Zachary, Ali, Wynn, Riley and Miles are prizegiving, an emo-pop outfit from Wellington, New Zealand. For a while they were known as Tuff Wizard, until one of them had enough sense to change that. The five-piece blend their love for dogs with a strange desire to rekindle things with ex-lovers, and as a result have found a musical niche that sits somewhere between the bouncy vibes of indie-pop and the melancholic musings of your favorite teenage emo band. Imagine Pavement's Steve Malkmus fronting 90s emo darlings Mineral. Listen to the track "No Harm Done" and get a better idea of what we are talking about.Their debut album No Harm Done is available June 19 from Papaiti and Sleepover Records and is guaranteed to hit you in all the right "feels" spots. We had a chat to the band's drummer Zac Sutton.Noisey: What was the main inspiration behind "No Harm Done"?
Zac Sutton: My favorite songs at the moment use a lot of humour without trying to make you feel bad for the singer or yourself. I like songs that make you chuckle and think "fuck, I've been there." I think thats what we're aiming for.What would you change about recording the album?
I want to say more focus with our time in the studio but recording additional pieces via bedrooms was honestly my favorite part.Why the name change?
Tuff Wizard was the project I started with Miles when he'd visit over summer but thats not what this band is anymore. I think we have wanted to change the name for a while but figuring out when to do it was the struggle so this release seemed like our best bet.What's the message with the single "Sarah"?
I'm pretty sure it's self-directed. I think Miles is singing at himself or maybe the band? It's probably our favourite track to play live though.
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Zac Sutton: My favorite songs at the moment use a lot of humour without trying to make you feel bad for the singer or yourself. I like songs that make you chuckle and think "fuck, I've been there." I think thats what we're aiming for.What would you change about recording the album?
I want to say more focus with our time in the studio but recording additional pieces via bedrooms was honestly my favorite part.Why the name change?
Tuff Wizard was the project I started with Miles when he'd visit over summer but thats not what this band is anymore. I think we have wanted to change the name for a while but figuring out when to do it was the struggle so this release seemed like our best bet.What's the message with the single "Sarah"?
I'm pretty sure it's self-directed. I think Miles is singing at himself or maybe the band? It's probably our favourite track to play live though.
'No Harm Done' is available June 19 from Papaiti and Sleepover Records (USA). Pre-orders available now via Bandcamp.Scope some more stuff from Scott on Twitter.