If you weren’t already cancelling all your plans for March, Banished Music and Strange News have just gone and added a whole lot more musical mashed potato to your plate with the extraordinary full line-up for Strange Universe: Autumn edition revealed at last!
That’s right, this phenomenal series of shows in your favourite venues across Tāmaki Makaurau just added 200% more phenom! We’ve gone and added three whole new shows into the mix for your troubles, and announced a bunch of pretty incredible support acts!
One of the UK’s most sought after acts, and an NTS Radio regular, Nabihah Iqbal is coming on back to our shores to throw down a late night DJ set to remember at Neck of the Woods! Opening up the night will be the formidable Tāmaki Makaurau-based Iraqi artist and producer Mariam (Hafleh, Sonic Hapori), spinning for all your Maqams and Mawaals, dancehall, dub, and Raï needs!
Making her Aotearoa debut, it’s the soulfully sublime Los Angeles folk artist Annahstasia, praised by The Guardian for her “superbly written, remarkably moving songs, delivered by a singer who knows exactly how to use her vocals to cut the listener deep”. Joining Annahstasia at Pitt Street Methodist Church is local alternative folk favourite Na’amah Cheiban, whose songs resonate with frank vulnerability and aching sincerity.
Finally, we are unbelievably honoured to announce the long-awaited return of American folk hero Jolie Holland, back at last to perform at Pitt Street Methodist Church as a very special intimate duo. Jolie’s connection with Aotearoa runs deep, recording a recent collaboration with Theia, and a long-standing friendship and collaboration with our old friend Steve Abel. Speak of the devil, we’ve managed to lure Steve away from the Beehive for one night only, set to perform his first solo show in longer than we care to imagine.
But wait… that’s not all!
Norwegian duo of the moment Smerz have invited the one-and-only Erny Belle to join the bill at Double Whammy for one of her only shows of the season! Smerz are absolutely dominating the world circuit at the moment, and this new addition makes the show truly unmissable.
Flying Nun favourite The Bats are celebrating their 2025 already-classic album Corner Coming Up, inviting the wonderful HalfSisteR to open for them at the iconic Hollywood Avondale! HalfSisteR are newly minted, and feature members of Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, Superette, Drorgan, and more!
Set to join American psych lord Ty Segall and his scorching band on his grand return are none other than Japan’s most dangerous band, Guitar Wolf! The Powerstation is set to have its foundations put to the test once and for all with this rock’n’roll collision for the ages!
Anatolian psych-folk sensation Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek will transform Double Whammy into something truly magical, now with added sorcery thanks to an all-star live incarnation of Noa Records mainstays WAIWHAI.!
Eternally excellent Swedish noise makers Les Big Byrd will be joined by the fiercest trio in the land right now, Sulfate! Reunited, reinvented, and fully reinvigorated, you won’t experience a deeper head trip than a Sulfate show any time soon, and we’re stoked to have them on the bill.
“Woah, turns out we’re even more crazy than we were when we thought we were crazy before!”
- Reuben Bonner, CEO of Banished Music
Yes, it’s time to ramp things up and really get the party started with this wild line-up of good times. March will never be the same again… And you better believe we are planning Strange Universe WINTER Edition already…