Verity unveils moody new single “Insomnia” a raw anthem for sleepless nights

Rising pop-soul artist Verity returns with her haunting new single “Insomnia” — a track that dives deep into the restless aftermath of toxic love and the long nights spent trying to forget.

“Insomnia is about the aftermath of a toxic relationship and the struggle to truly move on,” says Verity. “It’s that feeling when you know someone was bad for you, but you still catch yourself missing them or dreaming about the good times. Every time I try to rest, my mind brings them back, so I end up wishing I could stay awake just to escape my own dreams.”

Moody, intimate, and emotionally charged, Insomnia captures the collision between heartbreak and defiance — the kind of song that hits hardest on a late-night drive.

Written in a collaborative session with Leah, Randy, and Skye, the song was born out of a moment of shared vulnerability. What started as a casual conversation about sleepless nights quickly transformed into something much deeper.

“In the studio, I just poured out the lyrics, and with Leah, Skye, and Randy’s help, we created something special. ‘Insomnia’ was one of the first lyrics we laid down, and it just clicked.”

The team also shot a DIY music video during the same session — filmed on zero budget but overflowing with creativity, honesty, and heart. The visual is set to premiere soon, amplifying the song’s raw, cinematic energy.

At her core, Verity is an artist who believes in truth, connection, and the power of imperfection. Every lyric she writes stems from real emotion and lived experience — giving listeners permission to feel deeply, speak honestly, and find strength in their own stories.

“My music has always been about honesty — even when it’s uncomfortable. I write for the people who overthink, who love too deeply, and who are still learning to let go. ‘Insomnia’ is my way of saying: you’re not alone in that.”

With her signature blend of soulful vocals and cinematic production, Insomnia cements Verity’s place as one of Aotearoa’s most compelling new voices — an artist unafraid to reveal her heart and invite others to do the same.

Betty - Anna van riel feat. ryan fisherman

Anna van Riel has been on a defiantly creative journey in recent months.

Working with longtime musical collaborator Danny Fairley in his studio Mirrors Audio, the three-time Tui-nominated artist has been crafting her seventh studio album, and her first “adult” album in a decade, following a successful stint in the world of children’s music.

The album, Wooden Leg, is due to drop in February 2026. Two singles in, the tea leaves are telling me the album is going to be a revelation.

The first single, 14 Years, released in September, offered a psychedelic taste of the swampy, spiritual ambience she has conjured with the help of Fairley and a cast of quality southern folkies.

The second single, Betty, arrives in time for Halloween, on October 31st. The timing of this is appropriate. Having had the chance to preview the song, I’m fascinated by its haunting resonance and dark beauty. There must be some strange voodoo swirling in the misty valleys of Hawea.

It’s a duet with notable Christchurch vocalist Ryan Fisherman, whose weary baritone helps to give the song an ominous and eerie Nick Cave vibe.

As for the titular Betty, van Riel says she’s inspired by the 1870s folk song In the Pines, covered by Leadbelly in 1944 and re-covered as Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Nirvana during their legendary 1993 MTV Unplugged show.

In van Riel’s reading, Betty is an unsmiling, booze-ravaged ruin found in a burning fever on the edge of madness and death. So it’s not a chipper or uplifting ditty but the thought-provoking imagery of the lyrics is potently unsettling.

Sonically it’s a wonderful piece of alt-folk music with skilful instrumentation and rich production. Plus, you’ve got to have a healthy respect for any song that couples “truthless” with “ruthless”.

Look out for Betty in all the usual places this Halloween.

https://music.drm.co.nz/betty

Reviewed by Chris Chilton

REB FOUNTAIN RELEASES NEW SINGLE 'ONE WAY TRIP'

Reb Fountain shares her new single, One Way Trip; a heartfelt americana standard with a stripped back analog modesty that belies the intricacy of its lyrics. 

One Way Trip reads like a working class tale written within the poetic fiction of a well-honed folk song.   It's lyrics speak to a single parent wrestling with the every day at the coal face and resolving to do what's right for themselves and their kids even when its tough.

Put your head on my shoulder we've got a one way trip tonight
You'll look back when you're older and laugh about this crazy ride 
I have been with the worst of them, I have seen the other side
And nothing's gonna make me turn around this time

Reb writes of resilience and real life choices amidst the white noise of day to day hardships.  There is an unadorned confessional quality here; Reb sings from amongst this tangled place with a painter's vision; she lives in this world, she is matter of fact, resigned, perhaps even 'faking it till she makes it' when she says, "Nothing's gonna make me turn around this time".
 

When your heart slows, it's love with nowhere to go
It drowns you in the turning tide
So take my hand love and let's stop killing time

In One Way Trip, time is beautifully rendered to now and here Reb accurately portrays the universal experience of love and yearning.  This tale is understated yet devastatingly brazen and it's Reb's commitment to her art and whanau - as portrayed in song and in her life -  that is revelatory, compelling, and truly authentic.  
 

Sometimes you lose and get lucky in the blink of an eye
Lucky keeps you going when the losin's got you high and dry
Gotta keep your eyes on the winning prize
Keep your broken heart growing on the inside
Just because a choice is do or die don't mean you can't decide 

Reb says, "I wrote ‘One Way Trip’ when my kids were young, as a single parent in the thick of it, trying to be the best mum I could whilst playing gigs that paid less than the babysitter cost. Releasing this song now, has been a long time coming - I have tried over the years to record it but it never really felt right. This version feels really special and in keeping with the tone of the song; raw, unabashed, and real."

Recorded in one take to analog tape at Roundhead Studios, One Way Trip was produced by long time collaborator Dave Khan. Round the mic, in one room, the band feel present, tight knit, held by the age and texture of the tape, and it's this fly on the wall delivery that underpins the narrative of the song as a whole. 

The music video for One Way Trip is made up of a collage of camcorder home videos edited by Reb's daughter, Lola Fountain-Best.  There's a real full circle moment here; we see Reb navigating motherhood and music in a candid and committed way.  Here we catch of glimpse of her life and the intentional entanglement with her art; where the footage is drawn from home movies, old concerts and even an earlier music video that featured her children. It is this union of art and connection that renders Reb Fountain's voice as a songwriter elemental in reflecting who we are for real.  There is no performativity here, just a glimpse of lived experience that quietly complements a song telling a story of people who are often overlooked, or whom may overlook themselves.  

Lola says, "This video is a tribute to my mother, Reb Fountain; my attempt to encapsulate a woman who managed to raise children while still following her dreams, no matter how difficult it was. The footage used in this video is collected from home movies, album recordings and friends' projects. My childhood memories were full of my mother playing music, and it felt important to me to look back and revisit those memories with her and my family." 

Proteins of Magic unveils haunting new single “The Future”, OUT NOW via Particle Recordings

Proteins of Magic returns with “The Future”, a new single that fuses alt-indie, post-punk, and experimental rock into something dark, unruly, and arrestingly alive.

Accompanying the release is a hand-crafted visualiser, created by the artist herself. It drifts through a warped procession of devilish caricatures, conjuring a not-too-distant world, both beautiful and grotesque. Echoing the song’s core tension, the piece lingers in a space where innocence curdles and oddity blooms. 

Like the track, the visualiser offers no explanation. It flickers, unsettles, and stares right back.

“The Future” is out now on Particle Recordings. 

About Proteins of Magic 

Proteins of Magic (the moniker of Kelly Steven) is a New Zealand-born, Nashville-based music and visual artist whose work in both mediums walks the line of visceral and otherworldly.

Her sound has been described as “mysterious, spiritually drawn from Gothic mythos and viewed through wavy vintage glass” (American Pancake) and as “a declaration of war” (Grimy Goods). With a deep vocal presence often likened to PJ Harvey and Patti Smith (Grimy Goods) and an approach that “operates in the same dark and subversive corners where Fever Ray, Jenny Hval or Björk may find solace” (She Makes Music), Proteins of Magic occupies a distinctive lane in today’s alt-art landscape.

Her live sets are equally formidable: dramatic, confronting and immersive. Previous shows include Splore, Cuba Dupa, Cross St, BIGSOUND (Brisbane), Primavera Pro (Barcelona), The Great Escape (UK), and Big Ears Festival (USA).

“There’s an over-riding sense of beautiful, crafted tension here which is very much in line with the blurred edge between innovative alt-pop and contemporary art music” - Elsewhere.

YOU, ME, EVERYBODY - The Rest of Us

Best NZ Folk Artist finalists, You, Me, Everybody deliver their new single,The Rest of Us - a heartfelt acoustic anthem that blends the clarity of bluegrass with the hooks and heart of a pop ballad. It's about what happens when someone you’ve trusted to lead — whether in life, love, or something bigger — starts to lose faith in what they once stood for. The band doesn't shy away from the discomfort: the song voices the frustration, confusion, and heartbreak of watching that leader give up, while the rest are still holding the line. With lush harmonies, acoustic drive, and an almost pleading chorus, The Rest of Us is less a finger-point and more a call back to purpose — asking not just one person, but all of us, “Why are we still here if no one believes anymore?” It’s an anthem for anyone who’s ever felt abandoned mid-journey, yet stayed anyway.

The Rest of Us, features shared vocals across the band, with songwriter Kim Bonnington trading lines in a duet with Sam Frangos-Rhodes. Bonnington also brought the visual concept to life, producing and editing the accompanying video. Filmed on an iphone by Ethan Bryant, the video transforms the song’s nautical imagery into a striking tableau; paper boats and ropes evoke a vessel at sea, while the band call out to the ‘captain.’ Their shifting roles are underscored by sharp cuts that mirror the rhythm of the music, capturing the tension of being carried from place to place on an unpredictable tide.

The Rest of Us was produced by Nashville based musician and producer, Rachel Baiman and engineered by Troy Kelly at Armoury Studios in Wellington. It was mixed by Grammy winning bluegrass specialist, Sean Sullivan (Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, Sturgill Simpson, John Hiatt), and mastered by Bobbi Giel at Welcome to 1979. The single artwork is by Andy Knopp and photography by Ebony Lamb.

Yurt Party Shares new single, Pocket Weasel

Ōtautahi/Christchurch’s Yurt Party are back with their latest single Pocket Weasel, set for release TODAY, October 10, 2025.

The tune was written by violinist Lorenz Weston-Salzer, after a chance encounter with acclaimed artist Marlon Williams, who offered this advice on writing: “Pick a couple of notes and pretend like you’re trying to remember a song you used to know but forgot.” Out of that simple spark came Pocket Weasel – a tune that scurries, scrambles, and stomps like a caffeinated critter loose in a café.

“It’s basically about a weasel that’s had way too much espresso and hitched a ride in someone’s pocket,” laughs Lorenz. Tom Harris adds: “It’s frantic, it’s playful – somewhere between Eastern European stomp and a touch of Irish jig.”

While not written with a particular tradition in mind, the track carries the bar-stomper energy that Yurt Party are known for: a fast instrumental with plenty of room for the band’s trademark mayhem.

Recorded and produced by bassist Josh Logan, and mastered by Kog’s Chris Chetland, Pocket Weasel will also feature on the band’s much-anticipated second album, out 24 October 2025.

About the band
Yurt Party make street party music: Balkan‑sparked lines, Latin lift, dub weight, and plenty of room for mischief. Expect Romani‑tinged violin, tropically tilted grooves, and rhythm‑section drive. It’s dance music played live, sweaty, human, fun.

Judi Cranston – Wisdom of the Rose

Wisdom of the Rose is a sacred musical offering from Judi Cranston, inviting listeners to slow down, open their hearts, and be grounded in their connection to spirit. Across nine transformative tracks, Judi weaves voice, vibration, and intention into a journey of soul healing. This is a return to the still, wise, and tender presence within.

From the gentle invocation of “Be Still Great Mother” to the shimmering devotion of “The Waters of the Rose”, this album is a meditation in motion, guided by the feminine essence of grace, truth, and divine love.

The rose is an ancient symbol of the heart and this presence glimmers at the centre of this work: unfolding petal by petal, revealing its fragrance of wisdom and beauty.

The album has been activated over a series of single releases through 2025, and live music meditations via Insight Timer. The album will be celebrated this weekend with an invite only listening experience at Botanic Gardens.

About Judi Cranston – Soul Rocker

Judi Cranston is a Kawakawa Bay, New Zealand singer, songwriter, and spiritual teacher whose work bridges music and mindfulness. Known for her pure, resonant voice and her gift for channelling songs that soothe and awaken the soul, Judi’s music has touched audiences across the world. With a long and award winning career as founder of children’s music super brand Kindy Rock, Judi’s Judi Cranston Soul Rocker project is her return to the source, connecting to the power of music to heal and empower at all ages through life.

With Wisdom of the Rose, Judi steps fully into her calling as a soul rocker, blending the depth of spiritual practice with the power of sound as medicine. Her songs are an invitation: to listen deeply, to remember who you are, and to live in harmony with the sacred.

KingsnQueens Reign & An Angel - AJSCeleste new music

Amanda from AJSCeleste has released two songs ‘KingsnQueens Reign’ & ‘An Angel’ recently, w Feel See Magic Wand on the horizons (its a beautiful sunrise building here at 6.09 am in Mount Maunganui). 

KQR is about a beautiful love between a King and a Queen, hence the King is treating his Queen like royalty or well loved; she returns this love w hers, her goodness, her loving commitment, which matched w her king.  This love is so good it affects the community, world as a whole and our/their love is of such a high vibration that brings so much good; A  HAPPY WORLD WHEN YOU AND I REIGN. ie in the powers that be there is true happiness which radiates out.

She has created a video on several beachfront locations ie Sunbrae Reserve, Omanu Golf Club and a private mansion on Oceanbeach Road, the love which reigns this beautiful sea.  Premiere release details below

Omanu Golf Club

17th October 2025

7.00 pm or from 5.45 to get a burger from the bar first ie $15 up

Tickets $10 Evenfinder or door sales, kids free.

An Angel is also about a speical love that comes into our lives as a surprise and sweeps us off our feet, mind, body and and soul; An Angel.