> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.rootsmag.nz/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Holding Daisies - URL: https://www.rootsmag.nz/holding-daisies/ - Published: 2026-09-24T03:49:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-24T03:49:54.000Z - Author: Ryan Brash - Tags: Interviews Pōneke duo **Holding Daisies** are **Trent Wallace** and **Kale Hamilton**, two Massey University students currently finishing their Bachelor of Commercial Music. The pair started working on the project while playing together in **Molipane**, wanting to explore a different sound from their other band and draw on their shared love of pop punk, post-hardcore and emo. Their debut five-track EP is being completed as their final-year major project, with the duo planning to release it before the end of the year and begin playing live shows around Wellington. ## **What first got you into music?** **Trent:** Just listening to music at home from my dad. Eventually I discovered how to listen to music on the internet and it just took off from there. **Kale:** I grew up listening to music with my mum, and then during the first lockdown I got a guitar for my birthday and I ended up spending a lot of time practicing guitar rather than doing my schoolwork. ## **What musicians and bands inspire you?** **Kale:** For this album specifically, I would say this band called Title Fight, they're a post-hardcore band from Kingston in America, and other bands in that scene like Basement and Citizen. But recently I've been getting more into this metalcore band called Sleeping With Sirens, so I think that's kind of influenced some of like the more like recent guitar parts I've been making for this EP **Trent:** I have so many influences. Some pop punky stuff, like Fall Out Boy and Blink-182\. More of their earlier works where it's a bit more rougher sounding, and more of a post-punk than punk sort of sound. ## **What genre would you say your project is?** **Kale:** It's got pop punk tinges mixed with post hardcore and emo. ## **How did Holding Daisies become a thing?** **Kale:** Me and Trent first started playing music together in second year when we joined **Molipane** which is the project of **Will Johnson**. I had just been making stuff throughout my first year, and I penned this, the name for my project, *Holding Daisies*, and towards the end of second year I showed it to Trent. We always wanted to do something with it, but it wasn’t until we started doing our major project planning for our course that me and Trent realised that it could be a good chance to actually get the project underway. We had one song that I had written last year, but the rest of it are all news songs that we’ve been writing this year. **Trent:** Me and Kale were spending lots of time together because we were more available than the other two in the band, so we kinda got inspired to work on our own thing, in a different genre. We found that we have similar tastes in music and we wanted to do something that was a bit different than what we were already doing with Molipane, and something that was moving into a different genre. ## **Is there any meaning behind the name, or does it just sound cool?** **Kale:** Last year I started listening to this band called Hum, and they have this one song called Stars which I really like. There's this line in the chorus which goes "I thought she'd be there holding daisies. She always waits for me." And I just thought, "Oh, that's such a cool emo-sounding name. I'll take that." Only a few people have caught on to the name so far. Hum have only really gotten really, really popular this year, so, I thought pin the name really quick. **Trent:** Not so niche anymore! ## **What's your songwriting process?** **Trent:** Well, at the moment it's just been that Kale will come in with an idea and we'll kinda like build off of it, or I'll come in with an idea. We’ll just keep building off like one idea, and then we’ve got a song. And it can happen pretty quickly sometimes, really spur of the moment. **Kale:** Definitely our biggest hurdle with songwriting has been lyrics. That’s a whole different field to playing with instruments. ## **Is there one song you've struggled the most with to produce?** **Kale:** I think the song that we just finished recording, that one has gone through the most iterations and changes. It's kind of our dark horse, but, listening back on the PA just then it sounds real good. We're happy with how it's come along. ## **Do you have a favourite song from the EP?** **Kale:** Hmm. I don't know. I really like all of them equally. They’re all really different. It's gonna be quite interesting when we get the final mix, to see the flow of the EP. **Trent:** It's just kind of all our favourite genres blended into this five-track EP. We love all of the songs on it. And no matter how it sounds it’s gonna be this embodiment of Trent and Kale. **Kale:** With the help of **Drew** \[**van Arts**\]. Drew's been really good on the drums, 'cause he brings in his influence from heavy metal, and some of his jazzy stuff. He’s gone pretty intricate on this recording. So I bet he'll be pretty chuffed for this to come out. ## **If someone was listening to you for the first time what song do you think they should start with?** **Kale:** I think maybe the song that we're planning on having as the opening track. I think that'd be like the perfect intro. That's the one we've had for the longest. That's been a song for over a year and a half now, and we’ve only just managed to get onto the recording now. That one's definitely the best blend of every song on the EP which is why we think it's the perfect opener. ## **What do you think you each bring to the project that makes it work?** **Trent:** I think we’re both really open-minded, and we know not to take anything to heart, like if we have a disagreement over something. **Kale:** Yeah, we're pretty transparent with each other, if there's something that doesn't sound right, we'll tell each other. There's never been anything like an argy-bargy in the studio. It's just been like, "Oh, yeah, maybe that's not the best part," or “that sounds like shit.” We’re just focused on getting the result. ## **What do you hope people take away from listening to the EP?** **Kale:** I think the main thing is just that we want people to come to shows and support us. We've never been studio people. This is our first time recording properly in the studio, so definitely not our strong suit when it comes to playing as a group. I want people to listen to our EP, but I also want them to come see us live when we start gigging, 'cause I think that's where we feel more comfortable. I'd rather play in front of thousands of people than have thousands of people listen to what I've done. But that's just how my brain works. ## **When is the EP coming out then? Do you have a rough idea in your head?** **Kale:** Definitely before the end of the year. Sometime in November, definitely. Maybe earlier. Because it's for a uni project, we’ve just really got to get it done to get that grade. **Trent:** Yeah we have to get it in in the next few weeks, but after that we will definitely keep doing a bit more work on it, and keep refining. **Kale:** Yeah, depending on how rough it's sounding, but definitely before the end of the year. We wanna start the new year with something already produced that we can use as a stepping stone to create more and be able to play more. ## **So you do plan on playing some shows? Do you have anything in the works?** **Kale:** We've got something in the works for late October, depending on whether we're ready. We're really “play it by ear” with our gigs, which is how we are in our other bands too. I think the very first gig we did in Molipane we only accepted about two or three days before. ## **Is *Holding Daisies* going to be a part of *Glasshead*?** **Kale:** We’re not sure yet. I've started working on the management side of **Glasshead** with [Thomas](https://www.rootsmag.nz/the-world-is-against-you/) and Evie, so maybe. We’ll see how it goes, it definitely fits the vibe of Glasshead. The Glasshead community is growing by the month, and more people are tapping into it. A lot of new bands have played shows through Glasshead, so it would definitely be a good steppingstone into the live music aspect, and being able to play with more established local bands. **Trent:** We’re not the best at promo, but we’ve got some good ideas. Filming different sorts of videos and reels to build out our audience. **Kale:** Yeah, we do have a lot in the works. Getting this EP sorted and then getting to a point where we can play gigs. We don’t want to be a band that just plays live, we need to get our music recorded. I think that’s the best way to retain an audience and to get people coming back to your shows is if you have something out. ## **Do you have a dream venue you’d love to play?** **Kale:** I’m thinking maybe Red Rocks in America. That seems like such a cool venue. I don't know if that would be our vibe, but some other emo bands have played there. **Trent:** Yeah, any venues like that where it's incorporating some kind of outdoors, and staggered steps as seating. Those places look really cool, but I don’t know if that fits our vibe entirely. **Kale:** Yeah, I have always played inside in different venues. I’ve never played any festivals, but I feel like playing to a crowd outside would be such a cool thing. Yesterday we were filming a rooftop show for Glasshead and that was just such a cool concept. Especially in the middle of the city where there’s buildings all around, and people watching you from these different buildings. I think doing something outdoors like that would be a dream. *You can follow Holding Daisies on Instagram* [@holdingdaisiesband](https://www.instagram.com/holdingdaisiesband/?ref=rootsmag.nz)