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Check out the best new music from Aotearoa acts released between February 16th-22nd below!
Tali (ft. Nathan Haines) – “I Feel Too Much”
Making way for Tali’s new album Empress Era (due out March 13th), “I Feel Too Much” features the legendary Nathan Haines. It packs a punch both sonically and lyrically, rising to a high energy crescendo of drum and bass/jungle intensity and emotion, wrapped in the smooth tones of Nathan Haines’ live saxophone.
c cada – words later: recordings 2020 – 2025
C cada’s words later is a collection of songs and demos recorded over the last five years — made on beds, floors, trains, planes, and airports in various bedrooms, houses, and cities. Most of the tracks remain in their original improvised form, many without real words.
Verity – “Like It’s London”
“Like It’s London” feels like a turning point for Verity. It leans into the reckless phase of youth, and reflects on it with a little more hindsight and clarity. It’s bold pop, but there’s self-awareness under it.
Mudgoose – Chasing Horse
As with all Mudgoose releases, Chasing Horse‘s hooks are insatiable. Warm guitars blanket the songs in molasses as crystal synthesizers send shards of ice down the listener’s spine, gently guiding them from aching alt-country ballad to rattling cult-rocker and back again.
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Hemi Hemingway – Wings of Desire
Hemi Hemingway’s second album, Wings of Desire, arrives as what he calls a “total yearnfest” – a widescreen meditation on connection, heartbreak, identity and the slippery space between who we were and who we’re becoming. Find out more about the musician here.
DC Maxwell – “Funeral Suit”
“Funeral Suit” follows the apocalyptic “Jesus’ Son” and starkly romantic “Golden Light”, marking a clear departure from DC Maxwell’s former persona. The single is described as an attempty to find reasons to live when the grim spectre of death is hanging over your head.
this dog – “Likewise”
The fuzz smothered walls of guitar sound and frenetic drumming introduced in their initial EP Clean Living is ever present on this dog’s new single “Likewise”. It is all presented through the same biting yet tongue-in-cheek lyrical lens offered by vocalist Robbie Redvers.
Sanoi – Augenblick: Side B
Following the release of Augenblick: Side A in December, Sanoi’s Side B completes the experience. It is a body of work that captures him in a rare moment of open-ended exploration, embracing process over expectation and emotion over formula.
Amamelia – “Theme From Living”
Amamelia’s “Theme From Living” explodes with whistling synths, wheezing white noise, chiming xylophone, a fuzzed guitar solo, and a cheeky record scratch. It is the first taste of the Aotearoa Music Award winner’s forthcoming album The Joy of Living (due out April 17th).
Silas Futura – “The Fall”
The lead single off his forthcoming album Life Begins After Despair (due out March 4th), Silas Futura’s “The Fall” marks his first new release in four years. From this single emerges ‘the monster’, Silas’ overly expressive and surreal shadow self, a man made entirely of ash and misery — a metaphor for the callousness, resentment, and fatigue that comes as a result of reaching one’s lowest point.
Ardon England – I’m That Bitch
Ardon England’s I’m That Bitch flips ego into liberation. It’s cheeky, confident, and gloriously queer, pushing Aotearoa’s electronic scene forward while spotlighting Māori identity on the dancefloor.
CRYSTAL – “Make It Up to You”
The perfect soundtrack to the last days of summer “Make It Up to You” is a power anthem that sparkles with CRYSTAL’s signature edgy pop sonics. Also, in keeping with her focus on authenticity in songwriting, the single reflects real life.
Jordan Rakei (ft. Tom McFarland) – “Easy to Love”
The first single off Jordan Rakei’s forthcoming EP Between Us (due out April 24th), “Easy to Love” features Jungle’s Tom McFarland. The EP, created during his tenure as Artist in Residence at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, will feature several names, including Jalen Ngonda, Nubya Garcie, and Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso.
Sola Rosa (ft. Blush’ko) – “What You Need”
Featuring Melbourne-based electronic soul and R&B artist Blush’ko, Sola Rosa’s “What You Need” signals a deliberate move into an intimate, low-lit dancefloor space, built around a sparse four-on-the-floor groove and syrupy vocals. It’s the first taste of his upcoming album In the Mids (due out April 10th).
TL Stamp – “Miracle Mile”
TL Stamp’s new single takes inspiration (sort of) from Miracle Mile, a 1988 film about imminent nuclear destruction. As he puts it: “This song is not really about that, it’s more about the excitement of new beginnings, or getting jazzed about a fun holiday, something like that.”
