I discovered Raye’s record This Music May Contain Hope through a Rolling Stone article about her and two other pop stars. And through the writing of the reporter and the way they described her record I decided to go to YouTube and listen to her record and I loved Life Boat and the one before it on the record, I Know You’re Hurting, and have had it on repeat for the last two days. I love her refreshing take on meshing together RnB melodies and lyrical content with big band, jazz and other genre like EDM for pop release. I love songs that speak of hope and express the vulnerability of life but leave you with a sense that you can get through. Some of our greatest pop songs give us this sense, they’re my favourite. I love listening to it on my own speaker aloud when walking at night, or in my headphones at the gym.
Nick Robinson, Shapeshifter
Shapeshifter.
Black Sea Golden Ladder, Troy Kingi (Album)
Black Sea Golden Ladder is an album that’s a few years on now but remains timeless in my vinyl collection. I was keeping an eye on Troy’s task of 10 albums in 10 years and then I heard he was teaming up with Delaney Davidson, I was even more intrigued. I’m a Delaney fan and a Troy fan and the combination of the two seemed quite unlikely. The songwriting is so entertaining, sometimes dark and brooding, euphoric and dreamlike. Catchy earworms reminiscent of decades past before the days of unhuman-like plastic perfection music production.
These guys are humans with emotions and you can feel it. The silky voice of Troy sits so beautifully over Delaney’s more gravelly tone. The lyrics tell stories, and you can extract your own narrative painting colourful textures and for me, sparking feelings of nostalgia. This must be listened to on vinyl as there are two tracks on record that aren’t on Spotify.
Listen to it on a sunny Sunday afternoon while lying on the couch with the sun beaming in.
Boh Runga
Boh Runga.
A Spot for Zuky, Summer Rose
Troy [McKubre] and I had the pleasure of producing A Spot for Zuky for the very talented Summer Rose, who recorded her song at our studio Old North Studios last year as part of her prize in a Play It Strange songwriting competition. The haunting melody, poetic lyrics and the charming lilt in Summer’s voice made a song we were looking forward to recording. The song is about her boyfriend’s beloved dog, lost in a forest. After weeks of searching, they thought her gone forever. Understandably, everyone was upset and the song is about that loss and longing. This is a love song, but not your run-of-the-mill “hearts and flowers” kind. What makes the song even better, is that Zuky came back.
Gin Wigmore
Gin Wigmore. Photo / Supplied
Beat Your Heart Out, The Distillers
I have been jamming Beat Your Heart Out by The Distillers on repeat for about the last two months. I love this song because it meets my chaotic mood, which is 80% of my life! The remaining 20% of my mood can get a little internal thought downward spiral … and this song also has the ability to pull me out of the dark and back into the light again. The way Brody Dalle’s voice just shreds through this track, effortlessly, boldly and unapologetically is something I most definitely always look up to vocally. The drums are upfront, which is always a big love of mine on any song. It’s balanced, powerful and stylistically cool as hell.
Foley
Foley. Photo / Frances Carter
Bron, Melodownz
Have been loving Bron by Melodownz. We have been following him for a long time, and we’re really excited for him to return to his roots a little with this new music. It’s a beautiful, collaborative record and it really showcases what makes Aotearoa hip-hop so beautiful: bringing people together, real connection, real Aotearoa stories. There’s so much emotion and depth to the tracks, and they really capture the culture like nothing we’ve heard recently. We love listening to this when we’re driving, especially on tour! It’s a perfect road trip record too.
Nick Goodwin, Wet Denim
Wet Denim.
Javelin by Kevin Morby
Javelin by Kevin Morby was a recommendation from my friend Ryan. It’s one of those songs that instantly felt nostalgic – almost like I had grown up listening to it, even though it came out this year. There’s something about the post-chorus instrumental melody that really hits home, I can’t put my finger on why! When I feel like romanticising the past, this is the track I put on.
Hollie Smith
Gutta Child, Gabriel Jacoby (Album)
I’m in album recording mode at the moment; digging deep on the production with a bunch of stuff, so my listening has been very eclectic and broad! An album on repeat has been Gabriel Jacoby’s album Gutta Child. My co-producer sent the title track as a reference for something, but all of it is pretty good. I love the smash of different production styles, and the mix of modern and time-honoured musical styles as well. I’ve generally been listening to music at the gym or exercising, at the moment. Audio books and podcasts are for the car!
Theia
Theia. Photo / Chris Cuffaro
I’m Home, Te Wehi (Album)
I have been a big fan of Te Wehi for a while now. I think I first discovered him on Instagram a few years ago. Back then he was just starting out and I loved his vibe and all the visuals of his haukāinga. Since then, he’s blown up to be one of the biggest artists in the country, which is so exciting. His album I’m Home came out a few weeks ago and I’ve been blasting it in the car. It’s feel-good and makes me miss home when I’m overseas.
JP
JP (John-Paul Foliaki).
Feels Like Magic, Sweet & Irie and Horsemen Family
I think I first heard Feels Like Magic when one of the boys were playing it off their Motorola phone in the 2010s. Peak Bebo era. I love how it has the perfect balance of that feeling Pasifika music gives you with hip hop and RnB harmonies. I’ve been listening to it anywhere and everywhere but especially driving around South Auckland. It’s so nostalgic. Either that or when having a few with my friends and family. If this song plays, the vibes are on.
Greta van den Brink
The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room, Flight of the Conchords
While we were making my album, my producer showed The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room by Flight of the Conchords to me, music video and all. It did not add anything to the album but I enjoyed it a lot. It’s a vibe, I feel like I’m floating down a lazy river when I listen to it. I prefer to listen to it in the kitchen while making dinner but it is also to be supplemented with Too Many Dicks if I need a proper dance to shake the day away.
Coterie
Coterie.
Love Your Ways, Salmonella Dub
One NZ track we still slam is Love Your Ways by Salmonella Dub. That tune just feels like smoked-out summer in Aotearoa – windows down, cruising home late after a show somewhere by the coast. We grew up around that era of NZ music and Salmonella Dub always had this rawness to them that felt different to everyone else. Dubby, gritty, heavy low-end, but still soulful. It never sounded polished in a fake way – it sounded lived in. We still throw it on driving round the coast, late nights with the boys, or when everyone’s posted up winding down. Timeless NZ music with real flavour and attitude.
Joel Little
Joel Little.
Hellhole of the Pacific, Greatsouth
The first time I heard Greatsouth was when he played a show at our venue, Big Fan, in Auckland, and I was completely blown away. He makes incredible Māori indie rock music and is an amazing storyteller. His songs feel unique, honest, and genuine, and he has a real gift for weaving te reo and English together into melodies that feel effortless and cool, while still carrying a huge amount of weight. The new single, Hellhole of the Pacific, is awesome, but I’d highly recommend diving into the rest of his music too.
Cassie Henderson
Cassie Henderson.
The Great Divide, Noah Kahan (Album) & Ray of Light, Madonna
I’m just a huge fan of Noah, I think I listened to the album times on the day it came out. I think it’s one of those albums where you feel like someone has been spying on you, taking notes of all the things you go through and feel. I suppose I love that I feel seen and not alone in those experiences. It’s best listened to somewhere with wide open spaces, out on a walk or driving; somewhere you can see the horizon.
Meanwhile, Ray of Light is the ultimate strutting down the street song. I could kick a door down when I listen to that! I love listening to it when ’m exercising and need a hit of energy.
Triggar Happy
Triggar Happy. Photo / Dean Purcell
Funeral, Teddy Swims
I came across Teddy Swims on the radio and just instantly connected with it – once I heard him properly, I was hooked. His whole album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy has basically been on repeat, especially his song Funeral. I really resonate with his vocal talent, the feel of the way he sings, the execution of the words, the emotion in it. It just hits me. And because my voice has a similar texture, I find a lot of comfort listening to his songs. Funeral in particular has really stuck with me because the words are so meaningful. It’s about living and dying, and you can hear the passion in everything he does. It’s the kind of music I can throw on and instantly feel grounded. It’s been one of those albums that just stays in rotation.
Rikki Reid
The Clearing, Wolf Alice (Album)
My brother became obsessed with Wolf Alice in 2025 and put me onto them, then I saw them live at Laneway Festival in February and that was it. Pure admiration and already my favourite band of 2026. I really love that there are so many different colours across the whole album – there are so many surprises and interesting decisions within the melodies and chords. This album also has a very strong visual creative direction which I love too. I loved listening to the whole album in the summer on our road trips. Also in the morning on a walk if the day is glistening.