Balu Brigada Have Turned Sibling Chemistry Into Global Alt-Pop Magic

This interview is part of our Future of Music 2026 series. Follow all the coverage here.

Balu Brigada have turned sibling chemistry into a global alt-pop calling card.

Led by Auckland brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, the New Zealand duo have spent the past few years steadily widening their world, from early EPs I Should Be Home and Find a Way to international label deals, viral moments, and major support slots with the likes of Twenty One Pilots.

Their 2025 debut album, Portal, felt like the culmination of their evolution. Written and entirely produced by the brothers over three years across New York, Berlin, and their hometown of Auckland, the record carries the imprint of each city: heavier, grittier textures from New York, more reflective calm from Auckland, and a restless sense of movement running through it all.

The duo have described the album as “a reflection of our commitment to experimentation in the studio,” and that spirit is all over its blend of indie rock energy, alt-pop polish, and obsessive detail.

The breakout moment came with “So Cold”, a sleek, infectious single that has amassed more than 55 million global streams, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, landed on the EA Sports FC 25 soundtrack, and earned Balu Brigada a late-night TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Alongside singles like “Backseat”, “Politix” and “Sideways”, it helped position Portal as both a breakthrough and a statement of intent.

Read an exclusive interview with Pierre below.

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Rolling Stone AU/NZ: What does it mean to you to be included in Rolling Stone’s Future of Music series?

Balu Brigada: It’s an honour. We plan to make music for a while, so to be acknowledged in this light is gratifying!

How did you first get your start in music? 

I (Pierre) watched Henry write music for years in our teenage years. When I got old enough to play in bars, we kinda started to take the band a bit more seriously and properly imagine what it would be like to pursue it as a legitimate career. From then on most of our spare time was spent learning how to write better songs and produce music ourselves. We just stayed consistent enough for a while to the point where we got more opportunities locally and overseas. 

 Describe your sound to a new listener in three words.

Guitar, groove, dance.

Tell us about your latest release. 

Portal is our debut album. Written and produced by just the two of us. A lot of blood sweat and tears were put into it. We wrote it in between extensive tour legs, so it was a bit of a beneficial time crunch situation. We wrote a lot in a short amount of time but the pressure helped us tap into new creative lanes that we hadn’t yet. It was written between Manhattan (New York) and Kaiwaka (New Zealand).

What’s your favourite career memory so far?

Sao Paulo, Lollapalooza 2026. Actually just the LATAM tour we did in general. So much fun. 

What are the positives and negatives of being a musician in 2026?

On one hand, social media allows artists to be launched onto anyone’s algorithm. That gives more of a chance of discovery than say, the ’90s. However, with the ever-growing, bloated mass of content, social media can begin to feel inauthentic and more like a chore than an expression of art. 

What’s one thing you’d change about the ANZ music industry?

I guess it’s an obvious answer but Tall Poppy Syndrome is unfortunate. 

Are you hopeful for the future of music in ANZ? 

Of course! There’s always new talent coming from down here. 

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 Name one other ANZ act you’d like to see make our Future of Music series in the future. 

Thorington, he’s a friend of mine. We used to play in another band together in high school. He’s so talented, it’s actually not funny. Probably the funniest person I’ve ever met as well. His music is incredible and he can play any instrument better than the next person. Bless you, James. 

 What’s coming up for you this year?

Touring Europe, Aus, NZ and US! We plan to write music where we can!