Jordan Hunter Hyland Announces Debut EP ‘Waste’ + Intimate Lead Single
By day, Jordan Hunter Hyland works as a doctor in Auckland. Outside the hospital, he’s spent a lifetime writing songs. Now, after years of balancing medicine with music, the 28-year-old is introducing himself as one of New Zealand’s most compelling new indie singer-songwriters with the announcement of his debut EP, Waste, and its haunting lead single of the same name, arriving today, Friday 14 August.
Written during a transformative two-year period, Waste emerged as Hyland navigated losing his passion for medicine before gradually rediscovering it alongside a renewed belief in his own creative voice. The result is a deeply personal four-track collection that explores grief, addiction, isolation and the often unspoken thoughts that connect us all.
The EP’s first single, Waste, offers an intimate introduction to Hyland’s stripped-back songwriting. Produced by Chris Perry, the lo-fi track pairs understated instrumentation with quietly devastating lyricism, capturing the emotional weight of feeling disconnected from yourself while searching for a way forward.
Jordan says:
“I didn’t really know how to talk about what was going on, so I wrote songs instead. Waste is the first one because it’s the one that doesn’t flinch, it just says it. I don’t know what people will get out of it. I just needed to get it out.
Produced by Chris Perry, Waste allows Hyland’s vulnerable songwriting to take centre stage. Across four tracks, he writes with remarkable honesty, finding beauty in life’s quieter moments and giving voice to emotions that often go unspoken.
With Waste, Jordan Hunter Hyland marks the arrival of a thoughtful new songwriter whose experiences in medicine and music have combined to create an affecting debut that lingers long after the final note.
Waste is available on all streaming platforms now. The full EP, Waste, will be released in September 2026.
