New Music 11/09
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trouble with normal — Are you being served?
Christchurch alt-indie three-piece Trouble with Normal have returned to making music after first forming decades ago, reuniting in 2024 with a new drummer and a renewed appetite for making noise. Proudly describing themselves as a “dad band”, the group bring a playful, quirky indie-pop sound to their latest single Are You Being Served, following I’m Not Sure, which reached No. 1 on the 98.5 RDU Top Ten. Built around driving guitars and infectious hooks, the new track takes an ironic look at healthcare, education, justice, climate, poverty and the cost of living, turning an elevator ride into a conversation about whether the leaders we choose are actually serving the people they represent.
JessB — MATTERS OF THE HEART (ALBUM)
Tāmaki Makaurau hip-hop artist JessB returns with her highly anticipated sophomore album MATTERS OF THE HEART, a record exploring love, loss, personal growth and human connection. Following recent singles Not Today and See You There, the album blends JessB’s hip-hop and R&B foundations with the dancehall, ragga and afrobeats influences that have shaped her music across seven years of touring through Aotearoa, Australia, Asia, Europe and the UK. Featuring collaborations with Deva Mahal and Paige, MATTERS OF THE HEART adds another chapter to JessB’s growing discography, following performances alongside artists including Kehlani and Coldplay and collaborations with Sister Nancy and Sampa The Great.
kloey — Try Again
Pōneke indie-pop artist kloey returns with Try Again, the first single from her upcoming debut EP. Inspired by the experience of moving flats, the track turns the messy feelings of endings and heartbreak into something bright and energetic, blending fuzzy bedroom rock, glitchy computer sounds, chaotic textures and catchy pop melodies. Produced by Keegan Lewis, with mixing by Chris Ingram and mastering by Downbeat Mastering, Try Again follows kloey’s earlier singles Black Cat and On Her Own, continuing the playful and slightly chaotic sound of her growing solo project. kloey, the solo project of Kloey Shaw, previously fronted Wellington indie-pop-rock band College Try and has since been building her presence around Pōneke through live shows and her own event promotion work supporting wāhine in music.
doggabarka — DOGSTEP VOL 1 (EP)
Pōneke artist doggabarka returns with his new EP DOGSTEP VOL 1, following his earlier album SPARROW PANE HEAVEN, released in April.
Purple Pilgrims — Innocence Lost
Sister-duo Purple Pilgrims, Valentine and Clementine Nixon, have announced their third album Given to the Night, sharing its dreamy first single Innocence Lost. Raised between New Zealand and Hong Kong, the duo have developed a distinctive sound built from shimmering guitars, synths, analogue textures and layered vocals, with their experimental dream-pop taking them from underground venues to international tours alongside artists including Weyes Blood, Aldous Harding and John Maus. Innocence Lost offers a first glimpse into the hazy, nocturnal world of Given to the Night, a record shaped by personal transition, isolation, joy, grief and healing.
Steph Casey — Merced
Kapiti Coast singer-songwriter Steph Casey returns with Merced, her first release in more than six years and the first taste of her forthcoming third body of work. Known for story-driven songs blending indie folk, americana and alt-country, Casey’s new material takes a shift towards the grunge and alt-rock influences of her twenties, with Merced becoming the first of two songs on the upcoming EP written and performed on piano. Inspired by a difficult experience travelling alone through the US, the song captures feelings of desperation and isolation while trying to escape wildfires in the town of Merced, before finding a sense of hope through the kindness of strangers, with crashing piano chords, layered guitars and driving drums building towards an uplifting finish.
Amy Jane — picture perfect
Auckland singer-songwriter Amy Jane explores the pressure of society’s expectations and the impossible standards we place on ourselves with her second single picture perfect. Written while Amy was comparing her own life to the seemingly perfect lives of those around her, the song focuses particularly on women’s beauty standards and the expectation to appear flawless no matter the cost, while recognising how even the smaller, often subconscious pressures can shape the way we see ourselves. Rather than trying to live up to a normalised idea of perfection, picture perfect is about embracing the flaws and recognising that the lives we compare ourselves to are rarely as perfect as they appear.
AKIYA — before we leave (ALBUM)
Alternative hip hop artist AKIYA has released their debut album before we leave, a record centred around the moments before everything changes. Blending rap with alternative sounds and cinematic textures, the album moves through conversations we replay, people we struggle to let go of and versions of ourselves we’ve outgrown, with a fluid and unpredictable sound designed to feel like moving through a dream. Originally intended to arrive last year, the album’s delay became part of the journey itself, adding another layer to a project about change, transition and letting go.
Jessica Leigh — Where There's A Will
Indie pop and rock artist Jessica Leigh returns with Where There’s A Will, a new single inspired by her grandad Will and the story of her grandparents falling in love when they were young. Following her recent EP I Wanna Be A Star, the track adds another release to Leigh’s growing catalogue of guitar-driven indie pop.
Music Sucks — Mr Brown
Whakatū/Nelson indie rock band Music Sucks have released a new music video for Mr Brown, a song centred around New Zealand Health Minister Simeon Brown. Originally started in Dunedin in 2011 as Sam Wilkinson’s songwriting project, Music Sucks have since featured a rotating cast of musicians, with the current lineup coming together at an open mic night in 2025. The band have released two albums, Periscope Straws and Road Cone City, alongside a run of singles including Wack Job, Grown Ups and Mr Brown, with the new video directed and edited by Peter Blasdale.
Haddon — Traphouse (ALBUM)
Hawke’s Bay artist Haddon has released his seven-track EP Traphouse, a personal reflection on life, spirituality, love and trying to understand yourself as a 25-year-old New Zealand man. Exploring his struggles with faith, self-understanding and the slow process of unlearning internal stories, the EP is ultimately about authenticity and vulnerability, with Haddon letting the music speak for itself.
lumerith — thin skin
Pōneke teen alternative shoegaze metal band lumerith are made up of Kieran Dunlop-Brown on vocals, Liam Campbell on lead guitar, Ryder Hodge on drums and Samuel Klausen on bass. Drawing from alternative rock, shoegaze, metal and post-hardcore, the four-piece have been developing their sound through live shows around Wellington, including a performance at Thistle Hall as part of Playground Live Music and a place in the 2026 Wellington Regional Final of Smokefree Rockquest. Now, lumerith have released their new song thin skin, continuing to build their presence in the local scene as they work on more music and live shows.
Harrison Marshall — Cutting Stone
Dunedin artist Harrison Marshall has released his debut single Cutting Stone, drawing inspiration from artists including Neil Young, Wilco and The Clean to create a sound that feels familiar while still being his own. The track marks the beginning of Marshall’s solo project, with the new artist focused on making music freely and staying true to himself. Cutting Stone is the first taste of what Marshall has in store, with more music on the way.
TullMaister — La Casa è Bella
House artist TullMaister (Tully James Young) returns with his latest single, La Casa è Bella, following his previous release Schud de Vloer. Continuing his work in the trance and house space, the new track adds to TullMaister’s growing catalogue as he continues to develop his sound and build his presence in New Zealand’s dance music scene.
Aubrie Mitchell — Where She Goes
Auckland-based Māori artist Aubrie Mitchell (Ngāti Raukawa) returns with Where She Goes, showcasing a darker and moodier side to her sound. A songwriter, producer and audio engineer, Aubrie challenged herself to write, produce, mix and master the track herself, with the song exploring her struggles with self-expectations and the unfair standards placed on women in society. Following her debut single Secret in 2024 and subsequent releases Evergreen and Just So Lame, Where She Goes marks the first chapter of a new direction for Aubrie, with support from NZ On Air.
Paige — Hypocrite
Paige enters a new era with Hypocrite, a playful R&B/pop track that marks a fresh direction for the artist while retaining her soulful vocals and pop sensibility. Now an independent artist, Paige has already built an international audience with more than 70 million streams worldwide, a Platinum record in South Korea, a Gold record in New Zealand and performances across Aotearoa, Australia and South Korea alongside artists including Ruel, G Flip and George Ezra. Written at APRA SongHubs with Joel Jones, Mi-kaisha and Shungudzo, Hypocrite embraces the contradictions of being human and sets the tone for the R&B-led chapter ahead.
SUB-TRIBE — Mana
SUB-TRIBE return with Mana, the title track and third single from their forthcoming MANA EP. Blending reggae, dub, bass music and Māori storytelling, the track pairs a house-inspired groove with heavy dub elements, horn melodies and ragga vocals, while exploring themes of whānau, self-acceptance, ancestral pride and cultural identity. Following their nomination for Best Māori Urban Roots & Reggae Album at the upcoming Waiata Māori Music Awards and a sold-out seven-show Australian tour, SUB-TRIBE will release MANA on October 16, featuring previous singles Te Waka with Casual Healing and For The Land.
THE OEK — HONGOEKA TIL I DIE
Porirua rap duo THE OEK, made up of Arama Marangai and Te Waimātao Ropata, emerge from the private Māori community of Hongoeka Bay, bringing their Ngāti Toa Rangatira roots into their music and storytelling. Blending boom-bap hip hop and dub reggae with gritty, homegrown production, the duo draw on their land, marae, history and everyday experiences of Pā life to create music they feel represents their community. Their latest single HONGOEKA TIL I DIE opens with a sample of karanga before reflecting on growing up on the marae, marking the duo’s fourth studio single of the year.
