Deaheaven are back in Aotearoa New Zealand for a short but sweet tour.
Presented by Banished Music, the black-metal trailblazers are playing San Fran in the capital tonight (July 2nd), followed by a trip to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to play the Powerstation tomorrow (July 3rd).
Deafheaven are touring in support of Lonely People with Power, which was widely acclaimed as one of the best releases of 2025.
Their sixth studio album featured in many year-end publications, topping Metal Injection and BrooklynVegan‘s respective countdowns.
To celebrate their New Zealand return, Rolling Stone AU/NZ caught up with the US band to discuss their latest album, their favourite Kiwi haunts, the differences between smaller and larger venues, and more.
Tickets for Deafheaven’s Wellington show can be found here. Tickets for their Auckland show can be found here.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: You’ve always made music that is vast. I wonder if in recent years you feel like you’re finally playing venues that can actually fit the sound of Deafheaven. What has it been like getting used to these bigger venues?
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Deafheaven: I like that larger venues allow for bigger production, and to that end, it does feel more accommodating for what we do. That said, smaller venues can help amplify the volume and intensity that I hope our show brings.
Is there something that you miss about playing smaller venues?
We still do! We’re lucky to play a nice mix of venues.
The Powerstation in Auckland is where a lot of local bands aspire to play. Is there a venue that you aspired to play that you’ve since played, and what was that milestone like?
Playing Great American Music Hall in SF [San Francisco] was a great milestone. There’s a strange feeling of kinship with artists you admire when you a play a venue you’d seen them in years before. The milestone indicates feeling ‘part of’ more than anything.
Australia and New Zealand often land at the bottom of world tour posters (we understand it’s geographic, not personal) — does this mean we get you at your most rehearsed?!
It does! We’re all very comfortable once we get here. We’ve also premiered songs in Australia, which is fun.
Lonely People with Power is arguably your most dynamic album. How has the transition from studio to stage been for this album cycle?
Very easy, thankfully. A lot of these songs were written with the show in mind, so getting to debut and play them has been very rewarding.
Are there any clear crowd favourites that have surprised you during the tour?
The heavy hitters tend to be favourites — “Doberman” or “Magnolia”, but I’ve been very happy with how people have taken to “Body Behavior”. It’s one of the most fun songs to play.
The features really add to the cinema of Lonely People with Power: since you’ve got a narrator in Paul Banks, who would you have as your ideal director for a Deafheaven-soundtracked movie?
Maybe Luca Guadagnino, Tom Ford or [David] Cronenberg?
Do you think the future of Deafheaven looks like more and more collaboration? Is there anyone off the top of your head you’d love to work with?
I’m not sure! Working with Paul was a very special ask.
Coming back to Australia and New Zealand, are there any vital pit-stops you can think of?
Stroll K’ Road and maybe through Ponsonby and Grey Lynn. Bestie in the arcade. In Australia, I’m more happy to be guided. People we’re with are always taking us to great places.
Hypothetical: my Metallica-tee-wearing uncle doesn’t know a whole lot of music released post-1989 — how should I prepare him for the show?
Prepare him with an open mind! I love to see older people at our shows.
