JUST JANIE RELEASES ALBUM Mythology of the Girls
Ōtautahi-based Indie-folk musician Just Janie is entering a new era with her debut album Mythology of the Girls. A reaction to nostalgia through a modern lens, the album pays homage to the folk scene of the late sixties and early seventies and deconstructs the rose-tinted perspective for the era where women faced a myriad of societal limitations.
Ōtautahi-based Indie-folk musician Just Janie is entering a new era with her debut album Mythology of the Girls. A reaction to nostalgia through a modern lens, the album pays homage to the folk scene of the late sixties and early seventies and deconstructs the rose-tinted perspective for the era where women faced a myriad of societal limitations.
“The album formed around my curiosity for women's stories, often shadowed by men's. voices and perspectives lost in time. These women's stories are portrayed alongside personal anecdotes from my experiences as a young woman, an artist, a farmer's daughter, a musician, a mental health worker, within Aotearoa,” said Janie.
Nestled in the Waitaki Valley, the album was recorded in the transformed 1927 woolshed at Sublime Studios. Using vintage recording processes, Just Janie and her band tracked the album via an analogue pathway to tape. An ambitious and increasingly rare approach allowing them to sonically replicate an era inspiring the music.
“As someone deeply nostalgic for the sixties and seventies from a musical standpoint (think Joni Mitchell and the Crosby Stills and Nash boys all jamming at house parties in Laurel Canyon), I wanted to capture the magic of those early studio recordings and tape felt like the way to do that. You can almost hear me grinning in those songs, looking through the window of my sound booth at my band.” said Janie
The first taste of what was to come included sister songs Mythology of the Girls and Cielo Drive. Hollywood, Hippies, 1960's counterculture, the beach boys. Starting the story with Mythology of the Girls, delving into the Manson girls and why they should have stayed home, followed by the second chapter Cielo Drive, exploring Sharon Tate and how her name would inevitably become entwined with theirs.
The third and final single Mythology of the Girls dropped April 9th. An ode to oneself, Janie said “I read somewhere that the rain mimics the identity of the sky, and I thought that was a beautiful metaphor for a song.” Sometimes we become the rain, mimicking the sky. But I like to hope we find ourselves eventually.
Mythology of the Girls is a captivating and tender menagerie, stepped in the golden warmth of the Laurel Canyon hey-day. Following the release of Mythology of the Girls (8 May), Just Janie is touring with a full band across Aotearoa this winter.
Mythology of the Girls - MAY TOUR DATES
Fri 1 May - Listening party Flip Side Record Store | Christchurch
Sat 9 May - Space Academy | Christchurch (full band)
Fri 15 May - Maggies | Dunedin (full band)
Sat 16 May - Rhyme and Reason | Wānaka (full band)
Thurs 21 May - Meow | Wellington (full band)
Fri 22 May - Raumati Social Club | Kapiti (duo)
Fri 29 May - Tussock Country Music | Southland (full band)
AUCKLAND TBC
TICKETS FROM UNDER THE RADAR
NEW SINGLE ‘SWEETNESS’ FROM BADTAB
Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s BADTAB are carving out their own kaleidoscopic corner of the music world. Weaving together synthesisers and swirling guitar strums with rock-inflected, jazz inspired drum beats, BADTAB creates a unique and refreshing sound. The neo-psychedelic project of Ethan Downing (Vox & Gat), Hamish Mckinley (Drums), Manaaki Tibble (Bass), Kahukuranui Hunter-brown (keys) and Louis Nixon (synths), has been turning heads since their formation in 2022, quickly establishing themselves as one of Wellington’s exciting emerging acts.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s BADTAB are carving out their own kaleidoscopic corner of the music world. Weaving together synthesisers and swirling guitar strums with rock-inflected, jazz inspired drum beats, BADTAB creates a unique and refreshing sound. The neo-psychedelic project of Ethan Downing (Vox & Gat), Hamish Mckinley (Drums), Manaaki Tibble (Bass), Kahukuranui Hunter-brown (keys) and Louis Nixon (synths), has been turning heads since their formation in 2022, quickly establishing themselves as one of Wellington’s exciting emerging acts.
Sweetness marks the third and final single release on May 8th, before their sophomore album, anticipated for release mid-2026. Sweetness is a song about the quiet moments, the warmth of someone’s presence and the comfort they carry without even trying. It’s a softer, more intimate side of BADTAB, taking a step away from their signature psychedelic heaviness. The track began as a late-night loop session with guitar and bass, creating a wavy silky soundscape. The finishing touch came from CLOVA, whose violin strings pulled the whole track together into something warm and texturally diverse.
Drawing inspirations from the likes of Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Crumb, Connan Mockasin and King Krule. BADTAB have synthesized these influences into something uniquely their own, a sound that honors psychedelia's past while boldly pushing it forward.
Beyond the studio, BADTAB have been making waves in the live circuit, playing TwoMinds Festival 2026, CubaDupa 2026, Twisted Frequency 2026, Newtown Festival 2025, Great Sounds Great festival 2025, a RadioActive Active Live session at Massey University and played multiple sold out shows at a variety of Wellington's independent venues. With their DIY spirit and commitment to pushing psychedelic music into new territories, BADTAB are quickly establishing themselves as ones to watch in Aotearoa’s ever-evolving music scene.
AOTEAROA ARTIST WHO SHOT SCOTT SHARES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO ‘PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL’
WHO SHOT SCOTT reasserts his presence as a genre-blurring hip-hop artist and producer on ‘PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL’ – a high-octane, UKG-laced cut that signals a pivotal turning point in his forthcoming debut album HAIRY.
WHO SHOT SCOTT reasserts his presence as a genre-blurring hip-hop artist and producer on ‘PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL’ – a high-octane, UKG-laced cut that signals a pivotal turning point in his forthcoming debut album HAIRY.
Driven by blasting garage-inspired rhythms, heavy synth work and flashes of lush guitar reminiscent of late ’90s UK R&B, the track captures a new sense of authority from the artist. Where previous material sat in insecurity, ‘PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL’ flips the lens – reclaiming formative experiences and reframing them as a source of power.
About the track, WHO SHOT SCOTT shares:
“To me, this track is a sincere empowerment song beneath all the frantic energy. Growing up, the thing I was bullied for most was wanting to make music. Kids would stand outside my house blasting my early tracks on speakers for the whole neighbourhood to hear, laughing at me. There were parts of school I couldn’t walk through without facing intense ridicule. All these years later, art and music is still my life, and I am still just as in love with it as I’ve ever been (if not more). In a strange way, I’m grateful to those early experiences - they built silience in me that I’ve come to appreciate deeply. Every slight, every moment of embarrassment… I’ve repurposed it into something powerful. The final line, “The subject I’ve become is a result of all of you,” really couldn’t be more true.”
Midway through, ‘PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL’ shifts gears – introducing melodic guitar lines and smoother, garage-inflected textures that nod to early 2000s UK influences, adding a dynamic sense of movement that mirrors the track’s emotional arc.
The single arrives alongside a music video directed by long-time collaborator Connor Pritchard. Stripping back modern polish in favour of a gritty, ’90s-inspired aesthetic, the visual sees WHO SHOT SCOTT performing into a handheld camcorder, his image refracted through the static of an old television set – a fitting extension of the track’s themes of self-reflection and reclamation.
With HAIRY set for release on June 5th, 2026, ‘PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL’ joins previously released singles ‘PROBLEMS IN MY HEAD’, ‘FAST CAR’ and ‘BAD GIRLS’ – as well as ‘LFTBU’ and ‘FRENCH FEVER’ – as part of the wider vision shaping WHO SHOT SCOTT’s long-awaited debut album. Built on the scars of adolescence and the transformation of that pain into power, HAIRY is loud, unfiltered and impossible to box in – a record that thrives in extremes, unafraid to make the listener feel, laugh and groove in equal measure.
For WHO SHOT SCOTT, the project stands as both a reclamation and a debut statement. Following two APRA Silver Scroll nominations, a Japan tour, and a feature placement in the global trailer for Borderlands 4, he continues to resist any “music industry optimised” version of himself. Instead, HAIRY leans into raw edges and contradiction – a specificity that ultimately becomes universally resonant. Bold, unashamed, and increasingly undeniable, it cements WHO SHOT SCOTT as one of the most fearless voices emerging out of Aotearoa right now. If ‘PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL’ is any indication, he’s not just revisiting the past, he’s rewriting it entirely on his own terms.
Alongside a UK tour in May and showcase appearances at The Great Escape 2026 and NXNE Toronto 2026, his trajectory continues to accelerate. The speedometer is climbing, and he just might win the race this time.
ABOUT WHO SHOT SCOTT: A boy fled Iraq in the arms of his mother when he was just two years old. Their journey took them through Moscow before finally arriving in New Zealand, where Zaidoon Nasir would grow up navigating the dualities of life between cultures. Settling in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau, he embraced video games and US hip hop like so many of his new peers. Little did he know that within that sense of belonging he would also be confronted with what it meant to be different - in skin, in hair, in heritage. A truth that would eventually drive him to find his voice through art and music.
That voice became WHO SHOT SCOTT, an artist and music producer unafraid to fuse raw vulnerability with sonic explosivity. Over five EPs, he has crafted a fearless, genre-blurring sound, part alternative hip-hop, part punk energy, part electronic experimentation, celebrated internationally for its “filthy and frantic” urgency and emotional depth.
Rolling Stone Australia named him one of the Top 8 New Zealand artists tipped to take over, truly cementing his reputation as a disruptive new force in the scene.
His single ‘LONERS ANTHEM’ spent four weeks at #1 on the NZ College Radio Network charts and was voted the most beloved track of 2022. His work has been playlisted by MTV and streaming editorials, synced across television, gaming, and advertising, and championed by radio throughout New Zealand, Australia, the US, UK, and Europe. EPs ‘MERCY III’ and ‘BRAIN (SIDE A)’ both broke into the North American College Radio charts, expanding his reach even further and exemplifying the fact that his stories are felt universally.
Recent milestones include two APRA Silver Scroll award nominations, an international sync in the trailer for Borderlands 4, and a successful Japan tour. He has opened for genre heavyweights Snoop Dogg and Yung Gravy, performed at WOMAD, Rhythm & Vines, Soundsplash, SXSW Sydney, BIGSOUND, and Music Matters Singapore. With over 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners and a dedicated cult following across the US, Canada, Central Europe, UK, and Australia, WHO SHOT SCOTT continues to build momentum as one of Aotearoa’s most dynamic voices.
Every song carries the weight of his journey, turning past shame into pride, alienation into human connection, and pain into power.
Upcoming Irish musician returns to singer songwriter roots for next single Thoughts releasing on May 22nd.
Aotearoa-based Irish musician Dónal Gunning is quickly emerging as one of the country’s top-tier talents. Following the viral success of his most recent track Oven, Dónal is setting aside the bass, and picking up his trusted six-string to deliver an acoustic single.
Aotearoa-based Irish musician Dónal Gunning is quickly emerging as one of the country’s top-tier talents. Following the viral success of his most recent track Oven, Dónal is setting aside the bass, and picking up his trusted six-string to deliver an acoustic single.
Rooted in folk, alt rock influences, Thoughts is a heartfelt love song inspired by more minimal arrangements of the various rock giants (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Alice in Chains). It evokes a sense of passion and melancholy via softly plucked chords and signature raw vocals. The direct chorus contrasts the ethereal, free-flowing verses—mirroring the nature of thoughts themselves.
It was recorded in Palmerston North and produced by Caleb Williams (Space Pigeon). The release will be accompanied by a music video directed by Dónal & Finn Zemba (@finndidathing), set across some classic Wellington CBD spots with a subtle autumn feel. It stars Caleb, Phoebe Jo, and Dónal.
‘Thoughts, shows a more vulnerable and sincere side of my songwriting. I started out as a folk musician before moving toward rock. It’s a chance for listeners to reflect. The entire process came with its own challenges — stripping things back, experimenting with foley, simplifying the recording approach, and introducing a brass feature’.
Dónal and his bandmates, The Bucks, are currently touring the North Island to promote Thoughts and additional singles off their upcoming debut album. They’ll play Valhalla, Wellington on release night, marking both the single’s launch and the penultimate date of the tour. His socials keep his fans up to date on all his activities - click here to follow!
Thoughts is the second single off Dónal’s debut album. It'll be available on all streaming platforms Friday May 22nd.
MariaClara Releases Official Music Video for “08:30 (Peace of Mind)”
Following the release of her latest single 08:30 (Peace of Mind), Brazilian-born Aotearoa artist Maria Clara releases the official music video today, expanding the song’s message of self-focus into a playful visual narrative. This video is also being premiered on Juice TV, marking its broadcast debut.
Following the release of her latest single 08:30 (Peace of Mind), Brazilian-born Aotearoa artist Maria Clara releases the official music video today, expanding the song’s message of self-focus into a playful visual narrative. This video is also being premiered on Juice TV, marking its broadcast debut.
Directed, filmed and edited by Auckland-based creative director James Harrison, the video portrays two contrasting versions of Maria Clara. One character, dressed in bright colours, moves calmly through everyday life, grounded and carefree; while the other is animated and dressed in black and white, relentlessly chasing her, embodying restlessness and overthinking.
As the pursuit unfolds, the central character remains unfazed, visually echoing the song’s lyric and message: finding peace of mind means no longer reacting to every demand for your attention.
“The song came from learning to slow down and protect my energy,” says Maria Clara. “The video became a way of showing what it feels like when your anxious thoughts are still there, but you’ve stopped letting them control you.”
Created in collaboration with the Parallel Layers Collective, the project highlights the importance of community-driven creativity and emerging artists supporting one another across disciplines.
Harrison, a multidisciplinary artist known for his nostalgic and experimental visual style, approaches filmmaking as an extension of storytelling. Treating the camera as a “paintbrush,” his work blends movement, emotion and lived experience to translate an artist’s inner world onto screen.
Brazilian-born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, Maria Clara creates relaxed yet expressive music shaped by collaboration and curiosity across genres. Blending indie pop, jazz and Brazilian influences, her work explores presence, self-reflection and emotional ease, with new projects currently expanding into bossa nova and folk alongside musician and producer Sam Stretch.
Chart-topping up-and-comer Ella Pollett shines bright on her new indie-pop gem, ‘A Name I Knew’
Ella Pollett is one of Aotearoa pop music’s most exciting new voices and she’s kicking off New Zealand Music Month with a bang - her new single ‘A Name I Knew’. The young singer and songwriter has been making waves in her hometown of Napier for a few years now. But it was her NZ on Air funded single ‘Losing My Mind’ - released in October last year - that drew nationwide attention and saw her topping the Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles chart.
Ella Pollett is one of Aotearoa pop music’s most exciting new voices and she’s kicking off New Zealand Music Month with a bang - her new single ‘A Name I Knew’.
The young singer and songwriter has been making waves in her hometown of Napier for a few years now. But it was her NZ on Air funded single ‘Losing My Mind’ - released in October last year - that drew nationwide attention and saw her topping the Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles chart.
Now Ella returns with her first single of 2026, the indie-pop gem ‘A Name I Knew’. A powerful song, it highlights Ella’s honest and relatable storytelling lyricism, as well as her knack for turning out infectious pop hooks and strong melodies that leave you wanting more.
“I’m drawn to music that feels real and honest,” says Ella.
Ella explains that ‘A Name I Knew’ is about “holding onto someone who has already started to feel like a stranger. It captures that in-between stage where nothing has fully ended, but everything has changed. Memories still feel close, but the connection doesn’t.”
With a mix of nostalgia, vulnerability and quiet acceptance woven throughout the track - produced by Nigel Mauchline - ‘A Name I Knew’ also sees the talented singer and songwriter delving more into a moodier and atmospheric soundscape; showcasing an artist who’s not resting on her laurels but rather honing her craft and pushing into new sonic spaces.
Ella is one of Lil Sister’s Rising Stars - an initiative which aims to shine a spotlight on Aotearoa’s newest and brightest emerging acts. And this powerful new song sees Ella living up to her reputation as one of New Zealand’s most exciting new talents.
Aotearoa award-winning indie folk artist, Mel Parsons, announces new album CASTLE HILL - out August 7 + releases delicate new single and video, ‘Grain By Grain’
Critically acclaimed singer and songwriter Mel Parsons has today announced her seventh studio album, CASTLE HILL, set for release on August 7. The news comes alongside her latest single, the emotive new ballad ‘Grain By Grain’
Critically acclaimed singer and songwriter Mel Parsons has today announced her seventh studio album, CASTLE HILL, set for release on August 7. The news comes alongside her latest single, the emotive new ballad ‘Grain By Grain’
CASTLE HILL will join the ranks of Parsons’ celebrated previous records; her 2019 album GLASS HEART winning Best Folk Artist at the AMA’s and her most recent album SABOTAGE (2024) being nominated for the prestigious Taite Prize and Album of the Year at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards. Mel has just been announced as a finalist at the 2026 AMA’s for Best Folk Artist, the awards taking place on May 28.
“This album [SABOTAGE] really locates the mournful quality in Mel Parsons’ voice, and highlights what a remarkable instrument it is; oceans of feeling sounded out with apparently little effort”
- Tony Stamp, RNZ
Out today in tandem with the announcement is Parsons’ heartfelt new single ‘Grain By Grain’. Like the gentle push and pull of the ocean, ‘Grain By Grain’ embraces the feeling of being washed and worn away by the tide; each time reshaping with continuous change.
“Loosely, ‘Grain By Grain’ is an ocean metaphor - the beach being washed and worn away only to be built back up again; but in a different way, by different tides, on different days,” says Parsons. “The song embodies a sense of calm - an acceptance of how things are the present moment.”
The single comes with a new music video - behind the scenes on tour, with Parsons and her band warming up for a show on the floor of famed Lyttelton venue ‘Loons’. Filmed and edited by Adam Hogan of LORE Films, the visuals feature long time bandmates Jed Parsons, Aaron Stewart and Josh Logan.
The single joins her latest releases: the nostalgic ‘Caravan’, which followed ‘Don’t Leave The Light On’ - a heart-rending alt-folk ballad which laid bare the harsh reality of domestic abuse. 2025 saw ‘Be Here Now’ featuring Mitchell Froom (Crowded House) on keys, ‘Brick By Brick’ and ‘Post High Slide’ - all of which spent multiple weeks on RadioScope’s alternative music charts.
Mel Parsons is one of Aotearoa’s most celebrated songwriters and prolific touring musicians. Recent years have seen her extensively touring both sides of the Tasman, opening for Crowded House, performing at Folk Alliance in Montreal, Canada and, most recently, headlining Auckland Folk Festival.
MARIA CLARA BLENDS JAZZ AND POP IN HER NEW SINGLE: “08:30 (Peace of Mind)” out today
To kick off NZ Music Month, Maria Clara releases her first single of the year through DRM today: Friday 1st May. Blending indie pop with jazz influences, “08:30 (Peace of Mind)” reflects on the importance of self-prioritising and learning to protect one’s energy.
To kick off NZ Music Month, Maria Clara releases her first single of the year through DRM today: Friday 1st May. Blending indie pop with jazz influences, “08:30 (Peace of Mind)” reflects on the importance of self-prioritising and learning to protect one’s energy.
Supported by the Parallel Layers Collective, a music video will follow on Friday 8 May; directed, filmed and edited by James Harrison.
The song was written and recorded at BIGFAN Studios as part of the “Weekender Vol.1” songwriting camp, where Maria Clara collaborated with producer Jessica Leigh and guitarist and co-writer Callum Lee. It was later mixed and mastered by Madilyn Povey.
Written during a period of reflection, the single explores the quiet realisation that caring for others must also include caring for oneself.
“I realised I couldn’t keep pouring into others without giving myself space to breathe. I’m still learning to do that, which explains why I’m still always running late!”
Brazilian-born and raised in Aotearoa, Maria Clara creates relaxed yet expressive music shaped by collaboration and curiosity across genres. Drawing inspiration from her Brazilian heritage, she has recently begun exploring bossa nova and folk influences, including a new project alongside musician and producer Sam Stretch.