At Rolling Stone House at SXSW Sydney 2024, Phoebe Rings’ music was a much-needed sonic tonic amidst the frenetic festival. Their gentle style of dream-pop is innately soothing, but the Auckland band don’t create mere elevator music: there is exquisite musicality bubbling under their songs’ pristine surfaces.
Originally started as the songwriting vehicle of former jazz school student Crystal Choi, their debut album sees the whole band — Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent (guitar/synth), Benjamin Locke (bass), and Alex Freer (drums/production) — get in on the songwriting fun.
“I feel more precious about this LP because it includes everyone’s gems. The broth is richer with more cooks in the kitchen, and the brewing of textures creates a distinct ‘Phoebe Rings’ sound,” Choi says.
Typical of Auckland’s close-knit music community, all four members have other music projects, but it’s coming together as Phoebe Rings, where the recipe is just right.
Stream: Phoebe Rings, Aseurai
This article features in the June-August 2025 issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ. If you’re eager to get your hands on it, then now is the time to sign up for a subscription.
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