Puoro Hou 18/09
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 music from around Aotearoa, from new releases in te reo Māori to indie, soul, pop, rock and everything in between.
Are you a Kiwi artist with a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature!
BEX — MAKE IT LOUDER (EP)
Auckland artist BEX (Rebekah Massey) is moving from her usual indie pop-rock sound into electronic, hyper-pop, dance pop and club music with her new EP MAKE IT LOUDER. The six-track project was created with her producer and partner Caleb Wong, aka Wongii, after they started experimenting with a new UDO Super 6 synth, with the project coming together over the course of this year. BEX says the EP was also an opportunity to have fun with music and take some of the pressure off making every release perfect, with the project moving between fun, flirty tracks and songs with more personal themes around ambition and success.
You can read my interview with BEX here.
Wet Denim — Water For Dogs (EP)
Wellington four-piece Wet Denim return with their third EP Water For Dogs, an expansive project that sees the band push beyond their rock foundations and explore a more atmospheric side of their sound. Produced by Ben O’Leary of multi-platinum New Zealand band Drax Project, the EP is described by the band as their most raw and honest project yet, capturing the energy and emotion of playing together in a room. Focus track Outdated, made with support from NZ On Air, explores lost friendships and the way people and relationships can change over time, accompanied by a music video built around dated objects and old technology placed inside a deteriorating space.
Louis Baker — Mighty Tree
Wellington soul musician Louis Baker returns with Mighty Tree, the third single from his forthcoming album Trouble. Written while processing the unexpected loss of a friend, the track reflects on friendship, legacy, community and the lasting impact someone can leave behind, drawing on the Māori proverb Kua hinga te tōtara i te wao nui a Tāne. Following All We Need and Trouble, which received international support from BBC 6 Music, Radio 2 and Jazz FM, Mighty Tree offers another glimpse into the themes of resilience, love, grief and personal growth explored across Baker’s upcoming nine-track album.
Jack Bromwich — hound
Pōneke-based indie-rock artist Jack Bromwich has released hound, the latest single from his upcoming debut album hairscene. The track follows his debut EP Poser, Freak, which received support from the student radio network and local music journalists, as well as the album’s lead single sinking boat. Inspired by home recordings of John Frusciante, hound combines driving drum machines, gritty guitar layers and harsh lyrics, with hairscene set to follow in February 2027.
You can read my interview with Jack Bromwich here.
Niccolo Piccolo — TE NGAHERE (ALBUM)
Aotearoa country-folk artist Niccolo Piccolo, the project of award-winning musician Nicola Mitchell (Ngāti Maniapoto), has released her debut bilingual album for tamariki, TE NGAHERE. The album explores te reo Māori, te ao Māori and the natural world through waiata about waka, manu and the ngahere, combining previously released songs with new tracks including Te Ngahere, Ko Wai Ahau and Ka Kakakaka. Created with support from mātanga reo Kommi Tamati-Elliffe and THEIA, the album also features contributions from several Aotearoa musicians and was supported by Te Māngai Pāho, Creative New Zealand and the APRA Aotearoa Mentorship Programme.
The Beths — Metal (Nik Brinkman Remix)
The Beths have released Metal (Nik Brinkman Remix), a new version of the track reworked by fellow Kiwi musician and producer Nik Brinkman. The band released their fourth studio album Straight Line Was A Lie last year, which appeared on year-end lists from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, PopMatters and Slate. The Beths are currently touring the United States, with upcoming performances including Riot Fest, All Things Go and a series of headline shows where fans choose the set list in real time.
Imani-J — parasite
Haitian-New Zealand artist Imani-J has released parasite, her fourth release of the year and a playful diss track built around an infectious R&B bounce. The 18-year-old singer, songwriter, dancer and performer has been building her sound across Afrofusion and R&B, following previous singles something special, talk is cheap and me > you. Written with Dom Valentino and Adrian Dzvuke and mixed by Thomas Warren, parasite takes a more alt-R&B approach as Imani-J explores the need to protect her own energy and cut off people who no longer serve her, with the artist also recently announced for the Electric Avenue lineup.
You can read my interview with Imani-J here.
Frankie Venter — Say It
Frankie Venter has released Say It, her first new music since February’s a big deal to me EP and the sold-out Australasia tour that followed. Co-written with long-time collaborators Adam Snow and Rory Noble, the track moves away from the pure pop sound of her earlier releases into a stripped-back indie-folk style built around soft guitar, warm keys and knocking percussion. Say It explores self-acceptance, the pressure to fit someone else’s idea of you and wanting to be loved without having to change who you are, with social media teasers for the track already picking up support from artists including Joe Jonas and Laufey.
RIIKI REID — Pāinaina
RIIKI REID has released Pāinaina, her first song written entirely in Te Reo Māori, following her win for Radio Airplay Record Of The Year at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards. Created with Pere Wihongi and Devin Abrams, the dance track draws on music from the ’70s, ’90s and ’00s, incorporating a short instrumental loop sampled from Dalvanius Prime’s Voodoo Lady. The single follows Sauna, RIIKI’s first release as an independent artist, which reached #2 on the Aotearoa Top 20 Singles Chart, and continues her move into bright, dance-focused pop with Te Reo Māori at its centre.
IINKA — babydoll
Born in the UK and raised in New Zealand, IINKA is an emerging dark pop and alternative rock artist whose music explores themes of toxic relationships, obsession, vulnerability and emotional detachment. Her songwriting draws from personal experiences, with each song creating its own world for listeners to connect with. Her latest release BABYDOLL is a dark alt-rock track about obsession and the desperation of wanting to make someone yours, with raw vocals and a playful edge.
Kenape Saupese — You Again
Porirua-based musician Kenape Saupese is a singer, songwriter and former lead vocalist of reggae and pop group Tomorrow People, where he performed at festivals including One Love, Homegrown, Rhythm and Vines and Raggamuffin. Alongside his music career, Saupese works as a youth music mentor and educator, and has now begun a solo chapter with his debut single You Again. The track continues his focus on soulful vocals, uplifting rhythms and lyrics centred around his aim to “speak life” through music.
Marianne Leigh — bitter (EP)
London-based New Zealand songwriter Marianne Leigh has announced her new EP bitter, a four-track collection covering body image, break-ups, toxic attraction and ignoring obvious red flags. Blending indie-pop, rock and alternative influences with acoustic textures, layered harmonies and confessional lyrics, the EP moves between some of Marianne’s most personal writing and a sharper, more playful side of her songwriting. Created primarily with producer and songwriter Natsuma, bitter includes shut up and eat ur dinner, delusional, clone and something, with Marianne set to follow the release with a headline show at The Grace in London on 11 November.
WINDOW — Dark Fun (ALBUM)
WINDOW make melodic noise-rock that sits between indie pop, post-punk and shoegaze, using guitars, bass, drums and effects. DARK FUN is the band’s third album, following Dopamine Glances (2019) and Understand Your Alien (2023), with all songs written, performed, recorded and produced by the band. The new record is described as their most focused work so far, combining melodic and abrasive noise-rock with pop songs underneath, with Lesser Than You, Tick in the Box and Gulls offered as starting points.
Wazir Patar, Vijay Brar — Majha To Malwa
Tauranga/Papamoa-based Punjabi singer and rapper Vijay Brar has teamed up with Punjabi artist and producer Wazir Patar on Majha To Malwa, a Punjabi hip-hop track from Patar’s BLACK AND WHITE project. Brar has previously worked with artists including Roop Bhullar and Jeona Sandhu, with his catalogue including No Chance, 38 Super, Carry On, Awaaz, Jatt Hunde Aa, Revolver and Papamoa Zone. Released through Warner Music India, Majha To Malwa is accompanied by an official music video and continues Brar’s collaborations within the international Punjabi music scene.
DeHusslar Music — MOUTH 2 MOUTH
Independent electronic producer DeHusslar Music has released Mouth 2 Mouth, a 170 BPM drum and bass track and the second single from his forthcoming album Watermelon and Dick. The release follows II VII V DUB, which the supplied press release states peaked at #15 on the Hot Aotearoa Singles Chart, while Mouth 2 Mouth debuted at #6. The forthcoming album is set to span dubstep, drum and bass, Afro-beats and trap/EDM, with a planned release in November 2026.
MODEL — Hard to be Around
Tāmaki Makaurau art-punks MODEL have released their debut single Hard to be Around, the lead track from their upcoming EP A Child Swimming. The proudly misanthropic track is available alongside a limited edition 7-inch vinyl release, with Marijuana Girl appearing as the B-side. A Child Swimming is set to launch via T & M, with MODEL also heading out on a release tour around Te Ika-a-Māui.
Gareth Thomas — Unfortunate
Tāmaki Makaurau musician Gareth Thomas, founding member of Goodshirt and Fazerdaze, has released Unfortunate, a bittersweet indie-pop single about a romantic breakup, acceptance and moving forward. Built around piano, drum machine, Moog synthesisers and Linndrums, the track was influenced by a concert Thomas performed with Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, with a nod to LCD Soundsystem in the production. The accompanying music video was animated by Thomas using drawings by illustrator Nathan James Page and follows an aquatic story featuring a shrimp, blowfish and psychedelic toad, with the shrimp also appearing in the browser game Stink Shrimp that Thomas created with his brother Matt.
LA Women — Control (EP)
London-based New Zealand trio LA WOMEN have released their third EP Control, following the group’s breakthrough with 2016 single Hurricane Love, which picked up more than five million streams and led to a deal with Island Records UK. Across five tracks, Control follows a night moving from status anxiety and paranoia through chasing a high and coming down, before eventually coming up for air. The EP brings together dopamine-heavy synths, propulsive basslines and four-on-the-floor grooves, with recording taking place across multiple locations alongside songwriters, producers and engineers Joe Faris, Alex Stacey, Joel Jones and Simon Gooding.
Triggar Happy — Crank It Up
Waikato-raised country-rock artist Triggar Happy has released Crank It Up, following previous singles including Zombies, Cowboy Power Rock, Sundown and I Rock ’N’ Roll. After spending years running six farms before moving into music full-time, Triggar has released two #1 albums on the Top 20 Aotearoa Album Charts and was named Impact Artist of the Year at the 2025 Independent Music Awards. Crank It Up brings together country, rock and blues with a story of heartbreak, horsepower and getting in the car, turning up George Strait and leaving it all behind.
Pieces Of Molly — Skinwalker
Christchurch four-piece Pieces of Molly have released Skinwalker, a riff-heavy rock track built around pounding drums, ripping guitars and a driving bass groove. The band, made up of Ewen Glasgow, Doug Stewart, Sam Kubiak and Kurt Fleming, previously released Alligator and Don’t Take Me To The Disco (You Call Rock N Roll), with their upcoming album due later this year. Skinwalker draws on the dark mythology surrounding skinwalkers, using the idea of being hunted by something unseen as the basis for its heavy rock sound, while the band are also set to join Asomvel for a seven-date UK tour later this year.
The Datsuns — Run From The Sun
The Datsuns have released Run From The Sun, the second single from their upcoming eighth studio album Moonstruck Man. The track is a heavy and spacious take on desert rock, combining bluesy basslines and fuzz riffs with the force of ’70s hard rock and the atmosphere of psychedelia. Moonstruck Man was recorded across several studios in Sweden and will feature the band’s current lineup of Dolf de Borst, Christian Livingstone, Phil Somervell and Swedish drummer Adam Lindmark, with the album set to follow in November via Hellsquad Records.
TEEKS — Overdose
Soul artist TEEKS (Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui) has released Overdose, the second taste of his upcoming album Lovers Comet. The track follows lead single My Boy and explores the overwhelming pull of attraction, with TEEKS describing the song as being inspired by The Song of Achilles and the idea of love as an act of worship. Lovers Comet explores desire, intimacy, identity and the transformative power of love, marking a new creative chapter five years on from Something To Feel.
