New Music 06/02

Got a new song coming out? Send me a message at ryanfromroots@gmail.com to get a feature!

Bottom Bunk Club — Golden Shower

Bottom Bunk Club are a folkpunk/antifolk band from Pōneke, Wellington, blending the sweat and chaos of a basement punk show with the feel-good pluck and stomp of old-time folk and bluegrass. Sitting somewhere between folkpunk, antifolk and thrashgrass, their sound lives by the loose rule of “three chords and the truth” — even if they occasionally bend both. Lyrically, the band bounce between sharp social commentary and everyday absurdities, tackling everything from trickle-down economics and digital screen addiction to sleeping in and ill-advised workplace crushes, all delivered with wit, bite and a sense of fun.

Their new album Ratbag Apartment leans fully into that ethos, sounding like Woody Guthrie raised on 90s Green Day — punk-rock energy built on acoustic foundations. Lead track Golden Shower is a raucous, sing-along protest song skewering economic inequality, while other standouts range from the clandestine office romance of Hannah From Work to Snoozebutton, an ode to giving in to the alarm one last time. There’s even Fem Fingrar Rabatt, sung entirely in Swedish, and Nosebleed, a feral-flat anthem that gives the album its name. Folkpunk might not be for everyone, but for those who love it, Ratbag Apartment might just hit uncomfortably close to home.

TiGER — Chameleon

Auckland-based alternative soul artist TiGER steps into a bold new era with Chameleon, a genre-blending track that explores danger, illusion, and self-discovery. Drawing on the concept of aposematism — the idea that the most beautiful things can also be the most dangerous — the song reflects on youthful naivety and a relationship that slowly revealed a darker truth beneath its surface. Blending soulful R&B warmth with jazz intimacy and cinematic alternative production, Chameleon opens TiGER’s forthcoming debut album and stands as one of his most personal releases to date.

Produced by Bray Jeffrey and engineered by Rawiri Waters, Chameleon unfolds as a haunting emotional reckoning, charting betrayal, transformation, and hindsight clarity. The accompanying music video, shot by Tiago Kerber at Piha Beach on Super 8 film, mirrors the song’s themes through striking, vintage-tinged imagery set against the beach’s raw beauty and inherent danger. Together, the track and visuals signal an evocative new chapter for TiGER — one rooted in reflection, vulnerability, and cinematic scope.

Wilka — Hit or Miss

Wilka makes dance-pop for the heart and the body — music that moves first and hits later. Born in Poland and raised in Aotearoa from the age of 12, she grew up between places, languages, and versions of herself, a tension that still runs through her music. Formerly releasing under her given name, she re-emerged as Wilka — Polish for “she-wolf” — reclaiming her roots while standing firmly as a New Zealand artist. Her songs blend intimate storytelling with pulse-driven production, turning vulnerability into release through bold beats and shimmering hooks. Intensely hands-on across sound, visuals, and performance, Wilka delivers a dynamic live show that pairs commanding vocals with electronic production and live drums.

Hit or Miss is a confident dance-pop anthem about knowing exactly where your heart is, even when temptation turns up uninvited. Set against late-night attention and blurred lines, the track flips the usual narrative of indecision, instead celebrating clarity, boundaries, and emotional loyalty. Built on pulsing rhythms and sharp, conversational hooks, the song captures the thrill of being desired without losing sight of what’s real. Bold, flirtatious, and self-assured, Hit or Miss positions Wilka as a modern dance-pop voice grounded in intention, self-respect, and choosing certainty over distraction.

Harry Charles — Great Pages

Harry Charles kicks off the year with Great Pages, the fourth single lifted from his forthcoming album NOVA. Drawing from his years immersed in Berlin’s club culture, the track settles into a deep, mood-led groove where downtempo meets slow-burning house. Built to sit at the very start of a DJ set, Great Pages unfolds patiently, anchored by a spacious, melancholic horn line that gives the track its haunting sense of atmosphere and restraint.

Hailing from Aotearoa, Harry Charles first made his mark in Berlin, honing a sound defined by downtempo rhythms, live instrumentation, and emotionally grounded vocals. With releases across boutique European labels and appearances at clubs and festivals throughout Europe, he has developed a style that bridges the dancefloor and the personal. Now based back home, NOVA follows the momentum of recent singles and continues Harry’s focus on electronic music designed to move people — capturing the energy, flow, and intention of his live performances.

Reece Milton — Dreaming In The Dark (EP)

Reece Milton returns with his new EP Dreaming In The Dark, a project years in the making and shaped by a deeply personal creative process. Written between 2020 and now, the EP takes its name from the way the songs first emerged — born from dreams and often written instinctively in short, intense bursts. Opening track Paradise stands apart as the most emotionally weighty, developed over two months during a turbulent period in Reece’s life, while the remaining tracks came together in moments of raw clarity, capturing feelings that are both intimate and hauntingly familiar.

Following the momentum of his debut album Elixir, Dreaming In The Dark sees Reece leaning further into his strengths as a guitarist, songwriter, and storyteller. Recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by longtime collaborator Jack Rollinson, the EP highlights a richer, more adventurous sound that allows Reece’s vulnerability to sit front and centre. With new material already taking shape for his next album, Dreaming In The Dark marks another confident step forward in a career built on emotion, instinct, and musical trust.