Listen to Greatsouth's New Album 'Hellhole Of The Pacific'

Achieving significant visibility on TikTok with his soaring waiata 'It's getting hotti', Greatsouth aka Papakura songwriter Payton Taplin (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa) shares his own politically engaged vision of indigenous alt-rock / post-punk on Hellhole of the Pacific. Conversational reflections on the nature of time and the kaupapa of the project as a whole provide a prelude for Hellhole of the Pacific to take flight. The album weaves elements of taonga pūoro, field recordings and deeply reverberant studio wizardry into Greatsouth's radiant strum and historically grounded lyricism, sung in te reo Māori and English — demanding listeners ask how far Aotearoa has really come as a nation in 2026, closing with a hypnagogic spin on 'God Defend New Zealand'.

Instantly selling out the initial vinyl LP pressing (join the waitlist for the repress HERE), Greatsouth will celebrating the achievement of his self-produced third long player at Going Global festival this week, before the artist jets abroad for Bigsound in Brisbane. APRA Silver Scroll Award | Kaitito Kaiaka Top 20 finalist for the title track, listen to Hellhole Of The Pacific below, and check out the full all-star lineup performing alongside Greatsouth this week...

2026 GOING GLOBAL FESTIVAL - SHOWCASING ARTISTS
Thursday 27th August & Friday 28th August
Whammy and Double Whammy, Auckland (three stages)
Doors open 6:30pm doors / End time 11:30pm approx

Ardon England – electronic, hyperpop (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Awning – alt rock (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
CAITLIN – alternative pop (Ōtautahi / Christchurch)
Dropper – alt rock (Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington)
Frank On Tap – alt rock (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Greatsouth – Māori indie rock, Polynesian post-punk (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Guardian Singles – post-punk (Te Tai Tokerau / Northland)
Half/Angel – alt rock, noise rock (Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington)
Hun Lynch – avant-Pop, neo-soul, noir (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Keith Pereira – country pop (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
LEAO – niu wave, Pacific Psychedelia, post-punk (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Louis Baker – soul, neo-soul, R&B (Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington)
Mainard Larkin – alt-country (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Mokomokai – hip hop (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Paige – pop, singer-songwriter, soul (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Pearly* – indie Rock, alternative rock, noise rock (Ōtepoti/Dunedin)
Powder Chutes – alternative rock, grunge, hard rock (Wānaka)
Ray Leslie – alternative hip-hop, jazz-house, neo-soul (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
SKILAA – psychedelic R&B, hip hop (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
SOLA ROSA – electronic (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Tusekah – alt R&B, neo-soul, pop (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Tyran – R&B, soul (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)
Where's Jai – pop, rock electropop (Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland)

Early bird tickets and two night passes available HERE via UTR