This Wasn’t Planned is a great name for any debut album, but it’s the honest-to-God truth when it comes to Greta van den Brink.
More used to the acting world, where she attended Sam Neill’s prestigious drama school, worked on major productions like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and acted as Friends icon Lisa Kudrow’s stunt double in Time Bandits, van den Brink is now diving headfirst into music.
And based on This Wasn’t Planned, her debut album, she’d be a fool to return her focus solely to film and television. It’s a promising collection of indie-pop, filled with witty lyrics (“Vulnerability’s not in your vocabulary / Oh, regurgitate something Joe Rogan once said, oh, please,” is biting and brilliant), unvarnished emotions, and hooky melodies.
Befitting someone used to being in front of the camera, several standout tracks are accompanied by excellent music videos (watch a few below).
“It was the most wonderful time I’ve had in a studio with very little pressure on an outcome,” van den Brink says about the making of her record. “A great exercise in trusting the process. It is an amalgamation of all the people I have tried to shapeshift into or reject within myself with various levels of success.”
“This album feels like a collection of moments where I was trying to figure myself out in real time. A lot of the songs came from chaos, heartbreak, desire, loneliness, or wanting to escape something,” she adds.
“I think This Wasn’t Planned is really about growing into yourself through all the messiness and unpredictability of life, and learning that sometimes the unplanned things end up shaping you the most.”
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Before van den Brink’s album release show at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Whammy Bar this Saturday (June 6th), we caught up with her as part of our Up-And-Coming Aotearoa Artists series to discuss her pivot to music, her musical influences, her debut album, and much more.
Greta van den Brink’s This Wasn’t Planned is out now. Tickets to her Whammy Bar show are available here.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How much did music influence you in your early life?
Greta van den Brink: Music was always around. My dad listened to a lot of ’50s/’60s love songs which he would sing around the house when I was little. There was also plenty of ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon, and George Michael. When I started developing my own taste, I gravitated to artists that felt emotionally mature as I was a kid with big feelings and little understanding of how to process them.
Credit: Nick Alexander White
What artists influenced you growing up?
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. My Hannah Montana watching was often limited, being told I was “full of sass and talked back more” after watching it. Lady Gaga, for sure, I remember dancing to “Love Game” when I was probably too young to be dancing to “Love Game”. Byran Adams, specifically from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron soundtrack. I loved Adele and also Hozier. Finally, I was obsessed with whatever came on a NOW CD.
What are some career highlights so far?
Getting to work with some pretty spectacular people who are so supportive and genuine and unbelievably good at what they do. Having an Emmy Award-winning stunt coordinator (Steve McQuillan) coordinate a music video for me was unreal.
Tell us about your latest release.
The feature single of the album is “Dancing on the Moon”, which was inspired by Beth Dutton in Yellowstone. Her glorious strength and messiness was so much more exciting to me as a woman than a painted perfection and “likeability”. The song feels like fire and water crashing together… it feels like screaming out to the ocean or on the edge of a cliff on a full moon.
What kind of personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?
I haven’t been in the industry long — I’ve spent more time as a stunt performer in film and tv. However, I do think there is a lot of crossover. I would say to start, don’t be a dick. Firstly, that’s hugely unenjoyable to be around, and secondly, you must be careful whose toes you stand on today because they could be attached to the ass you must kiss tomorrow. I’ll admit I did not come up with that.
I think a healthy amount of delusion is important, and I think curiosity about the world is key.
How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Stevie Nicks, and Ella Langley made sweet, sweet love and gave birth in NZ.
Are you looking forward to your Auckland launch show?
HECK YES! When I wrote the album the main intention was for it to be really fun to play live.
What are your goals for 2026 and beyond?
Ideally world domination. I want to sing on as many stages as I can. Connect with people and make more music that I love.
