Last week was a big one for Aotearoa’s music scene as Vera Ellen took home the 2024 Taite Music Prize for her excellent second album Ideal Home Noise (Flying Nun Records) – read our interview coverage here. And in other news, check out lots of fresh Kiwi releases from Tom Lark, Anna Coddington, Kings, Hyan, InDuna, Foley, Nice Girl, Sam Bambery, 0800.
Tom Lark – “Dumb Luck”
Tom Lark returns with his first new music since his Taite Music Prize and Aotearoa Music Awards-nominated album, Brave Star. Reflecting on life’s silver linings, the folk-rock track comes with a video set in the Waitākere Ranges, featuring Fowler panning for gold and fending off snakes and spiders.
Anna Coddington – “Kātuarehe”
Anna Coddington and her band The Appreciations (Jol Mulholland, Mike Hall and Fen Ikner) debut “Kātuarehe”, a blend of funk-pop with lyrics in both te reo Māori and English. It’s the lead single from her forthcoming album, set to drop in June for Matariki.
Kings – “Tick Me Up”
Aotearoa rap star Kings switches up his style with “Tick Me Up”, a smooth-singing single marking the debut from his upcoming album, Heartbreak TV, set to drop later this year.
Hyan – “Runners” (ft. Deadforest)”
Hyan and Deadforest collaborate on “Runners”, a dynamic track blending heated beats with South Auckland rap. The homegrown music video, shot in and around Avondale, features local burger favourites Baby G Burger.
Rei – “Toitū”
Rei wraps up a busy summer of touring, including headlining at WOMAD, with his latest single “Toitū”. With bilingual drill-style raps and haka chants set against a high-energy Brazilian trap beat, this track pulls no punches as a protest anthem.
InDuna – “Diva”
South African-born, Aotearoa artist and producer InDuna returns with an empowering Afropop track, “Diva”, inspired by the strength of his mother and sisters. InDuna shares, “From humble beginnings to the collaborative efforts with the likes of Jpec and Joost at Bigpop Studios, ‘Diva’ evolved into an anthem of empowerment and ambition.”
Foley – “Miss You All the Time”
Currently touring in LA, Foley share “Miss You All the Time”, capturing the bittersweet feeling of chasing dreams while missing loved ones. The LA-based pop duo wrote the heartfelt track about the challenges of pursuing passion far from home.
Nice Girl – “Yummy”
Naarm-based Aotearoa electronic dance producer Nice Girl treats us to the title track from her upcoming album, an addictive blend of glitchy electronica. Yummy arrives on May 3rd via Munich-based imprint Public Possession.
Sam Bambery – “24.01”
Ōtautahi’s Sam Bambery has unveiled the final single from his upcoming record Rubricator. Named after the day it was written in his Christchurch flat, “24.01” came about after a coffee chat with fellow songwriter Hannah Everingham, where they both talked about heartbreak and turned it into this gentle and heartfelt song together.
0800 – “NASCAR”
Auckland’s hip hop crew 0800 drops “NASCAR”, featuring melodic falsetto and tag-team rap verses. The group keeps it simple with a lo-fi music visualiser shot using a car’s reverse camera in an underground car park.
