FRIDAY, 6TH JUNE 2025

First Reserve finds beauty in the bruise on cathartic new single 'Last One'

Wellington’s First Reserve isn’t pulling any punches in 2025. With just over a year of live shows and sonic soul-baring behind them, the project of Ryan Connaghan has swiftly become a fixture of Aotearoa’s alternative circuit. Their latest single, 'Last One' is a sharp turn inward—vulnerable, venomous, and quietly victorious.

Emerging from the Te-Whanganui-a-Tara scene with a diary’s worth of lyrical confessionals and the full-throttle energy of a live band that’s already supported the likes of Hockey Dad and PARK RD, Connaghan is now levelling up. “Last One” is the first taste of an as-yet-unannounced debut body of work, and if the single is anything to go by, it’s going to hurt—in the best way.

Produced by pop polymath Tarn PK, “Last One” finds Connaghan wading through the wreckage of heartbreak and betrayal, only to arrive at a deadpan conclusion: maybe love’s not worth the trouble. “It’s about swearing it off entirely,” Connaghan says. “There’s relief in that, weirdly.” That emotional distance plays out in their delivery—starting with spoken-word detachment and ending in a pained belt that’s as cathartic as it is crushing.

The production simmers underneath it all. Tarn PK brings a slick yet spacious edge to First Reserve’s sound, laying out a percussive backbone and subtle electronic textures that elevate Connaghan’s guitar-led foundation. The collaboration marks the start of an ongoing partnership, with Tarn set to produce across the upcoming project. “It’s the kind of music I’ve always wanted to make,” Connaghan adds. “Working with Tarn has been a dream.”

2025 has already been a milestone year for First Reserve. They’ve packed out venues like San Fran, graced the CubaDupa stage, and shared the bill with genre-defining local names like There’s A Tuesday and Wet Denim. But “Last One” feels like the moment where the promise clicks into purpose.