Here’s Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s weekly roundup of the freshest sounds in New Zealand music.
Catch up on last week’s coverage on Phoebe Rings, Pickle Darling, Bret Mckenzie, and then check out what else is new below.
LEISURE – “Missing You”
Auckland collective LEISURE are back with “Missing You”, the latest taste of their upcoming album Welcome to the Mood (out September 12th). Known for their slick blend of soul, electronic, and funk, this time around they’re loosening the seams, leaning into live instrumentation, string arrangements, and more organic textures. “We wanted to bring more of the live element into the process,” they say, and it shows. “Missing You” plays like a slow-burning sunset groove, warm on the surface, but haunted by emotional distance underneath. The track comes with a cool live video filmed at Taliesin West.
Harper Finn – “Love and Loneliness”
The NYC-based Kiwi taps into the ache of winter with “Love and Loneliness”, a piano-led ballad lifted from his forthcoming debut album. Written during a cold New York spell, it’s a song that catches Harper pacing grey pavements, missing keys, knocking on the wrong door. Loneliness and longing hang in the chords like steam. It’s moody, catchy, and reflective.
Bakers Eddy – I’m Doing Better
On their new six-track EP I’m Doing Better, Bakers Eddy dial up the emo and crank out the pop-punk. It’s a tighter, snappier turn for the Aotearoa-born, Melbourne-based band, complete with sing-alongs and heavier lyrical weight. “We’re speaking about things that really matter to us,” says frontman Ciarann Babbington.
Geneva AM – “Urban Planning”
Geneva AM’s “Urban Planning” floats on silky synths and crisp percussion but its roots run deep. It’s a love letter to her tīpuna and a meditation on urban Māori disconnection. The track is rich with story, from buried rivers to ancestral land, from motorway scars to reclaimed identity. “I made this waiata to help me memorise a pepeha,” she explains. It’s the second waiata from her debut album Pikipiki (out August 15th).
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MOKOMOKAI – PONO!
Back with their third studio album PONO!, MOKOMOKAI continue to carve out their soulful, Polynesian-inflected lane. It’s a slow-blooming, emotionally dense album that lingers on memory, mood and truth. Across nine lush tracks, Manu’s vocals glide through dusted beats and jazz-flecked chords.
Mild Orange – “Silver Star”
Mild Orange’s “Silver Star” is a lovestruck, shimmering indie-pop cut. The Ōtepoti-born, London-based band are gearing up for their next LP The//Glow (due August 8th), and this opener sets the tone: dreamy, spacious, and personal. Frontman Josh Mehrtens dedicates it to his “newlywed wife,” and you can hear the heart-on-sleeve honesty.
