Are you a Kiwi artist with a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature! Where's Jai — Light Left Dim Where’s Jai return with Light Left Dim, a dark and addictive track exploring the kind of love that slowly
26/09/2026, Valhalla — Words by Tia Cranefield “Crouching Amongst It All” The power of live music is not something rarely described. For an artist to finally bare onstage a brewing collection of thought, emotion, and trust in musical expression, is to take one step closer to capturing a connection
Are you a Kiwi artist with a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature! RENÉE — Comfortable Auckland artist RENÉE returns with Comfortable, a contemporary R&B and dance-pop single about the uneasy process of letting someone in and learning
This week we’ve got new music from across Aotearoa, with fresh releases spanning dream pop, indie, alternative R&B, soul, hip-hop, electronic and pop. There are new EPs from artists including Sabreen, Jordan Hunter Hyland, CHARIS and Vicious Villain, alongside singles from Echomatica, Julia Belle, Lucy Gray,
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
South African-born, New Zealand-raised artist Furo 4404 has already performed in front of crowds of more than 20,000 people, sold out shows across Auckland and built a sound that draws from hip-hop, Afrobeats, house and pop. With Zimbabwean roots and a childhood split between South Africa
It’s been a busy week for Aotearoa music, with Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori giving us another chance to celebrate the role of te reo Māori in our culture and creative spaces. So this week’s New Music Friday is Puoro Hou, bringing together some of the latest
Auckland artist BEX (Rebekah Massey) is taking a different direction with her latest project, swapping her usual indie pop-rock sound for electronic, hyper-pop and club music. The six-track EP MAKE IT LOUDER came together quickly this year after BEX and her producer and partner Caleb Wong, aka
Are you a Kiwi artist with a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature! 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
28/08/2026, The Welsh Dragon — Words by Tia Cranefield “Scared of the Guitar” $5.00 ticket in hand had me expecting a half assed, crappy sound, cramped pub room kind of a show at the Welsh Dragon on a windswept Friday night. Having missed the instantly iconic nature of
Ōtepoti five-piece Ammonita have been carving out their own space in Dunedin’s alternative rock scene, blending grunge, metal, rap and softer alternative sounds into something that’s difficult to put in a single box. Made up of Zoe Eckhoff, Paige Sumner, Ivan Fernandez, Mason O’Connell and Karl
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Spring has officially sprung, and there’s no shortage of new Kiwi music to soundtrack the start of the season. This week’s roundup moves through everything from heavier alt-rock and dreamy indie to pop, reggae, hip-hop, soul and blues, with new releases from the likes of Dillon
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27/08/2026, Theatre Royal Nelson It’s 7:33 p.m. at Nelson’s Theatre Royal, and as a 23-year-old sitting upstairs waiting for Mel Parsons to take the stage, I’m starting to feel like I might be the youngest person in the room. The theatre
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Pōneke pop-rock four-piece Juna have moved quickly since forming less than a year ago. The band is made up of Queenstown-born guitarist and vocalist Max Horn, 17, Wellington vocalist Hannah Patterson, 18, Christchurch-born drummer Hayden Lam, 20, and bassist Evie Patterson. Together, they have already shared
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Do you have a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature! Ms. Mia — Still Here Manila-born, Auckland-based singer-songwriter Ms. Mia creates cinematic contemporary pop that blends expressive vocals, live instrumentation and emotionally honest storytelling, with her previous releases
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Do you have a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature! Merlia — Magic Woman Auckland folk artist Merlia, originally born in the Netherlands and raised in the coastal town of Ngunguru, blends her classical roots with moody modern pop, drawing on
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It’s been another big week for new music across Aotearoa, with a pretty diverse mix of releases spanning indie rock, hip-hop, electronic, folk and everything in between. Zafado officially release their debut EP Extended Paranoia, a particularly meaningful release following the passing of frontman Adam McPhail earlier this
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Do you have a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature! 44kyn — Live It Up (Feat. RENÉE) Based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, 44kyn is an alternative R&B and hip hop artist and producer whose music blends ambient and
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July wraps up with another stacked week of new music from around Aotearoa. With the first hints of longer, warmer days on the horizon, there's no shortage of fresh releases to soundtrack the change in seasons, from intimate singer-songwriter moments and soaring indie rock to ambitious debut
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Do you have a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature! Middle Island — Cheap Perfume / Angeline Middle Island are a five-piece folk rock band made up of Thomas Clark, David Hurnen, Jackson Mackwood, Jack Bromwich and Braithan Bailey. Originally beginning
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There's plenty to dive into in this week's roundup, with new releases spanning indie folk, shoegaze, alt-rock, reggae, hip-hop, electronic pop and everything in between. Emerging artists continue to make their mark alongside returning favourites like Gin Wigmore, Corrella and The Datsuns, making it
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Happy Matariki long weekend and welcome to another New Music Friday. Whether you're travelling, spending time with whānau or simply taking the chance to slow down, there's plenty of fresh music to soundtrack the break. This week's roundup features everything from heartfelt indie folk
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