Glass Vaults
Wellington electronic pop duo Richard Larsen and Rowan Pierce, whose albums have been released on Flying Out and UK label Melodic.
Purple Pilgrims
New Zealand sister duo Clementine and Valentine Nixon — great-granddaughters of Scottish folk musician Davie Stewart — whose devotional dream pop spans Not Not Fun Records and Flying Nun. Albums: Eternal Delight (2016) and Perfumed Earth (2019). Now also recording as Clementine Valentine.
What’s new: artist profiles, Musician Index, and Radio!
A roundup of recent updates: 18 new and refreshed artist profiles, a new Musician Index under Resources, and the brand-new thebigcity.co.nz: Radio! streaming playlist.
Seth Frightening
Wellington neo-folk musician Sean Kelly, who has performed alongside Grizzly Bear and Jónsi.
Loves Ugly Children
Christchurch alt-rock trio active 1989–1998. Fronted by Simon Maclaren (vocals/guitar) with Angela “Floss” Leslie (bass) and Jason Young (drums). Released two Flying Nun albums — Cakehole (1995) and Showered in Gold (1997) — plus numerous EPs. Reunited in 2024; released Lost Demos 12″ on Acrid Plume Records in 2025.
Minisnap
Christchurch indie-pop trio formed in the early 2000s by three-quarters of The Bats, with guitarist Kaye Woodward stepping up as principal songwriter and vocalist. Rooted in the jangle-pop of the Dunedin Sound. Debut album Bounce Around (2008, Pocket Music); a follow-up album is mastered and awaiting release.
Lawrence Arabia
Christchurch-born singer-songwriter James Milne recording under the name Lawrence Arabia. Indie pop shaped by 1960s classicism, wry storytelling, and sophisticated arrangements. APRA Silver Scroll winner (2009, ‘Apple Pie Bed’) and inaugural Taite Music Prize recipient (2010, Chant Darling). Five solo albums on Lil Chief, Honorary Bedouin, Bella Union, and Flying Nun.
Leila Adu
New Zealand composer, vocalist and pianist of Ghanaian descent. Studied at Victoria University Wellington and Princeton. Known for blending electropop, avant-classical, and singer-songwriter traditions. Now professor at NYU Steinhardt.
Awesome
Alias of Dunedin’s Dianne Smith (Lucy Lurex, Lady Die). One-woman show using Casio keyboard with built-in tape deck. Also performed with International Telepaths, Murdering Monsters, and numerous other underground projects.
The Aesthetics
Dunedin destructo-rock outfit formed in 1995 by Matt Middleton (aka Crude). Trashy but sinister post-punk noise rock inspired by King Loser, Snapper, and the Dead C, with numerous lineup changes over three decades.
The Spines
Wellington post-punk/ska band active 1981-1987, founded by Jon McLeary. Blended angular ska-punk with gothic-folk influences, releasing the celebrated ‘Fishing’ EP on Ripper Records. Their song ‘Your Body Stays’ became TV personality John Campbell’s all-time favorite NZ song.
Features
Auckland post-punk band formed in late 1979 by Jed Town and James Pinker (ex-Superettes) with Karel Van Bergen and Chris Orange. Drawing from PIL, Wire, and no-wave, they provided the stylistic delineation between punk and post-punk in Auckland before disbanding in 1980.
Supergroove
Supergroove formed on New Year’s Eve 1989/90 in Auckland, New Zealand, when the members were still in high school. The band began as “The Lowdown Dirty Blues Band” before transitioning to their signature funk sound. The core lineup included Karl Steven (vocals, harmonica), Joe Lonie (bass), Nick Atkinson (saxophone, keyboards), Che Fu (vocals), Ben Sciascia (guitar), and Tim Stewart (trumpet).
Thee Ideal Gus
Thee Ideal Gus is a sprawling experimental collective originating from Hamilton, New Zealand, in the early 1990s. Born from the same prolific underground “gene pool” that produced acts like Pumice, Armpit, and G.Frenzy, the group is characterized by a fluid, loosely defined membership and a steadfast commitment to lo-fi, improvised, and chance-based recording.