The Flow Collective Announce New EP ‘Black Swans’
Acclaimed Aotearoa musicians Elizabeth de Vegt and Hamish Jellyman (Ngāi Tahu) return as The Flow Collective with their deeply personal new EP Black Swans, releasing on Friday, 16 May 2025, in celebration of New Zealand Music Month and de Vegt’s birthday.
Black Swans is a contemplative body of work that reflects on personal histories and how our identities are shaped by past events and relationships. Written and recorded in 2024 at The Stomach in Palmerston North, the EP draws on themes of memory, family, and resilience. The songs express the complexities of navigating the emotional terrain of transformation, and the determination to resist disassociation.
“These songs come from a place of honesty and looking back,” says de Vegt. “They are about recognising how the past lives in us and shapes who we are today, especially as artists.”
This EP represents the first in a duo, where the underlying threads of past, present and future will link them together. While their previous release Flow was expansive—drawing on the poetry of Airini Beautrais and a collective of musicians—Black Swans is paired back and raw. With lyrics written solely by de Vegt, the EP is grounded in storytelling and emotional vulnerability. Her powerful vocal performances and melodies complement Jellyman’s multi-instrumental compositions, showcasing his skills on bass, synth, brass, guitar and keys.
The result is a strikingly intimate record that sits within the evolving tradition of contemporary New Zealand folk, yet remains firmly rooted in personal experience.
Black Swans will be available on all major streaming platforms from 16 May 2025. This EP offers a resonant and courageous take on songwriting from two of Aotearoa’s most thoughtful and experienced musical voices.
