This feature is part of a new Scene Report on Dunedin. Check out the series here.
Go big or go home: that should be every band’s motto going into their first album.
Dunedin alternative rockers IVY swung big on their debut, Hush, a highly ambitious record that sounded like nothing else in current New Zealand music.
What it did sound like, though, was a potent mixture of two classic English rock bands, because IVY are just as capable at sinking into wailing, emotive rock à la Radiohead as they are at soaring towards Muse-esque moments of grandeur.
Hush dropped in September, one month after IVY showcased their music at Going Global 2025, and their first national headline tour followed in October. They’ve been busy, in other words. But this fertile career period didn’t just happen overnight.
IVY – composed of Jesse Hanan (vocals, rhythm guitar), James Axton (lead guitar/acting manager), Connor Cooper (bass), Ocean Temple Wilson (drums), and Louis Stevenson (violin) — have been building to this chapter since 2020, steadily honing their craft at gigs in their hometown of Dunedin.
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They didn’t rush into their debut album, biding their time until their musicality caught up to their obvious talent. It’s a cautious approach that’s served them well, with Hush sounding more complex, polished, and commercially viable than many of their peers’ releases.
In Hanan, they have one of the most magnetic lead vocalists in the country. There are notes of Thom Yorke and Matt Bellamy to his vocal range, but his classical background gives his delivery a distinctive flavour.
“When we first started out, I had a real strange voice because I was classically singing and then I’d try to get into this alter ego of a rock singer, so I kind of hurt my voice,” he told BurgerFuel (yes, really) earlier this year.
He’s grown into his voice over the past couple of years, and then some.
Whether it’s a doom-laden rock ballad of despair or a cinematic epic, his voice rises to the occasion on each IVY song, carrying the dark drama of their lyrics.
“Lyrically Hush moves through personal stories – death, distance, religion, falling in and out of love,” the band previously said. A handful of tracks are also about their hometown, including the simmering “Tall Grass”, inspired by the harsh weather of Dunedin, and the theatrical “Loon”, described as a ‘love-hate’ letter to the city.
Still only aged between 20-22, it’ll be great to watch IVY’s members continue to explore the rich textures of their eclectic sound, which ranges from ’00s-indebted alternative rock to prog-metal and art-rock, on album two.
We caught up with Connor Cooper to find out more about the band’s journey, which you can read below.
IVY’s Hush is out now. Limited edition red and black marbled vinyl will be released on February 13th, 2026 (pre-order here).
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How much did music influence you in your early life?
Connor Cooper: Each of us have been greatly influenced by music from early on. Jesse and Louis grew up with a classical background, Louis playing violin in the Dunedin Youth Orchestra and Jesse in a church choir. Jesse received classical voice training for all of his teen years and received multiple awards and was recognised for his work in the classical field. Ocean’s father is a well known musician in Dunedin called Julian Temple, and he was heavily influenced by his father during early life. James and Connor both grew up listening to heavy music from ’80s and ’90s grunge and metal.
What artists influenced you growing up?
Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Interpol, Portishead, Julian Temple Band, Sublime, Boa, Ozzy Osbourne, Rush, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake. So many artists have influenced all of us in so many different ways, we like to take bits of inspiration from small parts of different genres and blend it all into our own music.
What are some career highlights so far?
So far our greatest achievements have been our national tour in October this year, releasing our debut album this year and having it pressed on vinyl, which is to be released early next year
Tell us about your latest album/EP.
Our latest album, Hush, is a deeply introspective album which reflects upon a collective journey through adolescence and into adulthood. It was written by all of us over 3-4 years during our late teen years. Hush recounts feelings that deal with love, loss, joy, sadness, and everything in between. It is a reflection of the place we all grew up in, Dunedin. Living in such a gloomy and moody sort of place has definitely played a large role in the sound we managed to create for this album.
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How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
Our music is reminiscent of early 2000s alt-rock, but we show elements of post-rock, art-rock, shoegaze, and grunge.
What are your goals for 2026 and beyond?
Our goals for 2026 are big. We plan on building a fanbase across the ditch in Australia through touring, continuing to make good music that we enjoy playing and listening to, keep making connections and friendships through music, and take ourselves one step further to making our band our full time job.
