New Zealand band Phoebe Rings announces their debut self-titled debut EP, a hopeful collection of musings, out October 18, 2024 on Carpark Records. The Auckland band’s sound is a testament to the distinctive musical style of jazz-school-trained pianist and songwriter Crystal Choi. The band’s EP is a love letter to some of their favourites: Studio Ghibli films, Zelda and Stardew soundtracks, Bossa Nova, Stereolab, and 90’s Korean ballads.

“Daisy,” the lead single from the EP, released today alongside a self-directed music video, is a dreamy pop song filled with swirling synths that fizz on the skin like a warm sun, promising growth and new starts, with the shimmery refrain “Ooh-wee-a-waa” with the affirmation: “When you’re next to me, the world’s full of daisies.”

Choi’s songwriting was brought to life with Alex Freer on drums, Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent on guitar and synths, and Benjamin Locke on bass. Choi says she knew the tracks had to be recorded after the band played the songs better than she could ever imagine. And so, remotely through the COVID-19 lockdowns, the band started recording the songs that eventually turned into the Phoebe Rings EP.

Phoebe Rings started with Crystal Choi in 2019, eager for an outlet after finishing jazz School. “I got very sick of jazz. I just didn’t want that sound anymore,” she adds. “Dream-pop was my favourite thing to listen to. It fits the vibe and visuals of where I wanted to go.” Graham Reid praises the ethereal fantasy: “If the occasion arises for you to take a few moments to let the world go, this is the EP for you.”

Choi moved to New Zealand in 2000, growing up in a Korean-speaking home in Tāmaki Makaurau on the North Shore. She gravitated to the keyboard after school while her parents worked long hours to set up a new business. In an interview with Metro Mag, Choi reflects on the nuanced layers she brings growing up between cultural fabrics as a Korean New Zealander. With these inspirations, her gut tends pulls her towards the introspection of her first language, found in Korean ballads and literature.

Phoebe Rings
Phoebe Rings
Track List

1. Chesire
2. January Blues
3. Lazy Universe
4. Sspissky
5. Ocean
6. Daisy

Phoebe Rings 2024 Tour Dates

Oct 14th – 20th – Sydney, AU @ SXSW Sydney
Nov 9th – Christchurch, NZ @ Space Academy
Nov 14th – Auckland, NZ @ Neck Of The Woods
Nov 16th – Wellington, NZ @ Moon

Pre-order Phoebe Rings HERE