22 November 2024 - 0 Comments

Aotearoa trio Soft Plastics firm up their reputation as ‘ones to watch’ on the indie-rock scene with the release of their brand new single, Drown! - an antidote to life’s hustle and bustle.

Listen to Drown! HERE

Soft Plastics - Sophie Scott-Maunder (bass, vocals); Jonathan Shirley (guitar) and Laura Robinson (drums) - draw from a rich array of longstanding guitar music traditions - shoegaze, breezy garage punk and jangle-pop and Drown! is no exception.

Drown! masterfully captures the existential dread of being a 20-something adult going through life's ups and downs.

”It’s that feeling of sinking into life's monotony, weighed down by dissatisfaction and a growing sense of aimlessness. It's about the fear of taking the leap to reignite a spark, even when the desire for change becomes overwhelming,” says the band, which was nominated earlier this year for ‘Best Independent Debut’ at the prestigious Taite Prize with their critically acclaimed 2023 album Saturn Return.

Soft Plastics have now returned firing on all cylinders with Drown! - their first release of the year, which was recorded at the famed Surgery Studio in Wellington with producer/engineer James Goldsmith.

The song is accompanied by a music video, directed by the band’s drummer Laura, alongside DOP Bill Bycroft and producer Kate Goodwin.

Watch the video HERE

Shot in one of Wellington’s most recognisable landmarks, St Gerard’s Monastery, the video channels the unkept mansion vibe of the iconic documentary Grey Gardens.

“I wanted the location to feel like we were partying somewhere in Italy. I’m also attracted to period pieces where the architecture isn’t directly from that era. We worked with an art department team to create a ‘spaghetti-sleaze’ makeover,” explains Laura.

The video kicks off with lead singer Sophie waking up hungover on the altar. The camera follows her, while the events of the night before play out. “It splits between evocative super 8mm party shots, blue velvet torch singing and questionable corpse revivers,” adds Laura.

Since forming in Te Whanganui a Tara in 2020, Soft Plastics have recorded and released a series of well-received singles, a self-titled EP and their acclaimed debut album, Saturn Return. Along the way, they’ve performed at dive bars and venues around the county, shared showbills with New Zealand music legends like Silicon, Wax Chattels, King Sweeties, Fur Patrol and The Beths.

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