Wednesday (USA) - Wellington

Banished Music & Strange News are elated to present the first ever New Zealand tour from North Carolina's own Wednesday, Saturday 17 February at Meow in Wellington, and Thursday 22 February at Auckland's Whammy Bar!

One of the most feverishly celebrated indie bands in the world right now, Wednesday is fronted by singer and guitarist Karly Hartzman, alongside guitarist MJ Lenderman (a rising songwriting star in his own right), bassist Margo Shultz, drummer Alan Miller, and lap/pedal steel player Xandy Chelmis. This extraordinary ensemble is all set to bring their raucous and rousing live set to fill these intimate venues with a truly unique wall of noise.

The band are touring in support of their 2023 album 'Rat Saw God', which garnered praise from across the board with its tales of life in suburban America, winning hearts and breaking them in equal measure. Wednesday’s sound may have echoes of the best parts of the 90s, but truly is a musical blend all their own, with their wild mash-up of shoegaze, alt-country, emo, and grunge.

With songs that tell stories of stomach pumping, nostalgic small-town bike rides, drugs, and Mortal Kombat, the band’s fifth album is, as perfectly put by NPR, “distinctly, youthfully, chaotically American”, while Uncut gifted it a near perfect score and praised its ability to match horror with humour.

Wednesday’s live shows are reported to be distorted, dangerous, and fearsome affairs, with squalls of fuzzed out pedal steel melding with duelling guitars, pummelling bass, and cacophonous drums, all cut through like a knife by Karly Hartzman’s unmistakable howl.

We are in for an incredible treat this coming February, and by the sounds of it, in for some of the wildest shows this country will have seen in quite some time.