Bio

With dark voices, neon beats, and ghostly electronics that evoke the apocalyptic modernism of a 1980s Blade Runner, it may come as a surprise to learn that Black City Lights hail from the quiet bay city of Wellington, New Zealand.

With traces of Austra, Zola Jesus, and The XX, their progressive and cinematic sound has already captured international attention in little over a year. Comprised of wunderkind producer Calum Robb and power-house vocalist Julia Catherine Parr, Black City Lights create soaring and spacious soundtracks to midnight drives, back-alley cigarettes, and regretful yeses.

Robb spent 2010 lurking in the background of the Wellington music scene, inspired by the bedroom-studio ethos of inexpensive hardware and audio software like Ableton Live. With no musical experience beyond a few years of piano, Robb began picking up production tips from the likes of Daniel Johnston (Red Steers), and was soon writing music late in 2010. Through mutual friends, Robb met Parr, a trained vocalist who was studying music at Victoria University. What started off as a one-track experiment (Collapsing Horizon) soon turned into a permanent partnership, with Robb’s expansive, frosty landscapes shimmering beautifully with Parr’s bold and soulful voice.

In March of 2012, Black City Lights released their debut EP Parallels via Brooklyn imprint Stars & Letters. Local and international accolades quickly followed, including copious blog coverage, high-profile support slots, and two prestigious New Zealand On Air grants to fund their videos. Having polished their live set by supporting the likes of Grimes, Baths, and Daedalus, Black City Lights toured the USA for three months in support of their 2013 debut album Another Life, and have just returned from a UK & EU tour, including multiple appearances at The Great Escape Festival and five shows in support of their compatriots The Naked and Famous.

Band Members:
Calum Robb
Julia Catherine Parr
Caleb Clayton

Links

• Facebook Page
• Twitter Page
• Bandcamp Page