Vor-stellen are a post-punk group formed by musicians with deep roots in the country’s independent music scene. The group brings together Brendan Moran, Jared Johansen, and Stephen Reay, three musicians whose collective experience spans some of New Zealand’s most respected underground acts. The trio share a common thread through their mutual involvement in The Subliminals, giving Vor-stellen a foundation built on an already well-established creative chemistry.
The band emerged with a sound that caught the attention of Flying Nun Records, the storied independent label that has championed New Zealand music since the early 1980s. Their debut release, Parallelograms, appeared in 2023 on vinyl through Flying Nun Records, marking a significant introduction for the group and placing them within a celebrated lineage of New Zealand artists on one of the country’s most iconic imprints.
Brendan Moran brings a wealth of experience to Vor-stellen, having participated in a wide range of projects including The Hasselhoff Experiment, Cattle, Knife Fight, Sowpuss, avoid!avoid, and High Altar, in addition to his time with The Subliminals. This breadth of musical engagement suggests a versatile and restless creative sensibility that informs the group’s approach.
Jared Johansen and Stephen Reay further enrich the band’s collective background. Johansen has also been involved with Thieves and Faults, while Reay’s history includes work with Fang, avoid!avoid, The Haints Of Dean Hall, and Faults. The overlapping connections between Reay and Moran through avoid!avoid, and between Johansen and Reay through Faults, speak to a tight-knit network of collaborators who have long orbited one another within New Zealand’s independent music community.
In 2024, Vor-stellen followed up their Flying Nun debut with Armature For A Painting, released on vinyl through Feral Child Records. The release of a second album on a different independent label within a year demonstrated the band’s productive momentum and their willingness to work across different corners of the independent music world.
With two vinyl releases to their name and a membership roster that draws on decades of combined experience, Vor-stellen represent a thoughtful and well-credentialed addition to New Zealand’s ongoing independent music conversation. Their work with both Flying Nun Records and Feral Child Records positions them as a band with reach across multiple communities within the local scene.
Members
- Jared Johansen (Vor-stellen, The Subliminals, Thieves, Faults)
- Brendan Moran (Vor-stellen, The Hasselhoff Experiment, The Subliminals, Cattle, Knife Fight, Sowpuss, avoid!avoid, High Altar)
- Stephen Reay (Vor-stellen, The Subliminals, Fang, avoid!avoid, The Haints Of Dean Hall, Faults)
Discography
- Parallelograms [LP] (2023, Flying Nun Records, FN621LP)
- Armature For A Painting [LP] (2024, Feral Child Records, FC54)