Guardian Singles

With an alternately fierce and melodic approach to their updated take on the early American indie rock underground, New Zealand's Guardian Singles are proud descendants of great guitar-oriented bands like <a href="spotify:artist:5UMQV83wwZCCvRSQCVjZw6">Mission of Burma</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0sTTw3dw3EA0c7NaZnrJd2">the Wipers</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:16bN8mhtDFdegWbg0z3s10">Hüsker Dü</a>. After releasing their self-titled debut album in 2020, the band upped their production values along with the explosiveness of their performances on their combustible sophomore album, 2023's Feed Me to the Doves.

The group started playing in 2015 when guitarist/vocalist Thom Burton and drummer Fiona Campbell joined forces. They had each been in a variety of groups before, notably SoccerPractise and Moppy for Burton, while Campbell was in <a href="spotify:artist:0WkO9Px6qQCM7so8lYvaCv">Vivian Girls</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4iIV8cW8ANsoEqoInCwIxs">Coasting</a>. The formed a line-up that included synth player Madison Eve (Peach Milk), guitarist Durham Fenwick (Green Grove), and bassist Perry Mahoney (Civil Union) to play shows around their hometown of Auckland, eventually scoring slots opening for internationally known touring bands and going on an Australian tour. They recorded an album in 2018, laying down their best songs from the live set, and a cover of <a href="spotify:artist:4hzCcF4Leos2sKnz79nwhz">the Sound</a>'s "Heartland." The band's line-up changed some after the sessions, with Eve and Mahoney departing and bassist Yolanda Fagan (Echo Ohs, Na Noise) joining up. In early 2020, the Auckland label Moral Support issued a small run of what became their self-titled debut album. American label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Trouble+in+Mind%22">Trouble in Mind</a> heard the songs and liked them enough to reissue the record in July of 2021. The band entered the studio around that same time to begin work on their second album. Working with engineer Steven Marr, Guardian Singles dialed in a higher definition capture of their previously scrappy sound. Their sophomore album, Feed Me to the Doves, was released in May of 2023, again on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Trouble+in+Mind%22">Trouble in Mind</a>. The album was the first to feature the streamlined quartet formation of the band, who had been playing live and tightening up their sound for a few years at the time of the album's release. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi