Why those Kiwis sound Texan, or Californian

"To sing in a New Zealand accent takes awareness and effort, and it is usually quite noticeable because it is so uncommon," Andy Gibson told The New Zealand Herald. "The American accent doesn't stick out in singing because we are so used to hearing it."

Gibson, who is completing his master's degree in culture and communication at Auckland's University of Technology, looked at how Kiwi musicians pronounce words when they sing. "Studies in the past have suggested that non-American singers put on American accents, but my research suggests the opposite — that an American accent is the default when singing pop," Gibson said.

His study of New Zealand singers found there were big differences between the sung and spoken pronunciation of the same words. The accent New Zealanders sing with is not really American, but a default "pop music accent" which comes automatically.

Even well-known Kiwi artists — such as Crowded House, Flight of the Conchords and Dave Dobbyn — sing with this standard accent. But not all do. "Anika Moa has moments here and there where you can definitely hear her distinct New Zealand vowels," Gibson said.