Best New Zealand Music of the Week: December 8th-14th

Stay up to date with New Zealand music releases with Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s weekly roundup.

Diggy Dupé (ft. choicevaughan) – Brown Velvet

Brown Velvet finds Diggy Dupé reuniting with acclaimed Aotearoa producer choicevaughan, following their collaborative history on 2021’s The Panthers. The new EP transports listeners to the carefree scenes and mellow sounds of a Central Auckland summer, with Diggy’s smooth bars set against choicevaughan’s nostalgic tapestry of disco, funk, soul, and R&B rhythms. 

Fables – “Enough”

The second single from Fables’ (aka Jess Bailey) forthcoming debut album Change is a Slow-Moving Beast (due out 2026), “Enough” trades in beginnings, endings and the question of whether everything you once shared with someone else was ultimately as ephemeral as light shining through dust. It is equally steeped in the closely-sung conventions of intimate, bedsit-folk and the rural, range-roving melodies of alt-country.

Yumi Zouma – “95”

The final taste of their upcoming album No Love Lost to Kindness (due out January 30th), Yumi Zouma’s “95” calls back to their lush, dream pop roots. Of the track, they share: “Ultimately, ‘95’ explores the delicate space between ambition and reality. It captures the moment when you wonder if the chase is still worth it or if it’s time to simply go home.”

Six60 – “We Made It”

Their first solo single of the year, Six60’s “We Made It” features the Kiwi band’s signature brand of pop-meets-reggae, ideally released just in time for summer. It celebrates gratitude, growth, and taking a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come. As the year wraps and a new one begins, this song delivers the uplifting message listeners are looking for.

LEISURE – “Let It All Out”

LEISURE are closing out the year with a new slice of music, “Let It All Out”, following a European and North American tour in support of their September album Welcome to the Mood. With a focus on vocal melody and spacious sonic textures, the song lifts into a feeling of intrigue before it hits an ultimate energy release for a hugely celebratory and freeing chorus. The band shares: “The core lyrical message is one of unwavering support for someone you love and the journey you take together, but also acknowledging and celebrating that connection before it’s too late.”

MACEY – “Seaside Wishes”

Written in the first few days of his move to London, MACEY’s “Seaside Wishes” was inspired by a fleeting moment on a late-night tube ride: an elderly man stands, despite a bad back, as the woman he’s travelling with steps off at her stop. That small, tender gesture sparked MACEY’s imagination, giving birth to a song that explores love that lasts a lifetime – the kind of connection that feels both old-fashioned and timeless.

Martin Sagadin – Martin iz Zgornje Bele 

Sung in their native Slovenian language and arranged with fan organ, guitar, mandolin, recorders, and a small orchestra of instruments, Martin Sagadin’s debut album marks an extension of the well-known New Zealand filmmaker and music video director’s artistry. On it, Sagadin is joined by some of Aotearoa’s most loved musicians: Liz Stokes (The Beths) on flugelhorn, Ben Lemi (Trinity Roots, Bret McKenzie) and Xanthe Rook (Recitals) on the clarinet, and Charlotte Forrester (Womb) on cello.

Fazed on a Pony – “Wrong Party”

“Wrong Party” is the latest single off the forthcoming second full-length album from Peter McCall’s alt country/indie rock recording project Fazed on a Pony, swan (due out January 23rd). He shares: “Much of the imagery and feeling of ‘swan’ is a clash of the natural and synthetic. Wrong Party more than any other track seems to hold this juxtaposition. It’s a country song with a drum machine. It has raucous guitars next to synthesisers, other guitars that sound like synthesizers, ethereal midi-voices underneath my pitchy vocals. It’s pop but at times the lyrics are nearly buried under layers of noise. It’s the last one I wrote for the album.”

GIBSON XCVIII – “Feeling Lucky”

“Feeling Lucky” came to life when GIBSON XCVIII’s Dean Gibson and Mark Holwood found themselves filled with a feeling of being at the right place at the right time, lyrics reflecting that exact moment when life felt fully complete. Gibson shares: “The making of ‘Feeling Lucky’ from start to finish has been nothing but absolute fun. I’ve never had so much fun making a track in the past. This is the first song we’ve released that I’m actually playing the drums on which is a nice touch – I really hope people can feel it.”