New Music 13/02
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RENÉE — BEEN A MINUTE
Emerging soul-R&B artist RENÉE returns with her latest single BEEN A MINUTE, a smooth, groove-led release that signals another step forward in her evolving sound. Blending dance-R&B with subtle Afro-inspired production, the track captures the quiet tension of reconnecting after time apart — that fragile space where old feelings resurface and vulnerability takes centre stage. Through warm percussion and rich, expressive vocals, RENÉE explores emotional honesty and the courage it takes to open back up to something that never fully faded.
Produced by longtime collaborator Jacob Callwood, BEEN A MINUTE balances intimacy with movement, pairing refined electronic textures with a rhythm that invites both reflection and release. As the third single from her forthcoming debut EP DISCLOSURE, the track offers a window into a project grounded in clarity, growth and self-expression. Drawing on dance-R&B, neo-soul and Afrobeat influences, RENÉE continues to carve out a confident, distinctive lane as one of Aotearoa’s most promising new voices.
Dillon Jo — Jo
Dillon Jo — the queer, female-fronted four-piece from Te Whanganui-a-Tara — return with their third single Jo, out February 13. Formed at Massey University, the band describe their sound as “Dreamy Droppy Rock Pop”, blending alternative pop with heavier textures and 2000s-inspired rock energy. Written by co-lead singers Georgie Levien and Betty Smith when they were 19 and living by the beach in Pōhara, Jo is a joyful WLW love song that captures the rush and softness of first queer love. Once an acoustic ballad, it has since evolved into an upbeat, high-energy anthem that has become a standout in their live set.
Released independently via Wellington label Glasshead, Jo follows strong local momentum, including multiple headline shows at San Fran, a #1 spot on RadioActive FM’s Top 11 with previous single Shiver, and growing traction across student radio and social platforms. With festival appearances at Newtown Festival, CubaDupa and Performance Arcade, Dillon Jo continue to build a loyal following while carving out a bold, heartfelt space in Aotearoa’s alternative scene.
Frankie Venter — a big deal to me (ALBUM)
Rising Aotearoa pop artist Frankie Venter is set to release her debut EP a big deal to me, marking a defining moment in her fast-moving career. Off the back of a breakout year, Frankie has performed across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, including a personal invitation from Coldplay to open two sold-out Eden Park shows, touring with Six60, and appearing at major festivals such as Rolling Meadows and Coro Classic, with Electric Avenue next on the calendar. Recently nominated for Best Pop Artist at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards, she has also completed a sold-out trans-Tasman tour with US artist Malcolm Todd, cementing her status as one of the country’s most exciting emerging pop voices.
Created alongside frequent collaborator Rory Noble of Five AM, with additional production and co-writing from M-Phazes, Josh Naley, Emma Wagner, and Aubrie Mitchell, a big deal to me captures Frankie’s fluid blend of pop and alternative influences. At its heart, the EP is a coming-of-age record, tracing her leap from home into a rapidly accelerating career while navigating independence, heartbreak, and self-belief. Moving from uncertainty to clarity, the project closes with Real To Me, a quiet resolution that reflects on love and growth. Frankie will celebrate the release with a seven-date headline tour across Aotearoa before taking the project to Australia.
CAITLIN — You're Only Good To Calm Me Down
Ōtautahi-based alternative pop artist CAITLIN returns with You’re Only Good To Calm Me Down, a sharp, self-produced single created alongside Will McGillivray (Goodwill). Born in Te Tihi-o-Maru, Caitlin Bradley continues the reflective thread of earlier releases Wash and Outline, unpacking the tension between comfort and growth with playful honesty and emotional clarity. The track sets the tone for her forthcoming EP Guardrails, a project shaped by the quiet reckonings and identity shifts that come with moving through your twenties and realising something has to change.
Her fourth EP, Guardrails, draws on a decade of writing and performing across Aotearoa, channeling emotional unrest into songs that sway, push and pull. The single arrives with a striking video co-directed by CAITLIN and Naomi Haussmann, contrasting the open landscapes of Lake Lyndon with the structured edges of Ōtautahi’s city streets — a visual thread that mirrors her themes of structure and freedom. With festival appearances including Electric Avenue and a growing reputation for magnetic live shows, CAITLIN continues to cement herself as one of the country’s most compelling emerging alternative voices.
alayna — Set Her Free (ALBUM)
Critically acclaimed New Zealand singer-songwriter alayna unveils her stunning sophomore album SET HER FREE, a 13-track body of work written across Aotearoa, Australia, the United States and Bali. Immersing listeners in lush pop, soul and R&B, the record pairs sweeping string arrangements and groove-led production with her unmistakable, emotionally rich vocals. Where her 2023 debut SELF PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN UNRAVELLING turned inward in raw self-examination, SET HER FREE shifts perspective — exploring love in all its forms, from matriarchy and friendship to romance and self-acceptance. With more than 85 million streams to her name, alayna continues to cement her place as one of Aotearoa’s most compelling contemporary voices.
Among the new material is Tiny Spaces, a radiant, feel-good anthem alayna describes as the “sunset” of the album — a triumphant celebration of love’s presence in every chapter of life. The album also features previously released singles including Mother’s Mother, But It’s Lonely, Softly, Hold Me and Animal, alongside new highlights such as I See You and Braveheart. Created with an international lineup of collaborators and primarily co-written with Ben Malone, the project was mixed by Simon Gooding and mastered by Joe Laporta at Sterling Sound. To mark the release, alayna is hosting an immersive gallery experience in Tāmaki Makaurau and will take SET HER FREE on tour across Aotearoa later this year.
Play For Keeps — Handsome Boy
Ōtautahi five-piece Play For Keeps step into a new chapter with their official debut single Handsome Boy, an indie-pop-rock cut that pairs bright hooks with a sharper message. On the surface, it’s all singalong melodies and easy charm, but beneath that sits a tongue-in-cheek critique of ‘yes-man’ culture and blind loyalty. As frontman Simon Hart explains, the track playfully examines how power can become dangerous when no one is willing to question it — a theme wrapped in warmth, humour and instantly catchy songwriting.
Formerly performing as Ellie Oak, the band regrouped in 2025 with a new name and fresh direction, teaming up with acclaimed producer Tom Healey (Tiny Ruins, Marlon Williams, Nadia Reid). Made up of self-described “jazz school survivors”, Play For Keeps have already built momentum on the Canterbury live circuit, appearing at major festivals including Go Live and Nostalgia. With Handsome Boy, they signal the start of a confident new era: thoughtful indie music that balances heart, melody and a knowing wink.
Fables — Eyes Closed
Tāmaki Makaurau singer-songwriter Fables (Jess Bailey) continues the rollout of her forthcoming debut album Change is a Slow-Moving Beast with the release of Eyes Closed, a delicate indie-folk meditation arriving just ahead of Valentine’s Day. Following the momentum of previous single Enough, which climbed the 95bFM Top Ten and landed on the Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles chart while earning praise from outlets across Aotearoa and Australia, Eyes Closed deepens Bailey’s exploration of love’s quieter reckonings. Recorded alongside Cass Basil, Dave Khan, Arahi and Dan Luscombe, the track drifts at an unhurried pace, building from hushed verses into a swelling wash of synthesisers before retreating to a sparse acoustic coda — a gentle exterior carrying darker emotional undercurrents.
Written about the uneasy space between expectation and reality, Eyes Closed captures the slow realisation that something isn’t as it seems. Bailey describes it as confronting the gap between the partnership you imagined and the one you’re actually in — the temptation to stay, to not look too closely, to love “with my eyes closed” if it means preserving fleeting moments of bliss. Produced by Bailey alongside Dave Khan, Reb Fountain and Dan Luscombe, and brought to life visually in an NZ On Air-supported video directed by Finn Johansson, the release pairs its introspective core with stylised imagery shot between Paradise Ice Skating and Coco’s Cantina. With a North Island tour on the horizon, Eyes Closed signals another assured step towards an album shaped by emotional clarity and slow-burning transformation.
