2021 was an interesting time. The world was still really trying to work out how the spicy flu would impact our day to day, and it was harder than ever as a live musician.
But during it all, 5 blokes studying in Dunedin decide to form a band. They played anywhere they can manage, they sold out shows, and in 2023, The Beatniks released their first single - Wake Up Jane.
In their press release, the band cite bands like The Clean, Verlaines, and many Flying Nun artists. When listening for the first time, it gave me a very Th' Dudes vibe. It has great energy, and when it hits you, you are drawn in, and kept very happy.
The mixing is tight, and it achieves what I feel some tracks can fail to capture properly, which is the absolute energy put out by Sam Charlesworth, Oliver Charlesworth, Logan Edwards, Alex Kendall, and Seth Sinclair. This release has me wanting more, and sure that it is only going to get better from here, which is saying something.
Wake Up Jane is a great song, and does leave me wanting to hear more. The Beatniks are one to watch for sure, and you can do so at their Facebook HERE.
The Beatniks consist of 5 Dunedin based, who can’t seem to be pinned down to a singular genre due to their ability to go from an intimate eye to eye connection to an explosive wall of noise and energy that demands interaction. Combining a punk rock energy with lyricism that will stop you in your tracks. Sam (AK), Ollie (AK), Logan (CHCH), Kendall (WLG) and Seth all met in 2021 during their early days of University, and decided after a chat about the state of the music scene in Dunedin and New Zealand to bring the band The Beatniks to fruition.