New Music 06/03
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Double Parked — Rosary (EP)
West Auckland five-piece Double Parked return with their raw sophomore EP Rosary, led by focus single Place I Hide and following their cult 2023 debut Lost in the Groove. Made up of Tom Purdie (vocals), Travis Hassell (bass), Chad Mascelle (drums), Carlin Diprose (guitar/vocals) and Ben Woolford (guitar/production), the band channel deeply personal, shared experiences into seven tracks that confront the complexities of men’s mental health with unfiltered honesty. Moving between soft, stripped-back acoustic reflection and urgent, raucous guitar anthems, Rosary captures a non-linear journey through breakdown and breakthrough, pushing their signature post-surf sound into more intimate, confessional territory.
At the heart of the EP is Place I Hide, a jangling, reverb-soaked centrepiece that unpacks coping mechanisms and quiet survival with gritty vulnerability. Written early in the process and shaping much of the project’s direction, the track embodies the despair and defiance that coloured the band’s creative headspace, with democratic songwriting and instinctive performances guiding its final form. Steeped in surf, indie, alternative and post-punk influences through a distinctly West Auckland lens, Rosary documents not just musical growth, but the evolving bond of five friends navigating the pits and peaks of their twenties together.
OscarBiggStar — Getting to know H.E.R
Getting to Know H.E.R is the debut official single from Wellington-based artist OscarBiggStarr, a student at Victoria University of Wellington who approaches hip-hop with introspection and intent. Built around the classic rap concept of personifying the culture as a woman — H.E.R standing for “Hip Hop in its Essence is Real” — the track explores his complicated relationship with music: the passion for lyric writing, the fear of commitment, the pressure of online backlash, and the desire to build something lasting rather than fleeting. Produced by online collaborator 4mostproductions, whose hazy, Alchemist-inspired beats provide a smooth, soulful backdrop, the single marks the first release from a larger album project OscarBiggStarr hopes to officially roll out in full.
OscarBiggStar, Bailey Daniel — Hearsay
Hearsay sees OscarBiggStaRR team up with producer Bailey Daniel for a reflective hip-hop track about the way gossip can distort relationships. Rapped from the perspective of someone speaking to their partner, the song explores how rumours and outside voices can reshape trust and perception, while also touching on the pressure to provide stability and success. Built on Bailey Daniel’s hazy, sample-driven production, Hearsay captures a raw, spontaneous writing moment and marks the first track created for OscarBiggStaRR’s upcoming album.
Harry Charles — NOVA (ALBUM)
Electronic producer Harry Charles enters a new chapter with his album NOVA, a release shaped by the energy of dancefloors and the shared experience of live performance. Following singles The Luck, Zero Zero and Great Pages, the project sees Charles refining his sound into something brighter, more immediate and rhythm-driven, while still holding onto the slower grooves that have long defined his style.
Written with festivals and DJ sets in mind, NOVA shifts away from the extended cinematic passages of his earlier work in favour of tighter arrangements and driving beats that reach the point more quickly. Building on the foundation of his previous album Movement, the record balances warmth and emotion with dancefloor momentum, creating electronic music designed not just to be heard, but to be experienced collectively.
Mel Parsons — Caravan
Fresh from headlining the Auckland Folk Festival, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mel Parsons returns with her new single Caravan, a nostalgic reflection on childhood summers spent on the West Coast. Built around vivid sensory memories — the sound of cicadas, lime chip underfoot and the smell of saltwater and horses — the track captures the carefree feeling of growing up on a Kiwi farm and the simple magic of long summer days that seemed to last forever.
Written by Parsons and produced by Josh Logan, Caravan continues a strong run of recent releases following Don’t Leave The Light On, Be Here Now, Brick By Brick and Post High Slide. One of Aotearoa’s most celebrated folk artists, Parsons has built an acclaimed catalogue that includes the award-winning album Glass Heart, alongside Slow Burn and the chart-topping Sabotage, further cementing her reputation as one of the country’s most compelling songwriting voices.
Ani Saafa — SCUM
SCUM is the second and final single from Ani Saafa ahead of their forthcoming debut album. The track begins with a soft, atmospheric intro — an inside joke within the band, who originally referred to it as the “Spanish riff” during early writing sessions — before abruptly exploding into the song’s fast, punk-charged core.
The idea first emerged as the live intro to the band’s recent shows, where the reaction from audiences quickly proved the concept deserved to become a full track. Building the song meant carefully weaving together the parts of each melodic instrument without letting the arrangement descend into pure noise, while the addition of pounding drums locks in its urgent energy. Written, produced, mixed and mastered entirely by the band, SCUM leans into a raw DIY approach, complete with distortion-heavy textures and a satisfying half-time breakdown midway through the track.
