Ha The Unclear Release ‘The Cold’
Ha the Unclear have released 80’s NZ pub-rock throwback The Cold, the second single from their forthcoming EP Astigmatic! – due out 16 October. It follows lead single Cumberland St (Astigmatic), which was released on 11 September.
For The Cold, the creative process is akin to gold panning in what must certainly be Gabriel’s Gully or a braided Central Otago river, while a meta backing vocal refrain exclaims “the story that I tell myself / the wood with which I build my house.”
Vocalist Michael Cathro elaborates:
“The Cold came through a bit of frustration with the creative process. I was probably overcomplicating things and this was me ripping the lid off to get the sauce out. We demoed it together at Paul’s house and it was fun yelling the guitar riff at each other and the song became more and more party.”
Recorded with award-winning producer and engineer Tom Healy at his Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland studio, Astigmatic! is the band’s first new material since they released their amalgam LP A Kingdom in a Cul-de-Sac in 2024 on Think Zik!/Virgin. That release resulted in the band playing their debut European headline show, which saw them warmly received by French press and radio, including FIP – which described the record as “a kaleidoscopic and surreal pop journey.”
Since forming in 2014, Ha the Unclear have built a loyal following internationally and in Aotearoa; broken into the Top 10 on the Aotearoa Albums Chart; been longlisted twice for the APRA Silver Scroll; and have supported The Shins and toured with Courtney Barnett and The Dandy Warhols.
After showcasing at MaMA Festival and signing to a Paris-based imprint, the band made their European debut in 2024 with a headline Paris show at Supersonic, as well as dates supporting Lime Garden (Paris) and Feldup (Nantes). A Kingdom in a Cul-de-Sac was praised by Le Figaro, Libération, Télérama, Rock & Folk and Rolling Stone France, with rotation on France Inter, FIP and Europe 2.
Astigmatic! is out 16 October and available to pre-order via Bandcamp. It will be followed by a full LP in 2027.
Astigmatic! Tour
6 November @ Crown Hotel, Ōtepoti / Dunedin
13 November @ Whammy, Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland
14 November @ Space Academy, Ōtautahi / Christchurch
4 December @ Meow, Pōneke / Wellington
Tickets available here
