Indie-pop darling Geoff Ong delivers uplifting new EP, DIVERGING LINES
Tāmaki Makaurau-based indie-pop artist Geoff Ong has today shared his hotly anticipated second EP, DIVERGING LINES, alongside an electric new single, which takes its name from the record.
Tāmaki Makaurau-based indie-pop artist Geoff Ong has today shared his hotly anticipated second EP, DIVERGING LINES, alongside an electric new single, which takes its name from the record.
Packed with self-produced and utterly wholesome bangers, DIVERGING LINES offers an intimate insight into Geoff's honest and raw songwriting, and his undeniable talent for encapsulating sensitive subject matter in a way that makes listeners feel less alone. Through topics of growing up, grief, friendship, nostalgia, and navigating the 21st century, paired with captivating indie-pop production, Geoff invites grooving, foot-tapping, and introspection.
Today’s release from the self-proclaimed “pop star for dorks” features 2024’s catchy and candid coming of age anthem, ‘When It Gets Easy’ (The Listener, Seven Sharp, TAHI FM, Radio One) and the pulsing climate-conscious ‘What Will We Do When The Ocean Comes?’ (Tearaway, 95bFM), which stole hearts at its debut performance with The Exploding Rainbow Orchestra in 2023.
Also featured is the new single ‘Diverging Lines’, which oozes an 80s-infused synth-pop style belying its melancholic, raw subject matter.
“I lost a friend to suicide in 2024, and this song really became a vehicle for processing my grief around
that time,” says Geoff. “It made me reflect a lot on relationships with friends and family… sometimes our lines run parallel to each other and then we diverge. So the question then became, ‘How do I make the most of the time that I have with the lines I'm running parallel with right now?’ and ‘How do I show up the best I can for the people I love?’”
The new track was written, produced, mixed and mastered entirely by Geoff in his home studio - like most of the songs on DIVERGING LINES, except for ‘When It Gets Easy’, which was mixed and mastered by Emily Wheatcroft-Snape (Fazerdaze, Lorde, Tiny Ruins).
Other new tracks revealed on the EP include ‘The Internet Is Haunted’, which questions the impact that technology has on our relationships, and ‘I Am Just A Tapestry’, a warm and unravelling song detailing the little parts of ourselves we leave with one another.
“I really believe that platonic relationships can be just as impactful in our lives as romantic relationships,” says Geoff. “Both in how they define who we are as people when we are in them, and how heartbreaking they can be when they end.”
An inspiring collection of heartfelt experiences and feelings, DIVERGING LINES is the perfect soundtrack for self-reflection. Listeners won’t want to miss this stunning new chapter in Geoff Ong’s story!
To celebrate the release of DIVERGING LINES, Geoff Ong and his full band will be playing a release show at Ponsonby Social Club on Saturday April 12! Tickets and more info from UTR
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Neither Do I Shares New Single 'Recollection'
Neither Do I has shared his second single from his debut album We're Not Known for Anything, called 'Recollection'. Ebdale says, "Recollection is about realising you have sacrificed your personality to please someone else, resulting in feeling burnt out and unsatisfied."
Neither Do I has shared his second single from his debut album We're Not Known for Anything, called 'Recollection'.
Ebdale says, "Recollection is about realising you have sacrificed your personality to please someone else, resulting in feeling burnt out and unsatisfied."
Neither Do I is inspired by the likes of Elliott Smith, Rob Crow, Jeff Tweedy and Ani DiFranco.
His debut studio album, We're Not Known for Anything, releases Thursday, April 17th on all streaming platforms.
Neither Do I says "There are two sides to this coin - keep your self/ego small enough to remain humble, or stay small because that's how you've grown to feel? There's a fine line between the two. For me, at least. And maybe someone out there.
This concept is all over this album, but it's not the only theme - lots of metaphors and fictional wordplay, but about 75% non-fiction if you spend time to unpack it. It's my most adventurous and mature album yet. It's my first proper album in 5 years and I'm really proud of it."
LOVE PARTY RELEASE FUZZY NEW TRACK ‘I DON’T WANNA LEAVE’
Showing no sign of slowing down, Love Party released an energetic third single, ‘I Don’t Wanna Leave’ today (April 11) from their debut album ‘WOW!’, releasing on May 30.
Showing no sign of slowing down, Love Party released an energetic third single, ‘I Don’t Wanna Leave’ today (April 11) from their debut album ‘WOW!’, releasing on May 30.
Wellington’s Love Party is a punk band that only sings love songs, led by wife and husband duo Kate Yesberg and Dayle Jellyman.
Recorded at Dr Lee Prebble’s Surgery studio in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, ‘I Don’t Wanna Leave’ was one of the first songs penned by the duo. Driven by distorted lead guitar lines and crunchy drums, the song is fittingly described by Jellyman as his ‘party anthem’ - written about “loving what you’re up to, and not wanting to leave”.
Listen to ‘I Don’t Wanna Leave’ HERE
Watch ‘I Don’t Wanna Leave’ Music Video HERE
The single is accompanied by a music video filmed in the Palmerston North Dugald MacKenzie Rose Garden. Perhaps one of the stranger things to happen at the Rose Garden, Love Party were joined by “several groups of supportive rose enthusiasts for the occasion on a hot Friday afternoon”.
Front-duo Kate and Dayle were married for a decade when inspiration struck and they decided to start a band. There was an explosion of fast loud party songs about love and Love Party was born. “We started jamming along with a Roland drum machine in our apartment, jumping about, looking for the fuzziest fuzz, lyrics that just fell out and felt great,” says Yesberg. “Singing in unison just happened and evolved into a real feature of the music”.
Kate and Dayle sing in unison throughout WOW!, bringing a special energy and a collaborative approach to songwriting. They’re joined by their friend and extraordinaire Cory Champion (Clear Path Ensemble, Borrowed CS) on drums
Outside of Love Party, Kate is a well-respected abstract painter and former lawyer turned musician. Her counterpart, Dayle, is a longstanding keyboardist who plays piano and synthesiser with a who’s who of party-rocking Wellington bands, including The Electrons, Snakebone, Three Rays, Miles Calder, Battle Ska Galactica and Fvkvshima, as well as leading the celebrated Floating Head jazz ensemble.
‘I Don’t Wanna Leave’ is out now via all online streaming platforms. ‘WOW!’, the duo’s debut album, is out on 30 May.
JUNK 2025
Time to separate your recycling, and be sure not to miss rubbish day - because there’s only room for one kind of JUNK, as Tāmaki Makaurau’s favourite alternative music festival announces its return for 2025! After a sold-out debut in 2024, JUNK FEST is back and bigger than ever, bringing you the best of the music underground from Aotearoa and beyond.
JUNK 2025
Saturday 7th June
WHAMMY, DOUBLE WHAMMY & PUBLIC BAR
Tāmaki Makaurau
CABINET | DROPPER | GEORGE BARNEY ROBERTS
GIRLS FACTORY | HŌHĀ | OFFICE DOG | PEARLY*
RINGLETS | SALT WATER CRIMINALS
SCRAMBLINE (Eveline Breaker & Scramble 204) | THE EMPTY THREATS (AUS)
TWINE (AUS) | VERA ELLEN
Time to separate your recycling, and be sure not to miss rubbish day - because there’s only room for one kind of JUNK, as Tāmaki Makaurau’s favourite alternative music festival announces its return for 2025! After a sold-out debut in 2024, JUNK FEST is back and bigger than ever, bringing you the best of the music underground from Aotearoa and beyond.
On Saturday, June 7th, Double Whammy, Whammy and Public Bar will come to life with an all-killer-no-filler lineup of must-see acts. If you missed out last year, don’t sleep on this chance to catch some of the finest talent from Aotearoa and Australia - in one night, at one place, in one fell swoop.
This year, joining us from across the ditch are two of Adelaide’s/Tarndanya, Kaura Land’s finest noise-makers; Twine and The Empty Threats.
Noise-rock meets eruptive strings and stinging country in five-piece Twine, who are well accustomed to our shores already, having first played here in 2024 as a part of Camp A Low Hum. They made their triumphant return with four headline shows in February just gone and we’ve already got them coming back for more.
Raucous art-rockers The Empty Threats also make their much-needed return to Aotearoa after stand-out sets at 2024’s Camp A Low Hum; now with new music on the way - bracing for impact. Rambunctious modern post-punk meets a nostalgic Aussie flare - propelled forward by driving guitar and the jet-fueled contortions of front-person Stu Patterson.
As far as the locals go, joining the lineup for the first time are Aotearoa’s indie-rock champions, Office Dog, whose debut album ‘Spiel’ was heralded by Pitchfork as “Disarmingly Poignant”. Cabinet, the hardcore newcomers, and George Barney Roberts, with his 90s-meets-2010s angst, also join the lineup for their JUNK debuts. Also, Tāmaki Makaurau's post-punk quartet Ringlets return to the JUNK stage once more - after their steaming, shoulder-to-shoulder set last year and with a new album looming just beyond the horizon. Our second repeat player is not without good reason; fast favourites of 2024’s lineup, jump-around emo slackers Salt Water Criminals will also be back to share songs from their forthcoming record.
Flying in from Ōtepoti is blistering duo HŌHĀ - featuring Liam Clune (Crime Hospital, Night Lunch) on guitar and Madison Kelly (Riot Gull) on drums, as well as fuzzy indie-rockers Pearly* who share members with last year's fest favourites, Dale Kerrigan.
Up from Pōneke, shoegaze sensations Scrambline - the project of Eveline Breaker and Scramble 204, with members of Feshh. Eveline Breaker’s semi-secret EDM side-project, Girls Factory, will also be gracing the Double Whammy stage - boiler room style - Filled to the brim with samples spanning from local New Zealand bands, pop hits of the 2010s and K-pop girl groups, It is unserious, overstimulating, bright, distorted and a lot of fun. Capital-city newcomers Dropper, featuring members of the now disbanded Bleeding Star, also make their debut Auckland performance - having just delivered a creditworthy support slot for UK post-rockers SHAME.
Taite Prize Winner and rising songstress, Vera Ellen, makes the trip North as well - December saw her take off around Australia for 10 shows as the support act for Crowded House, now she gets back into the groove of smaller rooms after recent sets at Cuba Dupa, Laneway Festival & opening for MJ Lenderman at Pōneke’s Meow Nui.
Want to get in on the action? So you should! Head to www.undertheradar.co.nz and score yourself a ticket or two to this unmissable night of music before it sells out.
ISRAEL STARR TEAMS UP WITH SIANNE, LION REZZ & PAQUIN ON NEW SINGLE ‘WORDS OF WISDOM (NGATI RIDDIM)’
Made with support from NZ On Air, ‘Words of Wisdom (NGATI RIDDIM)’ marks the latest single from Israel Starr, building anticipation for his upcoming project.
Made with support from NZ On Air, ‘Words of Wisdom (NGATI RIDDIM)’ marks the latest single from Israel Starr, building anticipation for his upcoming project.
The track delivers a heavy, bass-driven roots reggae rhythm, produced by Israel Starr himself: "I was really trying to make something that had a catchy bassline, paying homage to traditional basslines from the golden era of Reggae," says Israel Starr.
The creative process behind the release was truly collaborative, with fellow artist Sianne first laying down a demo for the track, followed by contributions from Lion Rezz and featured artist Paquin, before Israel Starr added his final touches.
KEIRA WALLACE UNVEILS NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO 'LAMBS AREN'T WAKING YET'
2024 Play It Strange National Secondary School Songwriting Competition winner Keira Wallace, unveils a haunting new video for their winning song Lambs Aren't Waking Yet – a deeply personal and ethereal reflection on the fleeting nature of innocence. Recorded at the iconic Roundhead Studios, the song captures Keira's distinctive blend of raw emotion and intricate storytelling.
2024 Play It Strange National Secondary School Songwriting Competition winner Keira Wallace, unveils a haunting new video for their winning song Lambs Aren't Waking Yet – a deeply personal and ethereal reflection on the fleeting nature of innocence. Recorded at the iconic Roundhead Studios, the song captures Keira's distinctive blend of raw emotion and intricate storytelling.
With an increasingly folk-influenced sound, Ōtepoti based Keira Wallace curates intricate chord voicings and unexpected lyrics that explore the beauty in imperfection and the weight of memory. Their reflections run deep through each song, resonating with warmth and cocooning vulnerability. Lambs Aren't Waking Yet draws on a childhood memory of attempting to save an injured wild baby rabbit. Despite Keira's efforts, the rabbit did not survive. In a tender act of protection, their grandmother buried the rabbit before Keira woke, hoping to shield them from loss. This song embodies the pockets of time where this weight eases its grip, and innocence and connection breathe the cool night air before the sun rises and the lambs wake.
"This song holds a quiet ache and a sense of wonder," Keira explains. "It’s about those fragile pockets of time where life feels soft and full of possibility."
The accompanying video, produced by Bunker Street Film Co. (Joe Murdie), mirrors the song's delicate yet expansive spirit. Filmed in a single day across breathtaking locations in Wānaka and Tarras, a small village in Central Otago, the visual narrative weaves natural beauty with personal symbolism. At its center is a windswept papier-mâché mask – a found object from Keira's grandmother's pottery studio that has since become a cherished heirloom. Against the vast landscapes, the mask becomes a motif for memory and transformation.
WATCH: ‘Lambs Aren’t Waking Yet’ Official Video
Lambs Aren't Waking Yet was also performed across two nights in Auckland last year with the Exploding Rainbow Orchestra, showcasing Keira's ability to translate their introspective sound to a grand, collaborative scale.
To celebrate the release, Keira Wallace will perform two special shows in Ōtepoti and Lyttelton. The first takes place on Friday April 4, at Pearl Diver, Dunedin. Alongside their solo performance, Keira will be joined by Kristian Groves for the launch of their new folk duo, Dolly Possum, with Yesterday's Letters, and Eris (acoustic) on support duties. The second show follows on Saturday April 12, at Wunderbar, Lyttelton, where Keira will be joined by Kristian Groves and acclaimed Christchurch singer-songwriter Mousey. Tickets for both shows are available via Undertheradar.co.nz.
Keira Wallace is no stranger to the spotlight. Their passionate involvement in New Zealand’s music scene has led to significant milestones, including multiple placements in the Smokefree Rockquest and Play It Strange National Secondary Schools Songwriting Competition. They have performed over 100 live shows since their first gig at age 13 and have shared stages with musical inspirations such as Mount Eerie (USA), Tiny Ruins, Clare Sands (IRE), Ebony Lamb and Luke Buda. Beyond live performance, Keira is currently self-producing an EP, while also pursuing a double degree in music and marketing at the University of Otago.
With Lambs Aren't Waking Yet, Keira Wallace continues to establish themselves as a rising voice in New Zealand's folk music landscape – weaving stories of childhood, loss, and fleeting wonder with striking authenticity.
Shady Wade 'Damaged Goods'
After more than 25 years of crafting heartfelt songs, Shady Wade is finally taking the leap into the spotlight with his debut single, Damaged Goods
After more than 25 years of crafting heartfelt songs, Shady Wade is finally taking the leap into the spotlight with his debut single, Damaged Goods, releasing on April 11th, 2025. The singer-songwriter’s journey, long marked by a prolific output of original music, is now reaching its culmination, with Shady Wade now taking the step from performing artist to recording artist.
At 42, Shady Wade is proving that it's never too late to pursue your dreams. His decision to release Damaged Goods comes after years of honing his craft and performing on the live circuit. He first developed his stage presence while living in rural Japan from 2007 to 2010, where he played small gigs and gained experience. He continued to build his presence in Christchurch’s vibrant open mic scene, even running his own Friday night open mic throughout 2019. It was also in 2019 that Shady Wade took his music and passion for rugby back to Japan, touring across the country with intimate gigs in Kobe, Fukuoka, Akita, and Tokyo—all while attending Rugby World Cup matches.
With the support of the Toi Ōtautahi Incubator Mentorship Programme, Shady Wade has partnered with renowned mentors and producers Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, The Feelers, Opshop) and Sam Trevethick (Shapeshifter) to bring Damaged Goods to life. Together, they selected the track from his extensive catalogue, a song that explores emotional vulnerability and the walls we build after heartbreak. With lyrics like "You want to know it all, Comparing me to past mistakes, I hide behind my walls, Because I’ve been burned before, We're damaged goods for sure," the song speaks to anyone who’s been reluctant to open up after past emotional trauma.
To complement the powerful message in the song, Shady Wade teamed up with Neato Productions for the music video, using the symbolism of broken, rundown brick walls and wooden slats behind SOLE Music Academy to convey the emotional walls depicted in the song. The visual imagery encapsulates the essence of the track—a raw, honest look at the hesitance to let love in due to past pain.
As Shady Wade continues his momentum, he's already recording additional songs with Lyttelton-based producer Flynn Adamson (LYTTEL Studios) for release later this year, working towards a debut album that will showcase his unique blend of folk and rock influences.
This story is a testament to perseverance and artistry. It’s about a musician who, after years of building his craft and his name on the live circuit, is finally ready to share his voice and story with the world.
Applications Now Open for MMF Aotearoa’s 2025 Festival Bookers Speed Networking Sessions
The Music Managers Forum Aotearoa is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 Festival Bookers Speed Networking Sessions – a unique opportunity for MMF members to connect directly with some of Aotearoa’s top festival bookers.
The Music Managers Forum Aotearoa is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 Festival Bookers Speed Networking Sessions – a unique opportunity for MMF members to connect directly with some of Aotearoa’s top festival bookers.
Held online over two evenings – Wednesday 11 June and Wednesday 18 June 2025, from 6pm to 8pm – this annual event is designed to help get artists booked onto festival lineups and to provide valuable insights into what festival bookers are looking for.
These fast-paced virtual sessions give members the chance to showcase their artists, build relationships with key industry players, and receive expert advice on how to pitch successfully.
Applications are open now, with limited spaces available. MMF members keen to participate will need to submit a brief artist bio, musical styles, live performance links, and a list of preferred festival targets.
Applications close: Thursday 17 April 2025
Successful applicants notified by: Wednesday 7 May 2025
Please note: as this is a contestable process, submitting an application does not guarantee selection.
The Festival Bookers Speed Networking Sessions are just one of many initiatives MMF Aotearoa runs to support and strengthen the local music industry. To find out more or become a member, visit www.mmf.co.nz.
FESTIVAL BOOKERS
VIRTUAL SPEED NETWORKING SESSIONS 2025
(MMF MEMBERS ONLY)
Wednesday 11 June & Wednesday 18 June
6pm - 8pm each night
Bookers from the festivals below will be meeting with MMF members
CubaDupa (Wellington)
Craft Beer & Food Festival (Dunedin) / Otago Orientation (Otago)
Electric Avenue/ Nostalgia / South Island Wine & Food (Christchurch) / Great Kiwi Beer Fest (Christchurch)
Homegrown
Meatstock (Hamilton)
Music in Parks (Booking Auckland acts only)
Newtown Festival (Wellington)
Northern Bass (Kaiwaka) - 11 June only
Rhythm & Alps (Wanaka)
Rhythm & Vines (Gisborne)
Shipwrecked Music & Arts Festival (Te Arai, Auckland)
Soundsplash (Raglan)
Splore (Ōrere Point)
TSB Festival of Lights (New Plymouth)
WOMAD (New Plymouth) - 11 June only
The event is open to MMF members only.
To join please visit www.mmf.co.nz or email lorraine.owen@mmf.co.nz
Applications are open from today, Wednesday 9 April 2025, and will close 5pm on Thursday 17 April, or until all slots are taken.