Release Roundup: The Fuzzy Robes, Georgia Lines, Richard Francis, EUG, Bad Schematics, Fraser Ross

It's been a zarjaz few days of international tour announcements Earthlets, partially orbiting around the thrill-powered full lineup revealed for Ōhinehou / Lyttelton's Port Noise Festival. While still a fairly quiet time for Aotearoa releases, it feels like it's all ramping up from here for 2024. Wrap your ears around Pony Baby's stunning debut album and Delaney Davidson's new collaborative single with Reb Fountain, then tuck into more fresh local highlights from The Fuzzy Robes, Georgia Lines, Richard Francis, EUG, Bad Schematics and Fraser Ross.

Emerging from the heavens is 'Invocation', a glorious psych-rock opening salvo from a whole new album by Ōtautahi's The Fuzzy Robes. The cult-like combo's debut album Night Prayers was a 2021 standout, this listener is very much looking forward to the launch of Midday Prayers on 27th March. You can preorder the vinyl LP edition via the Bandcamp link.

Georgia Lines shared soaring pop anthem 'The Letter' with deftly minimal accompanying visuals directed by Team Effort — the lead track from the 2022 AMA Breakthrough Artist of the Year award winner's forthcoming debut album. "Making this album has been such an incredible experience… pushing my creativity and musical capacity to the seams and I’m deeply proud of the body of work I’ve created. It’s pretty special finally getting to start sharing what I’ve been working on for the past two years. ‘The Letter’ was written on my first writing trip to Los Angeles at the end of 2022 and for me is one of the most special, honest and deeply personal songs I have ever written."

Performing at Audio Foundation's Festival Of Secret Sounds next week (grab passes HERE), Tāmaki Makaurau sonic practitioner Richard Francis shares three beguilingly textured drone works on his new collection Taste in Memory. "Recorded on the system, in the lounge, 2022-23, levels in Titirangi".

Te Whanganui-a-Tara noise / post-punks EUG (which may stand for Everybody Under God) unleash five stark, raw-powered anthems on their new United By Love EP.

Playing this Saturday at Napier's The Cabana (get tickets HERE), Palmerston North alt-rockers Bad Schematics sound searingly emotive on their riff-fuelled keep your gods EP. Keep your ears peeled for their debut album C O L L I D E out in mid-March.

Tourmate with Jazmine Mary (Pony Baby) around the on-again / off-again lockdown era, Ōtautahi-based songwriter Fraser Ross sounds upbeat yet reflective on ‘Cards’ — the lead track from his forthcoming new album THUNDERHEAD. “I wrote two-thirds of the song in a van driving between Murchison and Golden Bay, en route to a summer holiday. And a week later, in Golden Bay, I had the last bit. Lyrically, the song documents how I found someone new that January, but I was still too heartbroken to ‘play another hand’ when it happened.”