07 October 2022 - 0 Comments

Hard-hitting, no-bull Ōtautahi band Dolphin Friendly deliver five epic tracks of unbridled, groove-laden rock with Won’t Be Fools - their unapologetic salute to 90’s grunge anthems blended with elements of psychedelic rock, hip-hop, and reggae.

LISTEN VIA SPOTIFY HERE | PURCHASE WON’T BE FOOLS HERE

Won’t Be Fools obliterates the benchmark of contemporary rock as the band assert their fierce belief in setting their own cut-throat threshold of boldly powerful hard-rock psych-pop music.

Two singles have already been dropped off Won’t Be Fools – the unadulterated rock excess of explosive, firing-on-all-cylinders salvo Radical Desire, and the cosmic psych-rock earworm jam of Hero Skies.

Says the band:

“We are massively stoked to work collaboratively with some other amazing artists on this EP, like Connor Jaine from Mako Road who is our producer, and Kiwi rapper Lucas Fahey, AKA Big Sima, who has a feature on one of the songs. Both of these guys have brought a whole new element to the EP which has been integral to our new sound and live performance.

With Won’t Be Fools, our sound has definitely become heavier, both live and in the studio, which we don’t make any apologies for, but we’ve still made a conscious effort to maintain melody and groove. It’s been part of our journey as musicians.

We hadn’t really found a primary sound previously as we still put our feet in lots of different genres. With this EP, it really feels like we’ve found it. A lot of it has been influenced by the 90’s rock sound and grunge scene, which from a point of musicianship, production, and even performance, we just really love.”

Dolphin Friendly are a tight unit who have established themselves as a force in their own right. The towering new EP reveals a band determined to step up and deliver outright blistering performances imbued with energising, double-tracked guitar riffs, indefectible and aggressive drum grooves, and crunch-slap jazz-infused bass - all topped off by a multi-dimensional vocal display of smooth vocality, underground rap, and hard-core screaming.

Born from the post-apocalyptic earthquake ruins of Christchurch, lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Sam Mander, and drummer, Ben O’Carroll, founded the band in late 2017, quickly forming acquaintances with lead guitarist, Thomas Klever, and bassist, Thomas McHutchison. Within three short years of the band’s inception, they quickly excelled at delivering unfeigned, jaw-dropping live performances.

From there, Dolphin Friendly set the local music scene on fire with their authenticity and energy, securing slots on the major music festivals nationwide, and opening for acts like Sticky Fingers, Skeggs, L.A.B, The Black Seeds, Shapeshifter and more. As a result, Dolphin Friendly now enjoy a hard-earned reputation as one of the best emerging local rock acts.

Dolphin Friendly are also a unanimous force of a political nature, cemented together through a shared vision of a greater consciousness to empower humanity, and committed to delivering firm messages through their music.

“Lyrically, we’ve ramped it up quite a bit as well and tried to capture more of serious note on some of the local and global issues we feel passionate about making change for. Particularly so for songs like Won’t Be Fools, Radical Desire and Lifetime, where that messaged is portrayed quite strongly throughout.”

That passion extends to the band members’ shared core value of humanitarianism. Their altruistic tendencies are backed up by the band actively donating 10% of all their tour profits to disadvantaged individuals, communities, or relevant causes in need. To date, Dolphin Friendly have happily donated thousands of dollars to issues associated with chronic illness, mental health, racism, poverty, and sustainability.

To celebrate the release of Won’t Be Fools, Dolphin Friendly fans will have numerous opportunities to see the band perform live as they hit the road for a nationwide run of shows all through summer. The first phase is announced today, with more summer tour dates and festival appearances to be announced soon.

DOLPHIN FRIENDLY WON'T BE FOOLS EP RELEASE SHOWS

29 October @ Dive Bar, Dunedin

4 November @ The Loons, Christchurch

5 November @ Neck of the Woods, Auckland

18 November @ Yonder, Queenstown

10% of profits donated to Woman’s Refuge

TICKETS GO ON SALE: Tuesday 11^th October from humanitix.com

Photo Credit: Kate Wilson

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