Pōneke Indie Rock Group Debt Club Release Debut EP ‘Taste For Stout’

For the last couple of years, a series of melancholic yet anthemic tunes have been brewing across numerous dingy rooms in Pōneke (Wellington).

Up until now the alternative indie six piece, Debt Club, have released 4 singles making Taste For Stout the first body of work for listeners to really sink their teeth into. The five track EP, released on September 5th, features two familiar songs: Little Lines and Windows, as well as three fresh ones.

The title track and first song on the EP is energetic and fast-paced that culminates into a soaring saxophone solo and then dissolves into a dreamy atmosphere, a switch some have said is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen’s Jungleland.

Taste For Stout’s lyrics are voiced from the perspective of someone reflecting on past mistakes and expressing deep regret over their life choices. Now, their primary focus is on guiding their child, hoping to give them a better future and help them grow into a person stronger and wiser than they ever were. This track, along with the whole EP was recorded over a week in mid 2024 at Massey University in Pōneke.

All tracks were mixed and mastered by lead singer and songwriter River Hann-Ellen, who also co-produced and co-engineered the project alongside Arran Cargill-Brown.

To celebrate the release, Debt Club will be playing a show on the 12th of September in Pōneke at San Fran with Ōtautahi legends Model Home and indie heavyweights Wiri Donna.