Stay up to date with New Zealand music releases with Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s weekly roundup.
Check out the best new music from Aotearoa acts released between November 24th-30th below!
Coterie – “Pretty Gyal”
Coterie are kicking off the warm weather with a new summer anthem, “Pretty Gyal”, providing a fresh preview of what’s on the horizon for 2026. The song leans into a reggae-laced hook that captures the brothers’ lifelong connection to the coast. A charismatic visualiser arrives alongside it, showing off the band’s infectious personalities as the summer heats up.
Drax Project – “Summer Rain”
The first new Drax Project single since 2023, “Summer Rain” takes the four-piece in a new direction. Its simple melody is rooted in sentimentality, heartache, and accepting your fate. “[This song] is about how when something good is happening in your life, you’re connected to it. It could be a person, and they come and go, but in those times they are away… it’s like an acceptance of if they go and never come back, that’s just how it happens,” bassist Sam Thomson explains.
Various Artists – Hiva Folau Vaka – Vaka Carrying Music
Featuring an incredible cast of Pasifika artists and music producers, Hiva Folau Vaka – Vaka Carrying Music is a 22-track compilation album celebrating the languages of the Pacific. A powerful initiative aimed at nurturing the creation of new songs, it features well-known, celebrated artists including Maisey Rika and Tipene, as well as exciting emerging acts like Fredwyn, Eseta, Vitinia, Kitoria, Nayeza, Vox Dawn, and Jere Snohh.
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1 Drop Nation – The Way We Love
1 Drop Nation has been teasing fans with tracks from the record over the past 12 months, including the radio hit “Proud”, the funk-filled “Supernova” (ft. Laughton Kora), the stirring title track “The Way We Love”, and the addictive and feel good “Nothings Wrong”. “This album is special to us. It’s our third record, but we really feel that this one is the strongest reflection of us as a band – from the stories to the feel of the music, it sums us up as six individuals coming together as one whanau,” says frontman Kanei Johnson.
La Coco – Echoes & Embers
The second EP from La Coco, Echoes & Embers is steeped in mid-tempo R&B and neo-soul influences. Layered with vivid imagery, it allows the listener to see and feel the story unfold, showcasing a songwriter and storyteller of wisdom and depth. The six-track EP includes the already released singles “Linger” and “Rhythms”, as well as the new single “Moving Shadows”.
Katchafire – “Giddy Up (Revival 2.0)”
“Giddy Up” was the band’s first ever single, released back in 2002, and is the latest track to receive a remix and remastered treatment for Katchafire’s upcoming album Revival 2.0, due for release on January 9th. A quintessential part of the band’s identity, featuring a memorable saxophone solo, the original release of was certified Platinum after 17 weeks in the charts.
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