Pōneke rockers Dropper Release Debut Album ‘Be a Little Kinder’
Pōneke-based alt-rock outfit Dropper have today released their debut album Be a Little Kinder via Bigpop’s boutique label Particle Recordings.
Be a Little Kinder draws upon the feeling of hopelessness, confusion and being stuck in unhealthy thought patterns, “It’s angry and frustrated, masked behind happier melodies”, says guitarist and lead vocalist Jude Savage. Across the album’s eleven tracks, Dropper showcases their ability to take pop melodies and polished songwriting and distort them to the point of becoming agitated; the kind of songwriting reminiscent of the early 00’s American alternative scene.
Dropper’s music carries both the weight of loss and the urgency of renewal. The band’s name pays homage to the Aotearoa, Wellington-based four-piece, Bleeding Star, whose album Dropper, was the third and final project guitarist Otis Hill played on before passing away due to a rare cancer in 2024 at the age of 17. For Bleeding Star members Jude Savage and Carlos Bellamy, music continues to be a very important part of their lives, so in the summer of ‘24, Savage and songwriter River Hann-Ellen (Debt Club) began working on what would become Dropper (the band).
The project quickly became a vessel of resilience and an emotional outlet. Savage’s writing, taking inspiration from the likes of Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) and Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs), found new strength in Hann-Ellen’s intricate arrangements, merging raw and unfiltered sounds with an alty, hardcore-adjacent restlessness. Joined by new members, Dropper has taken final form as: Savage on vocals and guitar, Bellamy (guitar), Walter Martin (drums) and Toby Gracewood-Easther (bass). ‘The music is constant, we’re all going to want to keep playing. I want to be a 70-year-old rocker’ – Jude Savage.
Be a Little Kinder’s focus track, Anchor, opens the project and sets the tone for the rest of the album; “The idea behind Anchor is to keep moving forward. The instrumental barely ever repeats itself. The song is about staying put when maybe you shouldn’t, and it feels like a whole lot of bottled-up feelings being released.” – says Savage. Anchor is also one of the band’s favourite tracks to play live, if you have ever had the chance to see Dropper, you’ll know, “the breakdown is the moment in the set when anything goes. The drum kit normally falls apart, and all the guitars start squealing with feedback.” The energy is simply unmatched.
Audiences and critics have embraced Dropper’s intensity: “high energy stage performances punctuated by flawless musicianship and songwriting skills that seem beyond their years,” wrote Daniel O’Brien from MuzicNZ. Since their first shows, Dropper have supported There’s A Tuesday (NZ), shame (UK), Office Dog (NZ), Twine (AUS), Wunderhorse (UK), and The Lemonheads (USA). Dropper will be showcasing the release live across four Aotearoa stages before the end of 2025.
Be A Little Kinder – Album Release Mini Tour
Wellington – Meow, November 21 (Album release show)
Whanganui – Porridge Watson, November 28 (supporting Model Home, Yon Loader and Pining Radiata)
Auckland – The Others Way Festival, November 29 (headlining the all-ages stage)
Twisted Frequency Music Festival – December 30th to January 3rd
