CAITLIN releases EP ‘Guardrails’
CAITLIN, the Te Waipounamu-born, Ōtautahi-based indie-pop singer and “prolific songwriter” (Sniffers), today releases her new EP Guardrails, grounded by the focus track, ‘Tied’. The EP moves between organic instrumentation and electronic touches—a reflection of the South Island’s wide-open landscapes and the kinetic energy of Christchurch streets.
Written and produced by CAITLIN with additional production and mixing by Will McGillivray. The EP, grounded in indie music sensibilities, emerged from long stretches of solitude, a process of writing and recording that left nothing in half-measures, with collaborators adding moments that accentuate her vision rather than alter it. Speaking to the EP, CAITLIN says: “Guardrails is an intimate look at rebuilding trust with myself — sitting with hard feelings, choosing to walk through uncertainty, and learning that I could make life-altering decisions that cost and broke me, but ultimately led me closer to myself.”
Centering Guardrails is the focus track ‘Tied’, opening with acoustic lines that carve out space for the song’s steady build. “Tied was inspired by the feeling of being stuck in my day-to-day routine–going to work, watching each day blur into the next,” CAITLIN explains. “I was living in a flat with people I didn’t really align with, and looking back, I felt lonely and deeply unsettled. I hadn’t pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and was truly lost, not knowing what direction I was heading in. It’s a constant tension between what’s inside and outside of your control when you’re trying to move closer to the life you want.”
CAITLIN will embark on her first national tour this May to celebrate the release of Guardrails. A regular on festival line-ups – including Electric Ave 2026, Go Live Festival, Nostalgia, Single Fin Mingle, South Island Wine & Food Festival, and Tea Party – she has earned a reputation as a standout live performer, bringing the songs to life with the same care and energy as her recordings. You can catch her live at The Sail & Anchor, Timaru (15 May), Space Academy, Christchurch (16 May), Moon, Wellington (21 May), and Whammy Bar, Auckland (22 May). Tickets are available now via UTR; get yours here.