Bret McKenzie first rose to fame as half of the musical comedy act Flight of the Conchords, and has gone on to an award-winning career as a songwriter and composer for film and television. His first influences were singer/songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Harry Nilsson, and Randy Newman, and his melodies are often rooted in 1970s-style pop and soft rock, albeit with a more modern production approach. The wit of his work with FOTC (best experienced on their self-titled 2008 debut album) meshed with, rather than distracted from, the clever and tuneful music. McKenzie had been a recording artist for two decades before stepping out as a solo artist with 2022's Songs Without Jokes, an album that dealt with more serious themes, albeit often with a playful side.