New Music 24/04
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Suzy Cato — You and Me
Suzy Cato returns with a release that taps directly into one of Aotearoa’s most enduring cultural touchstones, bringing the iconic You and Me theme song to streaming platforms for the first time. As the face of the beloved children’s series since its debut in 1993, Cato has long been a cornerstone of Kiwi childhoods, with You and Me spanning over 2,000 episodes and helping introduce Te Reo Māori into everyday conversation for young audiences. Decades on, that legacy continues to resonate, now reaching a new generation of listeners and families.
The arrival of the You and Me theme marks the beginning of a wider rollout tied to the show’s long-awaited return, with a new season set to launch via YouTube and each episode paired with its own song release. Blending music, storytelling, movement, and Te Reo Māori, the series maintains its original spirit while adapting to how tamariki engage with content today. With more songs to follow, including It’s Our Time, this new chapter extends beyond the screen, inviting both longtime fans and first-time viewers to reconnect with a piece of Aotearoa’s cultural fabric.
Katie-Lee — I wish
Katie-Lee Webster is a Tāmaki Makaurau-based musician stepping out with their debut single I wish, a track that explores the complicated push and pull of a friendship that never quite feels right. Blending upbeat production with catchy melodies and quietly cutting lyrics, I wish captures that tension between connection and doubt, delivering something that feels light on the surface but hits with unexpected emotional weight underneath.
TullMaister — Golden Leaves
Tāmaki Makaurau based house artist TullMaister (Tully James Young) returns with another release, yet another step in his journey of consistently refining his craft and fast becoming a name to watch in the trance house scene.
The Sour — Hex
The Sour are fast emerging as one of Tāmaki Makaurau’s most exciting heavy acts, a wāhine quartet bonded by a shared love of grunge, punk, and all things loud. Their debut single Your God & Mine made an immediate impact, landing at #1 on the 95bFM Top 10 and signalling a strong arrival from a group backed by years of experience across Aotearoa’s underground scene. That momentum continues to build as they prepare to release their debut EP Daughters, a project rooted in heavy riffs, gritty hooks, and a strong sense of identity and connection.
Their latest single Hex leans fully into that energy, delivering a grungy, defiant anthem centred on revenge and pushing back against being underestimated. It is raw, punchy, and built for repeat listens, capturing the band’s unapologetic attitude while hinting at the wider themes of Daughters. With release shows lined up across Tāmaki Makaurau and Pōneke, The Sour are not just introducing a new record, but staking their claim as a powerful force in Aotearoa’s alternative scene.
Will McLean, Young Gho$t — No Giving Up
Will McLean continues to build his reputation as one of Pōneke’s most compelling hip-hop voices, known for introspective lyricism, understated confidence, and a sound grounded in jazz-rap, boom-bap, and soul. Following the release of his debut album DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE and the collaborative EP HIGH GROUND with T BOOGIE, he now links up with Wellington-via-London rapper Young Gho$t for No Giving Up, a track that reflects both artists’ focus on patience, purpose, and trusting the process. Backed by warm instrumentation, fluid basslines, and a strong live energy shaped through performances at festivals like Rhythm and Vines and CubaDupa, the release signals the next step toward a full collaborative project, positioning the pair firmly within Aotearoa’s evolving hip-hop landscape.
ORPHEU5 — Amends
ORPHEU5 (Dragon Winikoff) continues to build momentum out of Ōtepoti’s local scene with Amends, a darker, more introspective turn in his EDM and rock fusion. Having spent the past two years carving out his sound, this latest release leans into a looming, almost meditative atmosphere, gradually building tension before unfolding into its inevitable drop. It marks a step deeper into his evolving sonic identity, balancing weight and restraint while hinting at where the project is heading next.
Ali Whitton — Between the Forest and the Stars (ALBUM)
Ali Whitton arrives with a debut shaped by distance, memory, and a life lived between hemispheres. Born in Aotearoa and raised in rural North Yorkshire, his early songwriting was inspired by his father’s poetry before leading into bands in Leeds and solo work in London. After relocating back to New Zealand, Whitton stepped away from music for a time, only to return with a more reflective, folk-leaning sound. A reconnection with Ed Sheeran encouraged him to write consistently, forming the foundation of his debut album Between the Forest and the Stars.
Produced by Dave Khan with support from Reb Fountain and a wider studio collective, Between the Forest and the Stars is warm, textured, and emotionally grounded. The album moves between landscapes and inner worlds, exploring themes of love, loss, and belonging, while reflecting Whitton’s journey across countries and identities. Now based near the Pauatahanui Inlet, the release feels both like a culmination of years of quiet development and the start of a new chapter.
Emma Kate — Autumn (EP)
Emma Kate is continuing her steady rise in Aotearoa’s pop scene, building on recent festival appearances at Gardens Magic and CubaDupa, along with the success of her single Autumn. Now signed as a songwriter with Wilfred Records and fresh off supporting Jenni Smith, the Pōneke artist is stepping into a defining moment with her debut EP Autumn. Written entirely by Emma and largely self-produced, the project also sees contributions from collaborators Adam Cameron and Flynn Adamson, adding depth to her already personal approach.
At its core, Autumn is a deeply reflective body of work, moving through themes of love, loss, and loneliness with a balance of pop anthems and stripped-back ballads. Guided by acoustic guitar and shaped by real-life experiences, the EP captures the emotional highs and lows of early adulthood, from falling in love to heartbreak, grief, and change. With a headline tour set to follow, Autumn not only introduces Emma Kate’s world in full, but marks the beginning of her next chapter as an artist.
Office Dog — Gold Things
Office Dog return with new music that continues to refine their place in Aotearoa’s indie landscape, following a steady run from their debut album Spiel through to 2024’s Doggerland EP. Formed by Kane Strang alongside Rassani Tolovaa and Mitchell Innes, the project has grown into a collaborative outlet known for jangly guitars, understated charm, and reflective songwriting. That evolution now leads into their second album Prime Corner, a record shaped by instinctive writing sessions and a more expansive approach to sound.
The latest single Gold Things sits at the centre of that shift, acting as the first song written for the album and setting its overall tone. Built around themes of reaching long-held goals and navigating the feeling of arrival, the track captures both momentum and reflection, tying into the record’s wider exploration of instability and home. Recorded quickly and organically, Prime Corner moves between the band’s heaviest and softest moments yet, with Gold Things offering a clear entry point into this next chapter.
Hina — South Pacific Sun
HINA continues to emerge as one of Tāmaki Makaurau’s most compelling new voices, steadily shaping a genre-fluid sound that blends indie-rock, alt-country, and pop sensibilities. After years developing her craft across the local scene, she now moves toward her debut album Descending Dreams, a project born from personal upheaval and grounded in emotional honesty. Her songwriting carries a quiet strength, balancing intimacy with wider, shared experiences, and positioning her as an artist unafraid to sit in complexity.
Her latest single South Pacific Sun offers a luminous entry point into that world, pairing tender strings with velvety vocals and meditative lyricism. Built from deeply personal reflections, the track explores themes of balance, safety, and emotional displacement, holding both fragility and hope in equal measure. With its warm, distinctly Aotearoa tone and grounding in place and memory, South Pacific Sun not only signals the depth of Descending Dreams, but hints at an artist fully coming into her own.
Greta van den Brink — Levi Jeans
Greta van den Brink continues to carve out her space in Aotearoa’s indie-pop scene with Levi Jeans, the latest release from her upcoming debut album This Wasn’t Planned. A genre-blurring creative with a background spanning film, stunt work, and performance, Greta first gained attention with Road to Hell, before steadily building momentum through a run of singles including Chill Cool Girl, GIMBGTBLBM, Mr Ego, Alpine State of Mind, and Bodies. Each release has sharpened her identity as a songwriter, balancing direct storytelling with a strong visual and emotional sensibility.
With Levi Jeans, she leans into a smoky, cinematic sound, exploring themes of obsession, devotion, and blurred reverence. Built on hazy textures and intimate vocals, the track captures the tension between attraction and uncertainty, where admiration and doubt sit side by side. It feels both grounded and dreamlike, pulling listeners into a space shaped by raw emotion and flickering intimacy, while continuing to build anticipation for her debut album.
Hominid — Sun Spots
Te Whanganui a Tara artist Hominid returns with Sun Spots, a vibrant new single that continues to shape his evolving electronic sound. The project of composer and sound designer Benny Jennings, Hominid draws from UK IDM, electronica, and club music, blending textured layers, field recordings, and driving rhythms into something that sits between headphone listening and the dancefloor. Following earlier releases including Introvert//Extrovert and singles like You Are Not A Wall Flower and Cyclic, this latest track marks the beginning of a new chapter.
Built around playful energy and sun-soaked escapism, Sun Spots contrasts its origins, written during a bleak Wellington winter while Jennings was stuck inside with the flu. Influences from Four Tet sit alongside unexpected touches, from psych-leaning textures to a full drum solo that gives the track a loose, expressive feel. It leads into the upcoming EP PLAY FIGHTING, a project that leans further into the push and pull between heavier club sounds and the delicate, melodic elements that define Hominid's work.
Antoine Audonnet — LIVING THE DREAM
Antoine Audonnet introduces a thoughtful new voice with Living the Dream, a reflective release that captures the uncertainty of growing up and questioning what that phrase really means. Still in the early stages of his career, Audonnet leans into honest, introspective songwriting, offering a perspective that feels both personal and widely relatable as he begins to carve out his place as an artist.
With Living the Dream, he pairs that lyrical focus with a cinematic, Old Hollywood-inspired sound, built on warm, spacious production and a slightly melancholic tone. The track sits in the in-between, exploring identity, expectation, and the quiet realisation that not having everything figured out is part of the process. Rather than chasing big, dramatic moments, it settles into something more understated, framing youth as an ongoing journey of becoming.
Deva Mahal — Someone's Daughter
Deva Mahal continues to showcase her commanding presence as one of Aotearoa’s most powerful vocalists, following the release of her EP FUTURE CLASSIC VOL II: FUTURE. With a career that has seen her collaborate with globally renowned artists and perform on some of the world’s biggest stages, her work consistently blends soul, blues, and deeply emotive songwriting. That foundation carries through this latest chapter, with a run of singles that highlight both her vocal range and her ability to connect on a human level.
Her new single Someone’s Daughter stands as one of her most confronting and emotionally charged releases to date, driven by themes of injustice, grief, and humanity. Inspired by the murder of Breonna Taylor and the wider realities faced by Black women, the track moves between fiery intensity and delicate vulnerability, demanding to be felt as much as heard. As she wraps up her current tour, Someone’s Daughter not only closes out the EP’s rollout, but reinforces Deva Mahal’s role as an artist unafraid to speak with both power and purpose.
