Young Winona

Young Winona is an alternative rock outfit made up of 3 relocated New Zealanders in Los Angeles. Led by Cassie Gaffaney (vocals/guitar) along with Geoff Maddock (bass) and Nick Gaffaney (drums) the band makes raw, noisey and catchy rock with an unmistakable Kiwi edge.


Taking cues from several genres with influences from 90’s alternative rock acts like Garbage, Pixies, Blur and Nirvana to more contemporary acts like Palehound, Courtney Barnett and Best Coast, the songs are a reflection of life in Los Angeles for musicians so far from home. The constant struggle to keep above water and the myriad inspirations of a new country and the people met along the way are reflected in an unalloyed fashion which is a hallmark of Cassie’s writing style.


After partnering with Los Angeles label, Poor Man Records, the band started releasing singles in January 2021 starting with “LA Waste”, “Confess” and “Killer Daisies”. The tracks garnered attention from renowned radio stations from all over the world, KCRW (Los Angeles) and KEXP (Seattle), SIRIUS XM and GN98.7FM (South Korea). DJ Jose Galvan debuted “Killer Daisies” prior to the songs release which ended up landing on KCRW’s top 30 album chart.


Young Winona’s raw and captivating live performance has cemented their place in the crowded Los Angeles music scene as a must see act.