Interview
Few artists in Aotearoa’s electronic scene carry a story as wide ranging as Tali. From a dairy farm in Taranaki to the heart of the UK drum and bass movement, her path has moved through rave culture, jazz exploration, songwriting, teaching, and international touring. Now she enters a new
Music News
Beth Elsden introduces her debut single Losing You Slow with a sound that sits inside dreamlike synth pop and quiet emotional pull. The track moves through soft melodic phrasing before lifting into escalating vocal hooks, balancing restraint with intention. Her background in musical theatre and choral performance shape the arrangement.
Music News
Following the release of her debut ‘Better,’ Waiheke-based singer-songwriter Sophie Aston returns with her latest single, ‘Stardust,’ an uplifting yet vulnerable and reflective exploration of grief and rebirth. Sophie continues to affirm herself as an established songwriter with this track, using poetic lyricism to weave together symbols of fire, the
Interview
Few people have shaped the path of independent touring in Aotearoa quite like Reuben Bonner. Through his work with Banished Music, Bonner has spent years bringing adventurous international acts to local stages while championing artists from across the country. His latest venture, Strange Universe, expands that vision into a loose
Music News
Music often shows up when words fail. For Emme Lentino, it arrived in the middle of grief and became a way forward. Now based in Aotearoa after growing up in Oregon, Lentino releases her new single Because of You as a statement of survival and renewal. The song was written
Music News
What starts as a joke can turn into a question that sticks. For Jenni Smith, that question became her new single Mirror. Growing up, her mum liked to compare her to famous brunettes. Anne Hathaway. Emma Watson. Keira Knightley. It sounded flattering, yet it planted a strange idea. If someone
Review
Wintergardens to the left, Sky Tower and palm trees to the right, Live at the Domain brings an electric energy to Tāmaki Makaurau's favourite park on Friday night. Tadpole, one of Aotearoa’s most influential rock bands, and alt-rock royalty Yellowcard have already warmed festival goers, kicking off
Review
Shuv It’s debut album Erode comes in loud and unapologetic. The record pulls from metal, punk and rap, then locks everything into tight, high impact songs built for movement and volume. Guitars cut hard. The bass sits heavy in the mix. Drums land with force. Vocals switch between melody
Review
Fog lands with intent. Raw, thick guitars grind into bass heavy riffs. The drums hit with force, shaping every turn. Grit-silk vocals move cleanly through the noise and provide an uncentered balance of sorts. Chaos fills the room, yet control holds the centre. The songs are tight wound, ready to
Fresh tracks, and the stories that matter in Aotearoa’s evolving scene.
Ahead of their upcoming Live At The Domain performance with Good Charlotte, Yellowcard and Tadpole, Highly Suspect frontman Johnny Stevens answered our questions about growth, movement, and making music that stays close to real life. From Brooklyn rhythms to life on the road, he reflects on how change keeps the
Wellington shaped CRYSTAL’s first steps as a songwriter. Auckland forced her to rebuild from scratch. In this conversation, she reflects on learning to back herself, and writing with honesty about friendship, fear, and growing up. As she enters a new chapter with Make It Up To You, CRYSTAL speaks
Victoria Perry draws on her theatrical background to shape the emotional arc of Howling at the Moon, pairing drama with modern alternative textures. The song is a built on control and quiet force. Leading with piano, it maintains gentle tension between the hush of gradually escalating vocal lines. As the
With Nights Like This, May Love muses into desire without dressing it up as romance. The track moves on reggae inspired rhythms, blending hip hop melodies with pop and rap flux. It feels warm, loose, and driven by instinct. Lyrically, May Love writes from a place of playful honesty. This
From Dunedin flats to stadium stages, SIX60 have built a career defined by loyalty, authenticity, and staying in touch with where they began. With Right Here Right Now, the band captures a version of themselves that is both present and unfiltered. In this interview, Ji Fraser reflects on brotherhood, pressure,
By day, Liv Beckett works the wards. By night, she builds slow-burning neo-soul and indie-pop songs shaped by feeling and reflection. Now, her two lives come together with the release her debut EP, Let Go. Rooted in neo soul, R&B, and indie pop, the project leans on soft
Standing shoeless on a white rug, country pop star Maren Morris transformed Auckland’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre into a place of joy and uplift on Wednesday night. Maren’s latest record D R E A M S I C L E solidifies her move towards the pop and R&
With Chameleon, TiGER opens the door to a more exposed chapter. The track sets the tone for a debut album that is reflective, rooted in emotional growth, and a shift in perspective on love and danger. In this conversation, TiGER speaks on looking back with clear eyes, turning past experience
Maya Payne returns with Bluebird, a raw and intimate single, marking her first new music in seven years. Written during a period of grief and personal upheaval, the song captures a moment of reckoning. It arrives with a companion video filmed across Scotland’s rugged coastlines, pairing stark landscapes with
A new year is often an opportunity for a fresh start. The days stretch long, and people start asking quiet questions about who they are becoming. Psycho Gab’s latest single ‘Compass’ arrives open with that intent, a song that sounds like a group moving into who they are becoming.
Some albums feel like weather systems. Slowly gathering, darkening the horizon, then arriving at once with force. Soothsayer, the new record from Wellington heavy-rock outliers Planet Hunter, does just that. Forged in Wellington, shaped by the city’s damp edges and restless pulse, the album is loud and sharp. In
Ali Whitton’s story is one of resilience, reflection, and rediscovery. Shaped by early experiences, changing environments, and years of personal growth, his music has become a space for honesty and emotional clarity. This interview explores the path that led him back to songwriting with renewed purpose, revealing an artist
