Each week, Rolling Stone AU/NZ rounds up our top New Zealand music highlights from the past seven days.
Catch up on previous coverage on Jason Parker, PONZ, Borderline, and Reb Fountain, and explore fresh highlights below:
Leaping Tiger – “Aquasavana”
Leaping Tiger, aka Jacob Park, the 2022 Best Electronic Artist Tūī winner now based in London, is back with “Aquasavana”, a sun-soaked mix of Afrobeat and electronic grooves that highlights his fresh and evolving sound. “’Aquasavana’ is about making the perfect summer memory and basking in it,” Park says, “It captures that romantic look back at all the good times as summer winds down,” the artist says.
Alisa Xayalith – “Ordinary Love”
LA-based Alisa Xayalith of The Naked and Famous raises the bar with “Ordinary Love”, her third single of 2024. This airy, guitar-driven indie-pop gem captures the beauty of everyday romance, inviting listeners to savor the moments often overlooked in life’s hustle.
Xayalith shares, “’Ordinary Love’ feels like my own kind of coming of age story. The unfolding of something very real and feeling confused by how uncomplicated it can be when I’ve mostly known and lived the opposite.”
Flaxxies – “Heart Of Fire”
Flaxxies bring bluesy energy to “Heart of Fire”, their latest track that began as a summery acoustic jam. Produced by Tiki Taane, this electric tune gives the five-piece band plenty of fuel as they head into summer.
“We decided to re-craft this song and try to bring some new energy. This song discusses the feeling of yearning for something or someone, and dealing with the fact that there are always going to be obstacles getting in the way. It takes discipline, patience and the ferocity of a lion to truly capture what one desires,” the band explain.
PAPERCITY – “Sofa”
Alt-pop band PAPERCITY hit new heights with their synth-heavy track “Sofa”, featuring a cinematic music video shot across Tāmaki Makaurau and Queenstown.
Lead singer Alex Hargreaves shares, “In [1960’s science fiction TV series] The Prisoner, a guy wakes up in a strange village and, if he tries to leave, a great big orb chases him down and tries to swallow him. It ties into the song’s feeling of your emotions or thoughts chasing you – but in the video, it’s the whole band trying to get away from the orb, because you’re not really alone.”
Dillastrate – “Don’t Say It”
Ōtautahi duo Dillastrate (Henare Kaa and Tim Driver) slow things down with “Don’t Say It”, a heartfelt soul-pop tune that tackles the challenges of leaving unhealthy relationships.
Driver reflects, “Inside, you are hurting and grappling with emotional turmoil, despite the pain, you realise that enduring the struggle to get out is a necessary step towards breaking free and reclaiming your independence.”
Coast Arcade – “City Limits”
Tāmaki Makaurau alt-rock trio Coast Arcade reflect on growing up and outgrowing their hometown with their driving new single and music video, “City Limits”. Fresh off a support slot for Lime Cordiale, they’re definitely moving on to bigger things.
“‘City Limits’ is for anyone who has felt trapped in their surroundings, whether it’s in their hometown or life in general. We hope listeners take away a sense of empowerment and validation – knowing it’s okay to feel restless and that the desire to break free can lead to personal growth. It’s about embracing that feeling and letting it push you toward something new,” the band share.
Moana & the Tribe – ONO
Moana & the Tribe’s album ONO is a journey around the world, highlighting six Indigenous wāhine from places they’ve performed. With Māori lyrics inspired by traditional karakia, this album celebrates unity and the power of relationships through well-crafted storytelling.
Moana Maniapoto shares: “I’ve always been into fusing haka with hip-hop, mōteatea with soul, taonga pūoro with Western instruments, Māori with English, classical with contemporary, passion with politics. I love that it’s normal now. It wasn’t always.
“My friend and manager Sol de Sully has taken me and my band around the world to strange lands, where we saw ourselves in the people we met. ONO builds on those connections. It celebrates solidarity, shared colonial experience, and the rich diversity of Indigenous cultures.”
Sarah Mary Chadwick – “Nothing Was The Same After The Bar Burnt Down”
Sarah Mary Chadwick returns with her intricate storytelling on “Nothing Was the Same After the Bar Burnt Down”. The New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter draws inspiration from Tarkovsky and Chekhov to tell an “allegorical story about the loss of a village’s local watering hole to a bewildering fire.”
