dān dān ANNOUNCES THIRD SINGLE ‘songs about u’

Tāmaki Makaurau-based soul-food singer-songwriter artist dān dān returns with a new single songs about u, a tender and deeply personal reflection on mental health, recovery, and learning how to love oneself.

Produced & mixed by Christian Tjandrawinata, and written as a love letter to their younger self, songs about u traces moments of private collapse and quiet resilience. The song moves between bathroom floors, late afternoon light, and the fragile hope of believing you might be getting better. Rather than presenting healing as linear or resolved, dān dān allows recovery to remain cyclical, ongoing, and deeply human.

As one half of wasian sibling duo Ersha Island 二沙岛, dān dān is known for bilingual storytelling and emotionally rich songwriting. In songs about u, English and Mandarin intertwine, with the phrase “当姐姐，大姐姐” (being the older sister) - it reflects the pressure to internalise pain, stay composed, and putting others before your own health.

Sonically intimate and emotionally unguarded, songs about u sits within a soft indie folk-pop soundscape, led by close, confessional vocals. Where previous releases explored cultural inheritance and family expectation, this single turns inward, offering a brave and compassionate reckoning with mental health and self-forgiveness.

songs about u is for anyone fighting their mental health battle alone, and for anyone who needs to love the version of themselves that needs it most.

An accompanying visualiser shot by Struan Caughey, edited & colour graded by dān dān,         is to be released on the same day.

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Praise for pressure cooker (debut single)

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.”

- The Ticket Fairy (US)

“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.” 

- The Other Side (UK)

“A soaring ballad… ” 

- UnderTheRadar

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 more.

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.

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TAUTUA LIVE TRUST PRESENTS TIMELESS DUETS – VOLUME 1

TAUTUA LIVE TRUST PRESENTS
TIMELESS DUETS – VOLUME 1
Sunday 15 February | SkyCity Theatre | Tāmaki Makaurau
Aotearoa, New Zealand

Founded by Pacific cultural leaders Pale Sauni, Tutasi Lam, and Saylene Tanielu-Ulberg, Tautua Live Trust exists to serve its musical whānau and community through meaningful, emotionally rich performance experiences. Their debut signature production, Timeless Duets – Volume 1, is more than a concert — it is a space for connection, reflection, and shared storytelling through music.

Timeless Duets is not just performance. It uses music to model what real relationships look like — not only romance in its perfect form, but love in its fullness: joyful, complicated, tender, broken, healing, and resilient. Through carefully chosen duets, the production reflects the emotional language of partnership, friendship, longing, forgiveness, and commitment — giving audiences space to recognise themselves and their own stories.

In a world where relationships are often reduced to surface-level images, Timeless Duets re-centres depth and honesty. It creates shared dialogue for those in relationships, those navigating challenges, and those preparing for love. Through music, audiences are invited into reflection, conversation, and emotional literacy — reminding us that connection is something to be nurtured, understood, and honoured.

A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION GATHERING OF VOICES

Timeless Duets – Volume 1 brings together some of Aotearoa’s most revered performers: Annie Crummer, Betty-Anne Hall, Taisha Tari, Roslynn Clay, Thomas Stowers, Hawkins, Leon Wharekura, and Te Reo Lepou. This collective represents a level of vocal excellence and star power rarely seen together on one stage. Supported by Tautua Live’s in-house band of virtuoso musicians and exceptional backing vocalists, the production delivers world-class musical storytelling grounded in unity, artistry, and mana.

Individually incredible. Collectively phenomenal. -Curated duets transport audiences back to the golden era of Love Songs Till Midnight, Solid Gold, and timeless radio classics — re-awakening nostalgia while honouring adult relationships in all their beauty, vulnerability, and complexity. Timeless Duets – Volume 1 is the first in a planned series of productions to come.

Watch Here: 
Annie is performing with Hawkins   
Taisha is performing with TeReo Lepou
Betty-Anne is singing with Thomas Stowers

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THE STORY BEHIND TAUTUA LIVE TRUST

Tautua Live Trust was formed in 2024 at a time when the Pacific music community was called to pause, reflect, and respond. Moments of hardship within the musical whānau brought artists, producers, and cultural leaders together — not simply to perform, but to serve, support one another, and act with shared purpose.

The Trust’s beginnings can be traced to the Tina Turner Tribute Show at SkyCity Theatre, created to support beloved Pacific music figure Cindy of Samoa. The production was guided by the leadership and generosity of the late Cathy Laban, a widely respected figure in the Pacific arts community whose influence reached across culture, politics, and creative spaces. Cathy’s passing was deeply felt, and Tautua Live Trust continues in her honour, carrying forward the values she lived by — unity, service, and collective responsibility.

From this period of loss and healing emerged Timeless Duets, an artist-led performance platform shaped by a clear intention: to create culturally grounded, sustainable opportunities for Pacific and Aotearoa artists, while allowing music to lead conversations around identity, memory, and connection. Led by industry practitioners with decades of experience across Aotearoa’s live entertainment sector, Tautua Live Trust creates its own stages and storytelling environments, ensuring artists retain ownership of their narratives. Its productions centre emotion and cultural integrity, using timeless music to connect generations and reflect the full range of human experience — from joy and love to resilience and healing.

The Trust is co-founded by Pale Sauni, whose role as producer and MC anchors each production in cultural and spiritual care; Tutasi Lam, a strategic producer responsible for translating creative vision into professional delivery; and Saylene Tanielu-Ulberg, a respected musician and cultural practitioner who shapes the artistic direction of each project.

Together, they formed Tautua Live Trust to honour those who paved the way, support their musical whānau, and build a future where Pacific artists create their own platforms, tell their own stories, and develop sustainable pathways forward.

Timeless Duets – Volume 1 marks the beginning of that journey.

TIMELESS DUETS – VOLUME 1
Date: Sunday 15 February
Venue: SkyCity Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau
Tickets: www.ticketek.co.nz

PRINS ‘DESIGNER’

PRINS makes a big and bold statement with her first single of the year, ‘DESIGNER’.

The high-energy banger serves up another taste of what the NZ pop sensation still has in store for fans, with her highly anticipated EP, HEAVEN OR HELL on the cards for release on March 20.

In keeping with the PRINS modus operandi, ‘DESIGNER’ is a sleek pop-dance track, with a dark edge and a sensual undercurrent. It’s bold, confident and driven by a club ready pulse and polished pop hooks.

And as always, ‘DESIGNER’ comes with a powerful and empowering message. “It’s about stepping into your worth and not playing small for anyone,” says PRINS. “It captures that moment where ambition, confidence and desire all collide, when you know exactly who you are and where you’re headed and you’re not waiting for permission anymore.”

‘DESIGNER’ is the fourth single from PRINS’ upcoming new EP and follows the release of a string of killer tunes, including ‘HEAVEN OR HELL’, the chart-topping ‘COOL’ and ‘Run!’, all of which have clocked up hundreds of thousands of streams across DSPs, and blog support from heavyweights such as Earmilk:

PRINS “seamlessly combines talents in acting, dancing and modeling [and] has carved out a unique space in the pop music landscape.”

This new chapter in PRINS’ extraordinary journey, which has taken her around the globe, showcases an artist with vision and a sense of purpose, which she makes very clear in ‘DESIGNER’.

“The song reflects exactly where I’m at as an artist. It’s confident, forward-moving and unapologetically ambitious. I’m really drawn to pop music that feels elevated and powerful, something that makes you want to stand taller the second it comes on, and that’s the lane I’m owning more and more.”

The release of ‘DESIGNER’ will see PRINS return to New Zealand from her base in Los Angeles to headline a free show, which is part of the Sunset Sounds series in Aotea Square in Auckland TONIGHT, Thursday February 5

Jackie Bristow ‘ LET IT RAIN’ feat. Katrina Bristow

New Zealand–born, Nashville–New Zealand–based singer-songwriter Jackie Bristow announces the first single from her highly anticipated sixth studio album, GOLDMINE. The shimmering, soul-lifting new track “Let It Rain,” recorded in Nashville and produced by longtime collaborator Mark Punch at SoundPunch Studios, marks a moment of celebration and artistic return.

“Let It Rain” is harmony, heart, two voices, two sisters, an uplifting Americana track that represents a deeply personal milestone for Bristow. The song marks her first-ever recorded duet with her sister, Katrina Bristow, and was co-written with California-based songwriter Rosa Pullman. Melodic and emotionally uplifting, the track delivers warmth and accessibility while remaining grounded in Jackie’s signature Americana storytelling roots.

At the heart of the release is a rare and deeply resonant collaboration. While the sisters spent over a decade in their youth touring and performing together as The Bristow Sisters, “Let It Rain” captures their voices side by side in the studio for the first time. There is something timeless and powerful about sisters singing together — the blend is effortless, emotionally rich, and instantly authentic.

A Full-Circle Sister Story

Jackie and Katrina grew up singing side by side in the deep south of New Zealand. They first stepped onto a stage together at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards when Katrina was eight and Jackie was eleven. Their childhood was spent traveling throughout the South Island in the family’s old Ford Falcon, performing at festivals, rodeos, and country music competitions with the unwavering support of their parents.

“It was an incredible time in our lives,” Jackie reflects. “We were surrounded by a vibrant community of young singers and musicians. Those years shaped us.”

Now, decades later — after building lives and careers on opposite sides of the world — the sisters finally found themselves in the same country long enough to create music together again.

About the Song

Co-written by Jackie Bristow and acclaimed Los Angeles songwriter Rosa Pullman, “Let It Rain” is a song of release, renewal, and stepping fully into your best self. With its uplifting refrain — “Why worry, worry, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain” — the track invites listeners to surrender the past and embrace joy without hesitation.

“It felt like the perfect duet for us,” Jackie says. “There’s something very special about sisters singing together — a connection that can’t be created any other way.”

Award-winning singer and songwriter Theia to play ‘homecoming’ concert at her marae in Port Waikato

Celebrated Aotearoa singer and songwriter Theia (Waikato, Ngaati Tiipaa, Ngaati Aamaru) will perform a special ‘homecoming’ concert exclusively for her haukaainga in Port Waikato on Saturday, February 28.

Presented by Tainui Live and hosted at Tauranganui Marae on the banks of the Waikato River, this show is the centrepiece of Theia’s upcoming nationwide Debut Album Release Tour. Gates will open at 5pm and entry to the whaanau friendly, all-ages event will be by koha. 

Theia is thrilled to be able to bring this show to her marae, as it was the home to her great nanny

Mite Karaka Kukutai, famously known as “Te Taniwha O Waikato”, and revered for her contribution to the Kiingitanga; kapa haka and writing some of Aotearoa’s most beloved compositions, including ‘Kiwi Weka’ and ‘Ngaa Moni Ika’. It was also where her late grandmother Rangirara (née Kukutai) was born and raised before moving to Ootautahi; and where Rangirara would return with her moko to attend family gatherings. 

“I never got to meet my great grandmother Nanny Mite, but my kui Rangirara ensured I maintained connection to my haukaainga and to her memory. I am so proud of the legacy they both leave,” says Theia. 

Tauranganui Marae trustee Tukiri Brown Marsh understands that this may be the first-ever modern-day concert held at any of the marae in Te Puuaha O Waikato.

Theia adds: “I can think of no better place than Tauranganui to mark and celebrate the release of my debut album, GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD. I honour my tuupuna waahine, who continue to inspire me in all that I do.”

Theia’s debut album, GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD has received widespread praise from around the globe. The album’s lead single BALDH3AD! was a finalist for ‘Single of the Year’ at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards. The song received widespread support from student radio in Aotearoa and has been picked up by radio in North America. 

Rolling Stone Australia also listed GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD as #3 in their Top 50 NZ Albums of 2025 and respected NZ music critic Graham Reid described it as “one of the most important albums of the year”.

Leading US Indigenous platform Native Max said, “Theia reaffirms her place as one of the most innovative Indigenous artists on the global stage - unafraid to use her voice, her culture and her artistry to ignite change.”

Canadian podcast Relentless Indigenous Woman said. “If you’re ready to rise - for yourself, for the Land, for the collective - Theia is your call to action. Every track is an invocation, a spark for the fire that’s been waiting in you: the one that longs for justice and dreams of matriarchy”.

The three shows in Theia’s upcoming tour will be the only ones she plays while home in Aotearoa this summer. After this tour, she will return to North America for a run of shows including a headlining slot at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik – the gateway to Canada’s Western Arctic Circle. She will juggle international touring with a return to study, as she completes her Master’s Degree in Indigenous Studies.

Theia was the recipient of NZ on Air’s first-ever New Music Project Touring fund, which will be put towards covering some of the production costs of the tour.

For more information about Theia’s upcoming show at Tauranganui Marae, please contact paula@nicnakmedia.com or visit www.princesstheia.com for more information.

Midwave Breaks Unleash Propulsive New Single ‘Waste Of Time’ Ahead Of Full Album Release

Midwave Breaks are bringing the noise for 2026 with their explosive new single.

Self-produced on a farm in the hills overlooking the Bay of Plenty, the track marks the first radio release from the band’s forthcoming full-length album, kicking off an exciting new chapter for the Tauranga-based Rockers.

Waste of Time is an Ironic commentary on the relentless pursuit of the creative process, regardless of commercial value or perceived success. The need to produce, perform, and to keep pursuing a new expression, is the deeper burden and at times addiction, of every creative artist, musician or otherwise.

Sonically, the new single delivers a High-Energy Rock Radio Rush, fusing chunky baritone guitar riffs, a relentless drum groove, and hook-laden melodies into a punchy, up-tempo track that defies its name and is anything but, a waste of time.

Drummer Paul Russell on the inherent contradiction in Waste of Time:

“It’s an obvious irony, we keep making music because we love it and we can’t not do it, it’s that simple. There’s an addictive quality to the creative process, and once you catch onto a new idea, you’re hooked. Some people ride motorbikes, take up golf, or buy boats - I love playing drums and writing songs with my mate. It might not pay the bills but it sure fills the soul.”

The Alt-Rock duo of Singer-songwriter Bruce Conlon, and Drummer Paul Russell have proven themselves in recent years to Industry and Audience alike, with a consistent run of successful Rock Radio Hits, and captivating Live Shows, to a growing fanbase around the country.

Waste of Time launches a new chapter for the band, and fans can expect Midwave Breaks first Full-length Albumin 2026, featuring 10 All New Tracks.

YOU, ME, EVERYBODY - Midnight Album Release

Aotearoa’s progressive bluegrass ensemble, You, Me, Everybody, are set to share their new album Midnight — a project that offers a fresh, local take on what bluegrass sounds like when filtered through New Zealand perspectives.

Midnight leans into the moment when one day becomes the next — a quiet turning point where change, uncertainty, and new beginnings sit side by side. Its songs capture that familiar feeling of being somewhere between who we’ve been and who we’re becoming. That sense of “in-between” also reflects the band’s place within Aotearoa’s musical landscape, where bluegrass arrives without a long local history but can be shaped in ways that feel natural to how we live and create here. “Our kiwi fans know bluegrass from traditional songs and contemporary artists such as Alison Krauss and Union Station, and Billy Strings. But they are more familiar with the other genres that Bluegrass sits alongside. We’re also collectively members of the New Zealand folk, country and jazz communities” says Rob. Midnight starts with bluegrass at its core but gently widens its scope, bringing in different genres with their rhythms, broader chord progressions, alongside influences drawn from the band’s own environment and lives lived in Aotearoa.

As an acoustic band they wanted to record in isolated spaces, while playing at the same time, which required a specialised studio. Their last two albums were self-produced and they wanted to bring in a Producer to lead the project and push their skills. They reached out to their ‘everybodies’ to fund the album through a Kickstarter campaign. Rewards included a guitar, crafted by Laurence, from a mahogany bookcase. They achieved 66% of their target in the first 24 hours. “Because there isn’t a lot of bluegrass being recorded in New Zealand, we knew we needed to look to the States for our Producer but we didn’t want to lose who we are either. We chose Nashville based musician, Rachel Baiman, as she makes acoustic music that utilises all of our instruments and has a great insight and appreciation for what we want for the sound. Plus she is married to a kiwi”, says Nat. The band brought her to Wellington in January 2026 to record in Armoury Studios with Troy Kelly. “When Rachel brought Sean Sullivan on board to mix the album, we were rapt; he’d worked with some of our heroes, including Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway” says Kim. The album was mastered by Bobbi Giel at Welcome to 1979. Cover art is by Andy Knopp, Graphic Design by Liam Jack Hall with photography by Ebony Lamb.

You, Me, Everybody began when brothers Laurence Frangos-Rhodes (vocals, guitar) and Sam Frangos-Rhodes (vocals, fiddle and mandolin), set out to explore a fresh, progressive take on bluegrass in Aotearoa. They have brought together a lineup of some of the country’s top acoustic players: Nat Torkington on five-string banjo, Rob Henderson on double bass, and Kim Bonnington on vocals and rhythm guitar.

Since forming, the band has quickly earned national recognition. They were finalists for Best NZ Folk Artist (2021), and their music has been featured in the Netflix series Sweet Tooth, helping introduce their sound to international audiences.

Midnight includes the four singles delivered in 2025: Heart of Stone, Misdirection, The Rest of Us and Busy Without Me along with the new single, Midnight, which is delivered to coincide with release with the album of the same name.

WEST AUCKLAND’S DOUBLE PARKED SHARE HOPEFUL LATEST SINGLE, ‘LIGHTHOUSE’

Off the back of a huge set at Rhythm & Vines festival and recent singles ‘Necklace’ and ‘Buttercup’, West Auckland post-surf rockers Double Parked have kicked off the year with another new single, ‘Lighthouse’. 

With their last two singles, ‘Necklace’ and ‘Buttercup’ rooted in the raw depths of mental health, the band's latest material unpacks intimate new layers of their artistry, self-described by Double Parked as their most vulnerable offerings to date. Their latest single, ‘Lighthouse’, sees Double Parked searching for the light at the end of the tunnel - using the analogy of a lighthouse for finding hope in the possibilities of a new day, breaking free from toxic cycles, and overcoming darkness. “Rise with the swell that drags you down,” Frontman Tom’s vocals radiate over glistening guitar chords. “Drifted, faded, carried by night, I’ll give my lighthouse another new sunrise”. 

“I started writing this song when I felt stuck in a cycle, continually trying to get out but being dragged back into it, over and over again,” Producer/guitarist/songwriter Ben reflects of ‘Lighthouse’. “It was this sense of depersonalisation, kind of watching myself in this cyclical exchange of money, health, time from outside of my body.

It was also this weird feeling of wanting to shine bright for others (like a lighthouse) but not knowing why? It felt like I had to stay afloat and stable for others purely out of duty or habit, rather than out of care for myself.”

With their sound captured best at the bands rambunctious, unruly live sets where they’ve gained a loyal cult-following across Aotearoa, this Summer Double Parked have taken their new music out on the road, with a live set at Rhythm & Vines festival and a headline show at Auckland’s Tuning Fork on December 13th. They’ve also recently announced Australian shows with Australian promoter Yours & Owls.

In the past two years since the success of their 2023 debut EP Lost in the Groove, Double Parked have cemented themselves as one of New Zealand’s most exciting acts on the rise. The group have quickly developed a cult following with their rowdy live shows, festival sets, and tours with celebrated local and international acts including The Butlers, Lazy Ghost, and most recently supporting Australian indie-rock band The Terrys across their New Zealand tour this past September.

Pushing forward the traditional surf-rock sound with their own genre-defying fusion labelled “post-surf”, Double Parked are redefining the subgenre for a new generation. While making music that’s quintessentially rooted in New Zealand, the group pull from a melting pot of global influences including Indie, Alternative, Post-Punk, Psych and Surf, laced together from their distinctly West Coast lens.