Tim Mahon Releases New Single ‘Fresh Northerly’

Tim Mahon follows up the very recent release of his album The Great Kerfuffle with a new single, Fresh Northerly.

Mahon says, “Fresh Northerly is about climate change. it’s about our weather changing. It’s about natural disasters that are fed by civilisation. It’s about thinking of your grandchildren (or someone else’s) when you vote. It’s about rejecting the exploitative economy. Facing up to climate change and making decisions for 100 years, not short term 3-year political cycles. See you at a Marae when we take refuge from the weather.”

Fresh Northerly was engineered and produced by the legendary Paul Steekstra, who sadly passed away in August 2025 .

The Great Kerfuffle, released on May 29th digitally (and June 5th on vinyl via Collective) is Mahon’s second solo album. His first solo album Music From a Lightbulb from 2002, was cleverly released under the name The Moth. Co-written with Peter Van Gent, musicians on the album included Mark Bell, Ivan Zagni and Don McGlashan. Listen to The Moth Minister of Everything.

As the former bass player of The Plague (1978-1979), The Whizz Kids (1979-1980), and Blam Blam Blam (1980-1982), he’s been an integral part of these highly influential Aotearoa bands.

Behind the scenes, Mahon has also been involved witha number of initiatives which have had a long-lasting impact – scroll down for more about these.

On The Great Kerfuffle album, Tim Mahon has a top-notch team around him, including Teinan Benioni (Bamboo/Ardijah), Sina Saipaia (O.M.C)., Brent ‘Syd’ Pasley (Newmatics) and Mark Bell (Blam Blam Blam).

At a time where every man and his dog are reforming and providing nostalgia, Mahon is presenting new music, with relevance to the interesting times we live in.

From plucking the bass harmonics on the seminal Blam Blam Blam track There is No Depression in New Zealand, Mahon’s new songs are in keeping with the anarchistic revolutionary themes he has long espoused. The lyrics will challenge you, but the music will hug you, like an old friend you danced with at The Gluepot, The Windsor Castle, Mainstreet, The Gladstone, or The Cook.

Subject matter on the 10-track album ranges far and wide. The Ballad of William is an ode to one of the original Radio Hauraki pirates; Happy Go Lucky is a lament for our current times; Fresh Northerly is a climate anthem.

Quite Nice came from a Plague rehearsal for the 2021 Punk It Up festival, and features John Murray on drums, Mark Bell on guitar, with Syd Pasley (Newmatics) later adding harmony guitar.