Phoebe Rings

Rising New Zealand band, Phoebe Rings share “Fading Star,” the charming new single from their forthcoming debut album, Aseurai, due June 6th on Carpark.

Of the track, drummer and producer Alex Freer says “A story song about a musician getting older, ‘Fading Star’ was built upon harmony inspired by city pop and disco jazz. I wanted the verses to have more of a Talking Heads/Orange Juice rudimentary groove while the choruses have twinkly, dreamy layers with string synth and warbly guitar. The bridge allows a moment of full disco excess with percussion, clavinet synth, and a tube screamer guitar solo.”

On Aseurai, Phoebe Rings continue to explore their disco and city-pop influences while staying true to the dream-pop sound of their self-titled EP. “Aseurai means around you in the atmosphere, hard to reach, fading away,” Choi says. “It’s a poetic expression. You wouldn’t say it in normal conversation, but I like that.”

While Phoebe Rings was originally a solo project of Choi’s, Aseurai marks a shift with contributing songwriting credits from the whole band, which includes Guitar/synthesist Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent, bassist Benjamin Locke and drummer/producer Alex Freer. The four musicians cut their teeth working on other notable NZ projects such as Princess Chelsea, Fazerdaze, Tiny Ruins, AC Freazy, Sea Views and Lucky Boy. With a more ambitious collection of instruments, Choi says this album heralds the start of true collaboration: “I feel more precious about this LP because it includes everyone’s gems.” The broth is richer with more cooks in the kitchen, and the brewing of textures creates a distinct ‘Phoebe Rings’ sound.

If the EP was spacey, then Aseurai settles on earth, rooted in tangible moments. “Without getting too gloomy, it’s a weird world out there. A lot has changed in the world since the EP came out,” says Kavanagh-Vincent on this transformation. The album delves into hope and longing across all possibilities, and this exploration of holding on and letting go is organically threaded throughout. Across ten songs, Phoebe Ring’s storytelling ranges from tongue-in-cheek musings on gentrification to tender autobiographical memories.