Every week, Rolling Stone AU/NZ highlights our favourite New Zealand music from the past seven days.
Check out fresh highlights from Zed, Louis Baker, Louisa Nicklin, SACHI, Neil MacLeod, My Cosmic Girl, Liam Finn, Kédu, Swallow the Rat below.
Zed – Future Memory
Zed’s first album in two decades is a nostalgic yet fresh pop-rock comeback. With singles like “Kings & Queens,” “Future You,” and “Meant to Be,” the album was born from bedroom jams, studio sessions, and live testing. More than just a collection of tracks, it showcases the band’s renewed chemistry and growth.
As frontman Nathan King puts it, “The process of crafting and refining songs that we’ve all shared in creating has brought us closer together than ever before.”
Louis Baker – “So Good”
Neo-soul star Louis Baker is back in 2024, following up his rich Leon Bridges-esque track “Fools Expectation” with the slower, laid-back groove of “So Good.” The new single showcases Baker’s smooth vocals and and teases his upcoming self-produced EP, Medicine, set for release in October.
“This song is about a love that feels like an elixir, something that feeds the soul and body. It’s about connection,” says Baker.
Louisa Nicklin – The Big Sulk
What happens when Kiwi music icon Shayne P. Carter joins forces with Auckland’s Louisa Nicklin? You get The Big Sulk, Nicklin’s hauntingly beautiful second album. With eight enveloping tracks that don’t shy away from deep emotions, it pulls you in with its powerful sounds.
“Through playing in Dimmer, I got to know Shayne quite well and learned about his creative processes,” says Nicklin. “I liked the way he engaged with the band and talked about music. I asked him if he’d be interested in producing my next record, and he was keen. We then spent the next 18+ months working on this record.
“This album is a development on what I’ve released previously. There’s more patience and consideration in these tracks; everything is very purposeful.”
My Cosmic Girl – “Psychic”
Pōneke ensemble My Cosmic Girl fittingly taps into cosmic intuition with their lush and introspective new single, written by lead vocalist Ella Doty. The song reflects Doty’s premonition about romance, which turned out to be spot-on.
“I just had that feeling that my life was about to be blessed with romance and companionship,” Doty explains. “I feel very in touch with my intuition and I wanted to write about that experience – which ultimately became a reality!”
SACHI – “Crush”
Sticking to their dancefloor formula, the Tāmaki Makaurau duo’s new loved-up tune radiates the heat of a hot LA day with sunny beats and New York artist Kyla Iman’s fluttering vocals.
“We wrote this song on a dry and hot day in April with Kyla and Cam at the Pulse studio in Burbank. We hope it gets you moving, this is MUSIC FOR DANCING!” SACHI share.
Liam Finn – “Living Daylights”
Liam Finn of Crowded House keeps the new tracks coming from his solo project, Hyperverse, which he’s been creating via livestream. “Living Daylights” is pure noise and a testament to the wild energy Finn can unleash on the spot.
Neil MacLeod – I Need a Battle
I Need a Battle is the latest EP and epic short film (co-directed with Oscar Keys) from Wellington artist Neil MacLeod. Featuring grand violin and piano, the release includes recent singles “Tunnel Vision” and “Fear,” along with five new soul-stirring tracks.
“I Need a Battle is a reminder to confront the things that scare us. It’s not a new idea, but it’s one that humans need constant reminding of, myself included. I’m confronting things when I write these songs, and I hope that they can help others to do the same,” MacLeod explains.
Kédu – “Wanna Go”
One half of the Aotearoa club duo Kédu Carlö, Kédu releases her neo-soul/R&B track “Wanna Go,” a hopeful and soulful lead single from her upcoming debut EP How Do I Speak.
Swallow the Rat – “Small Plates”
Tāmaki Makaurau post-punk trio Swallow the Rat have dropped a moody new video for “Small Plates” from their standout album South Locust. Directed by drummer Hayden Fritchley, the video captures a late-night drive through rainy Karangahape Road. The release also includes a remix by Barnaby Greebles (Orbjks). Catch Swallow the Rat at the Going Global Presents 2024 Artist Showcases this Friday.
“‘Small Plates” is a reflection on [Auckland street] Karangahape Road, its gentrification, and what role Aucklanders have played in how it has changed over the years. Time has seen it go from the city’s flashest shopping destination, to urban clearances of the Maori and Pasifika communities, to both a red light and artistic district, to becoming a slightly edgier version of Ponsonby Road,” they share.
