AUDIO & VISUALISER OUT FRIDAY 30 AUGUST
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland-based folk-pop artist dān dān returns with her second solo single, end of august (hand-pulled noodles).
A bittersweet reflection on distance, desire, and the quiet ache of making peace with something as it slips away.
As one half of wasian sibling duo Ersha Island 二沙岛, dān dān has been known for her bilingual storytelling and emotionally rich compositions. Her solo work leans into the playful and poetic, exploring food, identity, and culture with softness and clarity.
Following the success of her debut single ‘pressure cooker’ supported by NZ On Air and featured on Rolling Stone Australia/NZ - dān dān continues to craft a distinct space for diasporic voices in contemporary indie-pop.
”‘end of august (hand-pulled noodles)’ is about the feeling of knowing something’s ending before it actually does, and being okay with that. It’s about turning what could be bitter into something tender, something sweet, something worth savouring, even as as you watch it inevitably slip away.” dān dān shares.
Produced by Dan Martin with strings featuring sibling Tee Hao-Aickin, the track blends warm acoustics with layered harmonies and ambient textures, sitting somewhere between Lizzy McAlpine and a favourite comfort meal.
With an accompanying visualiser shot in Xi’An Food Bar on Dominion Road, end of august (hand-pulled noodles) sets the stage for dān dān’s upcoming debut EP — a gentle, self-assured project about food, love, and growing up between cultures.
Praise for pressure cooker
dān dān’s debut single pressure cooker made waves across Aotearoa and beyond, with its delicate storytelling and bilingual lyricism drawing attention from fans and press alike.
Juice TV: #1 in Top 20 Most Streamed Videos
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Cover artist of
Best New Zealand Music of the Week: June 23rd-29th
“dān dān’s smooth vocal textures carry the evocative lyrics flawlessly as percussive arrangements and flowing key patterns ensue, enriched only by the creamy string work courtesy of the violin.”
“pressure cooker is not merely a melody to be heard; it is to be experienced… Sincere, sentimental and filled with raw human emotion… If this is her debut single, I cannot wait for more from this talented musician.”
“A soaring ballad… ”
The track was named Song of the Day by The 13th Floor, featured in Kick Drum Magazine,
profiled by AsianTones, and spotlighted on TAHI FM, Radio One 91FM, 95bFM, and mpre.
Made with the support of NZ On Air, pressure cooker was accompanied by a surrealist music video (with over 46k views on YouTube) inspired by Everything Everywhere All At Once, praised for its tender portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship across cultural and emotional universes.