has spent the last two decades adding musical colour and vibrant detail to countless acts from New Zealand’s avant-garde jazz, folk, country, soul, reggae, indie rock, RnB and hip-hop communities.

In more recent years, he has often been heard playing with Vera Ellen, TrinityRoots, French For Rabbits, and Bret McKenzie while fronting his own Dawn Diver group and working at Massey University’s School of Music and Creative Media Production in Wellington.

Johanna and the Mystery with Ben Lemi on drums at Chicks Hotel in Dunedin, 2012.
Dawn Diver is: Ben Lemi, Will Sklenars, Rose Blake, Louisa Williamson, Deanne Krieg, Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa, Lily Shaw. 2021.
Photo credit: Lily Paris West
Johanna and the Mystery performing at Te Papa in 2012.
Glass Vaults with Cory Champion on drums, and Ben Lemi on percussion, for their show at Meow in Wellington, 2020.
Roy G and the Bivinators performing at Parihaka Peace Festival in 2009. Ben Lemi on bass.
French For Rabbits on tour, 2022. Left to right: Ben Lemi, Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa, Brooke Singer, Penelope Esplin, John Fitzgerald.
Trinity Roots at the 13th Floor (2015)
Vera Ellen, Reb Fountain and Voom at the Powerstation in 2024.
TrinityRoots recording at Blue Barn
Photo credit: Photo by Pat Shepherd
Members of The Strange Caravan Tour: Justin Firefly, Nigel Collins, Ben Lemi, Age Pryor and Bret McKenzie. 2018.
Hikoikoi live at Luminate festival in Nelson (2010)
Newtown Rocksteady at the Mussel Inn (Onekaka, Golden Bay), 2015.
Congress of Animals.
Dawn Diver is: Louisa Williamson, Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa, Will Sklenars, Deanne Krieg, Ben Lemi, Rose Blake and Lily Shaw. 2021.
Photo credit: Lily Paris West
Hikoikoi performing Vibraphone at Redbull Studios (2011)
Hannah Howes and Ben Lemi in Prague, 2011.
Newtown Rocksteady - Something to Say official music video (2013)
Dawn Diver live video for Shades of Innocence shot at the Cook Islands Society Hall, Wellington (2018)
Johanna and the Mystery Band perform in the Seven Sisters concert at Te Papa for Matariki (2012)
Newtown Rocksteady on the Bluebridge ferry, 2012.
French for Rabbits in 2015 with their Spirits LP and CD.
French For Rabbits with John Campbell.
Ben Lemi at Surgery Studios in 2009 recording with Hannah Howes.
Ariana Tikao and Ben Lemi performing at Te Papa in 2012.
Estère with support from Ben Lemi playing at Rough Peel record store in Wellington, 2020.
Bret McKenzie and his supporting band in New York at Webster Hall launching his album Songs Without Jokes, 2022.
Congress of Animals performing Burning Sun live at the Captain Cook Hotel with Ben Lemi on drums (2018)
Trinity Roots in 2018.
Photo credit: Vanessa Rushton
Trinity Roots performing at the Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney, 2015.
Photo credit: Edwin Sutphen Photography
Ben Lemi with A.U.R.A (Albert River) live on RNZ Music 101 in 2019.
Photo credit: Ben Lemi
Trinity Roots: Warren Maxwell, Rio Hunuki-Hemopo, Ben Wood (Ben Lemi)
Photo credit: Photo by Pat Shepherd
Roy G and the Bivinators in 2009 with Ben Lemi on bass.
Ben Lemi with Hikoikoi
Hikoikoi and Mara TK in 2009.
Ben, Warren and Rio at Blue Barn
Photo credit: Photo by Pat Shepherd
Roy G and the Bivinators live with Ben Lemi on bass (2008)
Dawn Diver - Warming to You live at San Fran, Wellington (2021)
Ben Lemi playing drums for Bret McKenzie's live KEXP show in 2022.
Dawn Diver - Vampire's Predicament live at San Fran, Wellington (2022)
Glass Vaults - Mindreader live for RNZ (2017)
Newtown Rocksteady live at Meow (2016)
Ben Lemi
Photo credit: Lily Paris West
Ben Lemi in 2021.
Photo credit: Paascalino Schaller 
Ben Lemi in 2021.
Photo credit: Paascalino Schaller
Johanna and the Mystery performing at Baobab Cafe in 2012.
Matariki Festival 2012: Seven Sisters
Ben Lemi with Jane Goodall in 2019. Trinity Roots shared the stage with Jane Goodall, who spoke to a full house at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington as part of her Rewind The Future seminars.
Dawn Diver.
Motu: Oileáin. A collaboration between Trinity Roots and Irish friends, 2015.
Trinity Roots in 2018.
Photo credit: Vanessa Rushton
Myele Manzanza, Peter Hill, Hannah Howes, Ben Lemi and Maz Hermon in 2009.
TrinityRoots expanded (2021). From left: Rio Hemopo, Tom Anderson, Warren Maxwell, Eilish Wilson, Kevin Whooley, Hollie Fullbrook, Deanne Krieg, Louisa Williamson, Leo Coghini, Lisa Tomlins, Kaito Walley
Trinity Roots.
Emily Browning and Ben Lemi playing with The Adults in 2018 at Meow in Wellington.
Hikoikoi.
Ben Lemi in Prague, 2013.
Hikoikoi: Paul Wickham, Jessie Moss, Maz Hermon, James Coyle, Ben Lemi, Mara TK, 2009.
Vera Ellen at the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch, 2024.
Ben Wood (Ben Lemi) in TrinityRoots
Photo credit: Photo by Pat Shepherd
Vera Ellen live on Radio One 91FM with Ben Lemi on guitar and drums (2023)
Bret McKenzie live on KEXP with Ben Lemi on drums (2022)
Ben Lemi in 2018.
Photo credit: Brooke Singer
Aura - Tended to Lie performed live on RNZ Music 101 with Ben Lemi on rhythm guitar (2019)
The Adults performing at the Powerstation in Auckland, 2018.
French For Rabbits, 2020. Clockwise from left: Penelope Esplin, John Fitzgerald, Ben Lemi, Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa, Brooke Singer.
Photo credit: Lily Paris West
Dawn Diver - Heavy Handed live at Performance Arcade festival in Wellington, 2019.
French For Rabbits, 2016. From left to right: Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa, Penelope Esplin, Brooke Singer, Ben Lemi, John Fitzgerald
Photo credit: Ebony Lamb
Estère, Goin' Live With Chabs And Milky from San Fran, Wellington (2021). Ben Lemi on synth and bass, and Cory Champion on drums.
Trinity Roots with Irish Friends - Elephant Movement (2015)
Hannah Howes singing her single Muse By Your Side with Ben Lemi on drums and synth (2010)
TrinityRoots - Citizen live at the Tuning Fork for RNZ (2015)
Trinity Roots live at Te Korakora - Matariki Festival 2022, Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland Council
Trinity Roots in 2018.
Photo credit: Vanessa Rushton Photography
The Adults in 2018.
Estère performing at San Fran in Wellington, 2021, with Ben Lemi on synth and bass, and Cory Champion on drums.
Photo credit: Chabs and Milky
Dawn Diver for their RNZ live session in 2019.
Photo credit: Yadana Saw
Congress of Animals - Shine performed for RNZ (2018)
A.U.R.A live at the Wine Cellar in Auckland, 2019.
The Adults playing in Melbourne, 2018.
Ben Lemi and Rodney Fisher from Goodshirt in 2023.
Newtown Rocksteady live on the Bluebridge Ferry (2012)
Ben Lemi, Paul Wood and Michael Duffy as Hikoikoi, 2011.
Urban Tramper performing in Brussels, 2010.
Trinity Roots performing at James Cabaret in Wellington, 2014.
Age Pryor, Nigel Collins, Bret McKenzie, Justin "Firefly" Clarke and Ben Lemi as the Congress of Animals for the Strange Caravan Tour in 2018.
Photo credit: Lee Gingold
French for Rabbits live at the Vogelmorn Bowling Club, Wellington (2022)
Taite Music Prize 2024 winner Vera Ellen with Ben Lemi who produced her album Ideal Home Noise.
Photo credit: RNZ: Samuel Robinson.
Will Sklenars, Deanne Krieg, Ben Lemi, Rose Blake, Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa for Dawn Diver, 2020.
Photo credit: Capital Magazine, Anna Briggs (photographer)
Ben Lemi with Hikoikoi.
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