The Sound of Wellington Indie

“The Sound of Wellington Indie” is a curated glimpse into the diverse and often offbeat corners of Aotearoa’s capital city music scene. From the layered psych-pop textures of The Phoenix Foundation’s “Buffalo” to the gritty space-rock of Earth Tongue and the dreamy vocals of Wiri Donna, this playlist maps a wide sonic territory through Wellington’s thriving independent output. There’s room here for everything—subdued synth-driven ballads from HEAVY CHEST, throwback-inflected fuzz rock via So So Modern, and introspective folk-pop from artists like Mermaidens and French For Rabbits.

The 40+ tracks span genres and moods, capturing the layered, collaborative nature of Wellington music. There’s experimental production from Grayson Gilmour, shoegaze-tinted harmony from Recitals, and distorted, lo-fi bursts from acts like Ripship and Popstrangers. Whether the sound leans toward indie rock, electronic, folk, post-punk, or something less defined, the unifying thread is the city’s distinctly DIY energy and the sense that all of this is unfolding right now in someone’s backyard, studio, or local venue.