Music News
There is a slow fading of that (anti-culture) New Zealand-ism in modern Aotearoa. It's an imperfect, organic way of life that presents itself in our strange rounded yet twangy accent. A habit of calling things as they are and an unintentional preference for downplaying it. Go back twenty
Music News
It’s great to see the Aotearoa music scene thriving and I love that we still set aside the month of May to celebrate our local artists and bands – especially fresh talent. But I’ve struggled these past few years to keep up with the pace at which new artists
Culture
& Juliet has hit the Civic in all its electro-pop glory and like Katy Perry - audiences haven’t just liked it, they are loving it! The Shakespeare inspired Jukebox musical of songs written by award winning singer-songwriter Max Martin features tunes audiences love, including Hit Me Baby One More
Music News
Her new single All of Me pulls from folk roots fused with pop rock textures - it's a deliberate and stylistically driven sound refined with just enough edge to feel lived in and direct. Dani writes with a sort of tension that draws on soft lines and open
Interview
They never set out to recreate a past era and yet The Rions have an instinctive spark that listeners keep circling back to. It's loose, guitar driven - a little rough around the edges in a way that cuts deeper than your standard trending indie pop. As their
Interview
Hanne Jøstensen did not rush her EP into the world. She built it slowly, quietly, over years when life was pulling in different directions. The Lighthouse is shaped by patience. Carrying the weight of time, the notion of distance, and the focus of someone who chose to finish what she
Music News
Breaches debut EP lands in the middle of alt-pop’s shift toward a rougher, heavier, and more texture-led sonic quality. Across four tracks, the Pōneke duo trade polish for pressure. Guitars that crackle alongside low sitting synths in a mix that holds slow brooding intensity at the forefront. Singles ‘Seeds’
Interview
Just Janie draws from the past without getting stuck in it. With Mythology of the Girls, she pulls threads from the counterculture era and ties them to the urgent and misguided(?) modern age. The resulting output gives a familiar warmth at first listen, then becomes suggestively unsettling once the stories
Music News
Auckland’s BIG FAN is putting rangatahi at the centre of the live music space with a new all-ages series set to run across 2026. Called New Fans, the programme provides paid work opportunities for youth to become involved across all aspects of live music events. The series kicks off
Fresh tracks, and the stories that matter in Aotearoa’s evolving scene.
Meticulously crafted over more than six years, and with a title that reflects a decade of personal discovery, Andy Smith’s album Ten Years is a clear example of how DIY music-making can evolve into an undeniably polished record. Written, produced, recorded, and mixed primarily by Andy himself, Ten Years
The 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards finalists have landed, with winners to be revealed on May 28 at The Civic to close out New Zealand Music Month. Marlon Williams leads the field with seven nominations for Te Whare Tīwekaweka, his te reo Māori record that hit number one and shifted the
In a music landscape shaped as much by moments as releases, FromThePit is back with a focus on what happens in between the headlines. Now in its eighth year, the annual showcase brings together 58 photographers, each offering a different entry point into Aotearoa’s live music culture. The result
Carefully balancing desire and melancholy, passion and gloom, Tebsin introduces her brand of sad girl pop with debut single ‘Decadence.’ We’re drawn into her intimate world with a reverb-drenched guitar riff reminiscent of mid-2000s alt pop. Produced by Will Henderson, the track opens slow and close. Tebsin’s tranquil
Meddles lock into a tight, restless energy on ‘Down Every Road’, a track driven by fizzy guitar textures and a vocal tone that nods to early 2000s alt-rock. Right off the bat, these guitars crackle with tension. They sit just on the edge, bright and overdriven, pushing against the rhythm
‘Again’, is a country-pop single built for open-road drives and easy singalongs. With a renewed sense of purpose, the release marks Josh Keatings return to music. At first, it seems ‘Again’ fits the mould of a classic country pop song. Clean blues driver guitars, steady rhythm, and a strong melodic
Rā Charmian's latest release ‘Kia Puāwai’, is a gentle, uplifting single centred on identity, growth, and reconnection through te reo Māori. Built on breezy R&B textures, the track unfolds with silky keys, soft acoustic waves, and steady rhythmic pulses that converge to create a distinct sense
There is a sense of honesty running through everything Bridges creates. From her earliest releases and now on the new EP Life of the Party, her songwriting is rooted in emotive lived experience and an instinct to put hard feelings into words. But this latest chapter looks a little different.
Merlia introduces her world with ‘Sicily’, an intriguing release drifting between dream and reality, carried by trance-like melodies and ocean-washed production. Built on soft, rolling soundscapes, the track moves with intention, layering ambient textures that echo the rhythm of the tide. It's quiet, yet intense - breathing with
Sophie-Maude's newest single ‘Hotel Lobby’, is a dancefloor-ready single built on infectious pop hooks and glossy disco-funk textures. The track captures the rush of getting ready for a first date, where excitement takes over and the usual rules start to slip. It plays out in real time, following
Currently mid tour, LOU’ANA brings a sound shaped by jazz training and driven by disco energy. Years of live performance have honed a voice that feels bold, expressive, and full of character. In this interview, she reflects on the path that shaped her, the shift away from rigid structure,
Some artists arrive with hype. Others carry presence. Deva Mahal has always sat in the second camp, and this April she will return to stages across Aotearoa with an eight-date tour supporting her new EP FUTURE CLASSIC VOL II: FUTURE, out Friday March 27. The run opens at the Waiheke
