The Beths (NZ)

New Zealand four-piece The Beths channel their longtime friendship into high-energy guitar pop with a smart lyrical bite. Guitarist, lead vocalist, and primary songwriter Elizabeth Stokes and guitarist Jonathan Pearce attended high school together before meeting up with longtime mates bassist Benjamin Sinclair and drummer Ivan Luketina-Johnston at the University of Auckland, where all four studied jazz. After gigging together in a variety of configurations, the quartet came together for a project exploring the pop and rock sounds of their youth. Everything clicked, and The Beths were born.

Their debut EP, 2016's Warm Blood, overflows with explosive guitar riffs and infectious indie-rock hooks. Produced by Pearce and featuring all four members on joyful vocal harmonies that recall the best ‘60s pop, tracks like ace lead single “Whatever” and impossibly catchy standout  “Idea/Intent” earned the all-killer, no-filler release rave reviews from the New Zealand music press.

2019 promises to be a breakout year for The Beths. A beloved live act across Australia and New Zealand, the band will tour the U.S. and Europe. Their freshman album, Future Me Hates Me, also produced by Pearce, arrived in August 2018 on Carpark Records; fans of artists like Sleater-Kinney and Best Coast should remain on high alert.